Perkins hits a wall against Willard in district final

ASHLAND — Perkins wanted to run Willard ragged, but it was the Crimson Flashes who ended up wearing down the Pirates in a Division II district final Saturday night. Olivia Howard scored 29 points in her last game in a Perkins uniform, but Willard dominated the boards and overtook the Pirates in the second half, winning 58-50 to advance to the state tournament's Sweet 16. "We wanted to wear them out up and down the floor, but they did that to us, wearing us down in the paint," Perkins coach Brian Heck said. "Their size and physicality … they're a really good team." Cassie Crawford led Willard with 22 points and 10 rebounds and got plenty of help. Physical junior forward Mckenna Stephens finished with 15 points and nine rebounds and 6-foot-1 junior Presley Feltner overcame early foul trouble to contribute 13 points -- including a 3-pointer to give her team its first lead after halftime -- and eight boards. Crawford, Willard's only senior starter, dominated the fourth quarter with 11 points. She excelled in front of her future Ashland University teammates, who were part of the near-capacity crowd. "They're so supportive. They didn't tell me they were coming," she said of the Eagles, who finished 28-0 in the regular season. "When I saw them come in I felt so good and so ready to go at that point. It was great." Willard wasn't ready to go early on, at least not when the Flashes shot the ball. They were just 7 for 38 from the field in the first half and Feltner sat out the second quarter with two fouls. The Pirates led 22-18 at halftime when Avery Bing took a pass from Howard and buried a 3-pointer with four seconds on the clock, capping an 8-0 run and a ragged first half. Crawford said that basket sparked the Flashes. "Right before the half was over I gave up a 3 I should've been there for, and honestly I think that was the motivation to come back out strong," Crawford said. "We were down and knew we couldn't dig a hole. We just came out in attack mode." Willard, the third seed in the district, outscored fourth-seeded Perkins 17-9 in the third quarter to take a 35-31 lead into the fourth quarter. Crawford scored the Flashes' first seven points in the final period and Willard extended its lead to 47-33 on two Crawford free throws with 5:37 to play. A Stephens 3-pointer gave Willard a 51-37 cushion. A Howard 3-pointer cut Perkins' deficit to single digits (52-43) with 2:32 to play, but Willard clinched the win by making free throws and holding on to the ball. Each team committed only eight turnovers. Both offenses sputtered until the fourth quarter. Willard (21-4) shot just 32 percent from the field, but its 47-30 rebounding edge led to more shots and several baskets on offensive rebounds. Perkins, which took its last lead at 28-27 on two Howard free throws with 3:31 left in the third quarter, shot just 38 percent from the floor. "I think we tired ourselves out," said Howard, who scored 12 points in the fourth quarter to keep the Pirates competitive. "We weren't hitting shots. We kept shooting and kept trying. "We're not used to playing big teams like that. But we put up a fight and hopefully Willard goes all the way." Howard, who will play collegiately at Baldwin-Wallace, scored 24 points in Perkins' upset of Bellevue on Thursday night. She left the gym Saturday night on crutches and an ankle in ice after being injured with 11 seconds to play. As Howard was being helped to the bench, several Willard players offered positive words. "I've known Olivia forever," Crawford said. "We've been playing against each other for years and she's fantastic. She does amazing things out there. I hope the best for her." "They told me good luck in college and that I was a great player," Howard said. "Great teams respect great teams and I appreciated it." Heck, whose 20-5 team will lose Howard, Bing and Abriye' Skelton to graduation, was proud of the way his team closed its season and agreed with Crawford's assessment of Howard. "She's one of the best players in the state. Period, end of story," Heck said. "She's a bulldog and she's going to be missed. We need some girls to fill those shoes in the mentality end of it." The four teams in the district had a combined record of 86-13 when the sun came up Sunday, a stat not lost on Heck. "Basically, this district is a regional," Heck said. "You have four regional teams playing at a regional level. Willard was tested by Shelby (49-44 in the semifinals), I hope we tested them to get them ready for the regional. "I got respect for all these Willard girls. Cassie Crawford was a beast today. It sucks losing but I'm proud." WILLARD (21-4) Kalli Sowers 0 1-2 1, Layla Dials 1 4-4 6, Mckenna Stephens 7 0-2 15, Cassie Crawford 8 4-4 22, Presley Feltner 4 4-4 13, Tristin Buurma 0 1-2 1, Haylie Hamons 0 0-0 0 TOTALS 20 14-18 58 PERKINS (20-5) Brenna Jenkins 1 0-0 2, Olivia Howard 11 5-8 29, Abriye' Skelton 1 0-0 2, Avery Bing 2 0-0 6, Kelley Baker 1 2-2 4, Cameron Kaufman 2 0-2 4, Demi Aaron 1 1-2 3, Jordyn Martin 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 19 8-14 50 Willard 8 10 17 23 — 58 Perkins 5 17 9 19 — 50 3-point FGs — Willard 4 (Crawford 2, Stephens 1, Feltner 1); Perkins 4 (Howard 2, Bing 2)