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Madison girls face stiff challenge

Division III regional semifinal foe Africentric won last year’s D-IV title

Madison's Brittany Shields drives around Madeira's Alyssa Frye during the Division III district championship game at Springfield High School March 6, 2010.

Staff photo by Pat Auckerman Madison's Brittany Shields drives around Madeira's Alyssa Frye during the Division III district championship game at Springfield High School March 6, 2010.

ENLARGE PHOTO

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By Skip Weaver, Staff Writer Updated 1:55 PM Wednesday, March 10, 2010

MADISON TWP. — The Madison High School girls basketball team may be facing its toughest challenge of the season when it steps onto the court today, March 10.

The Mohawks (24-0) will face Columbus Africentric (19-5) in the Division III regional semifinals at 6:15 p.m. at Springfield High School.

Looking at the team records might lead one to believe that Madison’s zero losses versus Africentric’s five losses is a no-brainer, but consider the Nubians’ five losses have come against D-I Ohio schools Columbus Brookhaven and Canton McKinley, D-II’s Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown and two out-of-state schools in Memphis Ridgeway (Tenn.) and North Marion (W. Va.).

“We are battle-tested,” said Africentric coach Will McKinney, whose team won the D-IV state championship last year and also in 2007. “We’ve been in some tough games all year, but this regional is very tough.

“Win or lose, it’s going to be a great experience for our girls,” he continued. “We are looking forward to it.”

The Nubians are led by junior Raven Ferguson, who averages 23.4 points per game. She’s been a starter since her freshman year, but has been surrounded by Division I recruits the last two seasons. This year, McKinney said she’s become more of the team leader.

“We’re really in a rebuilding mode,” McKinney said. “We lost three seniors from last year and it’s always tough in those type of situations.

“Madison has nice balance, so we just have to play good, solid defense and speed up the game a bit and play 94 feet.”

Madison is led by junior Ally Malott, the two-time D-III Southwest District player of the year, averaging 17.9 points per game, and senior Lindsay Hoskins, a district first-team player, averaging 13.9 points per game.

“They are going to be the toughest team we’ve faced and Ferguson is the best player we’ve faced,” Madison coach John Rossi Jr. said. “We can’t look at it as giving (Ferguson) hers and shutting everyone else down. We have to shut them all down.

“The old adage is that teams that like to press don’t like to be pressed,” he continued. “Our defense has been good, but we have to get better on offense. If we can get into our half-court offense and get Ally and Lindsay some touches, good things will happen.”

The winner of this game will return to Springfield High School at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday to face the Anna vs. Versailles winner for the regional championship and a trip to the state final four.