Canton McKinley Falls to Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame, 51-33, in State Semifinal

The Canton McKinley Lady Pups saw their great 2016-17 season come to an end on March 17 at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, where they fell to Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame by a score of 51-33.

The Lady Pups were right with MND early on and took a 13-12 lead heading into the second quarter, thanks to a buzzer-beater from three-point range, courtesy of Chamara Young.

Bell finds Chamera Young in the corner for a 3 at the buzzer@CantonMcKinley Lady Pups lead 13-12 after 1. pic.twitter.com/7HrBwZMJMu

— Matt Medley (@MedleyHoops) March 17, 2017

MND came out of the gate strong to start the second quarter, going on an 8-0 run, from which McKinley never fully recovered.

The Lady Pups were able to cut the deficit to six just before hafltime, but Abby Voss knocked down a three-pointer as time expired, giving the Lady Cougars a 30-21 lead heading into the break.

The second half belonged completely to the Cougars, who outscored the Lady Pups, 21-12 , the rest of the way, led by four three’s from Madison Marcum.

Marcum finished the night with a game-high 19 points (5-of-9 from long-range).

Canton McKinley was led by 13 points from Young and a relatively quiet 11-point performance from Ohio’s Ms. Basketball, Kierstan Bell, who averaged 26 points per game during the 2016-17 season.

The sophomore guard was mostly shut down after the second quarter and was understandably frustrated after the game.

“We weren’t playing defense at all,” Bell said when asked what changed after the back-and-forth first quarter.

“We weren’t rebounding and (Mount Notre Dame) was just being patient. We didn’t listen to our coaches at at all. This was a business trip and we didn’t come out here and do what we do best.”

It’s a disappointing ending to a remarkable season for the Lady Pups, but in Bell’s first two seasons, the team has made significant steps towards its ultimate goal of a State Championship and will use this experience as a lesson, much like they did one year ago after losing in a regional final.

“If this doesn’t motivate a player to get better and to work harder in the offseason, I don’t know what platform will,” Canton McKinley coach Pamela Davis said.

“I’m hoping that my underclassmen, who will be a year older and wiser, will take advantage of this experience and then help some of my younger kids that are going to be coming into the program next year.”

The Lady Pups finish the season with 22 wins and six losses, while Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame advances to face Toledo Notre Dame in the Division I State Championship on March 18.