By: Nate Calvin
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
MANSFIELD (March 5, 2024) – Ninth-ranked Granville had the hype entering the Division II regional semifinals, thanks in part to head coach Tate Moore, who will be heading to a full-time job with Barstool Sports.
Seventh-ranked Bryan did their talking on the court as they forced 23 Granville turnovers and held the Blue Aces well below their season average of 59.0 ppg in a 40-26 victory to earn a return trip to the regional finals on Friday night.
For the second straight game, the Golden Bears offense got things rolling, breaking a 3-3 tie with an 11-0 run keyed by treys from Anna Gray and Marah Smith and buckets by Ella Voigt and Ella Rau to take a 14-3 lead.
After a field goal by Elle Mortimer of Granville stopped the run, Smith buried a triple from the left wing after a Golden Bear offensive rebound for a 17-5 lead after one quarter.
Josey Arnold would hit a jumper from the right side to open the second and Kailee Thiel recorded back-to-back layups, the second one off a steal, to push the lead to 23-8 at the 5:13 mark.
Both teams’ offenses would go silent with the only points the rest of the quarter coming on an offensive rebound stick back by Blue Aces’ leading scorer Harper Annarino at the halftime buzzer as the Bears led 23-10 at the break.
Thiel broke the scoring drought for Bryan with a three-point play on an offensive rebound and Rau knocked down a triple to make it 29-12 Bryan, their largest lead of the night.
A 7-0 run by Granville ensued with Annarino dropping a three ball from the top of the key and consecutive scores inside by Mortimer to cut the Bryan lead to 29-19.
Once again Bryan responded when threatened with Rau burying a left corner three-pointer, Gray hit a foul line jumper, and Arnold splashed a triple from the left side as the Bryan lead stood at 37-24 heading to the final stanza.
An Annarino layup started the fourth quarter but those would end up being the Blue Aces only points of the quarter as they went just 1/7 from the floor.
Bryan effectively controlled the ball and the clock with Smith hitting a runner from the left side with just over three minutes remaining to close out the scoring.
Rau finished with 11 points, nailing three of Bryan seven treys as a team, while Smith and Thiel had eight points. Annarino had 12 to lead Granville (25-2)
Bryan (26-1) will square off with Copley (24-3), ranked fifth in the final AP poll, in the regional finals on Friday night at 7pm back at Mansfield Senior High School.
BRYAN (40) – Thiel 8; Voigt 3; Gray 5; Rau 11; Smith 8; Arnold 5; Totals: 8-7-3 – 40
GRANVILLE (26) – Varrasso 0; Warehime 1; Cottrell 4; Moore 3; Mortimer 6; Annarino 12; Lodge 0; Totals: 7-3-3 – 26
BRYAN 17 6 14 3 – 40
GRANVILLE 5 5 14 2 – 26
GAME STATISTICS
BRYAN: FG – 15/36 (41%); FT – 3/5 (60%); Rebounds – 20 (4 offensive); Turnovers – 18; GRANVILLE: FG – 10/29 (34%); FT – 3/8 (37%); Rebounds – 20 (5 offensive); Turnovers – 23