CANTON, Ohio — The Kirtland Hornets wasted little time asserting control Tuesday night, rolling to a 79-57 victory over the Grand Valley Mustangs in the Division VI Region 21 semifinal at Canton Memorial Fieldhouse.
The Hornets jumped out to a 14-4 lead in the opening minutes and never let the Mustangs get back within striking distance, advancing to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season.
“Experience matters, and I think our kids were ready to go from the get-go,” said Kirtland head coach Shawn McGregor. “We play a very difficult regular-season schedule to prepare for these types of moments, and our guys want to win.
“When you’re competing, it’s different when it’s your last game you may ever play. Our mindset coming into the game was a little different. I was super proud of them just for coming out and playing as hard as they possibly could. I think we did a good job of taking them out of their offense and getting a win.”
Kirtland set the tone immediately. Sammy Ridgeway opened the scoring with a drive and layup, sparking a fast start.
Jake LaVerde finished a cut off a pass from Ben DiFranco before DiFranco added a Euro-step finish of his own. Lucas Renfro then found LaVerde for another bucket before scoring back-to-back baskets himself, pushing the Hornets ahead 16-4 early.
Kirtland carried that momentum to a 22-11 lead after the first quarter.
The Hornets kept attacking in the second period. DiFranco scored in the post with strong footwork, Renfro set up LaVerde for another basket, and Danny Shafer knocked down a corner three to stretch the lead to 33-16.
Renfro and LaVerde combined to score on Kirtland’s final four possessions of the half, sending the Hornets into the locker room with a commanding 43-24 advantage.
Renfro then caught fire in the third quarter.
The senior guard buried four three-pointers in the period — each with a different degree of difficulty — as Kirtland extended its lead to 54-27.
“Sometimes if my shots are not falling, I’ll cut to the rim and get some work inside,” Renfro said with a laugh. “But if my shot is falling, then I’m going to let it fly, and it doesn’t really matter from where. I’m a player that can go in spurts where I play badly at times, and then tonight, where I play really well.”
Grand Valley managed to trim the deficit to 18 points late in the second half, but Kirtland never allowed the game to get closer, sealing the 22-point regional semifinal victory.
For the second time in three seasons, Renfro delivered a 30-point performance in a regional semifinal, matching the mark he set last year against Smithville as the Hornets chase another Final Four appearance.
“I play better under pressure when the games mean more and there’s more at stake,” Renfro said. “I like to have good games in big moments.”
Kirtland now turns its attention to the regional championship, where the Hornets will face Richmond Heights Spartans, a program that has captured multiple recent state titles.
“The message is we have to keep doing what we do well,” McGregor said. “There are different challenges depending on who you face, but the goal is the same. We’ve got to play strong defense, control the glass, execute, and not turn the ball over. The bottom line is you have to make plays, and we did that tonight.”
The Division VI Region 21 championship game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Canton Memorial Fieldhouse.
Kirtland vs Grand Valley Scoring Leaders
- Lucas Renfro — 31 points
- Jake LaVerde — 14 points
- Ben DiFranco — 10 points
- Sammy Ridgeway — 8 points
- Mike Dumstorff — 6 points
- Danny Shafer — 5 points
- Ryan Caimi — 4 points
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