Perry vs Marlington Division II district championship game capsule for Feb. 25 game
Feb. 24—(5) Perry vs. (3) Marlington
What: Division II district final
When: 1 p.m., Feb. 25
Where: Nordonia, 8006 S. Bedford Road, Macedonia
Records: Perry 20-5, Marlington 23-2
Perry's path: Defeated Crestwood, 48-27, def. Aurora, 49-44, def. Streetboro, 45-43
Marlington's path: Defeated Youngstown Chaney, 67-15, def. Girard, 61-13, def. West Geauga, 49-47 (OT)
On deck: The winner will play the winner of Laurel and Columbiana Crestview in a Barberton Regional semifinal at 6 p.m. on March 3
For the record: The Pirates and Dukes were part of semifinal games that went down to the wire, Perry getting a late free throw from Izzy McKoon to cement a 45-43 win over Streetsboro and Marlington getting a layup with 2.5 seconds left in overtime from Elizabeth Mason for a 49-47 win over West Geauga. ... Both teams are strong defensively. Perry will be at a height disadvantage, as usual. But the Pirates make up for lack of height with ferocity on defense and solid help defense. Grace McKoon leads the team at 18.0 points per game, the only Pirate averaging double figures. ... Mason had 27 in a win over Girard. She'll be a focal point of Perry's defense, as will Mara Warner and Chelsea Evanich, who had 14 and 13, respectively, against West Geauga.
Kampf's pick: Perry
