D-IV Regional Girls Basketball Scouter: Buckeye Central, Dalton destined to meet again?
MASSILLON — We're down to the final 16 girls basketball teams in Division IV and Perry High School is the host site for this year's Region 13 tournament made up of predominately teams from Northeast Ohio.
Reigning regional champion Buckeye Central is back, and it's the program's seventh consecutive trip to the third weekend of the postseason. And joining the Buckettes are New Middletown Springfield and Dalton — both were here last season — and Berlin Center Western Reserve, which is back after a one-year absence.
This one is really anyone's to win and all three games this weekend in Massillon should be absolute thrillers. So let's break down the semifinal matchups in this edition of the Scouting Report.
The Matchups
No. 13 New Middletown Springfield (22-3) vs. Dalton (12-14), 6 p.m.
Last season Springfield made its return to regionals for the first time in 30 years, getting matched up with eventual regional champ Buckeye Central. And though it ended in a 33-point loss, the experience of just getting to that stage and competing was all the Tigers needed to make it a point to get back. A commanding 43-21 win over Cornerstone Christian led Springfield back to regionals. And if that score tells you anything, it's that the Tigers are excellent defensively this season. And they say defense wins championships ...
Dalton is back in regionals for the sixth time in seven seasons and looking to finally claim a regional title, having been shut out over that stretch by Buckeye Central twice and Cornerstone Christian once. The Bulldogs were runners-up last season and return a number of players from last year's squad. They pulled off quite an upset in the district championship by beating top seed and No. 4 in the state Richmond Heights 41-39 after trailing by nine at the half and coming into the postseason with just eight wins. This is not a team to overlook.
Berlin Center Western Reserve (18-8) vs. Buckeye Central (22-3), 8 p.m.
The Blue Devils make their return to regionals after beating Kinsman Badger 36-24 in the Mineral Ridge district championship. This is the program's fifth trip in the last 10 years after never previously winning a district title before coach Steve Miller took over. An elite defensive team, Western Reserve allows just 34 points per game to opposing teams and scores 42 a game, which often makes for thrilling games in which every possession is crucial. After two starters suffered season-ending injuries two weeks ago, freshman Quincy Miller and junior Angelina Cappabianca have stepped up and helped power the Blue Devils to where they are today.
If Willard High School is like a second home to Buckeye Central, Perry High School is slowly becoming the program's third. The Buckettes lost two of the best players in the state in Emily Siesel and Claudia Pifher. Siesel is now at Bowling Green State University, helping the Falcons to a 24-4 record and be in position to compete for a Mid-American Conference title, while Pifher was the school's first four-year All-Ohioan and all-time leading scorer now plying her trade at Ohio Dominican. And despite doubts all season, the Buckettes are back in regionals after a 39-21 win over Danbury. This isn't quite the high-scoring offense of yesteryear, but Buckeye Central makes up for it with stifling defense and scoring in transition.
Players to Watch
Jacey Mullen, New Middletown Springfield
A force to be reckoned with, the 5-foot-10 Mullen is a walking double-double who averages 17.2 points and 11.6 rebounds in 25 games. Of those 11.6 rebounds, 6.5 are on the offensive end, which means she's able to get second-chance opportunities for herself. Mullen also averages 2.1 assist, 2.8 steals and 1.6 blocks — truly a do-it-all player. Outside of her there are four players who average more than a basket a game, but the Tigers offense goes through Mullen, and if she gets going she's hard to stop.
Kylee Johnson, Dalton
A stellar defender and excellent spot-up shooter, Johnson can completely turn the tide of a game and is more than capable of putting up big numbers. Ella Lunsford is the Bulldogs' clear top option in the offense as evidenced by a 21-point performance in the district championship. But when it comes to regionals, having a second option put in a solid performance can be the difference between battling for a regional title and going home.
Brooke Schantz, Berlin Center Western Reserve
Sometimes familiarity on the big stage is all you need. Schantz was on the Blue Devils' regional team in 2021 that lost 57-25 to McDonald, but that tough loss will still be in her head and she'll be extra motivated to not let that happen again. For the season she's averaging 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals, and she's nine points away from 1,000 for her career. Alyvia Hughes (9.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists) will be there to back her up offensively, too.
Kate Siesel, Buckeye Central
Arguably the biggest momentum-shifting player in the regional, Siesel is one player you will not want to leave open. South Central learned that the hard way at the district tournamnent, she set a single-game record with eight 3s and scored a game-high 26 points. And even seeing limited looks in the championship against Danbury, Siesel still led the way with 15 points. For the season she has 77 makes from deep, shooting 37%, and averages 14.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.3 assists. Following in the footsteps of her sister Emily, the reigning Division IV Player of the Year, Siesel is a major reason why the Buckettes in position to make their third state appearance in six years.
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This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Buckeye Central, Dalton, Springfield, Western Reserve battle for regional
