Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
FAIRBORN — Fairland almost made a historic comeback on Friday evening.
But unfortunately, in the end, the hole the Dragons had dug in the third quarter was just too deep to overcome.
The Dragons (23-5) were outscored by a 17-2 count in the third and, although they flipped the script in the fourth by an 18-10 margin, their season came to a heartbreaking end with a 54-48 loss to Ottawa-Glandorf in a Division V state semifinal.
“We came on early and made shots, and put ourselves in position to win the game, it just didn’t go our way in the end,” Fairland coach Jon Buchanan said. “I’m super proud of how the kids came ready to play and really brought the energy. Ottawa-Glandorf is an excellent team. They easily could have been in the last two Final Fours, they just ran into Africentric in the regional finals both years. We were up for the challenge and gave it everything.”
OG’s Madison McKee scored a pair of buckets early, but Fairland countered with an 8-0 run off a pair of 3’s from Isa Taliaferro and and a bucket from Addyson Cornell for a 12-6 advantage.
The Titans (28-0) responded with an 8-1 run behind Karsyn Erford and Alivia Grothause just before Fairland’s Lola Donahoe connected on a triple to put the Dragons back in front at 16-14.
Ottawa-Glandorf, however, answered when Erford scored at the buzzer to tie the game after the opening quarter.
Throughout the second, both teams traded baskets.
No lead was greater than one possession with multiple ties took center stage.
Stella Whitley broke the final tie of the quarter, burying a trey to put Fairland ahead 28-25 before the Dragons closed out the half with a 28-27 lead.
In the first half, Fairland shot over 64 percent from the floor and nailed five triples, but Ottawa-Glandorf relentlessly attacked inside while making 7-of-10 at the charity stripe.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
However, the third quarter was all about Grathause.
OG’s 5-foot-7 senior opened the frame with seven straight points, helping the Titans claim a 34-30 advantage midway through.
Her roll continued, too, as she scored three more buckets. When Allison Kuhlman and McKee scored inside, it gave the Titans a 17-2 winning margin in the quarter, pushing the lead to 44-30 going into the final eight minutes.
“It wasn’t like we weren’t good shots, they were the same looks that we had earlier in the game, we just couldn’t get them to fall,” Godby said. “But we knew there were still eight minutes to play, so we just had to keep battling and chipping away to give ourselves a chance.”
The Dragons, however, still had a pulse.
Riley Russell canned a 3, and Bailey Russell scored the next seven Dragon points to spark a 10-2 run and cut the deficit to 46-40.
They kept their foot firmly on the gas as Godby scored the next two buckets, before a steal and score from Bailey Russell completed a 16-4 run, trimming OG’s once double-digit lead to just 48-46.
“I felt like most teams in the situation we were in, down 14 in the Final Four would have given up but that’s not who we are,” Bailey Russell said. “We all keep our heads high going into the fourth, and I’m so proud of how we fought back.”
But Erford responded with the Titans’ next four points, and, although the Dragons had a chance to continue keeping themselves at arm’s length, they couldn’t connect on late free throws which sealed their fate and, ultimately, the season’s end.
“20-20 hindsight, maybe we should have put our normal press on a little earlier and maybe things would have changed in our favor,” Buchanan said. “Ottawa has been a really good second half team throughout the tournament and they’re really good in transition, so we didn’t want to give them any chances are getting wide open looks. They deserve credit for how they played, and so do we for how we battled back. We just fell short.”
Statistically, Bailey Russell finished with 18 points and five rebounds for Fairland, while Godby added 10 points and four rebounds.
Russell and Godby are two of five seniors alongside Cornell, Taliaferro and Teagan Leep who exit the program, leaving behind a trail of greatness that will never be forgotten.
In their four years, they complied a 97-13 career record, including three OVC titles in addition to four district and four regional championships.
“Everything we did on the court is great, but I think our legacy off the court is even bigger because of how much we all care for each other,” Godby said. “We post on our social media pages because we want the younger players to see how close we are. We’ve been playing together our whole lives and that bond is not something created overnight. Hopefully those players see the love we have for one another and want the same thing for themselves.”
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