Knights to play for Division IV state title

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

COLUMBUS — Javin Etzler scored 25 points, all in the second half, and pulled down 12 rebounds to power Crestview past Richmond Heights 59-49 in the Division IV state semifinals at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on Friday.

The Knights (27-1), ranked No. 2 in the state, will play No. 1 Berlin Hiland (28-1) for the Division IV state championship at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday.

“We’re one step closer to our goal and our dream,” Crestview head coach Jeremy Best said after the win. “We had to fight against a really good basketball team that presented us with some challenges that for all intents and purposes we hadn’t really seen all year.”

Crestview trailed the Spartans 25-23 at halftime, but Etzler converted a pair of layups and drilled a triple early in the third quarter to give the Knights a 30-27 lead. However, Richmond Heights (21-7) rattled off seven straight points, including a rare four point play by Jamarr Talbert Jr., and the Spartans took a 34-30 lead.

An ensuing basket foul shot by Etzler pulled the Knights to within one and sparked a 14-1 run that gave Crestview a 44-35 lead at the end of the period. Derick Dealey drained a trey, Etzler converted another basket and free throw, Drew Kline hit a pair of foul shots and Etzler, who scored 16 points in the quarter, ended the run with two more free throws.

“My teammates kept telling me to just keep shooting and to keep going strong to the basket,” Etzler said. “I think it got me going, my team going and got our momentum going.”

“I thought we made them crack a little bit, I thought we wore on them as much as they were wearing on us in the first half,” Best said.

A bucket by Talbert pulled Richmond Heights to within two, 46-44 with 5:43 left in the fourth quarter, but Crestview closed the game on a 13-2 run, and held the Spartans scorless for the final 3:42 of the game, with Etzler accounting for seven of those points and Kline adding three more.

The Knights finished the game 20 of 27 from the foul line.

“I thought it was a physical game,” Richmond Heights head coach Quentin Rogers said. “I think the game was lost with those 27 free throws. We had 12, and 26 fouls to 16.”

“They didn’t really do anything defensively to disrupt us,” Rogers continued. “It came down to them knocking down free throws.”

Dealey had the hot hand for Crestview in the first half, scoring 15 points, including a trio of three pointers.

“They were focused on Javin and that’s what got me going,” Dealey said. “My teammates got me the ball and they were doubling off me so I had to take advantage of the open shots I was given, and that opened up Javin in the second half.”

The Knights opened the game with a 5-0 lead on a layup by Kalen Etzler and a trey by Dealey, and Crestview enjoyed a 12-10 lead after one quarter, but Richmond Heights grabbed a 19-14 lead halfway through the second period. Anthony Maxie Jr. hit a pair of foul shots, Talbert scored on a tip-in, Gbolahan Adio scored and Maxie scored on a dunk.

Dealey tied the game 19-19 with a trey and a pair of free throws, but Richmond Heights went on to lead 25-23 at halftime on a buzzer beating tripe by Talbert, who went on to finish with 12 points.

“We just talked at halftime about what we’ve talked about all year, and I know it’s corny, but when we talk about loving one another and having care and concern for one another, and these guys do. They rallied around that and dug deep.”

Crestview’s opponent, Berlin Hiland, rallied to defeat St. Henry 57-50 in the first game of the day.

Scoring summary

Crestview 12 11 21 15 – 59
Rich. Hts. 10 15 10 14 – 49

Crestview: Kalen Etzler 1-5-7; Wade Sheets 2-0-4; Javin Etzler 8-8-25; Drew Kline 0-5-5; Derick Dealey 6-2-18

Richmond Heights: Curtis Houston II 4-4-13; Jevontae Jones 2-0-4; Gbolahan Adio 4-1-10; Anthony Maxie Jr. 1-2-4; Jamarr Talbert Jr. 4-1-12; J’Maine Carter Jr. 1-0-3; Isaiah Martin 1-0-3