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Division III Semifinal
Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph 81, Lynchburg-Clay
61
[
STATS ]
COLUMBUS, Ohio �Cleveland Villa Angela-St.
Joseph outscored Lynchburg-Clay 50-36 in the second half and won 81-64 in a
Division III boys basketball state semifinal at the Jerome Schottenstein
Center on Thursday.
No. 8 Villa Angela-St. Joseph (23-5) advances to its fourth-consecutive
state final and will face the winner of No. 1 Lima Central Catholic (26-1)
against St. Bernard Roger Bacon (21-7) in the Division III state
championship, Saturday at 10:45 a.m.
Villa Angela-St. Joseph outrebounded the Mustangs 39-31 with 14 offensive
rebounds and won the turnover battle 14-6.
Lynchburg-Clay started the game on a 6-2 run,
but a 7-0 response gave Villa Angela-St. Joseph a 9-6 lead with 4:02 left in
the first. The score was tied 15-15 through one. Villa Angela-St. Joseph
began the second quarter on a 10-2 run, building a 25-17 advantage at the
4:52 mark of the second quarter on a layup by junior Danny McGarry.
But trailing 31-24 with three seconds remaining in the second quarter,
Lynchburg-Clay junior Joe Giordano stepped to the line for two free throws.
Giordano made the first and missed the second, but regained possession after
a steal by senior Devin Pierson and hit a three-point shot just before the
halftime buzzer, cutting the Villa Angela-St. Joseph lead to 31-28 at half.
With a 43-40 advantage at the 2:40 mark of the third quarter, Villa
Angela-St. Joseph senior Jacob Stauffer�s layup sparked a 10-2 run that saw
the Vikings take a 53-42 lead into the fourth quarter.
Leading 57-50 lead with 5:52 to go, Villa Angela-St. Joseph sophomore Gene
Higgins hit two free throws to spark a 24-14 run to end the game, as the
Vikings defeated Lynchburg-Clay 81-64 to secure the victory.
Higgins scored 16 points and dished out seven assists to lead the Vikings.
Senior Sherman Dean III and senior Kevin Roberts added 14 points each.
Lynchburg-Clay (25-3) was led by senior Devin
Pierson, who scored 28 points and went 10-of-10 from the free throw line.
Division III Semifinal
Lima Central Catholic 74, St. Bernard Roger Bacon 56
[
STATS ]
COLUMBUS, Ohio � Lima Central Catholic outscored
St. Bernard Roger Bacon 18-8 in the third quarter and came away with a 74-56
victory in an OHSAA boys basketball Division III state semifinal on Thursday
at the Jerome Schottenstein Center.
Top-ranked Lima Central Catholic (27-1) faces No. 8 Cleveland Villa
Angela-St. Joseph (23-5) in the Division III state championship Saturday at
10:45 a.m., marking the third-consecutive year the two teams will play for a
state title. Lima Central Catholic defeated Villa Angela-St. Joseph 64-62 in
the 2014 Division III state final and VASJ won the rematch last year, 63-50.
Lima Central Catholic shot 51.9 percent for the game and 42.9 percent from
three-point range, while limiting Roger Bacon to 25 percent shooting from
outside.
Associated Press Ohio Division III player of the year Dantez Walton led LCC,
scoring 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting with 12 rebounds. Senior Tre Cobbs
pitched in 20 points for the Thunderbirds.
Junior Justin Johnson led Roger Bacon with 16 points and junior James
Johnson added 14 points for the Spartans.
Lima Central Catholic stormed out of the gate, going on a 10-0 run to begin
the game. Roger Bacon responded, going on a 11-0 run of its own to take an
11-10 lead at the 1:57 mark of the first quarter. Lima Central Catholic led
17-13 through one.
In the second quarter, leading 20-17 with 5:20 until halftime, Cobbs scored
on a layup to give LCC a 22-17 lead and spark a 10-2 run, giving the
Thunderbirds a 30-19 advantage at the 2:20 mark of the second quarter. Lima
Central Catholic took a 32-25 lead into the locker room.
