CADIZ, Ohio – New year, same outcome — albeit much closer.
Dover (Oh.) retained its OVAC Tournament 5A crown on the strength of a 28-20 methodical win over top-seeded Morgantown Saturday afternoon at Harrison Central High School. The Crimson Tornadoes defeated the Mohigans by a 70-54 count in the 2022 championship tilt.
Second-seeded Dover, which advanced to the title game via a hard-fought 59-53 semifinal win over Parkersburg South Tuesday, exhibited offensive patience and some timely shooting to finally solve the Mohigans’ lengthy and stifling 2-3 zone defense.
Morgantown, which defeated Wheeling Park in its semi-final test, led for the majority of the game but was ultimately doomed but some frigid shooting. The Mohigans found the mark on just six-of-29 shots.
“You got to make shots. It is simple as that,” Morgantown head coach Dave Tallman said. “Defensively, I thought we played very well. We thought they may have trouble against our zone and they did.
“I am pleased with our effort. Our guys play hard,” added the Magnolia High product. “It came down to a few plays in the fourth quarter and Dover made them. But it still gets down you have to make shots.”
Both teams are now 18-2 on the campaign. Morgantown is the No.1-ranked Class AAAA team in West Virginia.
The Mohigans’ valiant effort was made even more impressive as they played without the services of their premier player. ShaRon Young did not suit up as he broke his hand last week.
Morgantown owned a 7-2 lead after the slow-paced opening quarter. Dover won the opening tip but needed two minutes to take the game’s first shot, unable to solve the Morgantown zone.
Scoring didn’t ramp up in the second quarter as the Mohigans took 10-9 lead into halftime. Lanky forward Garrison Kisner led Morgantown with seven points while Tyler Stevenson countered with a like amount for Dover.
The third quarter’s pace remained at a snail’s pace with the two teams combining for eight total points, resulting in a 14-13 Tornado lead entering the final eight minutes.
Morgantown moved to a 16-14 lead in the early stages of the fourth quarter via a Brody Davis trey. Dover responded quickly, receiving a bonus bomb from Carter Grove.
Morgantown’s Izzy Everett meshed two free throws, giving the Mohigans an 18-17 edge. Grove buried another trey with 2:50 to give Dover a lead it would never relinquish.
After a Morgantown miss, Stevenson drained another three-ball, boosting the Tornado lead to 23-18. The Mohigans’ next two trips yielded two missed shots before Grove meshed two free throws with 43.4 seconds left, boosting the Dover advantage to 25-18.
Morgantown remained alive, courtesy of two Davis freebies before Grove converted a charity toss for a 26-20 reading. Dover’s Brett Devault delivered the game-clincher with a hoop with just 18 seconds left.
“This is the first time we have seen a zone this year. But we are a patient team so the tempo was fine for us,” legendary Dover head coach Bob Von Kaenel said. “We don’t have the personnel to run up and down the court with Morgantown. We average only 50 points a game.
“Our defense and rebounding kept us in the game until we made some big shots in the fourth quarter. We played with poise down the stretch,” he added. “We really enjoy this tournament. We are Division I in Ohio, so this tournament gives us a chance to play for a title. This team is fun to coach. We have great camaraderie.”
Stevenson topped the Dover attack with 13 points while Grove chipped in with nine. Stevenson was named game MVP.
“I have a lot of respect for Dover and its coach. They have a great program,” Tallman said. “It was an opportunity to play against someone we never see.
“We came out and played tough and physical. We just couldn’t make shots,” he continued. “This game will make us better. We still have a lot to play for.”
Kisner and Davis led the Mohigans with seven and six points, respectively.
Morgantown committed just four turnovers on the day. Dover was guilty of eight miscues.
By BUBBA KAPRAL
Dover 28, Morgantown 20
D 5 4 5 14 – 28
M 7 3 3 7 – 20
DOVER (28) – Stevenson 4, 3-4 13; Grove 2, 2-4 9; Default 1, 0-0 2; Gilyard 1, 0-0 2; Hamm 1, 0-0 2; Hanner 0, 0-0 0; Lurie 0, 0-0 0; Coletti 0, 0-0 0. Totals 9, 6-8.
MORGANTOWN (20) – Davis 1, 3-4 6; Kisner 3, 0-0 7; Everett 0, 3-4 3; Danser 0, 0-0 0; Neal 0, 0-0 0; King 2, 0-0 4. Totals 6, 6-8.
Three-point goals: Dover (4) – Stevenson (2), Grove (2); Morgantown (2) – Davis (1), Kisner (1).
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