Sidney’s A’Zon Steele shoots as Stebbins’ Rayvonn Harris-Belle defends during a Division I sectional semifinal on Thursday at Vandalia-Butler’s Student Activity Center. The Yellow Jackets led by 10 points with about six minutes left but saw their season come to an end after being outscored 22-4 down the stretch. Steele scored 15 points.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
VANDALIA — Sidney started a Division I sectional semifinal on Thursday with its worst quarter of the year but looked in good shape early in the fourth quarter.
Then the Yellow Jackets’ wings fell off.
Stebbins outscored Sidney by 18 points over the last six minutes and won 58-50 at Vandalia-Butler’s Student Activity Center.
The loss ended the season for the Yellow Jackets, which finish 15-8 overall.
Sidney, which beat Stebbins twice in regular season by double-digit margins, led 46-36 with about six minutes left in the fourth quarter. But the Indians finished with a 22-4 scoring advantage to take control.
“I’m lost for words,” Sidney coach John Willoughby said. “I’m really disappointed. We probably played about four or five minutes that whole game the way we should play. We let that one get away from us.
“We played in a daze for a lot of the night. Didn’t look good, didn’t act right, didn’t play hard. Our defense wasn’t what it should be. Our shooting wasn’t what it should be. That’s all mental stuff.
“…We looked slow. I thought we played slow. We moved slow. I don’t know if it was nerves, or what.”
Stebbins scored nine in row to pull within 46-45. Mitchell Davis made a put-back about 4:15 left to put Sidney ahead by 3, but Stebbins’ Adrien Carter made a 3 to tie it 48-48 shortly after.
Jayce Daniel made a layup to give Sidney a 50-48 lead with a little over three minutes left. The Yellow Jackets never scored again.
Stebbins (15-8) turned it over on its next possession, but Sidney then did the same, and the Indians threw down to senior forward Bryson Bishop, who threw down a two-handed dunk to tie it.
Carter made a 3 from the right corner with 1:16 left to give Stebbins a 53-50 lead. After a quick miss by the Yellow Jackets, Stebbins scored on a fast-break layup by Rayvonn Harris-Belle to take a five-point lead.
Bishop made another dunk in the final minute to solidify the lead.
“We knew what they’re capable of,” Willoughby said. “They’re athletic and they play hard. They dig after everything.”
Sidney had a few turnovers during the pivotal stretch, but its biggest problem was simply hitting shots. The Yellow Jackets couldn’t get anything to fall, much like in the first quarter, when they were outscored 11-4.
“We dribbled too much against the press,” Willoughby said. “… We just didn’t play well.”
After the poor first quarter, Sidney dominated the second and tied it 25-25 at halftime. The Yellow Jackets continued to play well in the third, quickly taking a lead and pushing it to double digits. Stebbins cut the gap to five late in the quarter, but Steele made a 3 at the buzzer to push Sidney’s lead to 44-36 heading into the fourth.
Bishop led the No. 8 seed Indians with 21 points. Carter finished with 11.
Spradling led No. 7 Sidney with 17. Steele added 15 and Daniel finished with eight.
Sidney will lose four seniors to graduation in Davis and guards Gavin Gillum, Tucker Herron and Cory Blackford.
Sidney dropped to 5-5 in early January but won nine in a row and 10 of its last 13. The Yellow Jackets earned the Miami Valley League Valley Division title.
Willoughby said he was proud of what the team accomplished, but said some issues prevented it from doing better, which he hopes the squad addresses before next year.
“Even at the start of the season, our mental approach to things just isn’t right,” Willoughby said. “To be champions, you have to perform every day. We’re just not there. It’s a mental approach each and every day, instead of looking for ways to get out of things and not come to things. In the long haul, you’re not going to be champions.”
The Indians advance to face No. 6 Kettering Fairmont at 7:30 p.m. next Thursday in Vandalia. Fairmont beat Monroe 61-53 in Thursday’s third tournament game in Vandalia. No. 1 seed Centerville beat Piqua 59-16 in Thursday’s first game.
Reach Bryant Billing at 937-538-4818, or follow @SidneyOHSports on Twitter and @BryantBillingSDN on Facebook.
