The fourth time was the charm for the Milford girls’ basketball team.
After advancing to district finals and falling short the last three years, the Eagles got over the hump Feb. 28, beating Pierce 46-39 and earning a spot at state for the first time since 2008.
“We are not done,” Coach Bryce Roth said. “We are thrilled to have another opportunity earned. It’s exciting.”
Milford (23-1) will play Arlington (20-4) in the opening round Wednesday, March 5, at 3:15 p.m. at the Devaney Sports Center.
Roth said AHS has three good scoring players who average 11, 15 and 16 points. They run both a man-to-man and a 2-3 zone defense.
“They play hard and have played a lot of basketball together,” he said.
While Arlington beat Central City to earn a spot at state, Milford beat Pierce in front of a packed house at Milford High, Roth said.
The atmosphere was a fun one, he said, with the gym filled to capacity, the band playing and an anonymous donor buying tickets for all the students who wanted to attend.
Milford got off to a quick start, building a 9-0 lead and holding Pierce to just four points in the first quarter and eight in the second. The Bluejays started in man-to-man defense but switched to a 2-3 zone that slowed Milford a little, Roth said.
“We still did a good job finishing the half,” he said.
The third quarter saw Pierce crank up its defense, and the teams battled back and forth for about four minutes, a space Roth described as a stalemate. The score was 30-17 in the middle of the third and 32-24 at the end.
Milford missed some shots and committed more turnovers than usual, Roth said.
“Pierce got things going and outscored us 12-5,” he said. “The last couple minutes of the third and start of the fourth put us in a tough situation.”
PHS put together an 8-0 run at the six minute mark, while Milford rushed its shots and wasn’t patient or poised, Roth said.
After Pierce made a three-pointer to tie the score, Milford ran a play that went from Izzy Yeackley to Ashlynn Miller to Shayla Rautenberg for two. That got the Eagles back on track, and MHS outscored Pierce 14-4 over the last six minutes until PHS made a three with 28 seconds to play.
“We got exactly what we needed. We want to be pushed and be in tough games,” Roth said. “We have unwavering faith that we will get through it together.”
While it was not Milford’s typical scoring night, MHS was able to use its defense to win, he said.
Ayla Roth scored 19 to lead Milford, and Shayla Rautenberg added 18 points and 10 rebounds.
“I am proud of the girls and how hard they’ve worked,” Coach Roth said. “Defense does win championships, especially on nights when the offense is sluggish.”
