Ready falls to Akron Buchtel in OHSAA Division II boys basketball state semifinal
DAYTON — The Ready boys basketball team saw its unbeaten season and pursuit of a Division II state title end Friday at University of Dayton Arena.
Akron Buchtel took advantage of 13 Ready turnovers, scoring 20 points off the miscues on its way to a 60-50 win in a state semifinal. Buchtel scored 40 points in the paint and had 22 fast-break points.
“The biggest factor in the game was points off turnovers,” Ready coach Tony Bisutti said. “They did a pretty good job with their pressure. It wasn’t anything we really didn’t expect out of them.”
Buchtel (22-6) will face Rocky River Lutheran West for the championship at 10:45 a.m. Sunday. Lutheran West beat Dayton Chaminade Julienne 56-54 in the first semifinal Friday.
Buchtel jumped out to an 11-2 lead and withstood several runs by Ready (28-1) to advance to its first state title game since 1997, when it lost 71-68 to Cleveland Benedictine.
“We were a little lax coming out at the start,” Bisutti said. “They jumped out. We fought back. It seemed like every critical possession, which when you’re in that mode, every possession is critical, they got a bust out off a turnover, and in the end that was the difference in the game.”
Ready led just once, 18-17, on Charlie Russell’s 3-pointer early in the second quarter.
Leading 30-26 at halftime, Buchtel pushed its advantage to 41-34 late in the third and 47-34 early in the fourth before fending off a final rally by Ready. The Silver Knights pulled to within 53-48 with 1:30 remaining but couldn’t get any closer.
One of five seniors on the roster, Russell said Bisutti had a motivational message for the team after the game.
“Coach said in the locker room we were reaching for the galaxy and that we didn’t quite get there but we still got to the stars, so it’s still going to be a season that I’m always going to remember (and) I’m always going to cherish,” Russell said. “There’s not a different team I would rather be on.”
Russell hit five 3-pointers and finished with 19 points to lead Ready. Kayden Schaffer and Luke Ruth added 12 apiece.
Ready senior Kaleb Schaffer, who entered averaging 15.1 points, played most of the game with a sprained right ankle. He was injured in the first quarter when he landed on Marcel Boyce Jr.’s ankle on a contested layup and finished with five points and five rebounds while playing 22:17.
“Adrenaline helped a lot,” Schaffer said of returning to the game. “Coming back in, I knew I wasn’t going to let that stop me from playing in this big of a game. I would have had it broken or amputated for me to stop playing. It’s a really big game and I knew I wanted to be out there and help any way I could.”
Steven Desmond led four Buchtel players in double figures with 13 points. Boyce and Khoi Thurmon scored 12 apiece and Amire Robinson added 11.
Ready was making its first state appearance since 2014 and seeking its first title since 1973, when it won its second consecutive Class AA championship.
The Knights were No. 1 in the final Associated Press regular-season state poll, while Buchtel was unranked.
“Basketball purists really loved watching us,” Bisutti said. “They loved our confidence and how we played. The unselfishness, the ball movement on offense, playing with tenacity on defense. These guys are so smart.”
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ready boys basketball falls in OHSAA Division II state semi
