ZANESVILLE — The roster may suggest otherwise, but Maysville plays like a team full of grizzled veterans.

The Panthers (25-3) will meet Shelby (25-2) in the state semifinals at 2 p.m. Saturday at the University of Dayton Arena. They are a study in contrasts. While the Whippets rely heavily on a talented senior class, Maysville’s starting lineup features three sophomores. The 12-man roster includes just four seniors.

“We actually started our year out 5-3. We were struggling a little bit,” coach Dave Brown said. “We lost four seniors from last year’s team that was 24-2. That was a school record before this year.

“We just had a little bit of growing pains. We’ve just continued to get better.”

While Maysville’s sophomore class is clearly a talented one, the undisputed leader is senior and four-year starter Alex Bobb.

The 6-foot-1 guard averages 25.8 points a game and banked in a jaw-dropping 3-pointer as time expired to lift the Panthers to a 50-49 over highly-regarded Columbus Bishop Hartley in the regional semifinals at Ohio University’s Convocation Center.

“It was on SportsCenter. It was No. 4 on top plays,” Brown mused during a conference call with statewide media earlier in the week.

Maysville’s other starting senior is Wesley Armstead. The 6-foot guard averages 8.3 points a game.

Gator Nichols is the leader of Maysville’s talented sophomore class. The 5-foot-10 guard averages 15.3 points a game and scored 15 second-half points as the Panthers overcame a 15-point halftime deficit in a 72-64 win over Vincent Warren in the regional championship game. 

Fellow sophomore Jordyn Watson, a 6-foot-3 guard, averages 11.3 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds a game. Watson scored all 18 of his points in the second half against Hartley in the regional semifinals. 

Kane Roehrig, a 6-5 sophomore forward, rounds out Maysville’s starting five. Roehrig scored 3.8 points a game.

“We play fast-paced and shoot a lot of 3s,” Brown said. “We want as many possessions in a game as possible. We try to score it as quickly as we can.”

The Panthers average 68.7 points a game.

“Defensively, we’ve got to be able to keep the ball in front of us,” Shelby coach Greg Gallaway said. “We’ve got to stay attached to shooters and try to contest all of them. If we’re going to close out with our hands down, they’re going to make us pay because they have four guys who are shooting above 38 percent from three. 

“It’s puts a lot of pressure on us making sure we’re contesting all those shots and making them as tough as possible.”

Shelby counters with an experienced and athletic bunch led by senior Alex Bruskotter, a Wright State recruit and a finalist for Ohio’s Mr. Basketball award. The 6-foot-7 point guard averages 23.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists a game.

“He shoots the ball really well,” Brown said. “We’re going to have our hands full in guarding him.”

Bruskotter is hardly a one-man show, however, as two other starters average in double figures. Athletic 6-5 forward Casey Lantz averages 12.9 points and 5.3 rebounds a game while Issaiah Ramsey, a 6-3 guard and Ashland University football recruit, averages 10.7 points a game.

“The Lantz kid is 6-5 and a really good athlete,” Brown said. “Ramsey is a really good athlete. 

“They’ve got a lot of length. We’re going to have to rebound and take care of the basketball and hopefully make some shots against their length.”

The Whippets have run the gauntlet during the postseason.

Shelby had to overcome a halftime deficit to beat Mansfield Senior in the district semifinals before avenging one of its two regular-season losses in a district championship victory over Lexington.

The regional included victories over longtime tournament nemesis Lima Shawnee and a stunning come-from-behind win over Lutheran West, the 2023 Division II state runner-up and 2024 Associated Press poll champ, the the regional final.

“We have eight seniors on our team,” Gallaway said. “When you have seniors you can rely on who are an extension of your coaching staff … it makes things easier.

“I’m not saying there’s not pressure, but when you have seniors who have played in some big games, that helps to be able to handle it a little bit more.”