LOUDONVILLE – The air is getting rare for the Loudonville girls basketball team.
A 46-40 win over Danbury on Thursday night at Massillon Perry High School vaulted the Redbirds into the Elite Eight at 7 p.m. Saturday.
They are the first girls basketball team in Ashland County to advance this far in over three decades, and the last boys team to make it was nearly two decades ago.
As a collective group, Loudonville and head coach Tyler Bates said even before the season began that target was the state tournament at the University of Dayton. Anything else probably wasn’t going to be acceptable.
With such big plans laid on the table from the get-go, it’s easy to look past just how hard it is to actually be a win away.
While holding down Danbury, LHS star senior Corri Vermilya said it was one of the most physically demanding games the team has played all season.
Bates felt his team was prepared for the stresses of the Sweet 16.
“I was proud of all of our girls for how much energy and emotion they played with tonight,” said the coach, whose 201 career wins in 11 seasons at Loudonville make him the winningest basketball coach in Ashland County history.
A victory Saturday night over New Middletown Springfield (20-7) will also make the Redbirds (25-2) the first team in county history with 26 wins in a season.
In Danbury, Loudonville held off a program that had just won its first district title and had set the school record for wins (24). Lakers coach Joe Miller said the squad even stayed at a hotel near Perry on Wednesday night just to get away from all the noise.
He was visibly emotional after Thursday’s loss.
“As a coach, I’m super blessed to have those kids,” Miller said. “They’re just so awesome; I’ll miss them so much.”
It’s a feeling the Redbirds and Bates hope they don’t have to experience this season.
If Danbury was an upstart opponent, Springfield presents a more seasoned foe.
The Tigers have won three straight district championships and back-to-back Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Scarlet Division titles. They advanced to the Final Four last year for the first time in program history.
“Springfield is back in the regional finals for a reason,”Bates said. “They are an experienced bunch, coming off of a trip to the Final Four last year. They are playing with a lot of confidence.”
One clear sign of that is Springfield’s ability to win close games. The Tigers’ last three victories have come by two points (over 21-3 Kinsman Badger), three points (over 18-7 Warren JFK) and three points (over 21-5 Richmond Heights).
Overall, Springfield has played in 15 games decided by single digits – 10 of them have been by five points or fewer.
It’s quite the opposite for Loudonville, which hasn’t played in a game that finished closer than six points. The first time the Redbirds played in a contest closer than 16 was in their 18th game of the season.
The Tigers run things through 5-foot-11 forward Jameka Brungard. The junior was the MVAC Player of the Year and entered Thursday averaging 15.9 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game.
Senior guard Ava Vecchione adds 9.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game and has been clutch for Springfield this postseason.
Her layup in the final seconds against Badger was a game-winner in the district semifinals and her three-point play late in Thursday’s game stretched the Tigers’ lead to 33-26.
Springfield also gets 8.6 points per game from junior guard Mariana Tuscano.
“Brungard gives you fits with her size and athleticism,” Bates said. “The guards make timely shots and do a good job of running their stuff.”
But it’s clear that – similar to Danbury – the Tigers lean on their defense for wins. They have yet to score 60 points in a game (Loudonville averaged 71 entering the regional), but they also have held 20 teams below 45 points (10 below 35).
Springfield limited Richmond Heights to just two points in the second quarter Thursday.
“They are well-coached and do a great job defensively of trying to keep you off-balance,” Bates said.
But Loudonville can play that game as well. The Redbirds average nearly 21 steals per contest and have allowed more than 50 points just three times.
Vermilya’s Sweet 16 performance was nothing short of spectacular, with game-high totals in points (26), rebounds (14), steals (7) and blocks (4). The Ashland University commit hit three of Loudonville’s five 3-pointers and was the only Redbird to toe the free-throw line (9-of-13).
The effort helped her move into a tie for 10th in Ohio history in both career points (2,387) and made free throws (522). Hoping to be named Division IV Player of the Year after winning the honor last year in Division III, she also moved into seventh in steals (545) and 15th in rebounds (1,228).
But Loudonville has the supporting cast to keep defenses honest. Freshman guard Mya Vermilya puts up 14.1 points per game and has netted a team-high 59 3-pointers.
Along with the Vermilya sisters, senior guard Jena Guilliams gives Loudonville three players with at least 40 3-pointers made this season. Junior Sydney Strouse and sophomore Addison Wolford combine for another 31 treys.
“This is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in our school’s history, which says something,” Bates said. “We know that some of those girls on our team are out on that floor to make those shots.”
Tiffin University-bound senior guard Sophia Spangler has been a do-it-all player, with averages of 9.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.6 steals a game. Junior Alesha Felix (4.5 rpg.), meanwhile, pulled down seven boards Thursday and has shown difference-making talent.
Loudonville has reached the point of “all hands on deck.” A win Saturday would send the Redbirds into a state semifinal against the winner of Saturday’s No. 2-ranked Berlin Hiland (25-2) vs. No. 6 Waterford (22-3) matchup.
It also would add this LHS team to an uber-exclusive Ashland County list: Final Four qualifiers.
Girls teams to make it were Mapleton in 1980-81 and Loudonville in 1991-92.
Boys teams were Ashland in 1931-32 and Loudonville in both 2003-04 and 2004-05.
Bates would love his squad to be No. 6.
“Every day we walk into the gym we see the state (tournament) signs on the walls and it’s just a reminder that our district has had a lot of success at the state level,” the coach said before this season began.
“These kids’ parents, aunts and uncles were on a lot of teams here that had a lot of success. It’s a reminder that it’s possible if we stay after it, believe in ourselves and work hard.”