“It’s a special group of kids,” said Wildcats coach Terry Toliver. “It wasn’t easy. There were a lot of ups and downs.”
They’re not ready to quit playing either. The 12th-seeded Wildcats will play either No. 3 Bellbrook (15-7) or No. 14 Miamisburg (8-14) in a Division I Southwest District North second-round game at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Troy High School. The winner will play in a district semifinal game at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24.
Springfield is seeking its first tournament victory since 2019. The Wildcats, however, won’t look too far ahead, Toliver said.
“I did not walk into a situation where the cupboard was bare,” Toliver said. “Even though our girls are young, they’re athletic, they play hard, they’re committed and they compete. For the first time in 30 years, I don’t think I’ve ever been around a group of kids that are as committed to their craft. They’re in the gym every day whether it’s shooting, dribbling or just working out with the assistant coaches or myself.”
The young Wildcats — the program has just one senior, T’Yana Eubanks — started the season 9-6, including a four-game winning streak. Springfield earned several signature wins this season, including the program’s first-ever victory over Centerville since the schools merged in 2008.
“With that win, we felt like we had arrived,” he said.
From that point, the Wildcats lost four straight, falling to 9-10. Toliver knew his young team would hit a wall at some point, and teams eventually began scouting the Wildcats for the first time in a long time, he said.
The Wildcats finished the season with victories over Thurgood Marshall, Miamisburg and Northmont. Springfield assistant coaches Nick Weems, Davon Vance, Brooks Russell and Mariah Harris have done a great job helping prepare the team for any situation, Toliver said.
Sophomore Milly Portis leads the team in scoring (12.3 ppg) and steals (3.2 spg), ranking third in the GWOC in both categories. Sophomore Day’veonna Boynton is averaging 10.3 ppg and led the GWOC in rebounds at 9.7 per game, while sophomore Kleighonna Grable ranked second (7.1 rpg) in rebounding. Sophomore point guard Jada Crockran also ranks third in the GWOC with 3.7 assists per game.
“We talked about the journey and how it’s going to be a roller-coaster ride,” Toliver said. “It’s an emotional sport. They’re still trying to learn how to play the game at a high level and be consistent at what they do and learn how to play together.”
The support from the community has been great, he said. The team has played in front of larger crowds than ever before and have a large contingent of fans that travel to road games, including a large group of football and boys basketball players.
“The girls have captivated the community,” he said.
Next year, the Wildcats hope to raise the bar, Toliver said. Springfield will have several girls who will play on high level AAU teams this summer that will help them build toward next season. They’re also playing in several team shootouts across the state this summer to prepare for increased competition next winter.
“I know it’s cliche, but you work hard in an empty gym in the summer to showcase your talent in a full gym in the winter,” Toliver said. “Our future is bright. Our girls have to continue to grind, stay humble, put their best foot forward and do what’s best for the culture.”
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