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Nylon news: Conference races coming down to the wire in Cincinnati basketball

brendan connelly and james weber, cincinnati enquirer
·8 min read

The Ohio High School Athletic Association released the boys and girls basketball postseason brackets on Sunday and the regular season is entering its final week. Hard to believe, isn't it?

In Kentucky, the regular season doesn't end until Feb. 24, but district seeding is already finalized in some areas of the state.

Here are a handful of headlines from the hardwood from Jan. 29 to Feb. 3.

More: See which Southwest Ohio basketball teams are ranked in Feb. 5 AP poll

Ninth Region wins Ninth vs. 10th Hardwood Classic

Okay, it wasn't a challenge between the two regions or a tournament format. Still, the Ninth Region did win three of the five games during Saturday's event at Historic Augusta Gymnasium.

Highlands dropped the opener to Montgomery County, 60-42. Marissa Green led the Bluebirds with 16 points and Katie Bucher joined her with nine rebounds. Senior Hayden Barrier, a 10th Region player of the year candidate, led the Lady Indians with 24 points.

Lloyd Memorial sophomore Maleah Ham (15) is averaging 8.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game for the Juggernauts.
Lloyd Memorial sophomore Maleah Ham (15) is averaging 8.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game for the Juggernauts.

The Lloyd girls got into a close contest with Augusta but pulled out a 53-50 victory. The Lady Panthers held a two-point advantage with just over a minute left before Maleah Ham (12 points, five rebounds) and Kenya Williams (12 points, three rebounds) powered the Juggernauts to a come-from-behind win.

Cooper pummeled Mason County, 64-45, in the first boys game of the day. Despite being without leading scorer Yamil Rondon, the Jaguars were led by Shaun Pouncy and Isaiah Johnson, who each finished with 17 points.

Cooper's Shaun Pouncy (34) is averaging 14.9 points for the Jaguars less than a year after suffering a knee injury in the 2023 Ninth Region tournament.
Cooper's Shaun Pouncy (34) is averaging 14.9 points for the Jaguars less than a year after suffering a knee injury in the 2023 Ninth Region tournament.

Bracken County found itself in an early hole against Dayton before coming back to secure a 70-63 win. Chase Archibald, Noah Nelson, Zach Elliott and Jackson Whitten combined for 65 points and 22 rebounds for the Polar Bears.

Dixie Heights and Augusta capped off the day with a high-scoring affair that ended with a Colonels victory, 97-84. Hudson Blank and Griffin Derry combined for 53 points. The Colonels shot an incredible 67 percent from the floor and 64 percent from three-point range.

Who are Cincinnati's girls basketball league champions?

Here are the conferences that have crowned a champion as the regular season enters its final week.

Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference: The DePaul Cristo Rey Bruins won the Blue Division with a perfect 8-0 league mark. Woodward is in the driver's seat to win the Red division with an 8-0 record, but they face second-place Withrow 7-1 (CMAC-Red) on Feb. 7.

Winton Woods guard Daniah Trammell had 20 points and six rebounds in a win over West Clermont.
Winton Woods guard Daniah Trammell had 20 points and six rebounds in a win over West Clermont.

Eastern Cincinnati Conference: Winton Woods beat West Clermont on Jan. 29 to win its third conference championship in the last four years. The Warriors are 16-5 (14-2 ECC) and will face Ursuline on Feb. 15 in the first round of postseason play.

Girls Greater Catholic League: Mount Notre Dame went a perfect 8-0 against league opponents this year. The Cougars have won at least a share of the title seven years running and 10 of the last 11 years.

Greater Catholic League-Coed: Alter won the league with a 10-0 record. Badin finished 6-4 in conference play, McNicholas was 4-6 and Fenwick was 0-10.

Miami Valley Conference: Purcell Marian won the Scarlet division with a perfect 10-0 record, going undefeated in league play for the second straight year. Seven Hills went 13-0 to win the Gray division; the Stingers are 16-2 overall.

Purcell Marian guard Ky'Aira Miller (3) became the fourth Cavalier in program history to record a triple-double when she had 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists against Norwood.
Purcell Marian guard Ky'Aira Miller (3) became the fourth Cavalier in program history to record a triple-double when she had 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists against Norwood.

Southern Buckeye Athletic & Academic Conference: Williamsburg won the National division and is undefeated heading into the final night of league play. The Wildcats are 15-5 overall and will face Deer Park in the DIII sectional tournament on Feb. 17. Goshen separated from Western Brown and Batavia in the second half of the season to win the American division.

Southwest Buckeye League: Waynesville won the Buckeye division with a perfect 12-0 league mark. The Spartans are the lone undefeated girls team in Southwest Ohio and won their league games by an average of 30 points.

Southwest Ohio Conference: Harrison beat Talawanda on Jan. 31 to win their first league championship since joining the SWOC in 2012. The Wildcats are currently 16-4 (5-1 SWOC).

In the Greater Miami Conference, Mason is one game ahead of Princeton headed into the final week of play. The Comets beat the Vikings on Feb. 3 to gain that one-game advantage.

Taylor and Indian Hill are tied atop the Cincinnati Hills League with identical 10-3 conference records. The Indians beat the Yellowjackets on Feb. 3 to pull even in the standings.

Mighty Moe the class of Cincinnati

Moeller is 18-1 after beating Elder 44-28 Friday night. Moeller improved to 4-0 in the Greater Catholic League-South and clinched its first league championship since 2021 and the 24th of head coach Carl Kremer’s tenure.

