CANTON—Kirtland’s magical postseason run continued on Friday with a 59-51 win over Dalton in a Division VI regional championship game at Memorial Fieldhouse.
With the win, the Hornets advanced to the state Final Four for the first time since 1991.
“It’s amazing,” said Kirtland head coach Shawn McGregor. “To come to Canton and play two quality teams like Smithville and Dalton and come away with two victories is surreal. Our guys are playing good basketball, they played their hearts out tonight. The game could have gone either way, but they could walk off the court being proud of what they accomplished. I’m so proud of our guys.”
Vince Carriero scored right off the jump with a layup, and Will Burt finished back-to-back buckets for an early 7-3 lead, but the Bulldogs made a move with a 9-0 run, which was halted with a Lucas Renfro and-one.
The Hornets trailed 12-10 after one.
Carriero knotted the score at 14-14 with a pair of scores and then Aiden Hurd scored three straight times for a 20-17 lead.
Carriero found Ben DiFranco on a bounce pass, then knocked in a pull-up jumper before Danny Alfieri cashed in on back-to-back 3-pointers for a 30-27 halftime edge.
The second half opened with a Carriero and-one, and the senior went on to make a pair of layups, including one at the buzzer, for a 44-44 tie after three.
Alfieri splashed two 3-pointers in the fourth, and Carriero added five more points to the mix, powering the Hornets to an eight-point victory.
Not only did Alfieri deliver a pair of dagger 3-pointers, he also drew the fourth-quarter assignment of guarding Dalton’s Coy Wenger, who scored 20 points through the first 24 minutes of action.
The Kirtland senior rose to the occasion, holding Wenger scoreless in the final frame, and he forced several turnovers.
“Danny’s just a gamer,” McGregor said of Alfieri. “He’s a three-year player for us and has been in tight situations. He’s a captain, and I knew he’d be ready to play. He just had that look in his eyes. I knew he’d play well today; he made some big shots, played with great effort, and did what captains do. He made big plays in the biggest moments.”
History has been made once again, but the Hornets are not done dancing yet.
“The farthest (the program) has gone is a Final Four, so this would be historic,” Carriero said. “It’d be really great for the program, the school, and the town.”
The chase for history marches on, and despite the bright lights and heavyweight bouts with the Smithies and Bulldogs, Kirtland continues to rise to the occasion.
“It’s all about the kids and their hard work all summer,” McGregor said. “They put themselves in a position to win the game today. We have a great group of seniors, and the chemistry between all of them is amazing. The kids played amazing, and I’m so lucky to have this group. I’m so excited to see our matchup, where we play, and how we do at the next level.”
Carriero posted a game-high 23 points and dished out seven assists. Alfieri came off the bench and knocked in four 3-pointers, Hurd scored eight, DiFranco finished with five points and three blocks, while Burt pitched in with four points.
The Hornets state semifinal matchup has yet to be decided, and the site is to be determined. The game will take place on March 14 or 15.