Leading 37-28 at the 3:45 mark of the third, Cobbs hit a three-pointer to
push LCC�s lead to 40-28 and begin a 13-5 Lima Central Catholic run. Lima
Central Catholic outscored Roger Bacon 18-8 in the third quarter to take a
50-33 lead into the final frame.
In the fourth quarter, Lima Central Catholic scored 24 points to maintain
its lead and secure a 74-56 victory.
The attendance for the game was 8,599.
Division II Semifinal
Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary 85, Cincinnati Aiken 68
[
STATS ]
COLUMBUS, Ohio � Third-ranked Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary advanced to its
ninth boys basketball state championship game by defeating Cincinnati Aiken
85-68 in an OHSAA Division II boys basketball state semifinal on Thursday at
the Jerome Schottenstein Center.
St. Vincent-St. Mary (26-3) will face the winner of No. 1 New Concord John
Glenn (27-1) against Bay Village Bay (25-3) on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the
Division II state final.
St. Vincent-St. Mary shot 56.9 percent from the field and 40 percent from
three-point range (4-of-10) while holding Aiken to just 21.4 percent
(3-of-14) from outside.
Senior Henry Baddley led the Irish with 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting and
six rebounds. Junior Jayvon Graves added 23 points, going 10-of-11 from the
field.
Aiken senior Carlik Jones led the way for the Falcons, scoring a game-high
29 points and also pulled down nine rebounds. Junior Lonnie Berry added 20
points and five rebounds for Aiken, which was making its first trip to the
boys basketball state tournament.
St. Vincent-St. Mary set the tone for the game in the first quarter.
Trailing 4-3 at the 6:09 mark of the first, St. Vincent-St. Mary junior John
Williams hit a three-pointer to put the Irish up 6-4 and start a 19-5 run
that saw the Irish go up 23-8 with 1:52 left in the quarter. St. Vincent-St.
Mary held a 25-13 advantage through one.
In the second, St. Vincent-St. Mary outscored Aiken 19-13 and took a 44-26
lead into halftime.
Three-straight dunks by the Irish set the pace in the third quarter. Leading
44-30 at the 5:56 mark of the third, Graves slammed home a put back dunk,
then another dunk by Graves and a two-handed slam by Baddley gave St.
Vincent-St. Mary a 50-30 lead with 4:55 remaining in the quarter. The Irish
led 63-40 going into the fourth.
A 22 point fourth quarter secured the win for St. Vincent-St. Mary, 85-68.
The attendance for the game was 8,175.
Division II Semifinal
New Concord John Glenn 84, Bay Village Bay 56
[
STATS ]
COLUMBUS, Ohio � New Concord John Glenn
capitalized on a 29-8 run in the second quarter to defeat Bay Village Bay
84-56 on Thursday night and advance to the 2016 OHSAA Boys Basketball
Division II championship game at the Jerome Schottenstein Center at The Ohio
State University.
No. 1 John Glenn (27-1) faces No. 3 Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (26-3) in the
Division II championship game on Saturday at 2 p.m. John Glenn defeated St.
Vincent-St. Mary 54-51 in Akron during the regular season.
John Glenn�s offense paved the way for the victory and first state
championship berth in school history. John Glenn shot 48.3 percent from the
field (28-of-58) and 50 percent from beyond the three-point line (11-of-22).
Four players scored in double figures for the Muskies, led by senior Matt
Weir�s 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Senior guard and Associated Press
Division II Co-Player of the Year Drew Rackley scored 22 points
on the night, while
Tanner Slack added 14 points.
Trailing 16-17 after the first quarter, John Glenn went off offensively in
the second, shooting 52.9 percent (9-of-17) from the field, including
7-of-10 from beyond the three-point line, to take a 47-28 lead going into
halftime.
