Div. I sectional: Sidney hopes to keep up pressure against Springfield

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CENTERVILLE — Sidney will try for its first sectional title in nearly 20 years on Friday against one of southwest Ohio’s most consistently successful big school programs.

And with the way the No. 8 seed Yellow Jackets have been playing defense recently, the team believes there’s no reason to fear No. 2 seed Springfield.

Sidney will face the Wildcats in a Division I sectional final at 7 p.m. on Friday at Centerville High School. The Wildcats (19-4) were ranked in the top 10 in the Div. I AP state poll throughout the season and have won district titles two out of the last three years.

Sidney played Springfield in regular season in 2014 and 2015, and the two schools have scrimmaged the last two years.

“We have to come with the best energy we’ve had all year,” Sidney junior guard Andre Gordon said. “They’re one of the best teams we’ve played, and when we’ve played good competition, we’ve given good effort.

“… We know their game and they know our game. They know what we’re going to do. We’re just going to come out and do our best.”

The Yellow Jackets (18-6) have won their last eight games and have held opponents to 45 points or less four times in that span, including a 56-45 win over Beavercreek last Tuesday.

Sidney had eight steals and five blocks against Beavercreek and won the rebounding battle 28-25.

Unlike the slow, methodical pace Sidney has seen from Beavercreek and the likes of Butler during its recent stretch, Springfield will bring a fast pace that relies on full-court defense and transition baskets.

“It’s going to be a totally different game,” Sidney coach John Willoughby said. “The style is going to be totally different. But, what remains constant is we’ve got to defend. We need to finish the defensive possession by getting a rebound or getting the loose ball. We’ve been pretty good at that lately. That’s going to have to continue.”

Springfield struggled early in a sectional semifinal against Springboro on Tuesday but put the Panthers away fast in the second half. After a 32-32 halftime tie, the Wildcats turned up their full-court pressure and outscored Springboro 28-15 in the fourth quarter to run away to a 77-60 win.

Springboro finished with 24 turnovers, and Willoughby said that’s something Sidney can’t do.

“On the offensive end, we’re going to have to handle the pressure and the traps that run at us,” Willoughby said. “A lot of Springfield’s offense comes from their defense. We’ve got to limit that, and hopefully we can play.

“… That will be the biggest thing of the game. Not that we have to be so conservative, but we’ve got to be smart. Andre can do some things, but we’ve got to be smart about how we do it. That’s probably our number one concern.”

Gordon can expect to get much of that pressure focused on him as the team’s point guard. He’s also the team’s main offensive threat, as he averages 23.8 points per game.

Gordon’s gotten a lot of pressure before, including a nonconference game at Div. II state-ranked Trotwood on Jan. 26 when he was double teamed for most of the game.

“You’ve got to have great ball control every game,” Gordon said. “I’ve got to come out and handle the ball and be a point guard and execute.”

The Wildcats average 64.2 points per game and allow 51.9 while Sidney averages 61.6 and allows 53.9.

Springfield’s offense has relied on balanced scoring. Junior guard RaHeim Moss averages 14.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while senior forward Leonard Taylor averages 12.9. Taylor signed with Cincinnati for football earlier this month.

Senior guard Michael Wallace and junior guard JaJuan Rodgers average 9.9 points and 9.2 points, respectively.

“It makes it more difficult against a team that has so many offensive threats, but I don’t think it’s to the point that we can’t guard any of their guys,” Willoughby said. “We’ve got to pay attention to a lot of different guys.”

Sidney last won a sectional title in 1999. The Yellow Jackets played in a sectional final two years ago, when they lost 67-47 to Centerville, who ultimately advanced to a regional final.

Springfield North and South High School both had strong programs from when the schools were formed in 1960 to when they merged to reform Springfield High School in 2008. Both churned out dozens of Division I college players and were frequent regional qualifiers. North made the state twice in the mid-90’s.

After the merger, the new program struggled until the 2014-15 season, when it gathered 18 wins. Springfield has won sectional titles each of the last three years, including a last-second win over Xenia last year.

Sidney’s Keith Lee shoots while covered by St. Marys’ Max Mielke defends during nonconference game on Feb. 3 at Sidney. The Yellow Jackets will face Springfield in a sectional final on Friday.
http://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2018/03/web1_SDN020418SidneyBbbLG3-4.jpgSidney’s Keith Lee shoots while covered by St. Marys’ Max Mielke defends during nonconference game on Feb. 3 at Sidney. The Yellow Jackets will face Springfield in a sectional final on Friday.
Yellow Jackets have held 4 of last 8 opponents to 45 points or less

By Bryant Billing

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Contact Bryant Billing at (937) 538-4818, or follow @SidneyOHSports on Twitter and @BryantBillingSDN on Facebook.

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