“I’m very proud of the kids coming off that lackluster performance,” Mohawks coach Jeff Smith said. “We played poorly last week. Everybody owned it. The coach owned it too. And everybody responded.
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“We shortened the practices this week because we had to save our legs for today, but they were very intense practices as far as our detail. We came out today totally engaged, ran our break and just really got after them. We made a respectable team look very inferior because of our effort and attention to detail. We haven’t always had that, and today we did. The kids followed the game plan beautifully.”
Grant Whisman turned in a 29-point, eight-rebound performance and didn’t play in the last 10 minutes. Levi McMonigle had 11 points and six boards.
Third-seeded Madison (19-4) opened the game with 13 straight points and had its motor in high gear all day.
“We were ready to get back to what we’ve been doing,” said Whisman, a junior forward. “We didn’t like that taste in our mouth from what happened at Waynesville. It motivated us to not let it happen again. We came out here and tried to bring more energy and listen to the scouting report more, and it paid off.”
The 6-foot-7 Whisman ripped off 14 points in the opening period. He finished a point away from the career-high 30 points he scored against Dohn as a freshman.
“That was the Grant we haven’t seen for a couple weeks, but he looked really, really good today,” Smith said. “He got to the offensive glass — we’ve been after that with him a litte bit — and the kids got the ball inside, which we love to do.”
Whisman cracked the 1,000-point mark Feb. 3 and increased his career total to 1,100 on Saturday.
“I don’t really think of it,” he said. “I just like playing as a team and winning. The points will come if you play hard.”
The Mohawks will return to Vandalia to face No. 18 Milton-Union (8-14) on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Madison swept Milton 52-36 and 79-39 during the Southwestern Buckeye League Buckeye Division campaign.
“They play tough,” Smith said. “We reminded the kids that Waynesville, the team that beat us by 20, beat Milton-Union two weeks ago by a point. So hopefully that gets their attention.
“We can make a run. I feel like we can play with anybody in our bracket. If that team that showed up today shows up each game, we’ll have a heckuva chance of winning the sectional.”
Dayton Christian, the No. 19 seed, finished 7-16. Anton Webb (seven points, five rebounds) and Devin Dreier (seven points, six boards) paced the Warriors.
“Give credit where credit’s due. Madison’s a good team,” DCS coach J.T. Holliday said. “Those games in the season that we lose by two points here, overtime there, that’s the difference between a 19 seed and a 13 seed. When you have to go in playing a top 3 seed and you’re having a year that’s not extraordinary, it’s tough to play a team like that. That’s why every game matters.”
This is Holliday’s fourth season as the Warriors head coach. He said the school’s new gym will open in June, and he plans to get the program back to winning. DCS went 18-6 last season and 17-7 the year before.
“I just sent a message to my younger guys that I don’t want kids that just want to show up and have this kind of season,” Holliday said. “If you don’t touch a ball until next November, don’t come out. I’ll take eight kids in the program if they’re going to put a lot into it.
“We all need to keep working. I’ve probably learned three times as much this year as I’ve learned in any other season. You don’t learn a whole lot when you’re just winning. I’m just like these kids. I need to get a lot better.”
Dayton Christian 8-6-4-12—30
Madison 22-20-17-11—70
DAYTON CHRISTIAN (7-16): Anton Webb 2 3 7; Seth Griswold 1 0 2; Jon Welker 0 1 1; Trevor Warren 2 0 4; Devin Dreier 3 0 7; Jackson Skolik 1 0 3; Luke Caddy 1 1 3; Andrew Dreier 1 0 3. Totals: 11-5-30
MADISON (19-4): Matt Gomia 3 0 7; Mason Whiteman 1 1 4; Grant Whisman 10 8 29; Levi McMonigle 4 3 11; Jake Munafo 2 1 6; Turner Campbell 2 0 6; Cameron Morgan 1 0 3; Ryan Duritsch 2 0 4. Totals: 25-13-70
3-pointers: D 3 (Skolik, D. Dreier, A. Dreier), M 7 (Campbell 2, Gomia, Munafo, Whiteman, Whisman, Morgan)
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