Division II Semifinal Game Two – Gates Mills Gilmour Academy 58 (23-5), Waverly 43 (23-5)
Gates Mills Gilmour Academy Handles Waverly
DAYTON, Ohio – Gates Mills Gilmour Academy defeated Waverly 58-43 in the second Division II state semifinal game at the 2022 OHSAA Boys Basketball State Tournament at the University of Dayton Arena on Friday. The Lancers led the entire game and return to the state championship game for the first time in 30 years (1992). Gilmour was led by juniors Brandon Rose and Adisa Moton II who both had a combined 37 points. Waverly senior Trey Robertson led the Tigers in scoring with 19 points. Gilmour will play Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the University of Dayton Arena in the Division II state championship game.
Saturday, March 19
Division IV Semifinal Game One – Richmond Heights 59 (24-4), Berlin Hiland 21 (23-5)
Richmond Heights shuts down Berlin Hiland to advance to the state championship
DAYTON, Ohio – Richmond Heights defeated Berlin Hiland 59-21 in the first Division IV state semifinal game at the 2022 OHSAA Boys Basketball State Tournament at the University of Dayton Arena on Saturday. A strong defensive effort by Richmond Heights held Berlin Hiland to its lowest scoring game this season, sending the Spartans to their first state championship game in school history.
The game was tied 13-13 after the first quarter, but the Spartans held the Hawks to just three points in the second quarter, which were not scored until the last 25 seconds before halftime. Richmond Heights held Berlin Hiland to five points in the second half.
Seniors Jaiden Cox-Holloway and London Maiden led Richmond Heights with 12 points each, while freshman Dorian Jones had seven rebounds and eight points. Richmond Heights outrebounded Hiland 32-11 and had 30 points in the paint compared to Hiland’s six. Hiland senior Grant Miller led the team with nine points and two assists. Richmond Heights will face New Madison Tri-Village on Sunday at 5:15 p.m. in the Division IV state championship game at the University of Dayton Arena.
Division IV Semifinal Game Two - New Madison Tri-Village 44 (26-3), Antwerp 41 (26-2)
New Madison Tri-Village Survives Back-and-Forth Affair with Antwerp
DAYTON, Ohio – No. 5 New Madison Tri-Village slipped by No. 3 Antwerp, 44-41 in the second Division IV state semifinal game at the 2022 OHSAA Boys Basketball State Tournament at the University of Dayton on Saturday. The Patriots got out to a four-point lead after the first quarter, 14-10. Tri-Village doubled their lead to eight at the end of the first half, 22-14. The Archers clawed back in third quarter to tie the game at 24 at the 5:29 mark. However, the Patriots ended the third quarter on an 11-4 run to lead Antwerp 35-28. Although it was a tightly contested fourth quarter down the stretch, Tri-Village never trailed the rest of the game. The Patriots’ leading scorer was senior Layne Sarver who had 20 points, eight rebounds and three steals; junior Justin Finkbine was the second leading scorer with nine points, eight rebounds and three steals. The Archers’ leading scorer was sophomore Landon Brewer with 18 points and four rebounds while senior teammate Jagger Landers added 11 points and nine rebounds. Tri-Village will face Richmond Heights in the Division IV state championship game on Sunday at 5:15 p.m. at the University of Dayton Arena.
Division I Semifinal Game One – Pickerington Central 74 (25-2), Lakewood St. Edward 42 (21-6)
Pickerington Central Stifles Lakewood St. Edward
DAYTON, Ohio – Pickerington Central beat Lakewood St. Edward 74-42 in the Division I state semifinal game at the 2022 OHSAA Boys Basketball State Tournament at the University of Dayton Arena on Saturday. The Tigers outscored St. Edward in points in the paint, (44-24) and in bench points (35-12). Pickerington Central also held St. Edward to shoot only 32 percent from the field and eight percent from three-point range. Pickerington Central junior Devin Royal led the charge for the Tigers with 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Royal also had help from juniors Markell Johnson and Rasheem Biles who combined for 25 points. St. Edward senior Michael Bova was the leading scorer for the Eagles with 10 points. Pickerington Central will face Centerville in the Division I state championship game at the University of Dayton Arena on Sunday at 8:30 p.m.
Division I Semifinal Game Two – Centerville 64 (29-0), Cleveland St. Ignatius 33 (17-12)
Centerville Cruises Past Cleveland St. Ignatius to Second Straight State Title Game Appearance
DAYTON, Ohio – Centerville beat Cleveland St. Ignatius 64-33 in the second Division I state semifinal game at the 2022 OHSAA Boys Basketball State Tournament at the University of Dayton on Saturday. The victory extends the Elks' winning streak to 45 games, one of the longest active winning streaks in the country. The Elks held St. Ignatius to single digits in three of the four quarters, limited St. Ignatius to shoot 33 percent from the field and nine percent from the three-point arc. Centerville jumped out to an early lead and led 29-13 at the end of the first half. The Elks and kept their foot on the gas pedal the rest of the game outscoring the Wildcats 35-20 in the second half. Centerville had three players in double figures with junior Gabe Cupps leading the way with 15 points and seniors Tom House and Rich Rolf had 13 and 12 points, respectively. St. Ignatius sophomore Ace Buckner was the leading scorer for the Wildcats with 13 points. Centerville will play Pickerington Central in the Division I state championship game on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. at the University of Dayton Arena.
