Wednesday Regional Semi-Final Scores:

Charlie Byers competitiveness helped Moeller advance.

Great night for basketball if you a GCL fan, if not you might want to skip this article! Both Moeller and LaSalle flexed their muscles against the competition and moved on to advance to the regional final, which (for the second year in a row) will be a rubber match between the rivals. For those who were in attendance at the games at Cintas the stars did not disappoint tonight as we saw several memorable performances. In DIII the favored teams, Summit and Taft, took care of business as they now prepare to meet in the regional final.
 Photos from the Division 1 games 

• 

  Josh Davenport is starting to look
  like a superstar in the making at Moeller.

  Moeller 67 Withrow 58: The Crusaders used the same old formula that they always do to win this one- defend, rebound, defend, rebound, defend, and don't turn the ball over. Moeller worked the ball around to perfection all night long, eventually finding Josh Davenport and Charlie Byers to go ahead and put it in the bucket. Davenport, a sophomore wing, is truly blossoming at Moeller right now as he had another great night with 18 points (7-11 shooting) and 11 rebounds. Davenport also had a big time dunk over the top of an out-stretched Devin Williams off a second quarter in-bounds play. Byers scored 18 as well, dished out 4 assists, and recorded 6 steals. Moeller got its usual defensive boost from Alex Barlow (who scored 9 points) while Ben Galemmo added 8 points for the Crusaders and senior Hayden Frey scored 5 off the bench including a dunk to “close the door” on Withrow's season with under a minute to play. Aaron Thomas made his last Withrow game one for fans to remember as he poured in 19 points and relentlessly attacked offensively, while doing a pretty good job of slowing down Byers. Tim Coleman and Carl Porter each added 12 points for Withrow while Devin Williams chipped in 8 with 11 boards. The key to the game was Moeller matching Withrow on the glass, where the count was tied at 26; while controlling the tempo as well. Coach Kramer's decision to go zone in the second half really confused the Withrow players who resorted to launching tough jumpers. The Crusaders will hope that their defense holds up on Friday in the regional final against LaSalle. 
  
  

• 

  Brandon Neel put on a show at Cintas tonight.

  LaSalle 64 Winton Woods 58: The Lancers raced out to a 20 point halftime lead, and although they tried their hardest, the Warriors could never come back within reach as this game wasn't as close as the score would lead you to believe. Brandon Neel had his best game in a LaSalle uniform as he out-dueled Semaj Christon en route to 34 points. Neel came out aggressive from the start and once he found his jumper there was no way for Winton Woods to slow him down. The entire game was fast paced, as both teams love to run (and start 5 guards). Semaj was not to be outdone as he poured in 32 points of his own, as he finished everything near the basket in transition. When the Warriors came out of the locker room for the second half Semaj put them on his back and slowly chipped away at the lead, but Winton Woods ran out of time. Frustration set in late as a brief skirmish between the two teams spilled over to a dispute between Warrior teammates. The other key player for LaSalle was Matt Woeste, who just seemed to be everywhere tonight. Woeste scored 4 points with 6 rebounds and his energy powered LaSalle through that huge first half run. Josh Lemons scored 9 for LaSalle and Ryan Fleming added 10 to compliment Neel. If LaSalle's offense continues to come this easy they should be able to provide some quality entertainment against Moeller on Friday.
  
  
• Taft 90 Clark 72: Adolphus led Taft with 27 points and 21 rebounds as they wore down Clark in the second half. Taft struggled early with foul trouble and sluggishness but caught fire in the third to take control.  Jalean Lowe continued his nice shooting streak by scoring 23 points on the night and Marquez Johnson added 14 for the Senators. Taft will meet Summit in the regional final on Saturday.
  
  
• Summit 67 Heath 51: Freshman PG Antonio Woods scored a career high 20 points as Summit refused to allow Heath to come back in the second half. The Silver Knights will meet Taft in the regional final on Saturday.

