NORWALK — A nightmarish first half derailed Crestview’s season of dreams.
The second-seeded Cougars managed just six first-half points and never recovered in a 43-34 loss to No. 3 Huron in the Division III district semifinals Wednesday at Norwalk High School.
The Tigers (17-6) will take on top-seeded Cardinal Stritch for the district title at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Norwalk. The Cardinals beat Margaretta 53-50 in Wednesday’s late game.
Crestview finished the the winningest season in program history at 21-3.
“We just dug ourselves a massive hole against a really good team,” Crestview coach John Kurtz said. “Our kids have had two straight games where we started slow and it was mostly because of shooting.
“We knew that if we made 3s, the lane would open up. But when you don’t make 3s, it’s hard to get in the lane and they don’t give you second chances.”
Huron opened the game on a 10-0 run before Crestview’s Justice Thompson broke the ice with a layup at the 3:19 mark to make it 10-2. That would be the Cougars’ only field goal until Jarek Ringler knocked down a baseline jumper with 50 seconds remaining in the second quarter. By that time, Crestview trailed 24-6.
“The thing I was most frustrated with in the first half was not just the shooting but the fact that we couldn’t get an offensive rebound,” Kurtz said. “They’re big and they are physical on the glass.”
Leading 24-6 at the break, Huron opened the third with a 3-pointer from Jake Lagando to make it 27-6 with 7:26 to play in the period. Crestview outscored Huron 18-4 the rest of the quarter and trailed 31-24 heading to the fourth.
Five straight points by Thompson to open the fourth pulled Crestview to within a bucket at 31-29 with 6:39 remaining. A short jumper by Huron’s Jackson McNulty stemmed the tide momentarily, but the Cougars again made it a one-possession game at 33-30 when Heath Kash split a pair of free throws with 5:08 to go.
“I was super proud of our kids the way they came back,” Kurtz said. “They fought really hard and we started making shots.
“Coming all the way back is the first step. Getting ahead is the next and we just couldn’t get over that hump.”
Huron outscored Crestview 10-4 over the final 4:39. Luke Rager scored five of his nine points during that decisive stretch.
Dylan Hohler, a 6-foot-4 senior swingman, led the Tigers with 13 points. Lagando and Jackson McNulty matched Rager with nine points apiece.
Kash and Ringler each scored 12 points to pace the Cougars. Thompson added seven.
Kash and Owen Barker were the only two seniors on Crestview’s roster.
“We’ve got a really tight-knit group of guys,” Kash said. “Guys who put in the work and guys who want to win so bad.
“We didn’t give up. We just fell a little short.”
