LOUDONVILLE — For Loudonville, this week’s Division IV regional tournament is largely uncharted territory.
The Redbirds are the final Ashland-area girls basketball team standing after last week’s district tournaments. Loudonville earned a trip to the Massillon Perry regional tournament with a 63-43 win over Cornerstone Christian.
It’s just the second district title in program history and first since 1992, when the Misty Wells-led Redbirds reached the Division III state championship game before falling to Coldwater.
Freshman Corri Vermilya had a double-double for the Redbirds (25-0) with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Page Race scored a team-high 17 points, while Sydney Snyder had 12 points and Grace Vermilya added 10.
That win came on the heels of Loudonville’s 78-74 overtime victory over Dalton in the district semifinals. Grace Vermilya set the single-game scoring record with 53 points.
“We’re just going to hope we have something left in the tank,” Loudonville coach Tyler Bates said after the win over Dalton. “Cornerstone has had a few tough games, too.”
Next up for Loudonville is a regional semifinal showdown with Shadyside at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Perry.
Shadyside advanced with a 54-40 win over Zanesville Rosecrans. Baylee Wach and Tory Hendershot each scored 14 points as Shadyside avenged an overtime loss to Rosecrans in last year’s sectional final.
