COLUMBUS — One. More. Game.
The Wadsworth girls basketball team has become really, really good, really, really quickly at this ol’ sprint-to-center-court, scream-and-hug routine.
Wadsworth’s Jodi Johnson celebrates a 58-48 victory over Reynoldsburg to advance to the state championship game. (RON SCHWANE / GAZETTE)
To be fair, reaching the Division I state championship game is a justifiable reason for 15 teenage girls to lose their minds in excitement.
The Grizzlies needed every ounce of their sweat and tears — and in Sophia Fortner’s case, a welt on her face — as they rallied in the second half, played a near-textbook fourth quarter and eliminated Reynoldsburg 58-48.
Wadsworth (27-1), which broke the Medina County record for wins in a season, will play Mason (26-2), which dispatched Solon 48-31, in a 1997 title game rematch.
As Grizzly fans remember so vividly, that one ended on a buzzer-beating layup by Kate Lyren. The current players are hoping for a similar storybook ending tonight.
“Coming down here, we’re just here for a business trip,” superstar Jodi Johnson said. “We’re definitely looking for that main goal in the end — a state championship.”
Wadsworth scored 19 of the game’s final 24 points, and that’s including a baseline jumper by the Raiders’ Brooklyn Pannell (19 points, 7-of-12 shooting) with one second left.
The Grizzlies trailed by as many as eight points, but their execution was championship caliber after Peyton Banks gave them the lead for good with 5:19 to play and first-team All-Ohioan Johnson on the bench with four fouls.
Johnson made 14-of-16 free throws and 9-of-10 in the fourth quarter — the Ashland recruit is 43-for-48 (.896) in the postseason — to finish with a game-high 24 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Centers Banks (8 points, 3 rebounds) and Lexi Lance (8, 8) combined for 16 points and 11 boards, Sophia Fortner had nine points, four assists and just two turnovers and forwards Laurel Palitto (game-high 5 assists) and Jenna Johnson (6 points, 5 rebounds) also contributed.
“Everybody’s got a role on this team, and that’s the beauty of this team,” coach Andrew Booth said.
Reynoldsburg (23-6) saw strong-like-bull 6-foot-3 center Jalynda Salley (5 points, 4 rebounds) play only 11 minutes because of foul trouble. Pannell (16 points in first half) and freshman backup center Uju Ezeudu (8 points, 11 rebounds) picked up the slack, while flashy point guard Adrian Crockwell (8, 5 assists) controlled pace but shot 3-for-14.
From the 6:53 mark of the fourth quarter to Pannell’s last-second shot, the Raiders missed six straight field goal attempts and made only 3-of-6 free throws.
“We weren’t letting them in the paint as much as we were in the first half, definitely,” Jodi Johnson said. “Coach Booth told us to get into the gaps. That’s what we did, and that limited some of their drives to the hoop. That’s basically it.”
Wadsworth trailed 43-39 when Ezeudu scored inside, but Forter responded with a corner 3-pointer in front of her bench. Jodi Johnson then snapped a personal 11:52 field goal drought to give the Grizzlies the lead, but Reynoldsburg tied the game at 44 on a Salley free throw.
The game changed for good moving forward, as Banks stepped into a wide-open 17-footer and rattled it in a mere 13 seconds later. Banks then threw her body into Salley, drew a foul and made two free throws to move Wadsworth ahead 48-44.
“We needed a spark in the game,” Banks said. “When Jodi went out, someone has to step up and the whole team has to step up.”
“We finally got (Johnson) out of there so we could do something,” Booth deadpanned.
Johnson sparkled from there, grabbing three rebounds and making 8-of-8 free throws as the engaged, ginormous and proud Wadsworth student section chanted “M-V-P, M-V-P.” Jenna Johnson then put the finishing touches on a grueling victory with a transition layup off a pass from Palitto.
Game. Over.
“The heart of this team is amazing,” Fortner said. “To look in the girls’ eyes, you can tell we all wanted it. At this point in the season, most of the teams, their skill level is the same.
“You go out on that floor and both teams are equally nervous. It’s a big game. It’s whoever wants it more, whoever can lock down defensively and stay focused the whole game. It’s all right inside here (pointing to her heart).”
Following a similar script to its regional championship victory over Toledo Whitmer, Wadsworth got a bunch of good looks in the first quarter but couldn’t convert, shooting 3-for-15 while falling behind 19-11. Pannell was a huge factor, hitting 4-of-5 shots, including two threes.
The Grizzlies then managed the game for the next two quarters, getting key buckets from Palitto, the Johnson twins and Banks. The problem was Wadsworth could neither string together mini-runs nor fluster Crockwell, who showed off all the shot-creating skills that make her an ESPN three-star recruit.
The Grizzlies also survived a little scare when Fortner got a strip in front of press row, got kicked above her right eye while on the ground and was stunningly called for traveling.
The tide showed signs of turning in the third quarter, when Reynoldsburg came back to earth shooting-wise and made only 4-for-14. While Wadsworth only won the period 11-10, it trailed 41-38 entering the fourth because of its defense and because Lance came alive with six key points.
“They didn’t sub as much as we did,” Booth said. “Maybe that had an affect, too. Their shots were a little off because maybe — maybe — they were a little bit tired.”
The Grizzlies were on the edge of igniting the game-deciding run when Jodi Johnson had a free throw and Lance had a powerful inside layup attempt that somehow spun out. Ezeudu scored at the other end.
Once Fortner sent the Wadsworth faithful roaring with her 3-pointer, however, it was game on. Once Johnson starting stepping to the foul line, it was game over.
All that remained was for Olivia Chaney to show off her jumping-jack volleyball skills and leap into Jodi Johnson’s arms at — where else? — the star representing Wadsworth on the Ohio map at center court.
“We came down here for one goal,” Banks said, “and we’re going to get it.”
Wadsworth 58, Reynoldsburg 48
Division I State Semifinal
REYNOLDSBURG 19 12 10 7 — 48
WADSWORTH 11 16 11 20 — 58
Reynoldsburg — Brooklyn Pannell 7-12 3-4 19, Hannah Gaskins 0-5 1-2 1, Jalynda Salley 2-4 1-2 5, Mackenzie Davis 1-3 0-0 2, Adrian Crockwell 3-14 1-2 8, Uju Ezeudu 3-6 2-2 8, Bre Johnson 2-2 0-1 5. TOTALS: 18-46 8-13 48.
Wadsworth — Laurel Palitto 1-2 0-0 3, Jenna Johnson 3-5 0-0 6, Lexi Lance 4-10 0-0 8, Jodi Johnson 5-14 14-16 24, Sophia Fortner 2-6 4-6 9, Peyton Banks 3-7 2-2 8, Olivia Chaney 0-1 0-0 0, McKenna Banks 0-0 0-0 0, Maddie Movsesian 0-1 0-0 0. TOTALS: 18-46 20-24 58.
3-point goals — Reynoldsburg 4-14 (Pannell 2-4, Johnson 1-1, Crockwell 1-7, Gaskins 0-1, Davis 0-1), Wadsworth 2-8 (Palitto 1-2, Fortner 1-3, Jo. Johnson 0-1, P. Banks 0-2). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — Reynoldsburg 23 (Ezeudu 11), Wadsworth 38 (Jo. Johnson 9). Assists — Reynoldsburg 8 (Crockwell 4), Wadsworth 11 (Palitto 5). Turnovers — Reynoldsburg 12 (Davis 5), Wadsworth 12 (Chaney 3). Fouls — Reynoldsburg 18, Wadsworth 14. Records — Reynoldsburg (23-6), Wadsworth (27-1).