Buchtel Griffins Knock Off Undefeated Bishop Ready Knights in Semifinal Upset
In a highly anticipated semifinal matchup, the Buchtel Griffins took on the Bishop Ready Knights in the OHSAA Division II State Semifinal at the University of Dayton. The Knights came into the game undefeated with a 28-0 record and were ranked #1 in the final AP poll of the year. Meanwhile, the Griffins had a record of 21-6 and the Knights stood in the way of their first state championship appearance since 1997.
The game got off to a quick start with Buchtel jumping out to an 11-2 lead, led by 6 quick points from Marcel Boyce. However, the Knights fought back and closed the gap to 15-12 by the end of the first quarter.
Despite the strong defensive pressure applied by the Griffins, Bishop Ready's Charlie Russell stepped up his game to keep the Knights in contention by sinking three three-pointers in the quarter, with one of them even tying the game at 15 in the beginning of the second quarter. The Griffins regained the lead and led 30-26 at halftime.
Buchtel had a very balanced offensive attack, with 4 players in double figures. Steven Diamond led the way with 13 points, while Khoi Thurman, Marcel Boyce, and Amire Robinson all added 12 points.
In the second half, the Griffins picked up right where they left off and kept up the intensity by relentlessly pressuring the Knights on both ends of the court. With a solid 43-34 lead at the end of the third quarter, Buchtel seized the momentum and launched a 6-0 run, which included a stunning transition dunk by the talented Amire Robinson, pushing their lead to 9 points. Despite a strong effort by the Knights in the fourth quarter to make a comeback and reduce the deficit to just four points, the Griffins proved to be too much to handle.
Buchtel shot an impressive 54.5% from the field and forced 13 turnovers, outscoring the Knights 20-6 in points off turnovers. Meanwhile, Charlie Russell led the way for the Knights with 19 points, while Luke Ruth and Kayden Schaffer both added 12 points.
With the win, the Griffins will advance to the state championship for the first time since 1997. They will face the Lutheran West Longhorns, who defeated Chaminade Julienne 56-54 in the earlier semifinal game. It's an All Northeast Ohio Championship match that is sure to be a highly competitive and exciting game.
All Photos by DJ Pelles: Instagram @DJPELLESMEDIA