Regional Semi-Final Previews:

Aaron Thomas will lead Withrow against Moeller

It's an all Cincinnati SW Division I Regional as our teams went 4-0 on Saturday against Dayton's finest. On Wednesday night fans will be treated to two semi-final games that are very tough to call. Withrow vs Moeller will be a contrast in styles in which both teams have already proven in the playoffs that they can defeat (Withrow beat Mason, Moeller beat Trotwood) a solid team that plays a contrasting style; something will have to give here. The second game, Winton Woods vs LaSalle, is a rematch from the early season thriller in Forest Park that came down to clutch Lancer play in the fourth quarter. No team has improved more then Winton Woods, have they surpassed the Lancers? Any of the possible regional final matchups would be extremely appealing and CPHR can't wait to see how it all unfolds in D-I. In DII Roger Bacon is the last team standing and needs a win to advance to the final to face the winner of Dunbar and Thurgood Marshall. Cincinnati is also represented by three of the four squads that remain in the DIII regionals, Summit will square off with one of Columbus' up and coming programs, while Clark and Taft will go at it in what should be a very fast paced contest. Here are all the matchups: 
Sweet 16 Brackets

Charlie Byers is trying to get Moeller back to the Final Four

Division I 

• Withrow vs Moeller: Wednesday @ Cintas 6:15- The Tigers, making their first regional appearance since the Yancy Gates days, will battle the Crusaders of Moeller, who advanced out of this region last year before falling in the state final. Withrow has looked very good over the course of the tourney in wins over Mason and Troy. While everyone has been talking about how vulnerable Moeller is, they continue to get win after win. The intriguing matchup in this game will be the defense of Charlie Byers on his AAU teammate Aaron Thomas of Withrow. Byers knows Thomas' game like the back of his hand, but that rarely makes difference when Aaron is on, who will win this matchup? Defensively both teams might have to make adjustments as Withrow hasn't faced a ton of teams that play with as deliberate of a style as Moeller, and have as many shooters; while Moeller hasn't faced a team with the size and athleticism (and plethora of D1 prospects) as Withrow. Withrow's raw talent will help them as will Moeller's system of intelligent basketball but this game might be decided by simply who makes the most clutch shots. Carl Porter, Devin Williams, Alex Barlow, and Ben Galemmo have been great all year for their teams but with the stakes so high CPHR can't wait to see the ball in the hands of Aaron Thomas and Charlie Byers.

  • 

    Semaj Christon leads Winton Woods in the LaSalle rematch

    Prediction: Withrow is playing better right now but Moeller has the experience and the knack for winning these types of games. This one easily could go either way but since Moeller found a way to slow down Thomas last year (when he was at Aiken), CPHR is going with the Crusaders to win a close game. 
    
    
• Winton Woods vs LaSalle: Wednesday @ Cintas 8:00- Great matchup between two teams who have showed tremendous resolve over the last week. Winton Woods just simply refused to lose, despite Wayne's best efforts, in the district final. While LaSalle has had to deal with some tough off court adversity, as their Coach, Dan Fleming, continues to recover from a heart attack. The first game between these teams highlighted LaSalle's on court resolve as they overcame the phenomenal play of Semaj Christon, and a raucous Warrior crowd, to get a road win. That loss did prove one thing to Winton Woods, they are capable of playing with anyone. These are two teams that are playing with a real swagger right now. The exciting thing about this game will be that both teams start five perimeter players and push the tempo to the absolute limit. Look for this to be a game of runs and the winner might just be whoever has the ball last.

  • 

    Brandon Neel wants LaSalle to be 2-0 against Winton Woods

    Prediction: Very close call as both teams are playing great, CPHR is going to go with LaSalle to gut this one out and advance to another regional final. 
    
    
• Lakota East vs Westerville South: Thursday @ Columbus Fairgrounds 7:30- No regional game would ever be considered easy, but this is a very tough matchup for East. Westerville South is 23-1 and has hovered around the top 5 in the state AP poll all season (although East has been in the top ten for months). Westerville South is led by senior wing Traevon Jackson, the son of the great Jim Jackson, who is committed to Wisconsin. Jackson is a pure scorer with size that East will have to find a way to slow down. Junior PG Isaiah Rogers is also a capable game-changer for Westerville South. Taking into factor that this game will be played in Columbus, Lakota East does appear to be the underdog in this one. However, East has thrived on the underdog (even though they've only lost once as well) attitude all season. Wins at Wayne, three times over Princeton, Middletown, and Mason prove that they can defeat any of the state's most talented squads. This game should be closer then many Columbus fans think.

