KENT, Ohio — Two impressive Whitmer rallies to gain leads late in the third and fourth quarters were not enough Tuesday night as the Panthers lost 64-60 to Canton McKinley in a Division I boys basketball regional semifinal at Kent State University.
Whitmer (17-8), which reached the D-I state final four a year ago, saw its repeat hopes dashed despite a superb effort from its guard trio — 19 points from senior Makhi Leach, 17 points and 13 rebounds from junior Andre Young, and 15 points from Purdue-bound, two-time first team All-Ohioan Antione West.
This was the first meeting between the teams since McKinley topped Whitmer 54-49 in the 1987 Ohio Class AAA state semifinals.
“I'm proud of our guys' fight,” Whitmer coach Anthony Stacey said. “We fought like crazy. We just didn't make enough plays down the stretch.
“Give Canton McKinley credit. They played their tails off, and we turned the ball over way too much. It was a one-possession game [late], and we didn't make plays down the stretch.”
West, who has been battling the flu, was limited to roughly 23 minutes of court time because of his energy depletion from the illness.
But, with Whitmer trailing 30-19 early in the third quarter, West led the first Whitmer rally by scoring 11 of his points in a span of 4:06.
Young put the Panthers ahead 41-40 on a driving layup with 43 seconds left in the third.
“Honestly, we looked dead [in first half],” Whitmer coach Anthony Stacey said. “We looked like we didn't have any energy. I just thought we were in slow motion. “It looked like we were stuck in mud.
“I don't know if the travel caught up to us. We finally came back, but we just didn't have enough to get over the hump. With Antione being really sick, he came up with a valiant effort. Obviously, he was nowhere near 100 percent.”
McKinley (20-5), which is seeking its first trip to a final four since capturing back-to-back D-I state championships in 2005 and 2006, took a 42-41 edge into the final period, then built its lead back to 55-48 after a bucket from Reed Sims (11 points) with 4:56 remaining.
Once again, Whitmer refused to roll over, this time rallying behind Leach and Young for an 8-0 run. The Panthers retook the lead 56-55 on a Young layup with 3:32 to go.
Twenty seconds later, Bulldogs guard Jayveion Carter hit a 15-footer from the left wing to put McKinley up for good.
Whitmer would get within 59-58 and 61-60 in the final two minutes before Davey Thompson ultimately clinched things for McKinley with two free throws for the final margin with 8.7 seconds left.
“A final four and a regional back-to-back is a heck of a legacy,” Stacey said of this team. “Our seniors won at a high level. They're winners.”
It was truly a tale of two halves for the Panthers, who were just 8 of 26 from the field in the first half, but a red-hot 16 of 24 (67 percent) after the break. Whitmer also outrebounded the taller Bulldogs 38-34 but was done in by its 18 turnovers compared to just six for McKinley.
“One of the key things we've focused on in this tournament is high-level defense, and that's what kept us [ahead] in the first half,” said McKinley head coach Sean Weatherspoon. “Whitmer stayed in the game. Coach Stacey is a great coach and has a great program, and they've got two great guards that kept them in the game. It was a great high school basketball game.
“My guys stuck together and fought through adversity, and we got a win. It stressed me out, but our guys fought through it.”
The Bulldogs led 17-10 after one quarter and 26-19 at halftime.
McKinley was paced by guard Anthony Chavers, who mixed four 3-pointers into his team-high 16 points. Ed Webster had 15 points, and Thompson added 12.
McKinley will face the winner of Wednesday's regional semifinal between defending D-I state champion Cleveland St. Ignatius (20-4) and its rival, Lakewood St. Edward (17-8).
Whitmer will lose West, a four-year starter for Stacey, along with the Bowling Green-bound Leach, to graduation.
“It's going to be tough,” Stacey said of West. “He and I have a really special relationship. But, not just him, all the guys. Kai [Leach]. Goodbye is kind of final, so we're not going to say goodbye.
“We're going to send them off to BG and Purdue, and we're going to send the rest of the seniors off as well. We're proud of them. We're always going to be with them. We love ’em to death.”
First Published March 5, 2025, 3:14 a.m.