Bay (24-4) outscored John Glenn 21-18 in the third quarter, but it proved
too little, too late for the Rockets as John Glenn finished strong in the
fourth, shooting 45.5 percent (5-of-11) in the quarter, including going
8-of-11 from the free-throw line, to close out the game.
Bay senior John Koz led the Rockets in scoring with 21 points on 7-of-19
shooting from the field. Senior Scott Durham added 14 points and sophomore
R.J. Sunahara recorded a game-high nine rebounds.
The attendance for the game was 11,152.
Division IV Semifinal
Willoughby Cornerstone Christian 73, Columbus
Wellington 67
[
STATS ]
COLUMBUS, Ohio � Willoughby Cornerstone
Christian Academy advanced to its first state championship by defeating
Columbus Wellington School 73-67 in an OHSAA Division IV boys basketball
state semifinal at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on Friday.
Cornerstone Christian (16-12) will face the winner of No. 1 Van Wert
Lincolnview (26-1) against No. 10 Jackson Center (24-4) in the Division IV
state championship on Saturday at 5:15 p.m.
Cornerstone Christian shot 51.2 percent from the field and outscored
Wellington School in bench points, 29-11, and fast break points, 22-12. The
Patriots also went 27-of-35 from the free throw line (77.1 percent).
Division IV All-Ohio co-player of the year Michael Bothwell led Cornerstone
Christian, finishing with a game-high 30 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 11
made free throws, 10 rebounds and four assists. Junior Brandon McQueen added
20 points on six-of-seven shooting and went seven-of-eight from the charity
stripe.
Wellington School began the game on an 18-8 run, but Cornerstone Christian
responded by going on a 24-6 run of its own, tying the game at 22 through
the first quarter of play.
Cornerstone Christian�s run hit its apex at the 6:32 mark of the second, as
three Bothwell free throws stretched the Patriots� run to 24-6 and gave
Cornerstone Christian a 32-24 lead. The Patriots took a 40-33 lead into
halftime.
With 3:30 left in the third and leading 42-39, Bothwell hit a three-point
shot from the corner and was fouled, hitting the ensuing free throw to
increase Cornerstone Christian�s advantage to 46-39. Then on the next
possession, Bothwell stole the ball and dished it to junior Brandon McQueen
for the layup, giving the Patriots a 48-39 lead at the 3:22 mark of the
third.
But Wellington School responded, outscoring Cornerstone Christian 12-7 to
end the quarter and cut the Cornerstone Christian lead to just 55-51 through
three.
The Jaguars� run continued into the fourth, as senior Cameron Edmondson�s
three-point shot with six minutes to go gave Wellington School a 58-56 lead
and extended the run to 19-8.
Cornerstone Christian trailed 66-62 with 2:32 to go. A pair of Cornerstone
free throws by McQueen cut the Wellington lead to 66-64, then Bothwell
scored at the 2:13 mark to tie the game at 66.
With the game tied at 66 with 1:02 to go, McQueen scored on a layup and was
fouled, hitting the free throw to give Cornerstone Christian a 69-66 lead.
Cornerstone Christian ended the game on an 11-1 run, and secured the
victory, 73-67.
The attendance for the game was 7,478.
Division IV Semifinal
Van Wert Lincolnview 52, Jackson Center 39
[
STATS ]
COLUMBUS, Ohio � Separated by two points at the
end of the third quarter, No. 1 Van Wert Lincolnview benefited from an 11-0
run at the start of the fourth quarter to defeat No. 10 Jackson Center 52-39
and advance to the 2016 OHSAA Boys Basketball Division IV championship game
at the Jerome Schottenstein Center.
Top-ranked Lincolnview (27-1) will face Willoughby Cornerstone Christian
(17-12) in the Division IV championship game on Saturday evening at 5:15
p.m.