  • 

    Mike Boyd will lead East into hostile territory in Columbus

    Prediction: Lakota East's great run of close wins comes to an end in Columbus as they fall to Westerville South in a tightly contested game. 

Division II

• Roger Bacon vs Mifflin: Thursday @ Kettering Fairmont 5:30- The last remaining DII team in Cincinnati will have their work cut out for them against a Mifflin team that is on a dream like run (Mifflin was sub .500 entering the playoffs) but Bacon will have a real talent advantage.
  • Prediction: Roger Bacon is on a roll, they will advance to the regional final.

Division III

• Summit vs Heath: Wednesday @ Kettering Fairmont 5:30- The Silver Knights have found a groove defensively, to match their talented arsenal of scorers, making them a tough opponent for any remaining team. Heath, who has made it to at least the district final the last two seasons, has had a successful season due to their defensive abilities as well. Look for this one to be a low scoring, grind it out, type of game. CPHR thinks Summit has the advantage because the best scorer on the court, sophomore PG Kevin Johnson, will be wearing a Summit jersey.
  • Prediction: Summit finds a way to get another hard fought win.

• Taft vs Clark: Wednesday @ Kettering Fairmont 8:00- The Cougars, playing in the regional for the first time, are having a dream like run this month. But Taft has looked unstoppable, like a team on a mission, during the playoffs (including an 108 point performance in the district final). Clark's momentum might keep them close early but the prolonged pressure of Taft should wear them down eventually.
  • Prediction: Taft takes control again and gets the win.

Regional Semi-Final winners will all play again over the weekend (D1 on Friday, D2 and D3 on Saturday) to earn their respective Regional Championships, and a spot in next weekend's State Championships. Check back into CPHR each day for results and on Friday morning for a full preview of the Regional Finals.

Saturday Division I District Title Results:

Withrow Tigers

Another great day for the city of Cincinnati as our teams swept Dayton, 4-0, in some intense district final action. The final game of the day pitted two Cincy teams against each other for the right to advance to the Columbus regional. Who were the five teams that cut the nets down tonight? 
Pictures from all 5 games.

• Withrow 80 Troy 70: The Tigers got things going offensively from the opening tip as Kevin Jones came out knocking down jumpers, Aaron Thomas was getting whatever he wanted, and Devin Williams was abusing his man down low. Withrow led by seven points at the end of the third quarter and seemed to be in control, until Troy senior wing Lance Carter (who scored a game high 27 points) got hot and kept Troy in the game. Withrow just simply had too much firepower for the Trojans to keep up with however. Withrow is playing extremely well right now and if Devin Williams continues to knock down mid-range jumpers they will be very tough to beat. For the game Thomas finished with 25 points, Williams 23, Jones 15, and Carl Porter added 7 points and 10 rebounds. CPHR was also impressed with the clutch play of junior guard Kendall Beamon, who hit two big jumpers, and the activity of junior forward Tyler Jordan; both of these players helped the Tigers advance to Wednesday's regional semi-final at Cintas. 

• 

  Moeller Crusaders

  Moeller 60 Trotwood-Madison 52: As CPHR predicted, this game was very physical and emotional from the tip until the clock read all zero's. Moeller raced out to an 11 point half time lead mainly behind the play of sophomore wing Josh Davenport, who had 15 points at the half. Trotwood stayed close in the second half as junior forward Bam Bradley was a force down low; Bradley finished with 16 points and 11 boards for the Rams. Trotwood got as close as 4, with the ball, with just 70 seconds remaining (after 6 consecutive missed Moeller FT's), but then Moeller got Charlie Byers the ball. Chuck went 6/6 from the line over the final :30 seconds to keep Moeller ahead by a semi-comfortable margin. For the game Byers led the Crusaders with 18 points while Davenport added on 17 and 10 rebounds. Alex Barlow scored 9 points for Moeller and made several key hustle plays down the stretch, Ben Galemmo scored 8 (including two huge second half three balls), and Cody Wacker chipped in 7 to aid Moeller. The Crusaders advance to the regional semi's to face Withrow on Wednesday night at Cintas. 

