State Tourney: D2-Region 8 Recap

It was a tale of two games Thursday at Butler. On a night where storms rolled through, all eyes were focused on the basketball, especially at the Division II Regional. In Region 8, two expected teams were competing, as well as two teams not many expected.
 
Alter entered the tournament the presumed favorite in the Region. This would be their third straight appearance in the Regional Finals if they win and they had a team that was playing extremely well. Jonathan Alder was not expected to be here. Entering their District tournament as a 6-seed, the Pioneers had beaten the 3-seed (Bishop Ready) and the 5-seed (Bishop Watterson) on back-to-back games to earn this spot.
 
The way is started, it was going to be close. Offense was at a minimum and Alder actually led after one period 8-7. The 50+ mile drive to North Dayton clearly wasn’t going to phase the Pioneers.
 
Then, Alter woke up.
 
The Knights got hot behind RJ Greer, who scored 8 straight points and got Alter the lead back and then some. Gavin Leen and Joe Brand contributed as well and the next thing you know, Alter led by 14 going into halftime.
 
Out of the half was much of the same, Alter’s zone defense was too much for Alder. The Pioneers’ Peyton Heiss made shots, but couldn’t make enough to outpace Alter. The Knights would add to the lead getting it up to 27 points. Jonathan Alder cut into going into the 4th quarter. Alter would win 63-42 and punch their ticket to the Regional Finals.

Final Score
Alter 63
Jonathan Alder 42
 
Then came the second game, similar to the first. You had the Wyoming Cowboys, the 1-seed in Cincinnati, who started 4 sophomores and were one of the youngest teams in the area. Then you had Badin. The Rams were the 9-seed, entering the tournament not expected to get as far as they did with a first year head coach. It was truly a David and Goliath feel. And it lived to the hype.
 
Both teams brought crowds that had energy and student sections in full force. Similar to the previous game before, the offense was not on display right away. Wyoming got an early lead with Devin Evans burying 2 triples and getting a 10-7 lead.
 
Even in the deficit though, Badin was winning the physical game. 50/50 balls were going their way. The rebounds filled up. Defensively, they held Wyoming under 20 points in the half. Everything scripted was going their way. There was just one problem. The Rams had 5 shots literally rim out and the offense was not flowing.
 
Trailing 18-11 at the half, Badin needed a change of momentum. Coach CJ Fleming had his team pick up the pressure and started to speed up the Cowboys and their young guards. And it worked. Turnovers and missed shots plagued Wyoming. The biggest momentum shift came at the end of the game when Aidan Brown attempted a halfcourt shot at the buzzer. He was fouled and hit 2 of 3 free throws. With the game now 27-22 in favor of Wyoming, you started to wonder if Badin was going to win this low scoring matchup.
 
That is, until Kellen Wiley decided it was time to kick it up a notch.
 
The sophomore guard made plays and created turnovers which in turn became transition buckets. All of the sudden, Wyoming stole the show and added to their lead. They instituted a 2-3 zone and forced Badin to shoot the ball from the perimeter.
 
And the shots just weren’t falling.
 
The Rams fought. They were the more physical team and the adjustments made would have worked perfectly. But it just wasn’t their night from the floor. Wyoming held on 50-38 to push the young Cowboys in the Region Finals where they will meet the Alter Knights. Both teams were the expected favorites. The top seeds in Dayton and Cincinnati respectively. And it’s only fitting they will battle it out to determine who goes to Dayton.

Final Score
Wyoming 50
Badin 38
 

Top Performers
 
Gavin Leen- Alter’s senior guard continues to be a force for the Knights on the offensive side of the ball. Running the point and handling the ball, Leen is the director of the Alter orchestra. His basketball IQ is off the charts. Makes some of the tougher passes and moves so well without the basketball in hand. Leen has shown he can shoot the ball off the dribble or off the catch, none bigger than a big shot at the buzzer to end the 3rd quarter. His leadership in the backcourt is a big reason why the Knights are where they are.
 
Kellen Wiley- Wyoming’s top scorer has shown twice why he’s a force to recon with on the offensive side of the ball. Only a sophomore, Wiley’s handle stays clean whether he’s sped up or in a half-court setting. Utilizing a quick crossover and convincing hesitation dribble, Wiley breaks you down on the perimeter and turns on the burners to explode off the drive. While his shot mechanics aren’t the most clean, it still is effective and forces defenders to choose to allow the shot or take away driving lanes. Wiley’s biggest impact came on the defensive end as he read passing lanes and created turnovers for the Cowboys in the final quarter. Tasked with defending Badin’s Cooper Ollis, Wiley moves well on defense and isn’t beat easily.