FAIRBORN — Four forgettable minutes couldn’t diminish a season’s worth of memories.
Kalida outscored Hillsdale 14-2 over the final 4:26 of the fourth quarter, pulling away for a 58-46 win in a Division VII state semifinal game inside Wright State’s Nutter Center.
The Falcons (20-8) were in the Final Four for the first time in program history after a storybook run to the regional title. Coach Ben Ferguson chose to focus on the journey rather than those fateful four minutes afterward.
“I’m incredibly proud of what the boys have done, not just tonight (but) for the season,” Ferguson said. “I don’t think anybody on Earth thought we’d be here.
“I’d say it’s bittersweet, but it’s mostly bitter right now. It will be sweet for me later when I think about getting the chance to coach these guys and be with them every day.”
Below are photos from Friday’s state semifinal game. Credit: Curt Conrad
Scintillating Start
Hillsdale raced to a 16-5 lead in the first quarter, highlighted by a pair of Hayden McFadden 3-pointers. McFadden scored 10 points in the period as the Falcons opened an 18-13 lead.
Hillsdale coasted to a 30-24 halftime advantage.
“They came out in the first half and took it to us. There’s no question about it,” Kalida coach Ryan Stechschulte said. “We talked at halftime about … locking in to what we need to do defensively and really making it hard because we thought we were a little lackluster in the first half.”
Flip the script
Hillsdale took a 32-24 margin early in the third period on an offensive rebound and putback by Kael Lewis before the Wildcats (17-11), began to assert themselves. Kalida ripped off a 12-3 burst, capped by Owen Grime’s conventional three-point play with 3:16 to play in the quarter and earned a 40-36 edge heading to the final eight minutes.
Making matters worse for the Falcons, McFadden picked up his fourth foul midway through the third quarter. He took a seat for the rest of the period.
“This year we haven’t run a deep bench and Hayden is one of the best athletes that I’ve ever been around,” Ferguson said. “When he’s in foul trouble, he has to play way more time than what we like him to play and he likes to play.”
Fateful Fourth
Hillsdale tied the score at 44-44 on Lewis’ steal and layup with 4:54 remaining.
Kalida regained the lead on Paul Stechschulte’s offensive rebound and putback, igniting a 12-0 run. The Wildcats iced it by sinking 6-of-8 free throws in the final 1:08.
“They had the heat up in the full court and that slowed us down,” Ferguson said. “Then in the halfcourt, they switched everything and make it incredibly difficult to score.
“We just had trouble getting into our offensive sets.”
The Wildcats made things especially difficult for Hillsdale point guard Lowen Ferguson, the coach’s son and an All-Ohio candidate. The sophomore didn’t commit a turnover, but was forced to initiate Hillsdale’s offense further from the basket than usual and faced relentless pressure.
“He’s good,” Stechschulte said of Ferguson. “He’s shifty, he’s quick and he’s skilled.
“It was throw bodies at him and wear him down.”
The constant attention took its toll. Ferguson managed six points and three assists.
“I knew it was going to be tough,” the younger Ferguson said. “I watched film and they did that to a lot of good ball handlers.
“It makes it hard to set up an offense.”
Balanced attack
Lewis led the Falcons with 21 points on 10-of-16 shooting. The athletic junior swingman added 11 rebounds, four steals and two blocks.
“(Lewis) was a dude,” Stechschulte said. “He gave us problems.”
McFadden finished with 10 points, all in the first quarter. Knox Lewis added seven points, while Ferguson had six.
Gavin Leis led Kalida with 14 points. Paul Stechschulte had 11 points and nine boards, while Grime had nine points, seven assists and four steals.
Senior Farewell
Seniors McFadden, fellow starter Troy Bennett and reserves Jake Haven and Gage Barker played their final game for the Falcons. Fellow senior A.J. Brown missed the season with an injury suffered during football season.
“They were sophomores when I started coaching and they’ve meant a lot,” Ferguson said. “They carry themselves really well and I think that really drives some of the underclassmen.
“They’re pretty special people.”
Photos below are courtesy of Curt Conrad.
