Girls basketball playoff hopes dashed by incredible last second shot
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March 29, 2010
Evan Luse
In the biggest games when the contest is on the line great players make big plays and that’s exactly what Canton South senior Shavon Robinson did. Robinson hit an unbelievable fading three-pointer from NBA range at the buzzer in the district final to eliminate the Knights on March 6 at Massillon High.
The remarkable shot terminated a great season for the Hoban squad and ended the careers of seniors Taneka Lewis, Jessacca Gironda, Krissy Sokol and Paige Benson. The unit clawed its way to a 17-6 record and captured its fifth consecutive NCL Blue Division crown.
Along the way the Knights pulled out some clutch wins such as a one-point victory early in the season over rival St. Vincent-St. Mary’s and two decisive victories over emerging rival school Padua Franciscan.
The Knights displayed their talent early in the playoffs as they defeated Akron North High School by an astounding 80 points to seal an opening round win 87-7 and prove themselves worthy of a second seed in the tournament. Later in the district semi-finals, the Knights showed solid potential to make a deep playoff run as they defeated Norton by a final score of 71-46. Senior guard Taneka Lewis, a Wheeling (W. Va.) Jesuit recruit, led the scoring effort in the semi-finals with 17 points. Senior forward and NCL MVP Krissy Sokol (14 points), sophomore guard Janaya Feaster (13 points) and junior forward Emily Orsini (11 points) helped the squad to jump out to an early 41-17 halftime lead.
Canton South (22-3) would prove to be a better challenge. The contest was heated from the opening tip and a raucous crowd filled Massillon Washington arena in Massillon. Canton South squeaked into the fourth quarter with a three point lead. In the final period, the combination of outside shooting from Canton South and sloppy Hoban turnovers kept Canton South ahead until Lewis evened the score at 48-48 with five seconds remaining. Robinson, an All-American, then knifed through Hoban’s full-court pressure and the rest is history.
“We played our hardest and I’m very happy with how my senior year ended up,” Sokol said. “Winning the NCL was nice and being named MVP was an honor.”
Sokol gave Hoban its second NCL MVP in as many years, following in the footsteps of former MVP and University of Akron star Rachel Tecca. Sokol has decided not to pursue a basketball career and has instead chosen to play volleyball for Walsh University. Lewis was disappointed with how her senior year ended, but was proud of what the team had accomplished.
“I didn’t think we played our style of ball and instead let our opponent dictate the flow of the game,” Lewis said. “I’m pretty proud of my Hoban career because I think I proved a lot of people wrong.”
Lewis also had advice for younger players.
“Don’t play for approval, but for God, yourself, your family, and for your love of the game,” Lewis said.
Hoban’s four seniors leave big shoes to be filled next year and Sokol nostalgically reflected on her experience.
“Hoban basketball was like a second family,” Sokol said. “Some of my fondest memories are hanging out with my teammates. It was a blast.”
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