By HUNTER O. LYLE
lyleoleanstar@gmail.com
ERIE, PA – In a game that saw four Terrors score over 15 points, the Otto-Eldred boys’ basketball team defeated Aquinas Academy 75-68, punching their ticket to the PIAA state semifinals and sitting just one win away from a trip to Hershey.
Through their state tournament drive, winning the first two games by a combined 30 points, the Terrors were still riding high after winning their first-ever District 9 title. However, their opponents have no fear when it comes to facing off against district champions. Both of the Crusaders’ opponents have been newly crowned title winners, knocking off Erie First Christian (D10-1) before topping Turkeyfoot Valley (D5-1).
Out of the gates, the Terrors and Crusaders battled for every bucket. Fighting for loose balls and rebounds, sacrificing their bodies for drawn charges and unleashing waves of offense back-and-forth, neither could gain an edge initially.
With Aquinas focusing on taking the ball out of Landon Francis’ hands, O-E’s attack came by committee. Manning Splain would knock down a pair of triples while Shene Thomas would come away with second chance points, including a successful three-point play midway through the period. Davey Schenfield would also knock down a couple of long balls as well as a score in the paint.
Although O-E’s offense was clicking, the Crusaders were ready with an answer. Also looking to shoot from long range at volume, Aquinas would tack on a handful of 3-pointers early before their touch began to dry. However, they would find equal success in the paint, scoring either by driving in for layups and floaters or earning trips to the charity stripe.
Ending the first quarter on a 10-5 run, O-E would lead 23-17 heading into the next period.
“Our kids have been through it before. They’re resilient and tough,” said Otto-Eldred head coach Derrick Francis. “I’ve always said, if you’re going to have to have more than one or two or three (options.)”
Whereas the game opened with fast paced scoring on both sides of the scoreboard, the second quarter would begin with both teams settling into a dry spell. Through the first three minutes, neither could take the lid off the basket.
The Crusaders’ defense, which produced just two turnovers in the first quarter, would ramp up by injecting double-teams into their already aggressive full-court-press. After ending the drought with a steal and score at the five minute mark, Aquinas would continue to hold the Terrors scoreless for another minute and a half, coming away with three more turnovers before O-E would find their first points of the quarter.
In the final few minutes, the game would once again speed up as both teams finally found their footing offensively. The Terrors would add to the scoreboard from both inside and out, while Aquinas, now shying away from 3-pointers, constantly attacked the rim for drives and free throws. Heading into the break, O-E had managed to build a 32-17 lead.
After failing to score for the first four and a half minutes of the previous quarter, the Terrors got right to work in the third. Switching to a 1-3-1 zone that included their own version of double teams, O-E smothered Aquinas and held them at bay with collapsing help defense. On offense, they erupted, once again by committee.
Schenfield would kick things off with two points from the post, followed by a Landon Francis euro-step and-one and a Splain triple. After another triple, this time from Schenfield, the Terrors had quickly tacked on 11 unanswered points. They would continue to run up the score by exploiting the Crusaders’ over-reaching full-court-press. As Aquinas still looked for traps with double-teams in the back court, O-E would break through with outlet passes or speedy ball handling that opened up two- or three-on-one fast breaks on the other side.
“(Aquinas) wasn’t caring about defense. We care about defense,” said Derrick Francis. “Switching up our defenses, they weren’t prepared for that. We did a really good job defending their three.”
The Crusaders, held without a basket for four and a half minutes themselves, would find some momentum late, but faced a 19-point deficit with one quarter to go.
After hitting just two 3-pointers in the past two quarters, Aquinas leaned into their long range offense with wild success. As the Terrors began to falter with turnovers, the Crusaders would knock down six of their nine 3-pointers in the final eight minutes. Coupled with a handful of scores inside, Aquinas quickly chipped away at the lead, bringing the deficit to single digits with under two minutes to go.
Back-to-back fouls on 3-pointers would allow the Crusaders to cut the lead to just five points with under a minute to go, however, their previous aggression on defense had put O-E in the bonus. Being sent to the line three times in the final 30 seconds, Landon Francis would seal the game at the charity stripe. After a first round exit the year before, albeit in the Class 2A bracket, the Terrors had bounced back, now sitting just one game away from a trip to the state finals.
“We’re just a better team. Period,” said Derrick Francis. “I thought they got bailed out on some threes, some prayers that got answered.”
Landon Francis led the Terrors with 21 points, scoring 19 of them in the second half. Hitting four 3-pointers, Splain finished with 19, tying Shene Thomas who also ended with 19. Schenfield rounded out the scoring column with 16.
The Terrors will have a full week off before their next game. On Friday, March 21, O-E will take on the Neighborhood Academy (D7-1) at a time and place to be announced.
“We said it, ‘we’re going to Hershey.’ We’re going to Hershey,” said Derrick Francis of his team’s mentality moving forward. “I’ve asked a lot of the kids the last three, four, five years and now they’re asking me to do my job and get them prepared.”
AT ERIE
Aquinas Academy (68)
Guillen 7 9-9 26, Zaharko 6 3-3 18, Duer 3 7-10 14, Burchill 3 0-0 7, Stanton 1 0-0 3. Totals: 20 19-22 69
Otto-Eldred (75)
Francis 6 9-11 21, Splain 7 1-3 19, Thomas 8 3-3 19, Schenfield 5 3-4 16. Totals: 26 16-20 75
Aquinas Academy 17 27 38 68
Otto-Eldred 23 32 55 75
Three-point goals: AQ (9) Guillen 3, Zaharko 3, Burchill, Duer, O-E (7) Splain 4, Schenfield 3; Total fouls: AQ 22, O-E 13; fouled out: Thomas (O-E).