Sunday, March 20
Division III State Championship Game – Cincinnati Taft 48 (19-8), Ottawa-Glandorf 45 (25-3)
Cincinnati Taft’s Stout Defense Edges Ottawa-Glandorf to Secure Second State Title in School History
DAYTON, Ohio – Cincinnati Taft defeated Ottawa-Glandorf 48-45 to win the 2022 Division III Boys Basketball State Championship at the University of Dayton Arena on Sunday morning. The Senators’ hung on to win despite Ottawa-Glandorf sophomore Collin White’s last second three-point shot falling short at the buzzer. The win marks the second boys basketball state title in school history for Taft (2011). Taft held Ottawa-Glandorf to shoot 36 percent from the field, 23 percent from the three-point arc while also causing 13 Titan turnovers. Taft got 14 points off the 13 Ottawa-Glandorf turnovers.
The Senators started with a five-point lead, 8-3, in the first quarter but Ottawa-Glandorf quickly closed the gap to get within two points by the end of the first eight minutes of play to trail 10-8. Ottawa-Glandorf tied the game at 10 at the 6:51 mark in the second quarter before going on a 7-0 run in just under two minutes to lead Taft 17-10. Taft limited the Titans’ offense the rest of the second quarter to only score six more points. The Senators coupled their defensive efforts with a 17-6 run to close the first half in control, 27-23.
The Titans used a 9-4 run to take a 32-31 lead with 3:40 to go in the third quarter but it was not for long. Both teams went back and forth the rest of the third quarter and were tied at 38 heading into the final quarter of the game. The teams exchanged baskets to begin the fourth quarter and were tied at 40 with 6:30 left in the game. However, Taft junior Eian Elmer made a layup with 6:09 left in the fourth quarter to give the Senators an edge, 42-40. The Senators would not trail the rest of the game and held on to win.
Taft senior Mekhi Elmore led the Senators in scoring with 18 points and four assists and junior teammate Rayvon Griffith had 12 points, five rebounds and two assists despite fouling out of the game. White had 18 points, seven rebounds and two assists for Ottawa-Glandorf while senior teammate Eli Schmenk finished with eight points and three assists. The Senators outscored the Titans in points in the paint, 28-22, and had 10 fast break points.
Division II State Championship Game – Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary 63 (23-4), Gates Mills Gilmour Academy 35 (23-6)
Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary Uses Big Third Quarter to Capture Historic 10th State Title
DAYTON, Ohio- Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary defeated Gates Mills Gilmour Academy 63-35 in the 2022 Division II Boys Basketball State Championship at the University of Dayton on Sunday afternoon. The Fighting Irish’s win marks the 10th state title in school history, the most boys basketball state championships won by any school in OHSAA boys basketball history.
It was a tight first quarter between the teams, but the Fighting Irish were able to gain a slight edge within the last minute when junior Darius Stratford made a layup and senior Sencire Harris slammed a dunk to give St. Vincent-St. Mary a 12-7 lead. St. Vincent-St. Mary extended its lead to as much as 10 points in the second quarter, but Gilmour pulled within five points, 22-17, when senior Nathan Nootbaar hit a jumper with 1:26 left in the first half. However, St. Vincent-St. Mary junior Lance Hayes got to the charity stripe and went 2-for-2 to give the Fighting Irish a 24-17 lead heading into the locker rooms.
The Fighting Irish blew the game open with a 16-0 run that spanned just over seven minutes and gave St. Vincent-St. Mary a 42-22 advantage by the end of the third quarter. On the defensive end, St. Vincent-St. Mary held Gilmour to only five points, forced seven turnovers and only allowed the Lancers to shoot 33 percent from the field during the third quarter. St. Vincent-St. Mary poured in 21 more points in the fourth quarter to finish out the game.
Harris was the leading scorer for St. Vincent-St. Mary with 17 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. Hayes finished with 11 points, six rebounds and three assists, while senior Ramar Pryor had 10 points and six rebounds for St. Vincent-St. Mary. The Gilmour trio of senior Ryan Mueller and juniors Brandon Rose and Dorjan Flowers combined for 24 of the 35 Lancer points. St. Vincent-St. Mary outscored Gilmour in points in the paint, 42-18, and forced 15 Lancer turnovers.
