BY DAN STICKRADT
CORRESPONDENT
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
EAST LANSING — Ypsilanti Arbor Prep and Ithaca shared some similarities entering their Class C state semifinals contest.
Arbor Prep is a school only in its fifth year of operation that boasts a fast-rising girls basketball program, while Ithaca made the quick jump from a cellar dweller to a Final Four team in only four short seasons after several years of struggles.
On the basketball court at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center — the two schools couldn’t have been further apart in their semifinals matchup.
Arbor Prep used its full-court press defense and took advantage of a second-quarter injury to Ithaca senior point guard Brooklyn Dolloff to run to a 72-44 victory and advance to the state finals.
Arbor Prep will face Traverse City St. Francis in the state finals at 10 a.m. Saturday. Ithaca finishes its best-ever season with a 24-3 record.
Dolloff went down with a severe ankle injury with 1:17 left in the first and the Gators took full advantage of her absence. Arbor Prep led 16-15 after the first quarter and used a 20-10 run in the second frame to build a 36-25 advantage at the half.
The Gators (24-2) turned up the heat even further and began the third quarter on a 17-0 to open up a 53-25 lead and Ithaca never threatened in the second half. Arbor Prep led by as many as 36 points in the second half.
“That’s the way we play. I’m sure that (the injury) hurt them. But we play that way for 32 minutes,” offered Arbor Prep coach Rod Wells. “I thought our defense was the difference. That’s been our strength all season.”
Nastassja Chambers led Arbor Prep with 24 points, seven steals and six assists. Ro’zhane Wells added 11 points and Adrienne Anderson had a fine floor game with 10 points, five rebounds and four steals for the Gators, who forced 11 turnovers in the second quarter and 30 for the entire game.
Arbor Prep lost in the semifinals last season to Flint Hamady (50-46).
“It bothered me for about a month,” recalled Chambers. “Then we went back to work for this year.”
Kayla Belles scored 16 with seven rebounds and Maddie Brock added 11 points for the Yellowjackets, who carried a 12-game win streak into the Final Four clash. It marked the school’s first appearance in the semifinals.
“I think it hurt more not being able to be out there helping my team than the actual pain of the ankle,” admitted Dolloff. “I wanted to be out there so bad.”
Still, Dolloff, along with her four fellow seniors, have helped change the culture of the girls basketball program at Ithaca and bring it up to par along with several other successful sports at the school.
“Our seniors made the difference for us,” said Ithaca coach Jessie Rayburn, who took over midseason for Bob Anderson. “They helped us come a long ways. When they were freshmen, we were not very good, kind of at the bottom (of our league). But they turned it around. Now, we have seventh and eighth graders excited about basketball again. They are coming up to me (at school) asking if we won the night before. There is greater interest in basketball.”