Lincolnview shot 58 percent (19-of-33) on the game, including 40 percent
from three-point range (4-of-10). Lincolnview senior Chandler Adams led the
Lancers in scoring with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Senior Trevor Neate
added 12 points while fellow senior Austin Leeth pitched in 10 points and a
game-high four assists.
Jackson Center (24-5) led 11-10 after the first quarter. Lincolnview matched
that score line in the second quarter while forcing Jackson Center to hit
just two of its last nine shots to end the half. The teams went into
halftime tied 21-21.
Tied 30-30 towards the end of the third quarter, Lincolnview�s Neate drove
from the top of the key, pulling up to hit a mid-range jump shot as time
expired to give the Lancers a 32-30 lead going into the fourth.
That shot proved pivotal for the Lancers, who started off the fourth quarter
with an 11-0 run. Lincolnview outscored Jackson Center 20-9 in the quarter
to seal its third trip to the state championship game in school history. The
Lancers finished as runner-up in 1996 and won the title game in 1997 after
defeating Zanesville Rosecrans 76-60.
The attendance for the game was 10,173.
Division I Semifinal
Lima Senior 61, Wilmington 58
[
STATS ]
COLUMBUS, Ohio � In the highest attended OHSAA
boys basketball state tournament game since 2007, Lima Senior kept its
undefeated season and state championship hopes alive by defeating Wilmington
61-58 in an OHSAA Division I boys basketball state semifinal at the Jerome
Schottenstein Center on Friday.
15,292 fans watched as No. 2 Lima Senior (29-0) advanced to its first state
championship game since 1992. The Spartans will look to win its first boys
basketball state title in school history on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and will
face the winner of No. 10 Westerville South (24-4) against No. 9 Garfield
Heights (23-4).
Lima Senior shot 51.1 percent for the game and outrebounded Wilmington
33-20.
2016 Associated Press Ohio Mr. Basketball Xavier Simpson led the Spartans
with 23 points, five assists and five rebounds. Senior Rico Stafford
recorded 11 points and seven rebounds and junior Jarius Ward added 10
points.
Wilmington was led by Associated Press Division I first-team All-Ohio
selection Jarron Cumberland, who finished with a team-high 25 points and
nine rebounds.
Lima Senior set the tone early, beginning the game on an 8-2 run and led
12-8 at the end of the first quarter. The Spartans outrebounded Wilmington
10-3 in the quarter.
At the 6:21 mark of the second, Simpson connected on a jump shot to give
Lima Senior a 16-11 lead and spark a 21-8 run to end the half for the
Spartans, who led Wilmington 35-19 at halftime. Lima Senior outscored the
Hurricane 23-11 in the second quarter.
Simpson led the way at the break with 15 points on five-of-seven shooting
from the field and five-of-five from the free throw line. The Spartans
outrebounded Wilmington 18-7, shot 50 percent and scored 13 points off eight
Wilmington turnovers in the half.
But Wilmington responded in the second half. Trailing 39-19 at the 7:20 mark
of the third quarter, Cumberland hit a jumper to spark a 24-10 Hurricane run
that spanned both the third and fourth quarters. Lima Senior led 47-38 at
the end of the third.
The run reached its apex with 5:47 to go, as Cumberland hit a free throw to
cut the Lima Senior lead to 49-43.
Then the Spartans countered, as Ward scored on an and-one tip-in and hit the
ensuing free throw to increase the lead to 52-43. A layup by Stafford with
4:53 to go gave Lima Senior a 54-43 lead.
Wilmington answered with an 11-6 run to bring the score to just 60-55 with
1:28 to go on a three-point shot from Cumberland.
Then trailing 61-55 with just eight seconds to go, Cumberland was fouled on
a three-point attempt. Cumberland sank all three free throws, bringing the
deficit to just 61-58. After two missed free throws by Simpson, Wilmington
had one last chance to tie the game, but Cumberland�s last second attempt
was off and Lima Senior survived by a final of 61-58.
