Ottawa Hills slips past Norwalk St. Paul

Ottawa Hills J.J. Buckey, left, battles Norwalk St. Paul's Brian Griffin for a loose ball. Buckey led the Green Bears with 17 points. <br> <img src=http://www.toledoblade.com/graphics/icons/photo.gif> <font color=red><b>PHOTO GALLERY</b></font>: <a href="/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=TO&Dato=20100313&Kategori=SPORTS12&Lopenr=313009999&Ref=PH"_blank"> <b> Ottawa Hills - Norwalk St. Paul D-IV boys district final</b></a> JEREMY WADSWORTH / THE BLADE Enlarge | Photo Reprints

GIBSONBURG - After Ottawa Hills claimed a 44-42 win over Norwalk St. Paul in last night's Division IV boys basketball district final, senior Eliot Browarsky made a simple request.

"Don't tell anyone [our numbers]," he said. "It sure was ugly tonight. We don't feel we played very well at all.

"But it's all about results right now. And we got the result that lets us play on Tuesday."

How ugly was it?

This ugly: The Green Bears made just 16 of 45 shots from the floor (35.6 percent), including just 3 of 17 from behind the 3-point arc (17.6 percent).

Browarsky, one of this area's top Division IV players, connected on just 2 of 11 shots (18.2 percent) and finished with eight points, less than half of his average of 20 per game.

"Eliot didn't have his typical night," Ottawa Hills coach John Lindsay said. "We were fortunate that some other guys stepped up when we really needed it.

"I was just happy that, at the end of the night, we were able to show what true competitors we are. At the end of the game, our competitiveness came out."

That competitiveness showed itself in the Green Bear defense, which forced St. Paul to commit 17 turnovers and held the Flyers to just two points in the final 2:31.

That allowed Ottawa Hills to mount a nine-point comeback and claim the victory, earning the school's first boys regional berth since 1986.

Ottawa Hills improves to 22-1 entering its game against Miller City in the regional semifinals at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday at BGSU's Anderson Arena.

Norwalk St. Paul finished its season 14-10.

The game was close throughout the first half, with the score tied 9-9 after one quarter and the Flyers holding a narrow 19-18 lead at the half.

In the final 2:26 of the third period, St. Paul scored five unanswered points to lead 30-26.

What had to make the Green Bears nervous was the Flyers' ability to turn loose balls and scrambles into baskets. St. Paul found a way to score 11 points in the third period even though it committed seven turnovers.

"The bounces seemed to be going their way most of the time," J.J. Buckey said. "It was frustrating.

"But we rely on our defense - that's how we win. We had to keep getting those turnovers to get back in the game."

In the fourth quarter, the Green Bears, who shot a frigid 25.7 percent in the first three periods, suddenly got hot.

Buckey and Andrew Jamieson each scored six points as Ottawa Hills managed to creep back into the contest.

"It was just [scoring] in the flow of the game," Buckey said. "This team is so balanced, anyone can score on any given night.

"Coach was telling me to get in the middle and take it strong to the basket."

With St. Paul nursing a 42-41 lead and less than 30 seconds on the clock, Browarsky was tripped on a drive to the basket and awarded two foul shots.

Nervous?

"You've got to want the ball at the end of the game, with the game on the line," Browarsky said. "I've been putting in some extra work at the free-throw line just for a time like that.

"I tried to zone everything out and just do what I do every day in practice."

Browarsky made both free throws, and Ottawa Hills forced St. Paul to take a bad shot on the baseline. Buckey rebounded the ball and was fouled with 0.2 seconds on the clock.

Buckey made the first and missed the second, allowing the Flyers only a desperation three-quarter court heave that missed.

Buckey finished with a game-high 17 points while Jamieson had 11. Daren Smith led St. Paul with 13, and Brian Griffin had 11.

While his numbers may not have added up to a beautiful line, Browarsky was satisfied with the team having earned the victory.

"We play as a team," he said. "We've got five guys on the floor who are capable of putting up points.

"The other guys on this team had my back tonight, that's for sure."

Contact John Wagner at:

jwagner@theblade.com

or 419-724-6481.