KETTERING — A huge underdog, Bellefontaine did not come close to pulling off a stunning upset of defending Division II state champion Trotwood-Madison here Tuesday. But the Chiefs showed some fight.
The Rams led 60-27 at halftime and went on to beat Bellefontaine 83-48 in a boys sectional semifinal basketball game at Trent Arena.
“I thought we competed a lot better in the second half,” said BHS head coach Jason Calton. “When you play a team like Trotwood, you can get a little star struck. That happened to us a little early on, but our guys decided in the second half to just go out there and play. To hold them to 23 points in the second half is something our guys can feel good about.” The Rams roared out of the gates for a 37-8 lead through one quarter.
“We didn’t handle their pressure very well and our defense wasn’t very good in the first quarter,” said Calton. “But the guys settled in and were much more competitive as the game went on. I am proud of them for that.” Bellefontaine was outscored by just two points (23-21) in the second half.
“It was good to see our guys play with confidence in the second half,” said Calton. “We were a lot more aggressive on both ends of the court.”
Declan Ashcraft led the Chiefs with 15 points. Hunter Warner and Brett Belser each scored eight points and Simon Stolly chipped in five points.
Carl Blanton Jr. led the Rams with 29 points, 27 of them coming in the first half.
The Chiefs (3-20) ended the season on a much better note than they started it. They won three out of their last five regular-season games after losing the first 17 games of the season.
“These guys busted their butts all season,” said Calton. “They came ready to work every single day.These guys weren’t raised by their parents to be quitters. They fought until the end.” Calton also had a lot of praise for the six departing seniors in the program.
“We are really going to miss those guys,” he said. “They were great examples for our program. I know all of them are going to go on to be successful in life. Ultimately, that’s why we are in coaching. We want them to grow and become successful outside of sports, and I am confident all of these guys will do that.”
Trotwood (21-3) advances to play in the sectional final Friday against either Eaton or Dayton Dunbar.