Division IV State Championship Game – Richmond Heights 50 (25-4), New Madison Tri-Village 29 (26-4)
Richmond Heights Tops New Madison Tri-Village, Captures First State Title in School History
DAYTON, Ohio- Richmond Heights defeated New Madison Tri-Village 50-29 in the 2022 Division IV Boys Basketball State Championship at the University of Dayton on Sunday evening. The Spartans’ victory marks the first state title in school history after appearing in the state tournament three times in the last four years. Richmond Heights held New Madison Tri-Valley to 18 points in the first three quarters and 31.3% from the field.
Richmond Heights started the game on a 7-0 run led by senior Jaiden Cox-Holloway. Tri-Village’s first basket of the game was secured with 2:10 remaining in the first quarter. Spartans senior London Maiden contributed five rebounds to a team total 20 in the first half. A competitive first half never allowed the Spartans to lead by more than nine. The Spartans went into the locker rooms in control, 20-11.
The Spartans led the entire game, but Tri-Village persisted most of the game. However, Richmond Heights grew its lead to a point midway through the fourth quarter where Tri-Village could not surmount a comeback.
Both teams went 6-for-10 from the free throw line. Cox guided Richmond Heights in points with a game high of 18. Senior Detric Hearst Jr. added 10 points and four assists. Maiden and Hearst Jr. had eight and seven rebounds, respectively. Richmond Heights capitalized on points off turnovers, 16-8, and second chance points, 14-3.
Patriots seniors Layne Sarver and Josh Scantland contributed 20 of 29 points. Junior Dalton Delong added seven rebounds.
Division I State Championship Game – Pickerington Central 55 (26-2), Centerville 48 (29-1)
Pickerington Central Snaps Centerville’s 45-Game Winning Streak En Route to the Division I State Championship Win
DAYTON, Ohio – Fifth-ranked Pickerington Central (26-2) upset top-ranked Centerville, 55-48, in the 2022 Division I State Championship at the University of Dayton Arena on Sunday night. The Elks (29-1) were riding a 45-game winning streak heading into the state championship tilt, which was one of the longest active winning streaks in the country. This marks the second boys basketball state title in school history for Pickerington Central (2012).
Centerville started off the game up by three points, 7-4, at the 4:49 mark before Pickerington Central went on a 6-2 run to end the first quarter and take the lead, 10-9. Centerville junior Gabe Cupps accounted for six of the nine points in the quarter while Pickerington Central junior Rasheem Biles had four points and three other Tigers had two points each.
The Elks took the lead back, 14-13, halfway through the second quarter when senior Cam Smith made a layup with 4:30 left in the first half, but Centerville did not hold onto the lead for long. Pickerington Central junior Andrew Hedgepeth gave the Tigers the lead back, 15-14, when he made a layup at the 4:12 mark in the second quarter. The Tigers held the lead the rest of the quarter and headed into the break in control by four points, 21-17. Cupps and senior Rich Rolf were the first half leading scorers for the Elks with nine and six points, respectively. Hedgepeth was the Tigers leading scorer at the with five points at the half while Biles, junior Devin Royal and senior Josh Harlan all had four points each.
Pickerington Central started the third quarter red hot when the Tigers rattled off a 10-0 run in under two minutes. The Tigers largest lead grew to 11 points when they led 33-22 with 4:02 left in the third quarter. However, Centerville closed the quarter on a 12-2 run to pull within two points of Pickerington Central heading into the fourth quarter, 36-34.
Pickerington Central maintained its lead through the early stages of the fourth quarter, but Centerville chipped away at it to pull within one point, 42-41, when Cupps made a jump shot with 4:17 remaining in the game. Pickerington Central increased its lead again to three points, 44-41, when senior Alex Styles made a basket with 3:55 left in the game. Centerville senior Tom House made a shot of his own to keep the Elks within striking distance, 44-43. Central made two consecutive baskets a minute a part with a Styles layup and junior Gavin Headings getting a fast break layup to go to increase their lead back to five points, 48-43, with 1:41 remaining in the fourth quarter. Centerville answered with a three-pointer from House to make it a one-score game, 48-46, at the 1:21 mark in the fourth quarter. House’s three-pointer caused Pickerington Central to call a timeout. On the ensuing possession, Centerville fouled Royal with 40 seconds left in the game. Royal put the game out of reach on his perfect trip (2-for-2) to the free throw line making it 50-46 in favor of Pickerington Central with 40 seconds to go in the game. The Tigers made five more free throws thanks in part to Harlan (two) and sophomore Juwan Turner (three) the stretch to secure the win, 55-48.
The Tigers’ leading scorer was Royal who finished with 20 points, four rebounds, and two assists while Harlan had 11 points, and Headings added six points, three rebounds. Styles finished with four points, eight rebounds and six assists. Cupps led the Elks in scoring with 14 points and four assists. Rolf finished with 12 points and seven rebounds and House ended the game with 11 points.