Thursday night was no exception as the second-seeded Bulldogs beat No. 7 Struthers, 56-43, to advance to the Division II Austintown District semifinal.

“It was exactly what I expected it to be,” Poland coach Nick Blanch said. “We knew they were going to give us their best shot. They’ve gotten better as the year went on. It’s a backyard rivalry. We know each other well — they know what we do, and we know what they do. It was just going to come down to who made plays down the stretch.”

Despite the score, Blanch said the game was much closer, and it prepared the girls perfectly for what lies ahead.

“Don’t let the scoreboard fool you,” he said. “It says it’s a 13-point differential, but we earned that. It was a great game and they got us better for the next round.”

Staff photo / Brian Yauger Lizzy Herdman of Poland, right, comes down with a rebound after battling with Struthers' Heike Kaurschill for possession.

The first half was neck-and-neck as the Bulldogs (21-2) went into the break with a two-point lead. Blanch had to remind the team to do the little things he knows they can do.

“I thought we were kind of going a little complacent at times,” Blanch said. “Our rebounding wasn’t as good. We weren’t crisp on the box-outs. Things like that, execution on offense, dribbling into traps, picking the ball up, things that we know better.

“We just got caught in the moment, but that happens. They’re kids. They tried their best, and I’m proud of them. They came out in the second half like they wanted to practice Friday night.”

In the third quarter, when the Bulldogs outscored Struthers, 12-6, Poland junior Jackie Grisdale reached the 1,000-point mark by driving to the hoop for two points.

Grisdale says she didn’t do it alone, and she made sure to give credit to those who helped her reach this point.

“I’ve learned from great teammates,” she said. “I have great teammates now. My coaches have supported me this whole way. I can’t say enough about my family always coming to the games …,” she said. “I did this for them. It’s a milestone for me, but it shows how much work everyone around me has put in too.”

Grisdale was the only player who knew about the milestone, but not for any selfish reasons. According to Blanch, Grisdale is a student of the game who keeps tabs on everything.

“The team had no idea (about Grisdale’s milestone),” he said. “We don’t talk about personal accolades. The only one who knew was Jackie because she’s a math guru and a numbers guru, and she keeps track of everything. Not because she wants all the stats, but she tracks what she needs to work on and where she’s at with everything.”

Despite the season ending for the Wildcats (14-10), Struthers coach Bill Neider couldn’t be prouder of the way his girls played.

“Poland is a really good team and is very well coached, but I’m proud of our girls and our season and where we’ve come,” Neider said.

With only one senior, Neider has plenty to build off for next season.

“The future is kinda bright,” he said. “We’ve got some nice underclassmen — I’m already starting a freshman and a sophomore. It’s exciting. I’m looking forward to it.

“I’m disappointed about tonight, but the girls played hard, and that’s what we talked about.”

The Bulldogs take on Southeast in the district semifinal at 6 p.m. Wednesday.