D-V District Girls Basketball: Determined Keystone shuts out Orrville in OT en route to a 53-44 win

LAGRANGE — In a matter of six minutes in the second half of Tuesday's Division V district semifinal, Keystone watched its 10-point lead turn into a one-point deficit. With its season on the line, the Wildcats didn't let up and didn't put their heads down, they just picked up the defensive intensity. No. 6 seed Keystone shut out Orrville in the final 2:10 of regulation and for an entire four-minute overtime period, giving it time to regroup and pull away from the No. 16-seeded Red Riders for a 53-44 overtime win that will send the Wildcats into Saturday's district finals. "It came down to trusting our defense and trusting each other to get rebounds and defensive stops," Wildcats junior Madison Sokolowski said. Sokolowski scored Keystone's first 11 points and finished with a game-high 29. "Overtime is the best basketball to play, the most exciting and the most fun so we were ready," Sokolowski said. Orrville (14-10) took its only lead of the game at 44-43 on a layup from junior post Jacy Mulpas with 2:10 left. Wildcats sophomore Jayda Gaines split a pair of free throws with 1:41 remaining to tie the game at 44 and keep Keystone's season alive as neither team would score in the remainder of the fourth quarter. Gaines, who scored 17 points, and Sokolowski combined to score 46 points and singlehandedly outscore the Red Riders. "Me and Mady kinda gave each other that look and we said, 'We're not losing tonight,'" Gaines said. "We have a goal and we're going to achieve that goal. We had to put the bad things aside and focus on what's ahead of us and we knew that would be a win." Keystone (21-3) will face No. 11 seed Wooster Triway in Saturday's district finals at Wellington. The Titans upset No. 3 seed LaBrae in their district semifinal Tuesday. Mulpas led the Red Riders with 11 points while senior Cadence Wilson added 10. Sokolowski, who was held to two points in each of the third and fourth quarters, scored seven of the Wildcats' nine overtime points, including what proved to be the winners when she drove to the basket and was fouled after scoring with 2:47 remaining in the extra session. Sokolowski missed the free throw that would have completed the three-point play, but less than a minute later she came down the court and fired up her fourth successful 3-pointer of the night for a five-point lead. The Wildcats held Orrville to 0-of-6 shooting in the overtime. "We're young and you could see that," Keystone coach Rocky Houston said. "We allowed them to come down and take the lead but then we settled down. "In the overtime we were patient and did things the right way. We were patient and we became a veteran team somehow. The last two minutes of the fourth quarter these kids matured and grew up." Sokolowski and forward Kendal Crabeels, who didn't score, were the only juniors on Keystone's active roster. The Wildcats were 12-1 at home this season. Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Keystone 53, Orrville 44 (OT) ORRVILLE (44): Emma Brede 3-0-8, Brooklyn Butzer 3-1-7, Cadence Wilson 3-2-10, Zyah Handwerk 1-0-3, Jacy Mulpas 4-3-11, Genny Ballard 2-1-5. Totals 16-7-44 KEYSTONE (53): Jayda Gaines 6-5-17, McKinley Accavallo 1-0-2, Sophia Clarico 0-2-2, Ava Armitage 1-0-3, Madyson Sokolowski 10-5-29. Totals 18-12-53 Orrville 10 14 7 13 0 — 44 Keystone 16 12 11 5 9 — 53 Three-point goals: Orrville (Brede 2, Wilson 2, Handwerk), Keystone (Sokolowski 4, Armitage) Field goals: Orrville 16-50 (56 percent), Keystone 18-44 (41 percent). Free throws: Orrville 7-9 (78 percent), Keystone 12-20 (60 percent). Rebounds: Orrville 24, Keystone 35. Turnovers: Orrville 11, Keystone 15. Team Fouls: Orrville 16, Keystone 8. Fouled out: Mulpas, Wilson