Lima Senior will look to become the first undefeated Division I state
champion since Zanesville in 1995, who finished 26-0.
Division I Semifinal
Westerville South 87, Garfield Heights 78
[
STATS ]
COLUMBUS, Ohio � In a rematch of a 2015 Division
I state semifinal, Westerville South shot 62.2 percent en route to an 87-78
victory against Garfield Heights in a 2016 OHSAA Division I boys basketball
state semifinal at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on Friday.
Westerville South defeated Garfield Heights
60-57 last season in the state semifinals to advance to its first state
final before falling to Huber Heights Wayne, 65-57 in the Division I state
championship.
No. 10 Westerville South (25-4) faces No. 2 Lima
Senior (29-0) in the Division I state championship Saturday at 8:30 p.m.
Both teams are seeking their first boys basketball state championship in
school history.
Westerville South went 28-of-45 from the field,
including 6-of-11 from three-point range, and held Garfield Heights to 36.5
percent shooting on 27-of-74 from the field. Westerville South outscored
Garfield Heights 42-24 in the paint and led by as many as 15 points.
Garfield Heights (23-5) hit 13 three-point shots
to set the record for most three-point field goals made in a Division I
state semifinal by one team. Overall, the game set the record for most
combined three-point field goals made by both teams in a Division I state
semifinal.
Senior Jordan Humphrey led Westerville South
with 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting and six rebounds. Senior Andre Wesson
added 18 points and 12 rebounds. Junior Kaleb Wesson scored 14 points and
pulled down a team-high 13 rebounds.
Garfield Heights was led by senior Braun
Hatfield, who recorded a game-high 27 points and 16 rebounds. Senior Willie
Jackson added 19 points for the Bulldogs, who were making their fourth
appearance at the state tournament.
Westerville South began the game on a 10-0 run.
At the 6:27 mark of the first quarter, Andre Wesson hit a three-pointer to
give the Wildcats a 10-0 lead. Garfield Heights countered with an 11-6 run
to cut the lead to 16-11 with 3:33 left in the first, but Westerville South
led 25-16 at the end of the first quarter, shooting 11-of-15 in the period
and outrebounding Garfield Heights 10-5.
The two teams tied 22-22 in the second quarter
and Westerville South took a 47-38 lead into the locker room. The Wildcats
shot 70.8 percent from the field in the first half and went four-of-five
from three-point range. Garfield Heights hit seven three-pointers in the
first half and outscored Westerville South in bench production, 15-7.
In the third quarter, Westerville South
outscored Garfield Heights 17-12 and held the Bulldogs to just 9-of-24
shooting from the field. Westerville South led 64-50 going into the fourth.
With 5:19 to go, Hatfield hit a three-point shot
to bring Garfield Heights to within just eight, 69-61. But Westerville South
did not let Garfield Heights inch any closer, going on to win by a final
score of 87-78.
The attendance for the game was 10,685.
Division III State Championship Game
Strong Second Half Powers Lima Central Catholic To Second State Championship
In Three Years
[ GAME STATS ]
COLUMBUS, Ohio � Lima Central Catholic outscored
Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph 39-18 in the second half to secure a 66-44
victory and win its second state title in three years at the 2016 OHSAA
Division III boys basketball state championship at the Jerome Schottenstein
Center on Saturday.
�We got back in that locker room and I saw a bunch of guys that came out and
said �we are gonna be hungry, we are gonna be thirsty,�� said Lima Central
Catholic head coach Frank Kill. �We talked about being lion-hearted the
entire season and we came out and we got stops, we got rebounds, we
contested every shot.�
The Thunderbirds (28-1) finished the regular season as Associated Press
Division III poll champions and capped off their season with their third
boys basketball state championship in school history and second in the last
three years.
The game marked the third-straight year that Lima Central Catholic and Villa
Angela-St. Joseph met in the Division III state championship, with Lima
Central Catholic winning in 2014 and 2016 and Villa Angela-St. Joseph taking
the title in 2015.
