Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
DAYTON — Very few gave Circleville a chance to advance on Thursday.
But the Tigers were ready to shock the state, and they were mere inches away from doing it, too.
Late in the game, Circleville had a chance, and got a good look at the rim. But the potential game-tying shot bounced off the back iron and fell to the floor, cementing a heartbreaking 46-43 loss to Bellevue in a Division IV state semifinal.
The greatest season in program history ends with 23 wins and a first-ever Final 4 appearance alongside conference and district championships.
“Too many turnovers. That’s ultimately what it came down to, and it just wasn’t meant to be for us in the end,” Circleville coach Josh Blakeman said. “I don’t think anyone expected us to make it this far, nor be in the game the way we were. But I’m so proud of these girls, not just for how hard they fought, but for how much they grew as a team throughout the season.”
Despite it being their first time on the state’s largest stage, the Tigers took the fight right to the Lady Red.
Mallory McConnell drilled a triple, putting Circleville ahead 6-4, before Addison Edgington connected on a pair of buckets to put the Tigers ahead 11-7 after the first quarter.
Kaitlyn Truinsky and Mazie Gracemyer scored to tie the game for Bellevue (28-0), but Brooklyn Cramer answered with a basket, followed by a triple from Maddie Blakeman to keep the Tigers ahead 16-12.
The Lady Red later tied the game, but Cramer logged an old-fashioned three-point play before her and Edgington each split a pair of free throws, maintaining a 21-18 lead at halftime.
“We had 12 turnovers at halftime, but had a three-point lead. I told the girls that if we cut down on our turnovers, we’d have a better chance to win,” Josh Blakeman said. “We’ve played a ton of close games this year, and I figured having that type of experience in the regular season would be really beneficial in the postseason. So we just had to continue battling like we were.”
Turinsky opened the second with a pair of buckets before Ellie Freitag connected from distance to cap a 7-2 run, giving Bellevue a 25-23 lead.
Blakeman answered with a pair of buckets, alongside a score through contact from Edgington, pushing the Tigers back in front at 30-28. Although the Lady Red got a pair of shots to fall, Blakeman splashed in a trey to give Circleville a 33-32 lead going into the fourth.
“We’ve been really strong in the third quarter all season long, despite having some slow starts,” Josh Blakeman said. “Coming out of halftime, it wasn’t so great this time. But our girls just don’t quit and don’t let big runs phase them. They fight for one another and don’t stop.”
After scoring seven points in the third, Blakeman tested her luck and swished a deep triple to open the fourth.
“I missed a couple shots early on, but I noticed they were going in and out, so I knew at some point it was going to fall,” Maddie Blakeman said. “Getting downhill was a bit of a struggle for me, so I pulled the ball out, had confidence in my shot and they began to fall.”
Bellevue got its next two shots to fall. McConnell then scored inside, but Ava Jakubcin-Theis buried a triple to put the Lady Red up 39-38.
Later tied at 43-43 and with less than a minute left, Turkinsky split a pair before Jakubcin-Theis scored a runner to take a 46-43 lead.
Circleville had a final chance to tie the game, but its shot attempt rimmed off the back iron and hit the floor, ending the season in heartbreaking fashion.
“This was the first time we ran 5-out all season. I thought we could space them out, get downhill, beat them off the dribble and take advantage of some one-on-one situations,” Josh Blakeman said. “Bellevue is a really good team, but so are we and everyone played so well. I thought it was a great matchup for us and we felt really confident about our game plan. We had a couple great looks in the end, but it didn’t bounce our way.”
Statistically, Maddie Blakeman finished the night with 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists, while Edgington added 13 points and five rebounds.
Forced to now say goodbye to one senior in Maddie Blakeman, the Tigers will forever look back on a journey they went on with an entire community behind them.
CREDIT: Brock Netter/SOSA
“I’m so thankful to have the opportunity to play on this stage and do it with these girls. We gave it everything we had and became a team,” Maddie said. “We wanted it so much for each other, and I think that element is something that had been missing from years before. Our student section was amazing, our fans were amazing and that’s what is special about Circleville. The level of support is unmatched and it made me proud to be a Tiger.”
Josh Blakeman took over the program four days before the season’s first game. That hire turned into three numbers being hung on the banner as his group ended the year as one of the last four teams standing in Division IV.
But with four starters and the majority of the team coming back into the fold next season, don’t be surprised if the Tigers end up in Dayton again come next March.
“As a dad, I’ll never forget getting to do this season with my little girl. As a coach, I’m so happy with how tight this team became,” Josh Blakeman said. “Once they trusted me, I think they began to trust each other much more and I think that’s something that’s really changed from years past. There’s much growth, from off the court to on the court that made this year what it was, and I’m so proud of them.”
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