Who are Southwest Ohio boys basketball league champs? Here are storylines, schedules
The postseason is here in Southwest Ohio basketball.
The girls basketball sectionals continue this week. The boys basketball sectionals are beginning, with most brackets tipping off later in the week. Meanwhile, Northern Kentucky boys and girls, and Southeast Indiana boys begin next week.
This week's roundup focuses on all the latest developments, both on the court and off, as March Madness approaches.
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Sycamore boys win 1st outright GMC title since 1997
The wild and wacky Greater Miami Conference season ended with Sycamore winning its first outright league championship since 1997.
Sycamore rallied from behind in the fourth quarter to beat Lakota East, 45-40, Friday. Raleigh Burgess had 14 points and six rebounds. Tariq Kimbrough and Samuel Imade had 11 points as Sycamore shot 56 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Thunderhawks by 14. Sycamore limited junior guard Trey Perry to 19 points on 7-of-18 shooting, 1-of-8 from 3-point range.
Sycamore won the title outright when Lakota West fell to Hamilton, 56-45 Friday. Andrea Holden led the Big Blue with 14 points and seven rebounds. Hamilton limited the Firebirds to under 40 percent shooting and limited top scorers Bryce Curry and Isaiah Meade-Moss to 10 combined points to deny the Firebirds a tie for the title, which would have been LW’s first in 11 seasons.
Lakota West finished 11-5 in GMC play, one game behind Sycamore, and 14-7 overall. Hamilton and Princeton tied for third at 10-6 in league play, and Middletown can join them by winning a makeup game with Colerain on Monday.
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Goshen sets school record for wins after 2OT thriller
Goshen won the Southern Buckeye-American championship and will enter the Division I sectionals as a No. 4 seed. The Warriors set a school record with their 20th win of the season after a thrilling double-overtime win at Clinton-Massie Saturday night, 78-77.
Senior Caden Zeinner, the SBAAC’s leading scorer at 23.8 points per game, scored the winning basket in the final seconds and defended a game-winning shot on the other end at the buzzer. The Warriors survived a strong offensive night by the Falcons, who shot 54 percent from the floor, made nine 3-pointers, and had five players in double figures.
Other boys league champs
Cincinnati Hills League: Wyoming – 13-1, 19-3.
Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference-Blue: Gamble Montessori – 13-0, 17-4.
Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference-Red: Aiken – 8-2, 16-6.
Eastern Cincinnati Conference: Winton Woods – 14-2, 17-3.
Greater Catholic League-Coed: Alter – 8-2, 15-7.
Greater Catholic League-South: Moeller – 6-0, 21-1.
Miami Valley Conference-Gray: Cincinnati Country Day – 12-0, 17-4.
Miami Valley Conference-Scarlet: Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy and Summit Country Day – both 10-2, 15-7.
SBAAC-National: Williamsburg – 12-0, 20-2.
Southwestern Buckeye League-Buckeye: Oakwood – 10-2, 17-5.
Southwestern Buckeye League-Southwestern: Franklin – 6-2, 13-8.
Southwest Ohio Conference: Northwest – 5-1, 11-11
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Newport boys basketball keeps rolling
Newport’s winning streak is now 18 after convincing wins over fellow Ninth Region contenders Cooper and Lloyd last week.
Newport beat Cooper 48-42, building a 24-7 lead in the first quarter and holding on. The Wildcats then rolled past Lloyd 71-48. The Wildcats host Beechwood Tuesday to end the regular season before heading into the 36th District Tournament next week.
Sophomore guard Taylen Kinney scored 28 and 24 points in the two games and the Wildcats continued playing strong defense. Newport has allowed 50 points per game and has allowed fewer than 50 points nine times in the past 12 games.
Newport’s last loss was to Louisville Trinity in overtime on Dec. 23 at the King of the Bluegrass Tournament. Trinity is fourth in the latest Kentucky Media Poll. Newport lost by two, 48-46 to top-ranked Great Crossing in the same tournament, then by 10 at home to sixth-ranked Covington Catholic Dec. 9.