• 

  Winton Woods Warriors

  Winton Woods 80 Huber Heights Wayne 76 (2OT): This game had a lot of hype swirling around it and it did not disappoint for a single second. Another physical game that was nip and tuck from wire to wire. At the end of the third quarter, with Semaj Christon having missed almost the entire game with foul trouble, Winton Woods was clinging to a narrow five point lead and then things got really interesting. Both teams traded blows, and made free throws, until a layup by Travis Trice with 6 seconds remaining sent the game into its first overtime. In the ovetime Trice and Winton Wood's Dennis Thomas traded multiple baskets until a Thomas free throw with 8 seconds left forced double overtime. Winton Woods was able to pull a head for good when Trice was called for charging, with his team already trailing, with just 22 seconds left. Winton Woods went on to make enough free throws to earn the district title in an instant classic that fans will be talking about for years and years. Trice was absolutely outstanding in this game, CPHR can't wait to see what he will be able to do next year in a Michigan State uniform. Trice his shot after shot from everywhere on the court and finished with a game high 38 points in his last Wayne game. Winton Woods was led by the 25 points of Dennis Thomas, the 23 points of Dion Dearmond (who carried them while Semaj was in foul trouble), and the 13 points (in limited minutes) of Semaj Christon. CPHR would also like to recognize the defensive play of Mark Ellison and Thomas Owens who both showed tremendous poise down the stretch. Winton Woods advances to play in the second of the Cintas Center's regional semi-finals on Wednesday.

• 

  LaSalle Lancers

  LaSalle 60 Meadowdale 41: Talk about an emotional game! With the Lancers playing without their beloved coach, who is recovering from a heart attack, no one knew what type of performance to expect. But, the Lancers were able to dig deep and pull off a gutsy performance in the face of adversity. LaSalle raced out to a double digit lead after the first and never looked back, as Meadowdale never got closer then 12 in the fourth quarter. Brandon Neel really brought a lot of energy to the floor tonight and was effective attacking the rim as he led LaSalle with 18 points. Josh Lemons scored 13 points, with 8 rebounds, in the win and Trey Casey hit some key shots and finished with 12 points. Forwards Matt Woeste (7 points) and Ryan Fleming (6 points) also played a key role in the LaSalle win. CPHR would like to recognize the courageousness of Ryan Fleming, who was hit the hardest by the absence of the coach, as it is his father, and still turned in a great effort for the night. The LaSalle student section and members of the community were in tears as the Lancers cut the nets down for their second straight, and definitely most meaningful, district title. LaSalle will play again on Wednesday night against Winton Woods at Cintas in the regional semi-final.
  

  

  Lakota East Thunderhawks

• Lakota East 48 Princeton 36: The unfortunate thing about the fifth, and final, game on Saturday at Dayton was that a Cincinnati team had to lose. The really unfortunate thing for Princeton fans is that it was them, it seems like this year East really has their number (this was the Vikings third close loss to East this season). In a game in which the two teams knew each other so well that both teams got off to slow starts offensively until the mid second when guards from each side started to heat up. The score was 30-29 in favor of East heading into the fourth, and then Princeton just lost control of their offensive flow. RJ Leppert (15 points), Jalen Goodwin (12 points), and Mike Boyd (6 points and 4 dimes) all made several key plays down the stretch to seal the deal for the Thunderhawks. The other bright spot for East was the interior play of undersized senior forward Brian Evans, who manhandled Viking players inside, and seemed to grab every big rebound. Princeton, who had won three consecutive district titles before tonight, was led by the 10 points of Malcolm Smith and the strong play of sophomore point guard Dorian Jordan. Lakota East advances to play Westerville South at the Columbus Fairgrounds in the Columbus regional semi-final on Thursday night. 

