Jayden Reed-Davis’ defensive prowess shut down KD Smith in the paint on this play, but what will be remembered is his clutch, last second layup and Hail Mary pass breakup that sent the Jaguars to the Division I title game. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Brian Bayless)
After struggling offensively much of the night, Jayden Reed-Davis was the man at the right spot at the right time for Hilliard Bradley, turning a missed 3-point shot and a fumbled rebound into an easy layup for a 44-42 win over hard-luck Pickerington Central.
Fairborn, OH – Coaches Brett Norris of Hilliard Bradley and Eric Krueger of Pickerington Central both had a strong suspicion that their Division I state semifinal game Saturday would perhaps be decided by a key defensive stop, rebound or basket.
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“We’ve had some battles before,” Krueger said, “and I figured it would be exactly this kind of game … a war, a possession-by-possession game. Turns out one bounce there at the end goes their way and unfortunately doesn’t go ours. That’s basketball.”
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The back-and-forth affair ended when Jayden Reed-Davis – simply at the right place at the right time – made an easy putback in the final second, giving Bradley a 44-42 win before a delirious crowd of 3,470 at Wright State University’s Nutter Center.
The third-ranked Jaguars (25-2) – making their first state tournament appearance – will take on No. 2 Cincinnati Princeton (24-3) at 3 p.m. Sunday just down the road at University of Dayton Arena for all the marbles.
So here’s how the crazy finish unwound:
Central’s KD Smith had tied it for the sixth time at 42-all with a 3-point shot in the corner with 1:29 remaining.
Norris called timeout at the 1:11 mark, and given that he boasts one of the finest backcourt tandems in the state with his son Kypton and Ben Mirgon, it was presumed Bradley would hold the ball for a final shot.
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“Actually, we had a play called where we were going to try to score but when it broke down with about 50 seconds to go, we figured let’s play for the last one,” Brett Norris said.
After stiff-arming a defender out of his path, Kypton Norris shot a 3-pointer that caromed off the left side of the rim. Tied up with a Central defender, teammate Anderson Felix fumbled it directly to Reed-Davis for the easy lay-in as pandemonium ensued.
Jayden Reed-Davis gets the loose ball and the basket to put the Jaguars up by 2 with .5 seconds left.
“We knew it would be Kyp taking the last shot and all I was thinking was just keep playing to the next play,” Reed-Davis said. “Teams usually forget about blocking out in scenarios like that. When he shot it, I just knew to crash. We practice that every day. We won a game like that against Upper Arlington (54-48 in overtime) when I tipped it to my brother (Jordan) for the tying basket at the buzzer.”
After an official review, one-half second was placed on the clock. Smith’s football bomb downcourt was tipped away by Jayden Reed-Davis to end the game.
“Obviously, it was a really hard-fought game where it was hard for either team to find a rhythm,” Brett Norris said. “They made a late run, we’ve always just had a response to adversity. We never flinch.”
Kypton Norris, one of the top sophomores in the state, carried the Jaguars on his back much of the night. He finished with 20 points and six rebounds. Mirgon, his sidekick, was limited to four points but handed out five assists.
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“My guy right here had a big-time game and made big-time shots,” said Mirgon, gesturing to Norris.
Kypton Norris found himself harassed by Tiger defenders all night long, but still managed to score a game-high 20 points.
The soft-spoken youngest of four Norris sons said, “I just did what I’m expected to do and that’s make big plays, play 32 minutes as hard as a I can and try to find a way to win.”
Statistically, the game was a virtual wash in every category.
Central (18-9) rallied from a nine-point deficit early in the third quarter to tie it, but Bradley answered with a 7-0 run. It went that way the rest of the game.
Landon Evans (12 points, seven rebounds) and Albee Moore (11 points) led a balanced attack for Central, which miraculously advanced this far despite finishing third in its conference and being seeded ninth in the Central District tournament.
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“Losing that kind of game is tough, but our kids were in a battle right from the start,” Krueger said. “We just kept digging in on defense. Offensively, I wish we could have found another basket or two. Some of them are still in my head and probably will be for a while.”
Ben Mirgon lines up a 3-point shot during first-half play.
It marked the fifth final four four appearance in 14 years for Central, which captured state championships in 2012 and 2022.
Meanwhile, Bradley faces an unusually quick turnover drawing up a game plan to stymie a super-athletic Princeton team that was humming on all cylinders while spanking Lakewood St. Edward 77-51 in the first semifinal.
This is Bradley’s first time in the bright lights, but not their coach’s. Brett Norris won a state championship with Delphos St. John’s in 2002 after runner-up finishes in 1998 and 2001.
“We’ll watch some film, practice and watch some more film,” Brett Norris said. “That’s about all we can do. We just have to put our guys in the best position we can to allow them to succeed. I’m sure they’ll respond to the moment. They always do.”
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