“These guys have put in the work and put themselves in a good situation in the regular season to get a good seed and we’ve made the most of it through these first three tournament games,” McGuire said. “We’re excited to be back and to have an opportunity to win another title.”
The Braves beat Anna 49-48 last weekend in a D-III district semifinal game, winning their seventh straight game. Shawnee senior Patrick Fultz had 17 points, junior Zion Crowe scored 14 and R.J. Griffin added 12 in the victory.
“We knew we were going to have to grind out the game, regardless of what their record was,” McGuire said.
They’ll play Cincinnati Mariemont (17-5) in a D-III district final game at 4 p.m. Saturday at the University of Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Arena. The Warriors beat Cincinnati Summit Country Day 42-40 to advance to the district finals for the second straight season. Last year, they lost to Versailles in a district final game.
The Warriors are led by 6-foot-6 junior guard Tim Stewart, who led the Cincinnati Hills League in scoring at 19.6 points per game. He’s topped 30 points four times this season.
“He can score inside and out,” McGuire said.
They add a 6-7 senior post -- Ethan Malafa (9.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 1.4 blocks per game) -- who can cause problems inside, McGuire said.
“They’ve got some size, complemented by some good guards around the perimeter who can drive it and shoot the three,” McGuire said.
“We’ve got our hands full,” McGuire said. “They’ve had some success in the tournament as well. They do a little bit of everything.”
The Braves will have to be solid on the defensive end of the floor and execute on offense to bring a district trophy back to Springfield, McGuire said.
“If we’re patient enough to get good shots and take care of the ball, then we usually do a good job of scoring because we’ve got multiple guys who can score inside and out,” he said. “It’s as simple as being able to execute.”
McGuire is hoping the Braves are peaking at the right time.
“I don’t think we’ve ever put together a full game,” McGuire said. “We’ve put together some really good halves, but we’re still searching for that complete game. We’ve gotten close, so we know what we’re capable of. We’re excited and think this will be that game.”
They’ve played a tough schedule so far this season and have been battle-tested throughout both the regular season and the tournament.
“There’s no substitute for experience,” McGuire said. “With these guys having played in several big games and multiple tournament games, it’s only going to help. We’ve played some tough teams that have really tested our grit and toughness.”
About the Author