Lima Central Catholic outrebounded Villa Angela-St. Joseph 36-22 and
outscored Villa Angela-St. Joseph in second chance points, 16-7. The
Thunderbirds held the Vikings to 24 percent shooting in the second half on
6-of-25 shooting, while going 10-of-14 from the field in the fourth quarter.
Senior Tre Cobbs led Lima Central Catholic with 24 points on 9-of-14
shooting, six rebounds and four assists. Cobbs scored 20 points in the
Thunderbirds� 74-56 win against St. Bernard Roger Bacon in the state
semifinal game.
Associated Press Ohio Division III player of the year Dantez Walton added 20
points and 11 rebounds. Walton led Lima Central Catholic in its state
semifinal game with 30 points and averaged 25 points per game at the state
tournament. Senior Etan O�Connor chipped in with 11 points.
Villa Angela-St. Joseph was led by sophomore Gene Higgins with 15 points.
Senior Kevin Roberts scored nine points and senior Sherman Dean III added
eight points for the Vikings.
Lima Central Catholic led 11-10 at the end of the first quarter. Cobbs
scored nine of the Thunderbirds� 11 first quarter points.
At the 6:50 mark of the second quarter trailing 15-11, Cobbs hit a
three-point shot to cut the Lima Central Catholic deficit to just 15-14 and
spark a 14-4 run for the Thunderbirds. The run hit its peak with 2:00 left
until halftime, as Cobbs laid it up and in to put Lima Central Catholic up
25-19.
Villa Angela-St. Joseph responded, outscoring the Thunderbirds 6-2 over the
final two minutes of the quarter which included a jumper at the halftime
buzzer by Higgins.
Lima Central Catholic led Villa Angela-St. Joseph 27-26 at the half. Cobbs
led all scorers at the break with 14 points. Higgins led Villa Angela-St
Joseph in the first half with 10 points.
At the 6:12 mark of the third quarter, Cobbs hit a three-point shot to push
Lima Central Catholic�s lead to 32-27 and spark what would become a 35-11
run that stretched over the third and fourth quarters. At the 3:26 mark of
the quarter, Lima Central Catholic senior Ethan O�Connor hit a three-point
shot to give the Thunderbirds a 37-27 lead. Lima Central Catholic led 41-30
heading into the final period.
With 7:07 to go, Cobbs hit another three-point shot to set the tone for the
fourth quarter, giving Lima Central Catholic a 44-30 lead. The Thunderbirds
run reached its apex with 1:21 to go, as two Walton free throws pushed Lima
Central Catholic�s advantage to 64-38. Lima Central Catholic won by a final
of 66-44.
The attendance for the game was 11,109.
Division II State Championship Game
John Glenn Holds off St. Vincent-St. Mary for
First State Title
[
GAME STATS ]
COLUMBUS, Ohio � No. 1 New Concord John Glenn held off a second-half surge
from No. 3 Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, taking advantage of a 17-2 run
throughout the first and second quarters to defeat St. Vincent-St. Mary
76-72 and capture its first boys basketball state championship on Saturday
at the Jerome Schottenstein Center.
John Glenn (28-1) shot 65.8 percent (25-of-38) for the game. Senior guard and
Associated Press Division II Co-Player of the Year Drew Rackley led the
Muskies with a game-high 25 points and 11 rebounds. Senior guard Matt Weir
scored 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting, while senior guard Tanner Slack went
3-for-5 from three-point range to add 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
John Glenn Head Coach Greg Woodard commended his players for their
performance, not just in the championship game, but all season long.
�These guys have had a chip on their shoulder since day one,� Woodard said.
�They've stayed on track - no one has been bigger than the group.�
John Glenn finished the first quarter on an 11-2 run to take a 15-7 lead.
The Muskies� momentum continued, scoring six straight points, extending
their lead to 14 points.
