NORWALK — The list of disappointing things Scott Plzak saw Tuesday night was long.

Plazak’s Southview team had more turnovers (35) than points (34) in its Division I regional clash with sixth-ranked Toledo Waite. The Saints shot less than 30 percent from the field, and nobody but Shanique Ogle did much scoring. The rebounding difference was 46-26 in Waite’s favor.

So which was the worst of the worst, in the Southview coach’s opinion?

“Turnovers,” Plzak said. “We did not do a good job of protecting the ball. We turned it over in ridiculous amounts.”

There were 13 of them in the second quarter, when the Saints scored only six points. Another 10 were committed in the third as Southview fell behind by 30 points with 3:37 remaining.

“When your team doesn’t have to go through a defense to score, it’s going to score lots of points,” Plzak said.
Waite scored nine baskets directly off turnovers, without even needing to set up an offense.

Despite all that, Plzak didn’t talk about turnovers with his head hung low, or through clenched teeth, or in a raised voice. He knew the team his girls faced was of a different breed.

“They’re great,” Plzak said. “I’m sure they will be going on to state. They could win the state (championship).”
Southview hung with the favored Indians for 10 minutes, holding a 13-9 lead until the roof caved in and Waite outscored the Saints 29-3 over an eight-minute stretch.

“We talked about being physical, and we were,” Plzak said about the game’s early moments. “Then their pressure just wore us down. I think fatigue set in.”

Toledo Waite coach Manny May agreed.

“There was plenty to make me unhappy,” he said. “We missed too many layups. We didn’t execute in the first quarter. We had too many turnovers. We did not start executing until the middle of the second quarter.”

Waite had its own issues with turnovers. Both teams had 18 by halftime. The Indians, however, lost possession only six times in the second half.

“Our pressure got turned up a little more,” May said. “That was what really got us going. Plus, Ogle got in foul trouble. That really hurt them.”

Plzak said Ogle’s foul problems — she picked up her second with 5:23 to go in the second period — were moot.
“She was going to be rested anyway,” Plzak said. “We needed her to be fresh.”

By the time Ogle picked up her fourth foul, with 2:36 to play, the game was out of hand.

In spite of all that went wrong, Plzak could still see the bright side.

“We’re district champs,” he said. “No one thought we’d be here. I want to thank everyone — the fans, the media, the other Lorain County coaches who were all here tonight, school board members who came here to see us. That’s important because of what happened.”

Southview is closing at the end of this school year and merging with Admiral King. Plzak, who’s ending a four-year stint as the Saints head coach, thanked the five seniors who started in the program the same year he did.

“I’ll miss them all,” he said. “They’re all going off to college next year, so that makes me proud. I grew up with them, so they’re special to me.”

Contact Steve Byrne at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

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