Friday Division IV District Final Results:

Cincinnati, for the first time in seven years, is officially eliminated from the D-IV playoffs before the start of regional play. Both Lockland and Seven Hills fell tonight to very good teams, here's a look at how it all went down......

• Houston 62 Lockland 56: After getting off to a slow start, the Panthers trailed 15-1, Lockland came back to take the lead mid-way through the third quarter but couldn't make enough plays in the fourth quarter to win. Sophomore guards DJ Wingfield and Dylan Wedlock were the most consistent offense for the Panthers, both were able to slash effectively and score in the paint. Wedlock scored 18 points and Wingfield added on 13 in the loss. This was the first time in the last 7 years that Lockland did not capture the division IV district title in Dayton. 

• Dayton Jefferson 55 Seven Hills 30: Senior forward Miles Hill led the Stingers with 11 points. Jefferson has long been considered the favorite to come out the Kettering region and make the final four, they showed why they are getting so much hype tonight with a dominating performance. 

Thursday DIII District Final Scores:

Great night for Cincinnati basketball as our teams went 3-0, cutting down the nets in all three district final games at UD Arena. All three of these teams will be back in action Wednesday night in the regionals. 

• Summit 54 Jamestown Greenview 36: The Silver Knights wore down the bigger, but slower, Greenview team in the second half, propelling them to a blowout victory.. Kevin Johnson led Summit with 17 points, freshman PG Antonio Woods scored 11, and senior forward Ryan Glass added 14 points. Summit advances to play in their second regional semi-final in three years, which will be played Wednesday night at Kettering Fairmont. 

• Taft 108 Waynesville 75: Jalean Lowe caught fire for Taft going 5-6 from three on route to 19 points to lead the Senators as they torched the nets all game long. Dwayne Stanford scored 18 points, Adolphus Washington scored 17 points with 11 rebounds, Marquez Johnson scored 16 points, and Orlando Berry Jr added 11 points in the win. Taft advances to play Clark in the regional semi-final on Wednesday at Kettering Fairmont. 

• Clark 78 Versailles 68: Max Hasell's three pointer at the buzzer capped the Cougar comeback and forced overtime. In overtime it was all Clark as they kept the momentum and broke the game open. Al Upshaw led Clark with 22 points while Hasell added 16 (including 5 three pointers). Paul Woodson led the Cougars on the glass with 10 boards. Clark will play Taft in the regional semi-final on Wednesday night at Kettering Fairmont. 

Wednesday's DII District Final Scores:

Only one Cincinnati team remains in the tournament as North College Hill falls to Thurgood Marshall and Roger Bacon blows out St. Paris Graham Local. It's on to the regionals for Bacon as they are now two wins away from representing Cincy at the state final four........

• Thurgood Marshall 50 North College Hill 42: After trailing by as many 15 in the third quarter the Trojans mounted a comeback and got within two points midway through the fourth, but they couldn't get over the hump and get the win. Senior forward Vincent Edwards posted 17 points and 19 rebounds in the loss for NCH. Thurgood was led by Jordan Watson's 17 points, they will meet Dayton Dunbar on Thursday at Kettering Fairmount in the regional semi-final. 

• Roger Bacon 59 St. Paris Graham Local 29: A dominating win by the Spartans to give them the district title. The Spartans used their athleticism advantage and pressure defense to smother their opponents. Paul Byrd, a senior PG, led the way with 13 points while senior SF JaBriel Coaston and senior SG Gavin Schumann each had 10 in the win. Roger Bacon advances to play in the regional semi-final on Thursday at Kettering Fairmount. 

All-City Team

Here's a look at who was the best of the best in Cincinnati high school ball this season. CPHR looked at stats, importance to their team, team success, and the ability to put up unforgettable performances when putting this list together. The '10-'11 season has been a memorable one, here is a take at the All-City squad.

CPHR's 2010-2011 All-City Team:

First Team

• Semaj Christon- Senior PG Winton Woods 

  

  Semaj Christon, of Winton Woods, our "Player of the Year".

