Badin  to face nemesis today

Versailles eliminated the Rams in the tournament in 2007 and 2008.

Prep basketball: Fairfield isn’t ducking top seed
2/12/12
College basketball: MUH men win regular-season finale
2/12/12
OSU women back in Big Ten race
2/12/12
Hey coaches, recruits are still kids
2/12/12
RedHawks electric in lopsided victory
2/12/12
> More sports headlines

By Rick Cassano, Staff Writer 1:44 AM Saturday, March 6, 2010

HAMILTON — Badin High School’s girls basketball team has reached a familiar postseason roadblock.

The Rams will be looking to forge a new path against Versailles today, March 6, when they meet the Tigers in a Division III district championship game at Springfield.

That’s the same Versailles that’s been in the state Final Four the last three seasons, the same Tigers that kicked Badin aside in 2007 and ’08.

“We know the history,” Rams coach Tom Sunderman said. “These girls have that look in their eyes. I don’t expect them to get rattled. They seem pretty relaxed. I think they’re just getting antsy to play.”

Versailles (16-6) was a middle-of-the-road team in the Midwest Athletic Conference this season, though that’s hardly a knock on the Tigers. It’s a very strong loop.

Seventh-year coach Jacki Stonebraker said tradition is a big part of Versailles’ success this season.

“These seniors have been through three years of state teams and have just grown with the program,” Stonebraker said. “The expectations are there. They’re proud to wear the jersey, and they want to keep it going.”

She said these Tigers are a little quicker and will run more than in the past. They still have a dominant post player (Megan Campbell) and start their engine with gritty, half-court defense.

“It’s not anything different than what people have seen in the past,” Stonebraker said. “Our defense fuels our offense. We like to switch up the defenses. We like to keep the other team on their toes.”

Said Sunderman, “They’re mostly a man-to-man team. They do throw in a 3-2 zone every once in a while, but their forte is half-court man.”

Campbell, a 6-foot-1 senior, is averaging 16 points and seven rebounds per game. She’s headed to the University of Dayton to play volleyball.

Senior guard Bethany Ahrens (9.4) is Versailles’ No. 2 scorer.

“We’re going to try to limit Campbell’s touches,” Sunderman said. “We want to take away the inside game and make them play from the perimeter.”

Badin’s approach rarely changes from game to game. The Rams (17-5) will come after the Tigers with full-court, trapping pressure.

Offensively, Badin has struggled with turnovers. Versailles typically doesn’t press a lot, and Sunderman said the Rams will likely alter their ballhandling strategy if the Tigers decide to press consistently.

The Badin-Versailles winner will return to Springfield for an 8 p.m. regional semifinal Wednesday against either Anna or Georgetown.