DAYTON — Friday marked the first day of the Ohio high school boys state basketball tournament at the University of Dayton. Here’s a closer look at the Division III and IV state semifinal games as originally reported by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
Division IV
BERLIN HILAND 62, LIMA CENTRAL CATHOLIC 59 (2 OT)
Nick Wigton’s three-pointer at the buzzer in the second overtime lifted Berlin Hiland to a 62-59 win over Lima Central Catholic in the first Division IV semifinal at University of Dayton Arena.
The Hawks (23-6) advances to Sunday’s state championship game. The Thunderbirds finish their season at 26-3 after the school’s 10th trip to the state tournament.
Hiland called timeout with 31 seconds remaining and held for a final shot. As the clock ticked under 10 seconds, Sammy Detweiler drove toward the right block, spun and passed to Logan Hershberger at the top of the key. Hershberger’s touch-pass found Wigton open on the left wing, and his jumper from five feet behind the three-point line swished through as time expired.
The Hawks led by as many as 16 points in the opening minutes of the second quarter, but LCC trimmed the deficit to 10 by halftime, three after three quarters and eventually took its first lead, 43-42, on a jumper by Carson Parker with 6:14 left in regulation.
The teams were tied at 51 at the end of regulation and 55 after the first overtime period. In the second extra session, Wigton and Parker traded baskets to open the scoring, Alex Miller’s layup gave Hiland a two-point lead with 43 seconds left, and Parker made two free throws to tie the score for a final time.
The Hawks were 14-of-20 from the floor (70 percent) in the first half, including 6-of-8 on 3-pointers, and finished 25 of 46 (54.3 percent) from the floor, including 9-of-17 behind the arc. Hiland held 16-3 rebounding edge in the first half and 35-20 for the game.
Detweiler led the Hawks with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range. Wigton finished with 17 points, while Miller and Sam Wengerd had nine apiece.
Jordan Priddy played all 40 minutes and scored 24 points to lead Lima Central Catholic. Parker scored 23.
It was the 17th multi-overtime game in state tournament history.
RICHMOND HEIGHTS 65, RUSSIA 52
Richmond Heights will play in its third consecutive Division IV state championship game after defeating Russia, 65-52, in the second state semifinal at University of Dayton Arena.
The Spartans ended the game on a 23-10 burst after the Raiders tied the score at 42 on the opening possession of the fourth quarter.
Richmond Heights’ DeErick Barber Jr. led all scorers with 17 points. He also handed out six assists while playing all 32 minutes. Dorian Jones played just 17:13 before fouling out, but made 6-of-7 shots, scored 16 points and blocked four shots. Demaris Winters Jr. added 15 points, while Hosea Steele Jr. had eight points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
Brayden Monnin had 15 points to lead three Russia players in double figures. Benjamin York and Felix Francis both scored 12 points, while Francis also grabbed nine rebounds.
The Spartans (18-9) will play in its third consecutive Division IV state title game, seeking its third straight state title. The Raiders, after making their second straight appearance, and third overall, in the state tournament, ends the season at 27-2.
After falling behind 14-5 early, Russia outscored Richmond Heights 16-7 over a six-minute span to tie the score at 21 midway through the second quarter. The score was tied two more times but the Spartans never trailed and led by two, 31-29, at halftime.
Russia’s York connected on a 3-pointer on the opening possession of the fourth quarter to tie the score for the final time. From there, Richmond Heights scored seven straight as part of a 10-2 run and the Raiders never drew closer than six points down the stretch.
Division III
CANAL WINCHESTER HARVEST PREP 61, OTTAWA-GLANDORF 59
Canal Winchester Harvest Prep withstood a fourth-quarter rally by Ottawa-Glandorf, making a defensive stop on the final possession to secure a 61-59 win and advance to the Division III state championship game.
The Warriors led by 11 points entering the final quarter, but O-G outscored them 24-15 in the final period and drew within two points five times — and one point once — in the final four minutes.
On each occasion, however, Harvest Prep answered with a basket or a defensive stop and never relinquished the lead.
The Warriors (24-4) advance to their fourth state championship game, having won a Division III state title in 2019 and finishing runner-up in Division IV in 2015 and 2007.
In the first @OHSAASports Div. III state semifinal, @hp_boysbball hung on to beat @AthleticsOg 61-59 to advance to Sunday's final on @SpectrumNews1OH
— High School Blitz on Spectrum News 1 (@SpecSportsOH) March 22, 2024
Highlights from: Mr. Basketball @ColinWhite21 (32 pts) and @d0nn_15 (26).@HPSWarriors pic.twitter.com/m3uYjA97xT
Ottawa-Glandorf (24-4) was making its fourth consecutive appearance in the state tournament; the Titans were runners-up in Division III in 2022 and 2023.
The Titans led 8-3 in the game’s opening minutes, but Harvest Prep finished the first quarter on a 16-6 run and led 19-14 after one period. An 8-0 burst stretched the gap to 27-17 midway through the second quarter, and margin was still 10, 31-21, at halftime.
The Warriors opened a 46-35 bulge entering the fourth quarter, but Ottawa-Glandorf opened the period with 12-3 spree to draw within 49-47 and set up the back-and-forth finish.
Colin White, named Ohio’s Mr. Basketball earlier in the week, posted 32 points, 13 rebounds, four steals, and five blocked shots for the Titans. Caden Erford added 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Adonus Abrams had 26 points and six steals for Harvest Prep. Khalil Daniels also reached double figures with 10 points.
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS LUTHERAN EAST 63, CAMDEN PREBLE SHAWNEE 44Â
Ronald Taylor made five treys and scored 21 points to lead Cleveland Heights Lutheran East to a 63-44 win over Camden Preble Shawnee in the second Division III state semifinal at University of Dayton Arena.
The Falcons will play in a state championship game for the third time in four years. Lutheran East won Division III state titles in their last two championship game appearances in 2021 and 2023.Â
Preble Shawnee (24-4), making its first appearance in the state tournament, was led by Mason Shrout’s 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Lutheran East scored the game’s first 17 points and never trailed. The Arrows opened the second half on a 14-6 run to draw within 37-27.
But the Falcons kept the margin in double figures the rest of the way.
Jesse McCulloch had a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds for Lutheran East, while Anthony Bruce added 10 points.
Brody Morton (16 points) joined Shrout in double figures for the Arrows.