  *** Player of the Year ***

• Aaron Thomas- Senior SG Withrow
• Josh Lemons- Junior PG LaSalle
• Adolphus Washington- Junior PF Taft
• Geovonie McKnight- Junior SG Middletown

Second Team

• Mike Boyd- Senior PG Lakota East
• Orlando Berry Jr.- Junior PG Taft
• Charlie Byers- Senior PG Moeller
• Carl Porter- Senior SF Withrow

• 

  Aaron Thomas, of Withrow, had another terrific season.

  Jared Bryant- Senior PF Roger Bacon

Third Team 

• Keevin Tyus- Junior SF West High 
• Kevin Johnson- Sophomore PG Summit
• Jalen Billups- Senior PF Shroder
• Brandon Neel- Senior SG LaSalle
• Trent Donald- Sophomore PF Woodward

LaSalle junior PG Josh Lemons

Honorable Mention: Zach McCormick- Freshman SG Wilmington, Ulysses Thomas- Senior SG Princeton, JaBriel Coaston- Senior SF Roger Bacon, Paul Byrd- Senior PG Roger Bacon, Alex Barlow- Senior PG Moeller, Ben Galemmo- Junior SG Moeller, Ryan Fleming- Senior SF LaSalle, Cameron Lee- Senior SF Lakota East, Kirby Wright- Senior PF Middletown, Monty Boykins- Sophomore SG Lakota West, Willy Moore- Junior SG Aiken, Austin Grimes- Sophomore SF Aiken, Lionel “Bubba” Hill- Junior PG West High, Dwayne Stanford- Junior PF Taft, Kadeem Palmer- Junior PG Taft, Devin Williams- Sophomore PF Withrow, Miles Hill- Senior SF Seven Hills, Brian Carden- Senior SF Mason, Greg Sevilla- Senior SF North College Hill, Melvin Hunter- Senior SG Northwest, Isiah Johnson- Sophomore C Walnut Hills, Dennis Thomas- Senior SG Winton Woods, Sean Duggan- Senior SF St. Xavier, Drew Hall- Junior SG McNicholas, JD Sprague- Junior PG Mason, Paul Woodson- Junior PF Clark, Deontez McGee- Junior SG Norwood, Terry Cook- Sophomore SG Hughes, Bryan Porter- Sophomore SG Colerain, Malcom Smith- Junior SG Princeton 

District Finals Preview

As the playoffs move up to Dayton the action gets more and more intense. CPHR is hoping our boys can take care of business and come back for regional play. Some very intriguing matchups highlight this schedule including a third game between Lakota East and Princeton as well as Winton Woods getting a chance to upset Huber Heights Wayne. Can Withrow, Moeller, and LaSalle do what needs to be done to get the win in their games? Also, CPHR would like to recognize the small but mighty Miami Valley Conference who has 5 teams (North College Hill, Summit, Clark, Lockland, and Seven Hills) playing in district final games this week.

Division I

• Withrow vs Troy: Saturday @ UD 11:00- Troy finished second in their division and is now 16-6 heading into this game. They are led by senior SG Lance Carter's 18 points a game. Withrow will be the favorite in this one as long as they can control the tempo like they did in the second half against Mason.
  • Prediction: Withrow gets it done.
• Moeller vs Trotwood Madison: Saturday @ UD 2:00- Trotwood is 18-5 on the year, with four of those losses coming to AP ranked Ohio teams. They are led by junior point guard Andre Yates who averages 15 points a game. Moeller needs to recover from their close-call win over Fairfield but they will be the favorites in this one.
  • Prediction: Should be a really physical game in which Moeller wears Trotwood down and gets the win.
• Winton Woods vs Huber Heights Wayne: Saturday @ UD 3:45- HHW is one of Ohio's top teams, only losing one game so far (to Lakota East in December). They are led by Michigan State signee Travis Trice, their PG, who averages 24 points per game while senior SF Markus Crider (a Providence signee) gives them an inside-outside presence with averages of 14 points and 11 rebounds. Winton Woods is playing really well this year and has a chance at the upset but Wayne will be the favorite.
  • Prediction: Winton Woods run comes to an end, Wayne gets the win in a close game.
• LaSalle vs Meadowdale: Saturday @ UD 7:00 - Meadowdale is 14-8 on the season and led by wing Rich Weaver and guard Nick Thornton. They have had a good year so far but it does not look like they will match up well with LaSalle's style of play.
  • Prediction: LaSalle makes it back to Cincy for the regionals.
• Lakota East vs Princeton: Saturday @ UD 8:45- By far the most difficult district game to predict. East has been great all year with only 1 loss, and has found ways to win close games time after time. Princeton has lost to East twice already, but they had opportunities to get the win both times. Princeton has looked very impressive over the last few games of the regular season and the sectional rounds. It is never easy to beat a team three times in one season, Princeton players have to be really excited for this opportunity.
  • Prediction: CPHR took Lakota East each of the first two times these teams met and that held true, so why change now? Lakota East wins another very, very close rivalry game.

