Hiland girls hoops to use CitC as ‘learning weekend’
Hiland girls basketball coach Brady Schlabach would have loved for his team to win both of its games during the three-day Classic in the Country, which took place Jan. 13-15 at the Perry Reese Jr. Community Center at Hiland High School.
Schlabach knows, though, that his players gained more value in the losses against two premier Division I schools than they ever could have gained by beating lesser opponents.
The standard at Hiland is always about winning state championships, and playing elite teams is part of the process of turning that goal into a reality.
“It’s a big, big time learning weekend for us,” said Schlabach, whose team fell 55-46 to Reynoldsburg on Jan. 13 and 46-39 to Olmsted Falls, a state finalist last year, on Jan. 15. “I think it’s important that we take those (losses) and do the right thing with them, be honest with ourselves about our weaknesses, about our strengths. We have really good leaders, so I’m confident that we will bounce back from them.”
As the Lady Hawks, the top-ranked team in the latest Div. IV state poll, advance in the upcoming postseason tournament, each game’s stakes will increase. If they reach the regional and state tournaments — which they have a great chance of achieving — they will have to play two games close together.
Doing that during the CitC against two quality opponents helps prepare them for what’s to come in February and March.
“To win a regional or to win a state tournament, you have to play two tough, emotional games in three days, and that’s what we did (during the CitC),” Schlabach said. “Now we’re a little bit battle-tested on that front and know what that feels like to have to play a tough, emotional, physical game and have to get up and play the next morning and get ready for another team.”
Since the CitC falls near the middle of the regular season and the competition is always outstanding, Schlabach said it’s a good measuring stick for his team.
“It’s a good point in the season because you can come in with a bunch of losses and get a huge win or you can come in with no losses and walk out with two,” he said. “It’s really good no matter what to play good competition, play good coaches. It’s fun. You don’t get this atmosphere on a Wednesday night.”
Ashley Mullet paced Hiland in the loss to Reynoldsburg with 19 points and five assists. Joplin Yoder added 16 points and six rebounds.
Mullet also led the way against Olmsted Falls, scoring 18 points and dishing out three assists. Mallory Stutzman chipped in 12 points and pulled down seven rebounds while Yoder scored seven points and snagged a game-high 10 boards.
