During a recent three-game losing streak, Dublin Scioto High School boys basketball coach Tony Bisutti watched his team collapse twice in the fourth quarter with the game on the line.
All it took was a turnover or a couple of offensive rebounds to help the opponent turn the tide.
They were frustrating moments for a veteran coach who can't help but see improvement despite going 6-10 overall and 3-8 in the OCC-Cardinal Division before a Feb. 8 game at Olentangy Liberty.
"We've identified how we have to play and settled into our roles and you've just got to feel at some point and time we're going to break through and not only execute but come up with a big play," Bisutti said. "We thought we had great chances to win two of those three games because we were at home."
The Irish snapped the losing streak with a 69-45 win at Linden-McKinley on Feb. 5.
But the losses to Westerville Central (50-43 on Feb. 4) and Westerville North (64-58 on Jan. 28) made it only more difficult to reach .500 heading into the postseason.
Against Central, Scioto scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 41-40, but it didn't score again until there were 10 seconds left.
Senior guard Raneal Ewing scored a career-high 35 points against North and the Irish had a 45-44 lead in the fourth quarter. There were five lead changes before the Warriors went on a 9-0 run to secure the win.
Ewing's 35 points were three short of Ish Kamara's school record of 38 against Reynoldsburg in 1997.
"It does get frustrating because we play hard and we end up falling short," said Ewing, who entered the week averaging 16 points a game. "But we're still looking to make a run. The season's coming to a close and guys have been stepping up."
Scioto finishes the regular season with games against visiting Dublin Jerome on Friday, Feb. 11, and Hilliard Bradley on Tuesday, Feb. 15, and at Marysville on Feb. 18.
In a 51-39 loss to Jerome on Jan. 7, the Irish trailed by six points at the end of the first quarter and 16 points after three quarters.
Three Celtics reached double figures including Cameron Wilson, who Bisutti said can create matchup problems for his team.
"Cameron Wilson is really hard for anyone to guard," he said. "His quickness is one thing, but he's very physical. The last time we played them I thought we were soft, but we've responded a little bit by playing physical without fouling."
Jerome was 4-12 overall and 2-9 in the league, tied with Marysville, before its Feb. 8 game against the Monarchs. The Celtics had lost four in a row, including a 58-48 setback against Olentangy on Feb. 4.
Bradley was 7-9 overall and 5-6 in the OCC-Capital before playing Delaware on Feb. 8.
"We know we're undersized so it's going to be important for us to be physical down the stretch," Ewing said. "Like our opponents have been doing, we've got to knock down some big shots and make some big plays."
AT A GLANCE
Below are the recent results and coming schedules for the Scioto boys and girls basketball teams:
BOYS
*Feb. 4 - Lost to Westerville Central 50-43. Justin Craig scored 13 points and Raneal Ewing added 10.
Feb. 5 - Defeated Linden-McKinley 69-45. Antonio Bisutti and Josh Ashwill scored 13 points each.
*Feb. 8 - Played Olentangy Liberty
*Feb. 11 - Home vs. Dublin Jerome. The Celtics won 51-39 on Jan. 7.
Feb. 15 - Home vs. Hilliard Bradley
Of note: The Irish were 6-10 overall and 3-8 in the OCC-Cardinal before Feb. 8.