Newark's title run abruptly stopped

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COLUMBUS -- As the tournament approached this season, the group of four Newark basketball seniors repeatedly talked about leaving an indelible mark on an already historic program.

After losing 68-52 to Dublin Scioto in Saturday's Division I district final at the Ohio Expo Center Coliseum, that impressive legacy won't include a third straight district title.

Instead, the loss likely will serve as a mere blip on an otherwise remarkable body of work.

"People are going to look back on their careers, and they're not going to remember them getting beat by Dublin Scioto -- they're truly not," coach Jeff Quackenbush said. "They're going to remember all the big games they've played in last year and this year."

The fourth-seeded Wildcats (20-4) couldn't muster enough offense against the defensive-minded Irish (23-1), who also showed surprising offensive efficiency.

Second-seeded Scioto shot a blistering 69 percent, showing early signs of a hot offensive night by making its first six shots.

It led to leads of 10-0 and 13-3 in the opening minutes, sending Newark reeling. Shooting just 35 percent from the field, the Wildcats never could complete the uphill climb.

"They got a couple easy baskets (during the quick start)," Quackenbush said. "You're playing in these big games, and that can roll on you real quick. It's a fragile thing with your kids with your confidence. (Scioto) got some confidence early."

Newark climbed back in the game early, with Taylor Huffman's layup bringing it to 21-17 after the first quarter. Ryan Dierks' 3-pointer closed the gap to 23-20, but Newark never got closer than three points the rest of the way.

Scioto coach Tony Bisutti thought the quick burst was one reason why.

"They probably haven't that kind of start for a while, and it gave us confidence," Bisutti said. "We probably just had more runs than they did."

A week after putting up 75 points and shooting nearly 60 percent against Upper Arlington, Newark never found the rhythm against a defense that was as intense as any the Wildcats saw this season.

Scioto mixed man and zone defense -- also tossing in the occasional full-court press -- and Newark never looked entirely comfortable.

The Wildcats had eight turnovers in the second, squandering a chance to crack into the Irish's lead. Newark trailed 36-25 at halftime and made one more push against Scioto.

It closed to 36-29 in the opening minutes of the third but missed on two other transition opportunities. The third proved to be the most frustrating.

Scioto's Bradley McDougald, who scored a career-high 29 points in a tremendous performance, seemed to slap the backboard on a layup attempt, causing the layup to rim out.

The Irish made a 3-pointer off that miss, and Quackenbush was called for a technical foul after arguing with a referee. The two free throws pushed the lead to 41-29, a seven-point swing from which Newark never recovered.

"You can't slap the backboard and make the basket shake. That's a rule," Quackenbush said. "I thought I was right."

Newark never got the deficit to single digits in the fourth after Cody Dennison's 3-pointer made it 50-40 at the end of the third. Scioto scored the first seven points of the fourth.

Newark finished 6-of-22 on 3-pointers.

"We've become a jump-shooting basketball team. That's who we are, and we didn't shoot very well on 3s," Quackenbush said. "They played great defense."

Said Bisutti: "We've been able to lessen our help, and we can just focus on containing the basketball. We did that for the most part."

Dennison had 20 points, and Rahlin Watson added 12. Dierks finished with 10 points.

Scioto shot 75 percent in the first half, missing just five shots. McDougald was a terror, making 10-of-12 shots, and the Irish's hot shooting also hindered Newark's offense.

"You don't get misses and you don't get defensive rebounds," Quackenbush said. "You can't get any transition offense, and they did a good job of jamming Cody."

Dennison, Watson, Shaun O'Keefe (eight points) and Huffman (six rebounds, two steals) are the four seniors whose legacy includes two league titles -- including one this year -- a state title and two district titles.

The three-year stretch also includes a record of 68-10 -- a mark that won't be forgotten by an appreciate community that gave the group one last standing ovation when they exited the floor late in the fourth quarter.

"I told our kids I'm proud of them," Quackenbush said. "This senior class has won more games than anybody in central Ohio the last three years, and that's including Northland. That's saying something."