MANSFIELD — Audi Albert and her Shelby teammates are Elite.
Albert’s layup with four seconds remaining off a Sophie Niese assist lifted the Whippets to an edge-of-your-seat 35-33 win over Copley in the Division II regional semifinals Tuesday at Pete Henry Gym.
The Whippets (27-0) reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 1992 and will play Columbus Hartley for a regional title and a berth in next week’s state tournament at 7 p.m. Friday at Mansfield Senior. Hartley needed double overtime to dispatch Toledo Central Catholic 47-45 in Tuesday’s early game.
Copley (16-11) tied it at 33-33 when Ashley Kerekes connected on a pair of free throws with 48.3 seconds remaining. Shelby advanced the ball into the front court then held for a final shot. The Whippets took a timeout with 13.3 seconds remaining to set up the final play, which called for Niese to work off an Olivia Baker pick and read the defense.
Copley, which was unwilling to leave the high-scoring Baker, allowed Niese to turn the corner. Albert’s defender slid over to help on Niese, who threaded the needle for her fourth and final assist of the evening to Albert on the right side of the bucket.
“It’s a play that we work on in practice,” said Albert, who had only attempted one field goal before sending the game-winner through for her only made floor shot of the evening. “Sophie always finds me.
I swear it’s telepathic that she just knows where I am at all times.”
Shelby took a timeout to set its defense after the Albert bucket. Copley got a great look at the basket, but Shelby Emich’s 3-pointer was just off the mark as time expired and the Shelby bench erupted.
“The play was I was supposed to come off of the screen and finish it, but every single time I know the help side (defense) is coming,” Niese said. “Audi Albert is so good at finding the open spot and I knew she would be there for me.”
Shelby led 15-9 after the first quarter and 18-11 early in the second after a Niese 3-pointer, but Copley closed the half on a 12-2 run highlighted by Victoria McKnight’s conventional three-point play with 4:37 remaining. A Kerekes layup with six seconds showing in the half gave Copley a 21-20 lead at intermission.
Copley, which had a size advantage at virtually every spot on the floor, outrebounded Shelby 15-10 in the first half.
“They killed us on the boards in the first half,” Shelby coach Natalie Lantz said. “That was one of the things we were most frustrated with.”
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Demi Hipp and Mallary Gundrum in the opening 30 seconds of the third quarter gave Shelby a 26-21 lead. The Whippets extended the lead to 31-25 when Baker split a pair of free throws with 2:46 left in the period, but a Kerekes layup cut it to 31-27 going to the final period.
Emich’s trey in the opening minute of the fourth quarter cut Shelby’s advantage to 31-30 and when McKnight split a pair of free throws with 6:48 remaining, the score was tied at 31-31. Neither team scored over the next four minutes — until Niese’s driving layup with 2:38 to play gave the Whippets a 33-31 lead. Kerekes tied it two minutes later, setting the stage for Albert.
“Our girls handled the pressure pretty well,” Lantz said. “We executed really well. Sophie turned the corner and she is always going to look for someone else before she looks to score herself. It was the perfect play.”
