Kyla Oldacre takes over in the second half, and her Mason teammates carry the load in the first in rout of Massillon Jackson

The Jackson defense limits the 6-foot-6 Oldacre early, but the future Miami Hurricane finishes with 21 points and 19 rebounds.

By Ryan Isley | Photo by Ben Jackson

DAYTON, Ohio — Mason showed it's much more than a one-player team Friday in a 54-35 win over Massillon Jackson in the OHSAA Division I state semifinals.

Everyone knows about Kyle Oldacre — she’s the all-everything player for the Comets who will be a Miami Hurricane next season.

The 6-foot-6 senior is a McDonald’s All-American, a top candidate for Ms. Ohio Basketball, surefire first-team All-Ohio, and on and on and on.

And she got hers Friday, as she scored 21 points and grabbed 19 rebounds.

But early on, Jackson did a great job keeping the ball out of her hands by fronting her with 6-foot-1 Leena Patibandla and 6-foot Emma Dretke. The duo did everything they could to keep Oldacre from getting the ball down low and taking over the game.

Enter the other Comets.

“In the beginning of the game before tip-off, we always say we have to hold each other accountable and everybody has to step up,” Oldacre said. “From all the work we put in at practice, we have to put it into the game.”

That practice paid off early for Mason, as Oldacre was busy banging around in the paint with Dretke and Patibandla.

Madison Parrish knocked down two 3-pointers in the first half, Gabby Razzano scored two buckets, and Becca Sanders and Amanda Barnes each had a basket. 

Those four players scored 14 of Mason’s first 18 points while Oldacre was dealing with constant double-teams.

“We have been through this long season, and we have had many ups and downs, and I just feel like we have all grown together,” Parrish said. “That just develops a close bond in knowing what position to put our teammates in.”

Parrish had 12 points, Razzano added nine and Barnes contributed eight.

Even with all the help Friday, Oldacre was still the leader for Mason. She scored 13 of her points in the second half, with seven of those coming in the third quarter with the game still in the balance.

“I knew I had to step up more from not playing like I was supposed to in the first half,” Oldacre said. “I kept telling our teammates (Jackson) was getting tired, and it was time to come out and push the lead.”

Push the lead they did, as a 22-18 halftime lead quickly ballooned to 42-22 in the third quarter.

And a lot of that was because of Oldacre.

She showed a Moses Malone-like ability to grab the rebound off her own miss and score, even if it took multiple tries.

“I was somewhat padding my stats,” Oldacre joked.

Mason coach Rob Matula quickly jumped in with an explanation.

“We kid a lot because we had a player, Marilyn Poppiwell, who always seemed to miss a lot of bunnies, and we said she is padding her stats with offensive rebounds,” Matula said. “And I said that to (Oldacre) on one occasion where she missed two and then snuck it in. I said, ‘I see you padding your stats out there.’”

While Oldacre might have struggled early getting into rhythm, it was her teammates' trust in one another that allowed the Comets to stay in the game and eventually take the lead in the second quarter.

“They know that everybody on the floor is capable of doing what needs to be done," Matula said. "I think our kids know what their roles are, and they accept them.”

The Comets do what is asked of them and put in the hard work to make the team better, Matula said. It starts at practice and carries over into the games.

“There are no egos in the building when it comes to our kids,” Matula said. “They grind every day in practice. You can march any of our kids in here, and I think they would tell you it has everything to do with trusting each other and knowing and understanding that it takes all 16 of us instead of just one.”

The lack of ego starts with the leader. By all accounts, Oldacre is a humble superstar.

“Kyla definitely stays humble for as many people as I know that are on as big of a stage as her and are that known,” Parrish said. “She definitely has a good heart, and she is always here supporting us.”

That trust and support has helped lead Mason to within one win of its first state title since 2000.