Mar 17, 2024
Warren’s Connor Barry assesses the court as Gator Nichols of Maysville plays defense in a regional final basketball game at the Ohio University Convocation Center in Athens. (Photo by Aaron Lee)
ATHENS, Ohio — With a 65-49 victory over Tri-Valley in the regional semifinal, Warren earned a spot in the regional final with a ticket to the final four in Dayton on the line. After going up 32-17 at halftime against Maysville, the Warriors gave up 55 points in the second half, falling behind in the fourth quarter and losing by a final of 72-64.
Midway through the third, Warren led the Panthers 41-29. The Warriors then allowed a 9-0 run due to three consecutive turnovers. A basket by Trent Taylor ended the drought for Warren, but a triple at the buzzer by Jordyn Watson of Maysville shrunk the Warriors’ lead to one at 45-44 and placed the momentum in the hands of the Panthers.
Maysville’s Gator Nichols added a 3-point basket early in the fourth quarter to give the Panthers a 47-46 lead. Down 50-46, Warren was forced to take a timeout with an increasing number of players in foul trouble.
Despite the deficit and dwindling time, the Warriors continued to battle. Taylor gained his third block of the night and added a basket. Julian Stadelman, Tyson Cochran and Hudson Elzey added a trio of trifectas, with Stadelman contributing an additional pair of free throws. Warren’s 19 points in the fourth was the most of any quarter, but it could not match the 28 of the Panthers in the same time frame.
Stadelman led the Warriors with 16 points, with Taylor finishing with 13 and Connor Barry with 11.
Trent Taylor of Warren dribbles the ball while Maysville’s Kane Roehrig plays defense in a regional final basketball game at the Ohio University Convocation Center in Athens. (Photo by Aaron Lee)
Maysville’s duo of Nichols and Alex Bobb combined for 40 points, 21 of which came from beyond the arc. After making just three triples in the first two quarters, Maysville hit 8 in the second half.
Fouls hampered the comeback attempt of the Warriors, forcing them to bench key contributors late in the game. Warren accumulated 28 fouls compared to the Maysville’s 15, giving the Panthers 31 chances at the charity stripe.
The loss to the Panthers by no means diminishes the spectacular season the Warriors put together, compiling a record of 23-4. Warren accumulated a long list of accolades in the 2023-24 season, including a share of the Twin State League championship, sectional and district crowns as well as a regional runner-up finish, making them one of the top eight teams in the state.
“In our history, there’s only been two teams to make it this far, so that’s a big thing for us. Of course you’re hurting, I mean you’re one game away from the state, it’s gonna hurt worse than anything else, but what a run we had. We never lost a game by double digits, we were competitive in every game. We’ve never been blown out. We’ve been in every game that we lost, and that shows you the heart that we compete with,” said Warren head coach Blane Maddox on the season the Warriors put together.
Taylor, in addition to his 13 points, had a game-high 3 blocks as well as 5 rebounds in his final game for the Warriors. His contributions will be sorely missed. The big man finishes his career as a member of the 1,000-point club and holds the Warren High School record for points in a single game with a mark of 46, set earlier this year in a TSL matchup against Fort Frye.
Julian Stadelman of Warren (00) dribbles between his legs while teammate Trent Taylor (right) signals for the ball in a regional final basketball game at the Ohio University Convocation Center in Athens. Maysville’s Jordyn Watson (middle) plays defense. (Photo by Aaron Lee)
“How do you replace Trent? We’re gonna give it our best shot, but it’s going to be a tall task. There’s many Warriors waiting for the opportunity to try to do that,” commented Maddox on the impact of the team’s lone departure.
Maddox discussed the game starting in the third quarter, “Could have played a better half. The pressure got to us. We turned the ball over a little too much and got them going. They got hot on 3s, their players stepped up. I don’t know how many 3s they hit in the second half, but they’re a very good team. We knew they wouldn’t quit. We just had to weather the storm, and we weren’t able to do that. We had to chase them, and that’s hard to do against that team.
“I thought both teams were physical. They have smart players, for one. They know how to draw the foul. The foul issue hurt us a little bit because Julian can get a lot of steals, but we couldn’t afford for him to get another foul to get him to four. Barry was playing a nice game and had to sit down early. We all had four fouls in the fourth, but credit to them for attacking and drawing a lot of those fouls,” Maddox said.
With so many talented pieces returning for Warren next season, the Warriors’ future looks bright. However, the path back to the regional final will be paved with hard work, determination and luck. Warren cannot rest on its laurels and hope for a repeat of the team’s postseason run, “What I told them is, ‘You don’t start where you left off, you start off back to zero.’ That’s a lot of work and a lot of stuff you have to do to get back to here. It’s always hard to get here, so we have a lot of work to do,” explained Maddox on the mindset for next season.
Maddox ended with positive remarks on the Warren faithful and well wishes for the Panthers, “Thanks to Warriors nation and the whole community. They know the boys gave it their all, we just came up a little short today. I know Maysville will represent well.”
Contact Aaron Lee at alee@newsandsentinel.com
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