Louisville Holds Off Cincinnati Aiken To Capture First Ever State Title

Photo by Billy Kosco

Not many programs in the state of Ohio can trot out a starting lineup of five seniors. Even fewer can say the majority of them have been playing together since fourth grade.

Louisville used its experience and chemistry to hold off a 19-point Aiken comeback to win the Division III state title, 63-61.

Louisville Pieces Together A Dream Start

From its opening possession, it was clear that Louisville was not afraid of the bright lights of UD Arena.

The Leopards started the game a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond-the-arc, with a pair of three-point field goals from both Beau Siegfried and Tate Aljancic pushing the early lead to 16-5.

Louisville maintained the advantage for the remainder of the quarter, extending its lead to 23-12 with a three by Avery Andrejcik.

 

Division III State Championship 🏆

*End of the 1st*
Louisville – 23
Aiken – 12

Brayden Gross breaks away for a dunk, then Avery Andrejcik beats the buzzer with a three.

Louisville is clicking on all cylinders early!@NEOSportsInside pic.twitter.com/xQoPEsfw6n

— NEO Zone HS Sports (@NEOZoneHS) March 21, 2025

A Well Rounded Effort From The Starters

Louisville continued to grow its lead in the second quarter, but it wasn’t Walsh commit Brayden Gross or Ashland commit Beau Siegfried doing most of the scoring.

Tate Aljancic and Avery Andrejcik combined for 25 of Louisville’s 38 points in the first half, propelling the Leopards to an impressive 38-19 lead over Aiken, the top-ranked Division III team in the state, according to MaxPreps.

While Louisville was clicking on all cylinders heading into halftime, Aiken was ready to bring the pressure in the second half.

Aiken Surges Back

In the first half, James Burnett Jr. scored 13 points for Aiken. However, he was the only player to make more than one field goal. If the Falcons were going to make a dramatic comeback, more players needed to make their presence felt.

That is exactly what Aiken was able to do in the second half, as red-hot shooting from Antonio Hutcherson Jr. and stellar team defense fueled the Falcons to an 18-2 run.

Aiken has extended its run to 15-0, and Louisville’s 19-point halftime lead has been cut to 38-34 with 3:33 to play in the third.@NEOSportsInside https://t.co/Fu5nnst6L2 pic.twitter.com/W59iZiDFmD

— NEO Zone HS Sports (@NEOZoneHS) March 21, 2025

 

With Hutcherson Jr. and Purdue Fort Wayne commit Jaiden Arnold coming alive, Louisville needed to find an answer, as its lead shrunk from 19 to three after three quarters.

Louisville Survives A Thrilling Fourth Quarter

Louisville was able to stop the bleeding in the fourth quarter to maintain a slight lead, but Aiken continued to respond with critical scores of its own.

With just under two minutes remaining, Avery Andrejcik had a critical sequence, scoring on offense and blocking a shot on defense.

Avery Andrejcik continues to have a fantastic night for Louisville, as he scores on one end and gets a critical block on the other!

Louisville leads Aiken 58-52 with 1:11 to play in regulation.@NEOSportsInside pic.twitter.com/1CWN6xFguc

— NEO Zone HS Sports (@NEOZoneHS) March 21, 2025

Trailing 58-52, Aiken had one final comeback attempt in the tank. After cutting the deficit to 62-59, Antwan Hinton drew contact and made the shot to draw the Falcons within one point.

However, missed free throws would plague both teams down the stretch, as Hinton missed the potential game-tying attempt.

After Beau Siegfried split a pair of free throws on the other end, Aiken would get one final chance, trailing 63-61 with under two seconds remaining.

With that amount of time, all Aiken could do was heave a shot from beyond half court, which was no good.

Louisville’s lineup of five seniors kept the ship afloat, holding on for a 63-61 victory for its first state title in program history.

Division III State Championship 🏆

*Final Score*
Louisville – 63
Aiken – 61

The Leopards survive! 😱

After playing together since fourth grade, Louisville’s senior core ends its journey with a state title!

This is the first state title in program history.@NEOSportsInside pic.twitter.com/4vS0yjg0OJ

— NEO Zone HS Sports (@NEOZoneHS) March 21, 2025

Team Leaders

Louisville

Points – Tate Aljancic (17)

Rebounds – Brayden Gross (12)

Assists – Beau Siegfried, Brayden Gross, Tate Aljancic (3)

 

Aiken

Points – James Burnett Jr. (23)

Rebounds – Tayvon Smith (8)

Assists – James Burnett Jr, Jaiden Arnold (2)