New Middletown Springfield survives and advances with regional semifinal win over Richmond Heights
MASSILLON, Ohio - They say defense wins championships.
For New Middletown Springfield, defense at least put them in a position to do just that with a 34-31 win over Richmond Heights on Thursday night in a Division IV regional semifinal at Perry High School.
The Tigers held Richmond Heights to just two points in the second quarter and then nine in the fourth quarter, with the final basket coming in the final seconds with the game already decided.
"We like to say we hang our hat on our defense," Springfield head coach John Matisi said. "We did a great job of knowing the game plan, switching up the zones on them, getting their best kids stopped enough."
With both offenses struggling, it was Springfield who just seemed to make the plays when they needed one. Leading by just three after the third, senior Ava Vecchione knocked down a 3-pointer on the first possession of the fourth quarter. And then midway through the fourth with Springfield leading 30-26, Vecchione made what might have been the play of the game.
After a missed shot by Richmond Heights, and with the ball being batted around on the rebound, the 5-foot-5 guard came out of the pack with the ball and nothing but open court ahead. She sprinted to the other end, made the layup and got fouled, hitting the free throw to make it 33-26.
"I think like we all got excited," Vecchione said. "We got three points out of that play, so we kind of were just like, okay, let's keep it going like this."
The clutch play was nothing new for Vecchione, who had a game-winning layup in the final seconds of Springfield's district semifinal win over Badger a week ago.
"She just always seems to find a way to make those plays," Matisi said. "She had a buzzer beater in our district semifinal to advance us and she has just been tremendous all year."
Richmond Heights answered with a 3-pointer by Nisey Darden, who led the Spartans with 13 points, but that was the last bucket they would make until the layup at the end. Richmond Heights had its chances, however, with open looks at 3-pointers the last couple of minutes of the game. But the Spartans just couldn't find the net.
The Spartans were playing in front of a crowd that included their boys basketball team, who has won two straight OHSAA Division IV basketball state championships and play in the district final on Friday night. The boys were enjoying themselves, getting into the game from the jump and doing all of the chants they hear people doing at ttheir games.
Vecchione led the Tigers with 12 points and Jameka Brungard had 10, including a highlight play of her own in the second quarter.
Brungard tracked down the Richmond Heights ball handler from behind and stole the ball at the top of the key on the Richmond Heights offensive end. As she dribbled up the court on the left side, a Spartans defender tried to cut her off at the 3-point line, where she crossed over and then spun around her before putting up a one-handed push shot from about five feet away for the basket.
Springfield advances to the regional final against Loudonville on Saturday at 7:00 pm. Loudonville defeated Danbury 46-40 in the other semifinal on Thursday night.
New Middletown Springfield head coach John Matisi fires up his team late in the fourth quarter of their win over Richmond Heights in the regional semifinals on March 7, 2024.
Ryan Isley, SBLive Sports
-- Ryan Isley | ryan@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveoh
