Dayton, Ohio
A star-studded series of games showcased some of the best talent in the state on Saturday, as four more teams punched their ticket to Sunday’s championship round.
Richmond Heights continued their dominant run in Division IV to set up a meeting with Tri-Village, while Pickerington Central and Centerville won convincingly against Ed’s and Ignatius in Division I.
Stay tuned for more coverage from Dayton on Sunday!
Game #1: Richmond Heights 59, Berlin Hiland 21
The first Division IV semifinal game of the day pitted state title favorite Richmond Heights against Berlin Hiland.
Grant Miller and Hiland kept things interesting early, drawing some eyes after finishing the first quarter tied at 13.
However it would be all Spartans the rest of the way, as their stifling defense held Hiland to 3-for-25 shooting through the final three quarters in a 59-21 blowout win.
Jaiden Cox-Holloway and London Maiden led a balanced scoring effort, finishing with 12 points each. Freshman point guard De’Erick Barber played a key role, capping off his day with 11 assists and three steals.
Richmond Heights is outscoring opponents by an average of 32.9 points per game in these playoffs, rolling into Sunday’s state championship on a 19-game winning streak.
Final Stats: https://ohsaaweb.blob.core.
Game #2: Tri-Village 41, Antwerp 41
The second Division IV semifinal game of the day was the only matchup that didn’t feature a school from Northeast Ohio, as New Madison Tri-Village faced Antwerp.
In a true defensive battle, Tri-Village used a 13-point first half surge from Layne Sarver to gain a 22-14 advantage.
The second half was much tighter, as Antwerp came all the way back to tie the game at 37 with just 2:54 to play in regulation.
That would be the closest the Archers came to victory, as Tri-Village escaped with a 44-41 victory to advance to the state championship.
Layne Sarver finished with a game-high 20 points to lead the Patriots to go along with eight rebounds and three steals, while Landon Brewer led Hiland with 18 points.
Tri-Village will look to upset Richmond Heights on Sunday, with tip-off scheduled for 5:15 pm in Dayton.
Game #3: Pickerington Central 74, St. Edward 42
In the first Division I semifinal game, Pickerington Central proved that Central Ohio basketball is no joke this season in a convincing 32-point win over Lakewood St. Edward.
After jumping out to a 31-15 halftime lead, Pickerington Central kept their foot on the gas and didn’t look back.
With an uncharacteristically cold St. Edward offense finishing the game 2-for-25 (8.0%) from beyond-the-arc, the Tigers capitalized in a big way.
Devin Royal, who holds 17 D-1 college offers, led Pickerington Central to a 74-42 against a St. Edward team that many believed would hang tight in this state semifinal matchup.
Royal had 19 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in his 27 minutes of action, while Markell Johnson added 13 points off of the bench.
In his final high school game, decorated point guard Michael Bova had a team-high 10 points for St. Edward.
Game #4: Centerville 64, St. Ignatius 33
The final game of the day featured Centerville, the fourth-ranked team in the nation, going up against red-hot Cleveland St. Ignatius.
Unfortunately for Ignatius, the reigning Division I champions were untouchable on Saturday night.
Led by their “Big 3” of Gabe Cupps, Tom House, and Rich Rolf, Centerville steadily built up their lead, winning each quarter en route to a 64-33 victory.
Cupps, an Indiana commit, needed just five shot attempts to lead all scorers with 15 points, including a poster dunk in the fourth quarter that sent a packed UD Arena into a frenzy.
Florida State commit Tom House finished his night with 13 points, while Rich Rolf added 12.
Sophomore guard Ace Buckner was one of only two Ignatius players to make multiple shots in the game, going 6-for-9 in a 13-point performance.
The Elks have won 45 consecutive games heading into Sunday’s championship matchup with Pickerington Central, which could be one of the largest crowds we’ve seen for a high school event in recent memory.
Tip-off is set for 8:30 pm back at UD Arena.
Final Stats: https://ohsaaweb.blob.core.
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