Willard dominates Margaretta

CASTALIA — Willard couldn't miss. Sometimes it's more complicated than that, but on this night, not really. The Flashes took 23 shots from beyond the arc and made 16. They scored more points just on 3-pointers than Margaretta scored from anywhere. And as one became two, and two became five, and five became nine, and nine became 16, it became clear — in a Willard history filled with prolific scoring nights, this one with league-title implications would soar right toward the top of a memorable list. "In the second half, I was back a few times on defensive rotation, and it was cool to see those big shots go in in a hostile environment," senior Max Dawson said. "Those guys were just living it up. It's super special." By the end, Willard had activated the running clock on its way to a 77-39 win over Margaretta. The Associated Press Division II No. 10-ranked Flashes (17-3) moved into a tie atop the SBC Bay Division with the Div. III No. 6 Polar Bears (16-3). They both sit 8-1 in league play with a game remaining. "In basketball, you can't build it up to being more than what you do every day," Willard coach Joe Bedingfield said. "We've seen our guys shoot well." As a sign of things to come, Ashland-signee Dawson ran off a screen into the right corner and rose up for a 3-pointer to open the scoring. Dawson set the early tone, putting up 22 points in a dominant, 48-24 first half. "He's doing whatever he wants," Margaretta coach Steve Keller said. "It wasn't like our gameplan wasn't to try and take him away. He just was extremely aggressive." Dawson scored or assisted on Willard's first 18 points. He had 12 himself, and he dished to a pair of 3-pointers, one each by Jackson Beamer and Isaac Robinson. After Margaretta beat Willard down south, Dawson led the charge in returning the favor. "Honestly, in my mind was the last time we played them," Dawson said. "It didn't sit right with me. It didn't sit right with my teammates. We just came out and attacked, and shots were falling. That always helps." Robinson had eight points and eight rebounds before the intermission and finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Beamer drilled two first-half 3s, then made another three from beyond the arc in the third quarter. He totaled 17 points. "He's a rhythm shooter, like most shooters," Bedingfield said. "When things are going well, it's easy. Credit to him, he's been struggling a little bit with his shot. We've been telling him all week that he'll find it, and he did." Aiden Slone, a senior back with the Flashes after not playing last winter, even added three 3-pointers and a ridiculous, off-balance bank shot as he fell down in the lane that left Bedingfield shaking his head. "It's great," Slone said. "I really missed it. I should've played. We got our team chemistry back, and we're rolling." Willard missed four 3-pointers in the first half while making nine, then went 7-for-10 after the intermission. Those final seven 3s all went through in the third quarter, with only a couple even grazing the rim. Slone and Beamer each hit one to open the second half with two 3s in two possessions, and if the 24-point lead at halftime wasn't a sure thing, it was soon clear that Willard wasn't giving up any ground. "Coach always says play with confidence," Beamer said. "Confidence is key. I saw one go in, found the mark and the rest followed." Dawson assisted on Willard's next six points, 3s by Slone and Isaac Robinson, to go up 60-24 and activate the 35-point-margin running clock. Then it was Beamer from the right corner before Dawson added his only points of the second half, a left-wing triple. "It's nice to have someone like Max Dawson on your team," Slone said. Dawson finished with 25 points, eight assists and two powerful blocked shots. He shot 10-for-16 from the floor, including 9-of-15 in the first half. "Max was pretty special early on," Bedingfield said. "... Obviously, he's a special player. When the other guys step up and make shots, there's not much you can do. It makes my job a heck of a lot easier." Isaac Robinson had all four Willard points in the fourth, including a sweet spinning finish, before the JV guys came in and ran the clock out. "Defensively, we were pretty good," Bedingfield said. "We did a better job of giving help and being in gaps." The final five or so minutes were a bit surreal, Willard's shooting stars on the bench basking in an astounding win, one much more one-sided than anyone would've predicted. All that matters now is whether Willard and Margaretta can take care of business in their league finales. The Flashes host Vermilion on Tuesday. "Not to be too cliché, but our motto is win the day," Bedingfield said. "We just take it one game a time and try not to get too high or too low." The Polar Bears welcome Edison next Friday, but first will play Oak Harbor on Saturday and Genoa on Tuesday in non-league action. "We see what we're made of," Keller said. "Our saying is that it's 10 percent what happens and 90 percent how you respond. So we'll see how we respond." Willard's student section already unleashed chants of 'SBC, SBC' upon the Iceberg late in Friday's game. They'll surely pack the Haas on Tuesday with a chance to cut down the nets, too. But if the Flashes do indeed get the job done, there's no question which matchup will prove to be the most memorable. Willard's players will surely put their heads on the pillow Friday night with dreams of three-point shots in their heads, and they'll definitely all go in. "Kudos to Willard tonight, man," Keller said. "They were unbelievable. I don't know if you could shoot it in a shootaround situation like they did in a game situation." WILLARD (17-3, 8-1) Jackson Beamer 6 0 17; Aiden Slone 4 0 11; Max Dawson 10 0 25; Isaac Robinson 6 0 15; Masyn Johnson 1 0 2; Cam Robinson 3 1 7. TOTALS 30 1 77 MARGARETTA (16-3, 8-1) Micah Groot 1 0 3; Julian Washington 6 0 13; Nolan Wiley 4 0 9; Judah Keller 4 1 10; Gage Bodey 1 0 2; Tyson Bailey 0 2 2. TOTALS 16 3 39 Willard 18 30 25 4 — 77Margaretta 12 12 8 7 — 39 3-point goals — Willard 16 (Dawson 5, Beamer 5, Slone 3, I. Robinson 3); Margaretta 4 (Groot 1, Washington 1, Wiley 1, Keller 1)