Malvern’s late heroics send Hornets to first state semifinal

Malvern fans might not need to schedule heart checkups anytime soon, but the Hornets have certainly tested them during an electrifying postseason run.

With two more dramatic victories, Malvern has powered its way to the OHSAA Division VII Final Four for the first time in program history.

The Hornets first defeated 12th-ranked Racine Southern 58-56 in overtime March 12 in a Region 27 semifinal, rallying in the final minute. They followed that with another comeback, a 57-54 win over seventh-ranked Leesburg Fairfield in the regional championship game.

Malvern (19-9) will now face Division VII No. 1 Delphos St. John’s (27-0) on March 20 in the state semifinal.

The regional final was played a day later than scheduled and moved to Westerville South High School after high winds caused a power outage at Ohio Dominican University.

In the title game, junior Delonte Simmons scored the go-ahead basket with 13 seconds remaining to break a 54-54 tie. The tightly contested game featured eight ties and seven lead changes.

Fairfield held a 13-11 lead after one quarter as Malvern struggled offensively early. The Hornets responded in the second quarter, outscoring the Lions 19-12 while turning up the intensity on defense.

Malvern’s pressure forced 10 second-quarter turnovers, leading to transition points. Grady Barkley capped the half with a deep 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Hornets a 30-25 lead.

Fairfield answered in the third quarter, outscoring Malvern 18-11 to take a 43-41 lead into the fourth.

The Lions extended their lead early in the final period. Caleb Rice scored eight points, including two 3-pointers, to push Fairfield ahead by five. After a technical foul on Malvern, Griffin Friend hit three of four free throws to stretch the lead to 53-43.

Malvern responded with a decisive rally.

Simmons scored nine of his 17 points in the fourth quarter as the Hornets clawed back. After Fairfield made a free throw to go up 54-48, Malvern closed the game on a 9-0 run.

With 2.5 seconds remaining, Simmons made one of two free throws after being fouled on an inbounds play, sealing the three-point win. Fairfield’s last-second attempt fell short as Malvern fans erupted.

“What a great tournament ride this has been,” coach Dennis Tucci said. “Our boys are so excited to represent our beloved community. It has certainly been a team effort. It seems as though we have a different player leading us each night on the offensive end.”

Tucci credited the team’s defense for its success.

“It’s the complete opposite on the defensive side,” he said. “Every player plays with a nasty streak. We take pride in our defense.”

Simmons led Malvern with 17 points. Jaxon Jones added 11 points and six rebounds, while Barkley scored nine points. Tripp Tucci finished with six points on two 3-pointers.

Rice led Fairfield (20-7) with 17 points, and Friend added 16.

In the regional semifinal, Malvern held a 31-24 halftime lead before Southern rallied, outscoring the Hornets 24-17 in the second half to force overtime.

Trailing late in the extra period, Tripp Tucci hit a go-ahead 3-pointer from the corner. Barkley sealed the win with two free throws.

Barkley led Malvern with 19 points, while Jones recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Luke Thomas added eight points. Reed Brinager scored 30 points for Southern (22-3).

Now, the Hornets turn their attention to the top-ranked team in the state — and a chance to continue a postseason run that has already made history.