Toledo Lady Irish compete in Ohio basketball semi-finals |
 |
 |
|
Written by TOM DEVER, Special to the Chronicle
|
|
Thursday, 03 April 2008 19:00 |
COLUMBUS—With weather conditions worsening by the minute outside and inches of snow turning to feet, the Schottenstein Center at The Ohio State University was nonetheless filled with faithful red and gray.
The Lady Irish of Toledo Central Catholic High School had captured city, district, and regional titles along the way to its first state semi-final in six years, and the overwhelming support, despite the circumstances, provided an electric atmosphere.
 |
| Toledo Central Catholic High School senior Sharise Calhoun was a
standout during the Ohio state semi-finals in Columbus. (Photo courtesy
of K. Lagger/Paul Kenney Studios) |
For unbiased observers, the game would appear to be nothing more than a one-team domination; a blowout from the very start by the clear-cut superior team, the number two ranked Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame Cougars. The Cougars, the highest ranked team remaining in the tournament, came into the game as heavy favorites.
The game began with fast-paced play from both teams and seesaw scoring for the entire first period, ending with the Cougars leading 13-12.
The second quarter saw the first skid of the game by either team, as the inability to get a shot to drop caused the Irish to fall behind by seven. However, the performance by senior captain, Sharise Calhoun, kept the Irish alive.
Sharise scored 16 of the Irish’s 25 first-half points from all possible locations on the court: under the hoop, the three-point arc, 12-foot jumpers and the free-throw line. Late in the second quarter, she drove hard to the basket along the baseline and was nearly forced out of bounds by the defender, causing her to toss up a reverse-handed lay up way over her head that took a bounce or two before sinking. This left the Irish trailing just 30-25 at the half.
The first four minutes of the third quarter proved to be the Achilles’ heel of the Lady Irish championship dreams. Poor shooting by CCHS and an impressive, speedy full-court offense that was executed to perfection by the Cougars were the main factors in the 19-0 run by the Cougars that began the second half.
Led mostly by Gabby Smith, the Cougars sprang to a quick lead that snowballed from eight to 15 to 24. Finally, a three-pointer by senior Danielle Lewis snapped the run. The Irish could only come as close as 10 points the remainder of the game.
With about 90 seconds remaining in the game, Lady Irish head coach Steve Pfahler removed the seniors — Sharise, Danielle, Katelyn Nowacki, Ashley Frazier, Paige Weaver, Val Gang and Lauren Farrell. They stepped off the court for the final time to a standing ovation from the massive Irish faithful.
The game ended with a 66-51 defeat for the Irish, led by Sharise with 17 points, and Brianna Jones with 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Irish finished one of their most successful seasons ever with a record of 25-4 and a recapturing of the City League title. The Lady Irish return junior stand out Brianna Jones and pivotal player Ashley Sujkowski, and look to make another run next year.
Tom Dever is a senior at Toledo Central Catholic High School.
|
|
Last Updated on Monday, 22 September 2008 09:11 |
