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FAIRFBORN — It certainly wasn't the way they wanted to end their dream season, and once the outcome was long decided during Thursday’s (March 12) Division III state semifinal against Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, it was a time for reflection for the Lady Shermans.
The Irish proved to be too much to handle inside and out, then add in a rough shooting night and Unioto proved to be no match for the Irish, who cruised to an 84-38 victory at Wright State University’s Nutter Center.
Unioto, which won the Scioto Valley Conference, district and regional titles, was making its first trip to the final in 31 years and finished with a 25-3 record.
More: Behind Milee Smith's monster game, Unioto is headed to the Final Four
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It was a tough loss for the Shermans, who were overwhelmed by the much taller St. Mary team, but it should never take away what the Shermans accomplished this season or for four-year starters Milee Smith and Magnolia Holbert.
“It’s been a long-time progression, and for these two, Smith and Holbert, who have played 100-plus varsity basketball games every season, you have one goal,” Unioto coach Jeff Miller said. “You want to finish it in the state tournament. For three years, we felt like we were on the cusp of this, but we haven’t been able to knock that door down. For them to go out this way, getting there, 31 years ago, was the last time we were here. It says a lot about them, the kids following them, as far as them being leaders. This is something no one can take away from you, and you etched your name into the plagues, and those are forever. I am happy for these guys. They should be proud of everything they have accomplished.”
For Smith, it ends an outstanding four-year career that saw her become the school’s all-time leading scorer with more than 2,000 career points.
Even though it wasn't one of her best shooting nights, she led the Shermans with 17 points, six rebounds and two assists. When she came off the court for that last time, the huge Unioto crowd gave her a standing ovation and she, in return, put up the heart sign back to them.
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“That was special, and something I will always remember,” Smith said. “It was tough coming off the court for the last time, but it’s been a great four years here, and I wouldn’t want to do it with any other group. I’m just really proud of us for getting this far. Every year we’ve come up short, so you can’t be mad about today's outcome because it has been our dream to come to the final four.”
As for the game, the Irish jumped out to a 21-9 first-quarter lead. All of Unioto’s points came on 3-pointers — two by Smith and one from Keyairah Beard. Unioto started the second quarter on a 7-2 run to close the gap to 23-16, but that’s as close as the Tanks would get the rest of the way. St. Mary finished the final four minutes of the half on an 18-9 run to take a 41-25 halftime lead.
The Irish started the third quarter on an 11-0 run to push the lead to 51-25.
The Tanks connected on just 14-of-45 shots from the field, including 9-of-29 from 3-point range, and went 1-of-7 from the free throw line. On the other side, the Irish shot 60 percent from the field (36-of-60), were 11-for-23 from 3-point range and outrebounded the Tanks 45-16.
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at [email protected] for comments or story tips. Follow him on X at twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Unioto girls basketball makes history in OHSAA state semifinals
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