Cooper gets Andy Johnson back and, hopefully, Yamil Rondon, too
Cooper welcomed junior guard Andy Johnson back for its win Saturday over Grant County. Johnson scored 14 points in the team’s 71-50 win over the Braves. Johnson had scored 50 points in the team’s first two games before injuring his wrist. Johnson’s return will help the Jaguars upend Newport in the Ninth Region race.
Cooper didn’t have him or junior point guard Yamil Rondon in the loss to Newport. Rondon’s last game was Jan. 26 but he is likely to return during the postseason.
Grant County girls keep winning
Grant County’s girls basketball team is close to winning 20 games for the second season as the Braves hope for a second-straight 32nd District championship.
The Braves are 18-7 heading into the regular season finale at Madison Central Wednesday. The Braves are also the top seed in next week’s 32nd District Tournament, which they will host.
Grant was Eighth Region runner-up to Simon Kenton last season after beating SK in the district final.
Junior guard Jada Cummins leads the team with 18.7 points per game. She has made 38 e-pointers. Senior Sarah Russell averages nearly 10 rebounds a contest.
Caroline Barnes averages 11.7 points per game, Olivia Ginn 10.0 and Russell averages 7.4 points.
Southwest Ohio girls sectional schedule
Division I
Ross (16-6) vs. Harrison (19-4), 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Lakota East
Northwest (9-12) vs. West Clermont (18-5), 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Middletown
Turpin (8-15) vs. Princeton (20-3), 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Lakota East
Kings (17-6) vs. Lakota West (17-6), 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Middletown
Fairborn vs. Springboro (18-5), 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Troy
Western Hills (8-12) vs. Mount Notre Dame (20-3), 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 21 at Lakota East
Milford (16-7) vs. Walnut Hills (13-8), 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 21 at Lakota East
Anderson (2-20) vs. Mason (21-2), 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 22 at Lakota East
Talawanda (9-13) vs. Lakota East (14-8), 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 22 at Middletown
Lebanon (18-5) vs. Goshen (19-4), 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 22 at Lakota East
Seton (13-10) vs. Winton Woods (18-5), 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 22 at Middletown
Division II
Roger Bacon (9-13) vs. Wilmington (12-10), 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Indian Hill
McNicholas (13-10) vs. Taylor (14-8), 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Loveland
Mercy McAuley (8-14) vs. Badin (16-7), 7 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Indian Hill
Wyoming (12-10) vs. Batavia (18-5), 7 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Loveland
Hughes (3-12) vs. Purcell Marian (22-1), 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 21 at Loveland
Franklin vs. Clinton-Massie (6-15), 7 p.m. on Feb. 21 at Loveland
Division III
Fenwick (1-20) vs. Mariemont (13-10), 6 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Wilmington
Taft (1-21) vs. Cincinnati Country Day (18-4), 6 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Fairfield
Williamsburg (17-5) vs. Norwood (16-6), 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Wilmington
Gamble Montessori (14-6) vs. Seven Hills (19-3), 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Fairfield
St. Bernard-Elmwood Place (5-15) vs. Madeira (14-9), 6 p.m. on Feb. 21 at Fairfield
Clark Montessori (12-10) vs. Summit Country Day (9-13), 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 21 at Fairfield
Middletown Madison (17-6) vs. Milton-Union, 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 21 at Covington
Dunbar vs. Waynesville (22-0), 6 p.m. on Feb. 22 at Covington
Division IV
Cincinnati Christian (16-6) vs. Fayetteville-Perry (15-7), 6 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Monroe
DePaul Cristo Rey (15-5) vs. Middletown Christian, 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Monroe
Lockland (2-20) vs. Legacy Christian, 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 22 at Monroe
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Southwest Ohio boys basketball league champs decided as tourney nears
