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Buchtel boys basketball bows out in district semifinal a year after winning state title
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- Buchtel boys basketball bows out in district semifinal a year after winning state title
LOUISVILLE — Seniors Diaire Pride Jr., Qi'Marreon Marks, Dakota Taylor and Damien Johnson Jr. wore a Buchtel boys basketball uniform for the final time in a high school game Wednesday night.
Pride, Marks, Taylor and Johnson contributed as reserves last year as Buchtel won the Division II state championship over Lutheran West at the University of Dayton Arena.
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There will be no return trip to UD for the Griffins this season. Cleveland Glenville ended that when it topped Buchtel 65-58 in a Division II district semifinal at Louisville High School.
"I loved my time playing basketball at Buchtel," Pride said. "I wouldn't want to do it with anybody else but my brothers. ... I was excited last year and happy. This year, I am a little sad."
The Akron City Series champion Griffins (13-9) came out fast and built a 25-7 lead with 7:44 remaining in the second quarter.
But the Cleveland Senate League champion Tarblooders (21-4) outscored the Griffins 58-33 for the remainder of the game.
Buchtel’s Dakota Taylor (13) is guarded by Glenville’s Richard Stanley in a district semifinal, Wednesday, March 6, 2024.
"I can definitely say all four years playing here was great, especially my last two years when I was able to actually play varsity and make an impact," Marks said. "That is what I love about the game so much.
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"... We knew coming into this game that it was going to be a tough game. We knew that Glenville was going to be a good team and we knew that we had to play physical and meet force with force. Coming out, we wanted to play fast and play well. We just lost it after halftime."
Pride and Marks scored eight points apiece in the first quarter as Buchtel built a 23-7 lead. Junior Stevie Diamond, the lone returning starter from Buchtel's 23-6 state title team, scored five points in the first quarter and Taylor added a bucket.
Junior Ta'Shawn Thomas then made a basket in the opening minute of the second quarter to give Buchtel an 18-point lead.
"I think we caught them off guard with our speed," Buchtel coach Rayshon Dent said. "They were playing more zone early on, so they were kind of flat-footed, so to speak. Our defensive pressure gave them problems, especially going into the post. We did a good job of defending the post and we were able to hit some shots against the zone as well, but then we went cold for some odd reason. We couldn't make a shot and they were turning us over and it snowballed from there."
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Glenville outscored Buchtel 21-6 in the second quarter to trim its deficit to 29-28 at halftime.
Buchtel maintained the lead through three quarters at 49-47, but Glenville opened the fourth quarter on a 16-0 run to take a 63-49 lead with 2:06 left.
"The three years that I was here playing basketball, I just cherish it," said Taylor, a Kent State University football recruit. "I had a good time. I am sad that we went out like this. I wanted to go back to back for my senior year."
Glenville junior Richard Stanley made a jumper, two 3-pointers and a layup during the critical 16-0 run.
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"We came out hot playing together and then in the second half we came out with some turnovers, some big mistakes and some small mistakes, too," Taylor said.
Buchtel's top scorers Wednesday were its five starters: Marks (15 points), Pride (14), Taylor (10), junior Demetrice Coates (eight) and Diamond (seven).
"It was fun playing basketball on this team," Johnson said. "It is sad to go out like this because I am injured, so I was barely able to play. I messed up my ankle, so I couldn't be out there with them. ... It was fun winning the state championship last year and coming into this year with a chip on our shoulder, but we just fell short."
Marks said he will miss more than just games.
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"Every practice there is always a different type dynamic," Marks said. "It has always been a fun time and a good time. Everybody is trying to push each other, but then it was all love at the end of the day."
Buchtel’s Demetrice Coates goes up past Glenville’s Ruel Tomlinson in last year's district semifinal won by the Tarblooders at Louisville High School.
Former Walsh Jesuit student-athlete Ruel Tomlinson Jr. leads Glenville
Glenville's leading scorers were senior Ruel Tomlinson Jr. (19 points), Stanley (12), senior Dominic Scott (12), sophomore Arvell Nelson (10) and senior Damarion Witten (seven).
Tomlinson played basketball and football at Walsh Jesuit for three years before transferring to Glenville. He and Witten both played football on Glenville's Division IV state championship in 2023. Witten also played on the Tarblooders 2022 football team that won the Division IV state championship.
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Tomlinson, who is 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, is committed to play quarterback at Kent State University. Witten, who is 6-4 and 220, is set to play tight end at Ohio State.
"We came out kind of lazy in this game and they came out firing," Tomlinson said. "We just had to lock in, play our game and do what we do."
Buchtel’s head coach Rayshon Dent talks to his team in a district semifinal against Glenville, Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Louisville High School.
Buchtel basketball coach Rayshon Dent pleased with play of four seniors
Dent lauded the efforts of Johnson, Marks, Pride and Taylor as senior leaders this season after senior starters Marcel Boyce Jr., Khoi Thurmon, Amire Robinson and Jayden Maxwell graduated off the state title team.
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"I shared with them in the locker room that they have nothing to hang their heads about because these guys gave me a great four years," Dent said. "Each and every one of those kids is a great kid. They are going to go onto college and do big things. I told them I hope they come back and support the program.
"... I am so proud of them, just to see them grow from the time they were freshmen going through the door, like DJ [Pride] and Q [Marks]. They came in as freshmen and they played together all the way through and did some great things for us."
Glenville’s Dominic Scott grabs a rebound from Buchtel’s Qi'Marreon Marks in a district semifinal, Wednesday, March 6, 2024.
Pride and Taylor will each earn his third varsity letter with Buchtel's basketball team, and Marks and Johnson will finish with two letters apiece from the program.
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Dent said he is pleased with Taylor's "maturation process and growth."
"Dame is always a kid that has a positive attitude," Dent said. "He is a great kid to have on the team. This young man carved out a role and got into the starting lineup. He was almost basically on walk-on status. He is a kid you like so much, hey, I had to keep him around.
"... Diaire took the proper steps like any kid. He played freshman and junior varsity as a freshman. Sophomore year, he dressed varsity, and then his junior year he came off the bench and got meaningful minutes. He went on to be a starter and then became league Player of the Year. That is the maturation process you want to see out of every freshmen.
"And with Q, for him to sustain what he has been doing over such a long period of time is just awesome. The kid is playing basketball and running track and bowling, and at the same time being a leader on this squad. I don't know how he does it. He has been a joy to coach."
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Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ .
Buchtel’s Moustapha Ndao looks to shoot over Glenville’s Damarion Witten in a district semifinal, Wednesday, March 6, 2024.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Glenville tops Buchtel in OHSAA boys basketball district semifinal
