Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
CHILLICOTHE — Two of the preseason district title favorites in Division II took care of business in district semifinal matchups on Thursday to set up a massive rematch next week in a district championship game.
Fairland 59, Warren 40
The Dragons (23-1) jumped out to a quick start behind hot shooting from the outside via Bailey Russell, Kam Barnitz and Isa Talioferro, seizing a 15-4 lead after a quarter over the No. 8 seeded Warren Warriors.
Warren worked its way back into the game with a combination of solid defense and the midrange scoring of freshman Aubrey Pepper, plus a triple from Raylen Shotwell. Late in the quarter, the Warriors got to within eight, but a late bucket from Addison Godby helped extend the Dragons’ lead to 25-15 at halftime.
The Warriors (16-8) came out of the break with a layup from Mackenzie Jones-McGuire and then it was all Dragons.
A layup from Russell started an extended run for Fairland. Barnitz canned a triple in transition before hitting a cutting Kylee Bruce for a layup to force a timeout. Fairland was finally able to turn up the pace of the game, leading to runout layups for Russell and Bree Allen, while they forced the Warriors into quick shots on the defensive end.
The Dragons extended the lead to as much as 23 points before Pepper closed the quarter with a 3 from the top of the key to make it a 45-25 game after three. Fairland coasted to a victory with a balanced attack in the final quarter, eventually closing out the Warriors to earn a 59-40 win.
Godby and Russell led the Dragons with 16 points each, while Russell also contributed 4 steals. Barnitz added 11 points and Taliaferro scored eight off the bench for Fairland. Allen pulled down a game-high eight rebounds.
Pepper led all scorers with 18 points for the Warriors.
BOX SCORE
Warren: 4-11-10-15 — 40
Fairland: 15-10-20-14 — 59
Warren: 16-45 FG, 5-6 FT, 3-9 3pt. Scoring: Pepper 18, Pettey 7, James-McGuire 6, Shotwell 5, Chidester 4.
Fairland: 22-52 FG, 9-15 FT, 6-19 3pt. Scoring: Godby 16, Russell 16, Barnitz 11, Taliaferro 8, Allen 5, Bruce 3.
PHOTOS: Images from Fairland’s win over Warren
Unioto 54, Marietta 39
The Shermans (21-3) took an early lead with a crafty drive from Magnolia Holbert before the Tigers answered with a putback from Leigha Lauer.
A triple from Unioto’s Amaris Betts was answered by Marietta’s Jacey McKnight and, just after those buckets, it appeared as if Unioto had taken control with a pair of layups from Aidyn Danison and Milee Smith. But Marietta answered with a pair of 3-pointers from Alyssa Baker.
The Shermans did indeed take control late in the first quarter on a triple from Holbert to lead 12-11 after eight minutes. The second stanza then belonged to the Shermans as they outscored Marietta by an 18-5 margin to take a sizable lead into the break.
The domination began with a 3 from Smith before Betts connected with Smith for a fastbreak layup after a steal. Holbert and Uhrig then each scored hustle putback baskets, before Betts dialed up from downtown for a second time.
Smith scored from the midrange and also on the interior before Baker canned another triple to give the Tigers some life. Unioto closed out the quarter with a layup from Uhrig, coming off an assist from Smith in the closing seconds to take a 30-16 lead into the locker rooms.
Marietta (19-5) came out in the third with a renewed intensity, forcing nine turnovers and winning the quarter behind a breakout performance from Lauer. She provided a spark for the Tigers from the midrange and on the glass before Baker hit her fourth triple of the night.
But the Shermans were able to hold off the rally as Smith scored a pair of tough baskets, including a three-point play late in the period to bring the crowd back to life.
The Tanks then began to put the game on ice halfway through the fourth as Jade Stewart canned a triple from the wing before Abbie Marshall scored on the inside. The final nail in the coffin came on a deep 3 from Betts to help push the Shermans back into the district final for a second consecutive year.
Smith led the Shermans with 16 points, while also providing defensive help with three steals and three blocks. Betts scored 13 points, pulled down nine rebounds and had three steals while Holbert posted a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds alongside with four steals. Uhrig also pulled down seven rebounds to go with six points.
Baker and Lauer each led the Tigers with 15 points, while Lauer also pulled down a game-high 11 boards.
BOX SCORE
Marietta: 11-5-12-11 — 39
Unioto: 12-18-7-17 — 54
Marietta: 13-58 FG, 7-11 FT, 6-30 3pt. Scoring: Lauer 15, Baker 15, McKnight 7, Hogue 1, Tucker 1.
Unioto: 22-52 FG, 4-7 FT, 6-19 3pt. Scoring: Smith 16, Betts 13, Holbert 12, Uhrig 6, Stewart 3, Marshall 2, Danison 2.
PHOTOS: Images from Unioto’s win over Marietta
Unioto will now meet with Fairland in a Division II district championship game at 6:15 p.m., Wednesday, back at Southeastern High School.
That contest is a rematch of last year’s regional semifinal. The Dragons won that game by an 88-61 final en route to a regional championship.
SPONSORED BY DR. MARK CONNER FAMILY DENTISTRY
