Harvest Prep defense ends historic Northridge season

On Feb 28, 2023

WESTERVILLE ― Northridge saw in person what Harvest Prep did to Utica in the third quarter just two nights ago, and unfortunately for the Vikings, they had to endure a replay on Monday.

Leading by just a point at the half, the fifth-seeded Warriors forced seven third-quarter turnovers and 12 in the second half, limiting fourth seed Northridge to just three second-half field goals in a 64-44 Division III district semifinal win at Westerville Central.

“We knew they would come out and do something different defensively in the second half, and they brought one guy up for extra pressure,” said Vikings’ coach Bill Mallernee, whose team ended a historic 18-6 season. “Seven turnovers in the third quarter, a lot of them unforced, were the difference. We average only eight turnovers per game, and we had 19. They never get tired, and they threw us out of whack.”

“They picked up the defensive pressure with the extra guy, and we didn’t handle it very well,” said senior Ian Travis, who scored all 14 of his points in the first half in his final Northridge game. “And the shots stopped falling.”

Northridge, with its legion of fans filling an entire side of a spacious gym, matched the underseeded Warriors (18-6) basket for basket in the first half, much like Utica did on Saturday, before the roof caved in. Prep will play second-seeded Worthington Christian (21-4), which blew out Fairbanks 62-30, for the district title at 6 p.m. Thursday at Capital University.

Travis and junior Carter Mallernee had six first-quarter points and Travis fed Ethan Payne for a layup as the Vikings and Warriors battled to a 16-16 tie. Prep made its first four shots of the second quarter and had a pair of 3-point plays, going on a 10-1 run and opening a 28-21 lead. But Northridge fought back, Mallernee and Travis each making rebound baskets, Mallernee scoring on a fast break and Travis getting a tip in, pulling the Vikings within 32-31 at the break.

Senior Justin Townley split a pair of free throws with 7:00 left in the third quarter as Northridge trailed just 34-32. But Prep’s defense started to take its toll. The Vikings didn’t score again until 15 seconds, when senior Zach Holder drove through the pressure for a layup, and the Warriors took a 45-34 lead to the fourth. Prep canned 11-of-15 free throws down the stretch and was never threatened, leading by as much as 25 and blitzing Northridge 32-13 in the second half.

Sophomore guard Brandon Roddy led the potent Warriors with 18 points and four steals, while junior Adonus Abrams had 17 points and four steals and Nyelle Shaheed, a 6-foot-5 senior, dominated the inside with 15 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Prep hit a solid 21-of-44 from the floor for 48 percent and made an excellent 20-of-26 foul shots for 77 percent.

Mallernee tallied 13 of his 20 points in the first half for the Vikings, who finished 16-of-38 from the field for 42 percent and 11-of-15 at the stripe for 73 percent. Mallernee also had eight rebounds and three steals, while Payne contributed six rebounds, four blocks and three assists, and Travis had five rebounds. Northridge held a 24-21 edge on the backboards, but the Warriors committed only six turnovers.

The Vikings were trying to reach their first district final since 1997, which was also their last district title. Even with the defeat, the season was still a major success, by any measure.

“We had 18 wins, won our first league championship, and people were talking about us all over the place,” coach Mallernee said. “We’ve taken a lot of steps this year, and we’re still building,” he told the team afterward. “I’m proud of you and the community is proud of you. Look at all the people who came out tonight. Seniors, you left your mark. Be proud of what you’ve done. This stings a little bit, and probably will for like 30-35 days. Underclassmen, you’re better, but you have to work even harder in the off season. We’ll continue to push and play better people, so that we get ourselves better.”

Travis, Townley and Holder all earned four varsity letters.

“It did not end the way we wanted, but it was a special season,” Travis said. “I’ve known these guys forever, and love them like brothers. It was so nice to see all the support. Four years ago, that was something that we had never had.”