St. Vincent-St. Mary (26-4) managed to chip away at the deficit to end the
first half down 34-23.
The fast start from John Glenn at the beginning of the game proved crucial,
as the Muskies� early lead was offset by a turnover-ridden third quarter.
�What an emotional roller coaster that was for us,� Woodward said. �I
thought we played really well in the first half. In the second half I think
they turned up their pressure a notch. I was pleased with our poise.�
St. Vincent-St. Mary junior guard Jayvon Graves set a different tone early
in the third quarter for the Fighting Irish, getting a steal in the opening
seconds of the second half and finishing strong with a two-handed dunk.
Conversions on turnovers fueled a 12-5 run for St. Vincent-St. Mary. The
Fighting Irish forced 11 turnovers in the third quarter, scoring 13 points
off of them, as St. Vincent-St. Mary trailed 47-51 going into the fourth
quarter.
After back-and-fourth scoring possessions to start the fourth, St.
Vincent-St. Mary eventually took the lead with a three-point shot from
junior guard John Williams.
Consistently attacking the basketball played in John Glenn�s favor, however,
as the Muskies regained the lead thanks in part to the foul line. John Glenn
shot 20 free throws in the fourth quarter, hitting 13 of them, to help seal
the 76-72 victory.
Four players scored in double figures for St. Vincent-St. Mary, led by
Graves� 18 points and eight rebounds. Senior forward Henry Baddley scored 16
points and Williams finished with 14 points.
The attendance for the game was 14,643.
Division IV State Championship
Willoughby Cornerstone Christian Academy
Rolls To First State Championship, 72-54
[
GAME STATS ]
COLUMBUS, Ohio � Willoughby Cornerstone
Christian never trailed in its 72-54 win against Van Wert Lincolnview in the
2016 OHSAA Division IV state championship at the Jerome Schottenstein Center
on Saturday.
The Patriots (17-12) earned their first state
title with the victory. Cornerstone Christian won its last 10 games of the
season and came away victorious in both state tournament games in its first
trip to Columbus.
�It�s a tremendous honor to be here,� said
Cornerstone Christian head coach Daniel Selle. �I�m just so proud of our
fans, especially for our school,
a small school. It�s just been a great couple of weeks for our girls and
boys� teams.�
Cornerstone Christian�s three-point shooting and
perimeter defense were key. The Patriots shot 46.7 percent on 7-of-15
shooting from downtown while holding Lincolnview to 12.5 percent on
one-of-eight shooting from the perimeter. Overall, the Patriots shot 56
percent for the game and outrebounded Lincolnview 30-23.
Division IV All-Ohio co-player of the year
Michael Bothwell and sophomore Jeremy Owens paced the Patriots, each scoring
a game-high 14 points. Bothwell scored 30 points in Cornerstone Christian�s
73-67 win against Columbus Wellington School in the state semifinals. Junior
Brandon McQueen finished with 13 points and nine rebounds off the bench for
Cornerstone Christian. Senior Jack Kelsheimer added 13 points. Nine Patriot
players scored in the game, four of which finished in double-figures.
Lincolnview (27-2) was led by senior Trevor
Neate, who scored a game-high 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting off the bench.
Seniors Austin Leeth and Derek Youtsey added 10 points each and senior
Hayden Ludwig chipped in with nine points for the Lancers.
Cornerstone Christian started strong, leading
Lincolnview 19-12 at the end of the first quarter. Bothwell carried
Cornerstone Christian in the first period with seven points on three-of-four
shooting. McQueen and Kelsheimer added five.
The Patriots seized control of the game in the
second quarter, outscoring Lincolnview 18-6 for the period and took a 37-18
lead into the locker room. Cornerstone Christian shot 51.7 percent from the
field and went four-of-nine from three-point range in the first half. Using
stiff defensive pressure, the Patriots held Lincolnview to 37.5 percent
shooting for the half and forced nine turnovers that produced 13 points.