Moeller's Alex Kazanecki finished with 13 points and five rebounds as the Crusaders beat Elder to clinch the Greater Catholic League-South title.
Moeller's Alex Kazanecki finished with 13 points and five rebounds as the Crusaders beat Elder to clinch the Greater Catholic League-South title.

Moeller flexed its muscles on defense, limiting Elder to 30 percent shooting. The Crusaders, ranked fourth in the Associated Press Division I state poll, have allowed 36 points per game in GCL play and 38 per game for the season.

Alex Kazanecki leads the team with 12.6 points per game. Eric Mahaffey and Noah George average over eight per game.

Other boys league updates

Cincinnati Hills League: Indian Hill beat Wyoming Friday night to tighten the race with two games left. Wyoming (16-2) is in first place at 11-1 while Indian Hill (13-7) is 10-2. Wyoming is ranked second in the state in Division II by the AP.

Wyoming’s Kellen Wiley leads in assists (4.9) and Alex Lowe in blocks (2.1). Deer Park’s Cam Arington is the leading scorer (17.7) and Reading’s Ben Nash is the leading rebounder (8.1).

Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference: Gamble Montessori (15-4) leads CCPA by two games in the Blue Division with a 13-0 record. Aiken (13-5) leads the Red Division at 6-1, a game ahead of Woodward (12-6, 5-2). The two teams play at Woodward on Tuesday.

Woodward forward Ru Mills (2) has led the Bulldogs to a 12-6 (5-2 CMAC-Red) record this year.
Woodward forward Ru Mills (2) has led the Bulldogs to a 12-6 (5-2 CMAC-Red) record this year.

Woodward’s Ru Mills leads in scoring (23.2 ppg.). Western Hills’ Omarion Beckley leads in rebounding (12.4), Woodward’s Jeremiah Hughes in assists (7.1) and DePaul Cristo Rey’s Rodney Morris leads in blocks (4.5).

Eastern Cincinnati Conference: Winton Woods (14-1) is 11-1 in the league and can clinch the championship this week. Little Miami (14-6) is second at 10-5 and has handed WW its only loss. Anderson (12-6) can win its last four to finish 12-4 in the league.

WW’s Tyler McKinley leads the league at 19.7 ppg. and is second in rebounding (9.9). Milford’s Gavin Dalen leads in rebounding (10.7) and blocks (2.8). Loveland’s Carson Brown leads in assists (4.3).

Greater Catholic League-Coed: Alter (12-5, 6-1) and Chaminade-Julienne (9-8, 5-2) are the class of the league. Fenwick (12-7) and McNicholas (10-8) are 4-4 in league play.

Fenwick’s Bailey Temming is second in the league in scoring (16.9) and leads in rebounding (9.4) and blocks (2.5).

Greater Miami Conference: With five games to go, Sycamore (14-3) leads the league at 10-3, one game ahead of Lakota West and Hamilton, and two ahead of Middletown. Sycamore is looking for its first outright title since 1997, and the Aviators have shared it twice since then.

Lakota East guard Trey Perry (0) scored his 1,000th career point on Jan. 30 against Fairfield.
Lakota East guard Trey Perry (0) scored his 1,000th career point on Jan. 30 against Fairfield.

Lakota East’s Trey Perry leads in scoring (23.7). Sycamore’s Raleigh Burgess leads in rebounding (9.3) and blocks (3.5). Fairfield’s Cash Ingram leads in assists (3.3).

Miami Valley Conference: Cincinnati Country Day (15-3, 11-0) has clinched the Gray Division for the fifth straight season. The Scarlet Division is still a free-for-all with Summit Country Day (12-6, 9-2), CHCA (11-6, 7-2) and Purcell Marian (11-8, 7-3) taking turns beating each other.

Summit Country Day head coach Kevin Johnson has the Silver Knights in first place in the Miami Valley Conference-Scarlet division in his first season at the helm.
Summit Country Day head coach Kevin Johnson has the Silver Knights in first place in the Miami Valley Conference-Scarlet division in his first season at the helm.

CHCA’s Luke Sanders is the top scorer in the league and all of Southwest Ohio at 26.2 ppg. CCD’s Andrew Zimmerman leads in rebounding at 12.7 and Bryce Snell in assists at 3.5. New Miami’s Jackson Martin leads in blocks (2.8).

Southern Buckeye Athletic & Academic Conference: Goshen (17-2, 7-0) has clinched a share of the American Division, its first league title since 2017. The Warriors are one win away from their first outright title since 2011.

Williamsburg (15-2, 9-0) can clinch the National Division by beating second-place Clermont Northeastern (14-6, 9-2) at home Tuesday. Williamsburg beat the Rockets by five in the first meeting. Williamsburg and CNE shared the title last year and the Wildcats have not won it outright since 2011.

Goshen’s Caden Zeinner leads the league in scoring (22.9). CNE’s Connor Yeager leads in rebounding (14.2) and blocks (2.4). Georgetown’s Ryland Hayslip leads in assists (4.5).

Southwest Ohio Conference: Northwest (10-8, 5-1) has won the league for the third season in a row. Northwest’s Vernon Leonard leads in rebounding (7.3), Dasai Bronson in assists (4.3) and Carter Burg in blocks (1.2). Harrison’s Luke Rogers is the SWOC’s leading scorer (16.6).

Southwestern Buckeye League: Oakwood (16-3, 10-1) leads the Buckeye Division and Franklin (12-7, 6-2) leads the Southwestern. Franklin’s Kai Cook leads the league in scoring (21.9).

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati prep basketball: 2024 regular season enters final weeks