MASSILLON — Buckeye Central checked off a huge preseason goal on Thursday night.
The Buckettes edged Cornerstone Christian 57-53 at Massillon Perry High School to reach the Elite Eight in the Division IV girls basketball tournament. A win Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against Dalton sends B.C. to the Final Four.
“This is our dream,” junior Courtney Pifher said. “Game by game, you know, just to accomplish (goals) feels amazing.”
Buckeye Central (25-1) led throughout a tight tilt, although ninth-ranked Cornerstone Christian (20-6) forged three ties. B.C. used a 7-2 burst from the opening tip to move on top 16-13 after one quarter. The Patriots closed to within 27-26 at the half.
In the final period, things got interesting. Pifher struck the key blow, widening the gap from a two-point margin to a five-point spread with a monster trey.
“That was a situation where I was just focused,” she said. “I knew the situation and I knew I had to make that shot.”
Buckeye Central coach Greg Moore said that shot was a dagger.
“That was big for us,” Moore said. “She’s played a lot of ball. She’s ready for the moment.”
Pifher had a game-high 19 points for B.C., while Lexi Evak chipped in 10.
Lauren Harris had 13 points to pace a balanced Cornerstone Christian offense. She was supported by 12 points from Madison Cloonan, while Riley Stopp and Michaela Cloonan added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The Buckettes won despite a stingy defensive effort from the Patriots.
“We knew we wanted to spread them out a little bit. They did a nice job of taking us out of our sets,” Moore said. “We did move the ball pretty well. They are a very good defensive team.”
Senior standout Jenna Karl, who registered 12 points, said the atmosphere of the game helped B.C. focus and eventually win.
“It felt awesome tonight,” Karl said. “They were the most physical team we faced this year. That was a big change for us.”
Dalton beat Lisbon Anderson 44-30 in the second game. The Bulldogs are 22-4, while Lisbon finished 17-10.