In the third, Cornerstone Christian outscored
Lincolnview 24-17 and took a 61-35 lead into the fourth quarter.
Lincolnview went on a 17-8 run to begin the
fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 69-52 with 2:06 to play, but the
Lancers ran out of time, as Cornerstone Christian held firm to capture the
victory and state championship, 72-54.
The attendance for the game was 9,675.
Division I State Championship Game
Late Game Winning Shot Lifts Westerville
South To First State Championship
[ GAME STATS ]
COLUMBUS, Ohio � With the game tied at 55 with
just 1.8 seconds left, Westerville South senior Jordan Humphrey connected on
a mid-range floater to earn the Wildcats a 57-55 victory and their first
state title in the 2016 OHSAA Division I boys basketball state championship
at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on Saturday.
Westerville South (26-4) fell to Huber Heights Wayne 65-57 in last year�s
Division I state final, but redeemed itself with a state championship
victory in 2016.
�For us, this is really special,� said Westerville South head coach Ed Calo.
�The whole community came out and supported us. We�re very appreciative.
It�s a big deal.�
Lima Senior (29-1) was making its first appearance in the state tournament
since 1992 when it also earned state runner-up honors.
Westerville South led for all but just 1:48 and led by as many as 12. The
Wildcats scored 20 points off 12 Lima Senior turnovers, while limiting its
own turnovers to just seven and only giving up six points off of them.
Westerville South also went four-of-eight from three-point range.
Leading Westerville South was senior Jordan Humphrey with a game-high 19
points on 8-of-12 shooting. Senior Andre Wesson added 14 points on 5-of-10
shooting and junior Kaleb Wesson added seven points.
Lima Senior was led by 2016 Associated Press Ohio Mr. Basketball Xavier
Simpson with 17 points and seven assists. Simpson scored 23 points in the
Spartans� 61-58 state semifinal win against Wilmington. Senior Ruben Flowers
III scored 12 points on five-of-five shooting and also added five rebounds.
Senior Rico Stafford pitched in with 10 points on five-of-six shooting.
Trailing 5-2 at the 7:02 mark of the first quarter, two made free throws by
Wesson sparked a 12-0 Wildcat run that saw Westerville South take a 14-5
lead with 3:32 to go in the quarter on a jump shot by Humphrey. Lima Senior
senior Jaylin Thomas responded with a three-pointer and jumper to bring the
Spartans back to just 14-10 with 2:47 left in the quarter. Westerville South
led 19-12 at the end of one.
With 6:18 left in the second quarter trailing 24-12, Flowers III made a
layup to spark a 16-7 Lima Senior run to end the quarter. Westerville South
clung to a 31-28 lead at halftime.
Westerville South was led by Humphrey in the first half with 14 points on
six-of-nine shooting. The Wildcats went 40 percent from three-point range in
the first half and forced the Spartans into eight turnovers.
Simpson led Lima Senior at the break with 10 points on four-of-seven
shooting. The Spartans shot 57.1 percent in the first half.
In the third quarter, Lima Senior outscored Westerville South 15-14 and cut
the deficit to just 45-43 going into the fourth.
Trailing 55-51 with 2:05 left in the fourth quarter, Lima Senior�s Stafford
tipped in a missed shot to bring the score to just 55-53. Then with 28
seconds to go, Stafford scored again on a layup to tie the game at 55.
On the ensuing possession, Westerville South spread the floor for a final
shot, which came to Humphrey, who connected on a mid-range floater with 1.8
seconds to go, sending the crowd into a frenzy and giving Westerville South
a 57-55 lead.
Lima Senior had one final chance, as the ball came to Simpson who attempted
a half-court shot to win the game. The shot hit off the backboard with just
a bit too much force, and Westerville South hung on to win 57-55.
The attendance for the game was 13,457, and the all-session attendance for
the 2016 OHSAA boys basketball state tournament was 128,871, up 16,799 from
2015.
###OHSAA### |
