Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
ATHENS — The wait is over.
Eastern Brown has been one of the most consistent, and successful, programs over the past decade. Yet, the Warriors haven’t brought home any hardware to show for it.
Saturday changed all of that.
Behind a physical defense, a relentless effort on the glass, and a nonstop second half attack, The Warriors (22-3) secured their first district title since 2010 with a 49-40 victory over Chesapeake.
“This is fun. I remember telling the kids in the beginning of the year that we can do something really special, and this is exactly what I meant,” Eastern Brown coach Rob Beucler said. “These kids stepped up and there’s so much work they’ve put in. We’re not the most athletic team in the world, but the kids bought in and figured out how to get it done. Couldn’t be happier for them.”
Eastern opened the game with back-to-back buckets from Carter Cluxton and Braxton Vance for a quick 4-0 lead.
Kaden Perkins responded with five straight points for the Panthers (20-4) before Matthew Dick converted a tough bucket to put the Warriors back in front.
After splitting a pair of free throws to tie the game, Andy Chapman then splashed in a 3 to beat the buzzer, giving the Panthers a 9-6 after the first quarter.
Perkins opened the second with a triple, but the Warriors responded with a bucket from Kayne Dotson and an old-fashioned three-point play from Vance, cutting the deficit to 12-11.
Eastern later took a 15-14 lead with buckets from Cluxton and Dick.
Thacker then scored on a tough layup, only for Jaidon Florence to answer on the other end with a triple, capping a 7-2 run to end the half, putting the Warriors in front at 18-16.
“We knew they wanted to attack the basket with Perkins, Frecka and Kazee, so our game plan was just to limit the others,” Beucler said. “Switching up our defenses from man to zone at times really threw them off. I thought we did a great job at keeping Frecka off the glass and holding them to one shot.”
CREDIT: Brock Netter/SOSA
Dick scored inside to open the third, followed by a trifecta from Cluxton to push the Warriors’ lead to 23-17 midway through the frame.
The Warriors then turned up the heat in a hurry as Dick posted three straight rebound and put back scores, followed by a floater from Chase Pinkerton for an 8-2 run, extending the lead to 31-19.
Eastern closed out the third with a 35-23 edge.
“[Dick] commands a lot of attention just based on his size alone, but he makes the hustle plays and understands who he is on the team.” Beucler said. “He played very good defense in the interior, did a great job on the glass, and even better at finishing his chances around the rim.”
Chesapeake still had some life, though. Perkins opened the fourth with back-to-back 3’s, cutting the deficit to 35-29.
But that was the closest the Panthers would get throughout the rest of the night as the Warriors knocked down 13 free throws, alongside a bucket from Dick, down the stretch to secure their spot in the Sweet 16.
“We didn’t handle the pressure very well in the fourth and still had some struggles about hitting free throws late in the game,” Beucler said. “But for those two things we didn’t do well, there were a lot of things we did do well. We matched their physicality and won the rebounding battle by having a number of guys with six rebounds or more. That had a huge part in us winning.”
Dick finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds while Vance added 11 points and eight rebounds. Cluxton also chipped in with seven points and eight rebounds.
Perkins finished with a team-high 23 points for Chesapeake.
Eastern Brown returns to action at 8 p.m. on Wednesday in a Division V regional semifinal against Ironton, who defeated Wheelersburg to advance.
That game will happen at Ohio University’s Convocation Center.
“My birthday was March 3, and I told the kids if you’re still playing basketball by then, you’re having a great season,” Beucler said. “For several years in the 90’s and early 2000’s, we were doing that. We went through a spell where we weren’t, but to win this one after 16 years of not winning one is as sweet as it gets.”
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