Lady Mustangs reach final this year
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By Michael Boytim
mboytim@altoonamirror.com
PORTAGE -- Devastation often leads to prayers for a second chance.
That shot at redemption for the Portage girls basketball team will come full circle on Thursday after the Lady Mustangs punched their ticket to the District 6 Class 2A championship game with a 56-45 win over Bellwood-Antis on Monday at Len Chappell Gymnasium.
Their opponent will be a familiar one.
On Feb. 23, 2023, second-seeded Portage saw its season come to an end in the first round of the District 6 playoffs after an upset loss to 10th-seeded Marion Center. Thursday at Mount Aloysius College, the Lady Stingers will play the Lady Mustangs again after Marion Center upset top-seeded Bishop McCort, 58-57.
"A year ago at this time, I was still in depression and watching games on NFHS," Portage coach Lance Hudak said. "A year later, to be going up to the Mount this Thursday -- this feeling is unbelievable. Even more so with this group of seniors that (includes) my daughter and extensions of my family since kindergarten. I'm just elated right now. It's unbelievable."
Portage was coming off a run to the PIAA Class 1A semifinals in 2022 before Marion Center shocked the Lady Mustangs in last year's playoffs, 53-46, on their own gym floor. It is a feeling that has fueled Portage throughout the season.
"That's possibly the worst feeling I have ever felt," Portage senior Jenna Burkett said. "As a team, it was something so hard. We knew our potential and worth, and that night just wasn't our night. Honestly, you remember that feeling and it drives and motivates you. You never want to feel that way again. We know what we can do and how we can maximize our potential, and we did that tonight."
The first two rounds of this year's tournament haven't exactly been cakewalks for Portage. The Lady Mustangs were tied with Homer-Center at halftime in the quarterfinals before pulling away and led by only two through two quarters against Bellwood-Antis on Monday.
Portage forced 12 first-half turnovers and had none of its own, but the Lady Mustangs missed several layups in part due to the presence of 6-foot-1 forward Lilly Gerwert, a Bellwood-Antis sophomore.
"It was some of Gerwert inside and us short-arming a little bit," Hudak said. "We were getting opportunities, and we really thought we should have been up 15 or 20 points at halftime, just making a third of those layups, but they weren't falling. We talked about it just like we did against Homer at halftime to keep shooting and that if we kept playing defense they would fall."
Jenna Burkett took care of that with a pair of 3-pointers early in the third quarter, and Britton Myher added another midway through to put Portage up by six.
The lead was seven when Gerwert picked up her fourth foul with 1:15 to play in the third quarter and came out of the game. While Gerwert was out, the lead doubled to 14 after an 11-4 Portage run.
"They had to come out and defend with her out, and we're going to win that," Hudak said. "Our girls are just more athletic and quick, and we just started attacking. If we weren't getting a layup, we were kicking it out and making some 3-pointers. When she came out, it really opened up our offense."
When Gerwert returned, so did the Lady Blue Devils' offense. B-A went on a quick 8-0 run to make it 51-45 with 3:34 left.
"We went offense-defense with her to try and protect her," Bellwood-Antis coach Kyley Longo said. "She had four fouls, and that certainly doesn't help us. We need to keep her in the game for rebounding, and she certainly clogs the lane up. That definitely hurt, and our turnovers hurt us down the stretch."
Portage ran the clock down to 2:13, and Bellwood-Antis began to try and get the Lady Mustangs to the foul line, but because they had not been called for a foul yet in the half, it took until there was only 1:34 left to start the free-throw process. The fouls seemed to sap the momentum from Bellwood's run, and Portage made its first three free throw attempts to regain control.
"They are a good basketball team. We are a good basketball team. In spurts they outplayed us tonight," Longo said. "But I'm proud of my kids' effort. I think we can hang with anyone we want to, and I would certainly take them again and see what the outcome would be."
Gerwert had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Leigha Clapper added 12 points for the Lady Blue Devils.
Bellwood-Antis will play at Bishop McCort on Thursday in the consolation game, but both teams will advance to the state playoffs, which begin Friday, March 8. The Lady Blue Devils won the state championship in 2018 as District 6's third-place team.
"At this point of the year, everything has to be with a short-term memory," Longo said. "We have to forget about it and make the adjustments we need to in practice, which we'll do. Next man up. It's another business trip for us, and we'll be ready."
Portage defeated Marion Center, 49-37, on the road Dec. 5 in its third game of the season.
"We played the first week and went up to their place, and it was a battle," Hudak said. "They are tough kids. Lydia Miller is a great point guard and athlete. We beat them up there, but it was a battle. They have some size inside that do well and athletic guards like we do."
Winning a District 6 title would also put Portage on the weaker side of the state playoff bracket, one that Homer-Center ran through last year on the way to the state title game.
"It's not rocket science," Hudak said. "You want to play 7-8 in that first round and you want to go east. That's the reward for winning a district championship, and that's what we're going to work for on Thursday night."
Jenna Burkett and Brooke Bednarski each scored 16 points for Portage, which starts five seniors.
"These girls are such good friends," Hudak said. "They are so close, and they really feed off each other. When one is successful, it seems like it's contagious and they all become successful."
BELLWOOD-ANTIS (45): Hammond 0 0-2 0, Clapper 5 2-3 12, Gerwert 9 1-2 19, Norton 4 0-0 9, Quick 0 0-0 0, Cacciotti 2 0-0 5, Bardell 0 0-0 0. Totals -- 20 3-7 45.
PORTAGE (56): Chobany 2 1-2 5, Hudak 2 0-0 6, Cam. Burkett 2 2-4 6, B. Bednarski 5 6-8 16, J. Burkett 4 6-7 16, Myher 3 0-0 7, Bagby 0 0-0 0, Noll 0 0-0 0. Totals -- 18 15-21 56.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Bellwood-Antis 10 10 15 10 -- 45
Portage 14 8 24 10 -- 56
3-point goals: Bellwood-Antis 2 (Norton, Cacciotti); Portage 5 (J. Burkett 2, Hudak 2, Myher).
Records: Bellwood-Antis (15-9); Portage (23-2).
Officials: Julie Slavik, Tom Kegg, Mark Surike.