JEROMESVILLE – Traditionally, a Hillsdale vs. Mapleton matchup in boys basketball wouldn’t send fans running to the ticket booth.
The two Ashland County programs have had their fair share of down seasons, but Tuesday in Steve Dickerson Gymnasium the nonconference foes paired up in one of the most intriguing meetings in the history of the rivalry.
The Falcons never trailed but the Mounties had a chance to tie it with under 30 seconds to play. Their 3-pointer from the left wing missed and Hillsdale’s Bradey Krichbaum pulled down the rebound to help seal a 56-50 victory.
Krichbaum finished the night with 20 points and an unofficial 23 rebounds – one off the single-game school record held by Ryan Bee (2013) – and the upstart Falcons (12-2) clinched a winning record for the first time since 2015-16.
“I knew this was going to be a challenge,” said first-year Hillsdale coach Ben Ferguson, who said his squad’s seven-game win streak is likely its longest since 2010. “It’s been a while – as a matter of fact, maybe never – where Hillsdale and Mapleton both have strong programs.
“I think it’s wonderful for the game of basketball and for small high schools in the county to battle it out.”
The Mounties (10-5) entered the game with some nice history of their own, having locked up double-digit wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1982.
But Krichbaum and Co. never let Mapleton settle in on the shooting side of things, holding the visitors without a made 3-pointer until halfway through the third quarter while also winning the rebounding battle, 41-27.
Every little bit was needed for the Falcons, who didn’t lead by more than seven points in the fourth quarter and came away with their fourth win in eight days.
“I didn’t think I had that many (rebounds),” Krichbaum said. “I kind of thought just being there as a presence in the paint allowed other people to get boards, so it feels good to be able to see that stat line.”
“As far as physicality, and the way his team finds him when they drive … he’s a handful,” MHS coach Nick Hickey said of Krichbaum. “If we really want to make a push in the postseason, we’re going to face a big like that and we’ve got to be ready for it.”
In a matchup of two teams who combined for a 19-0 record when scoring at least 60 points, neither of them reached that total Tuesday. Instead, gritty defense and plenty of speed in transition ruled the night.
Hillsdale’s Braylen Jarvis (16 points) and Mapleton’s Scotty Hickey (nine) both entered the matchup averaging better than 20 points per game, but they managed to hit just eight shots combined away from the free-throw line.
“That’s a very athletic team and they run the floor well,” Jarvis said. “They slowed us down in transition and made us really work to get our buckets in the half-court, which is not something we’ve had to do very often this year.”
Mountie senior guard Kyle Sloter had his second-best scoring game of the season, netting 16 of his team-high 21 points in the second half. His 3-pointer from the right wing cut the score to 53-50 with 1:16 to play after the Falcons were called for charging, but MHS didn’t score again.
Coach Hickey said his squad took roughly 30 shots from 3-point land, only making five.
That kind of lull from the perimeter offset a game in which Mapleton forced Hillsdale into 15 turnovers and also had clutch contributions from Cole Vermilya (11 points, 6 rebounds) and Donavon Mills (6 points, 4 blocks).
“We didn’t go to the basket as hard as I know we can,” Hickey said. “We’re pretty good at finishing at the rim.”
“I thought the looks that we got were really good for the guys that we trust to make shots, we just didn’t hit them,” he added. “But (Sloter) was really aggressive for us tonight.”
Ferguson felt holding down Hickey was the critical piece to getting a win. The Mapleton junior has authored multiple 40-point games and he showed his athleticism early in the third quarter.
At the top of the perimeter, he dove for a steal, couldn’t quite grab it, but recovered to poke the ball away from a Falcon before sprinting off to sink a spinning layup.
But Hillsdale senior guard Gabe Stack didn’t give Hickey any easy opportunities the rest of the night.
“Stack has really morphed into our defensive stopper,” Ferguson said. “He came out today with incredible energy and attitude about holding Hickey down.”
The Falcons also got key contributions from senior point guard Jack Fickes (8 rebounds, 4 assists) and sophomore Troy Bennett (10 points, 6 rebounds). Ferguson said that, according to stats submitted to MaxPreps, Fickes actually entered the night unofficially leading Ohio in assists per game (7.46).
“The best thing about our team is I know we’ll be prepared but I don’t know who will be the star of the night,” said the Hillsdale coach, whose team is now 6-0 in games decided by single digits.
Ironically, Ferguson said Hickey was the first coach he called after being named the HHS coach last spring.
He said the fifth-year Mapleton coach, with whom he shared many mutual friends during their high school days, helped him get lined up for different camps and shootouts last summer.
Ferguson said he’s not surprised to see the Mounties putting up double-digit win seasons.
“The kids are doing great things everyday in practice, they’re doing great things out in the community,” Hickey said. “They’re just a good representation of Mapleton and what we represent out there.
“I’m super proud of them, even in a loss.”
Both teams get back into conference play Friday, with Hillsdale hosting Dalton (8-6, 7-2 WCAL entering Tuesday) in a key pairing between teams tied for second in the WCAL, and Mapleton traveling to Plymouth (7-8, 5-4 FC).