Division II

• North College Hill vs Thurgood Marshall: Wednesday @ UD 5:30- Thurgood has only lost 5 games all year, two of which were to powerhouse Dayton Dunbar. Marshall also posted a blowout win over Withrow only a month ago. They are led by forward Joe Thomasson and guard Jordan Watson. They should be favored to come out of the region and advance to Columbus with their talent, depth, athleticism being too much for NCH to handle.
  • Prediction: NCH puts up a fight but Thurgood gets the win.
• Roger Bacon vs St. Paris Graham Local: Wednesday @ UD 9:00- St. Paris made the district final by upsetting heavily favored Bellefontaine in the sectional title game. They have only lost 5 games on the year and went undefeated in their league. Despite all that, Roger Bacon does appear to be favored in this game.
  • Prediction: Roger Bacon gets the win.

Division III

• Summit vs Jamestown Greenview: Thursday @ UD 5:30- Greenview upset AP ranked Miami East in the sectional final and has teetered on the verge of the rankings all season long. This should be an even match up of talent but not styles. If Summit can control the paint against the bigger Greenview players, like they did against Shroder, then this game should be theirs to win.
  • Prediction: Summit
• Taft vs Waynesville: Thursday @ UD 7:00- Another team that shouldn't pose too much of a threat to the Senators, especially given the way that they are playing right now.
  • Prediction: Taft in another blowout.
• Clark vs Versailles: Thursday @ UD 8:30- Clark is having its finest season in memory and playing with a real swagger. They're probably slight underdogs in this game and they're certainly comfortable playing that role, as they did in their win over Reading.
  • Prediction: Clark finds a way to get it done using their athleticism advantage.

Division IV

• Lockland vs Houston: Friday @ UD 7:00- Houston upset heavily favored Fort Loramie to reach this matchup with the Panthers, who simply own UD Arena; they've won the last 6 district titles. DJ Wingfield, Dylan Wedlock and the rest of the team don't want to be the ones to let that streak come to an end.
  • Prediction: Lockland
• Seven Hills vs Dayton Jefferson: Friday @ UD 8:30- No one has gotten more out of less this season then Seven Hills coach Willy Hill, but, he will have his work cut out for him against Jefferson who is ranked #1 in the state and is the favorite to take home the title. Max Davis, Miles Hill and company will have to be on fire to keep the Stingers in this one.
  • Prediction: Jefferson overpowers Seven Hills.    

Exclusive Interview- Semaj Christon

CPHR recently had the opportunity to sit down with Winton Woods senior Semaj Christon. Christon, a 6-3 PG, discussed his improved recruiting stock, his senior season, what he is doing to take his game to an even higher level, and much more. After their sectional final win over Middletown it looks like Winton Woods could make a long run in the tournament. This will be the first in a series of exclusive interviews, keep checking in as we talk to more of the city's top young players.

Thanks to Reggie Revels for his help in production and to Isaiah Revels for doing the filming and video editing. To see more of Isaiah's videos go to YouTube and search "Workout Nation TV".

Saturday Results- Division I & II Sectional Finals

A day of near upsets highlights today's scores. Fairfield, Aiken, and St. Xavier all had a chance to pull off an upset but none of them could finish the job. Here's a look at who will be advancing to district play next week, as always CPHR will have a full preview coming soon. CPHR would also like to mention that every team that won a sectional final game was predicted to win by this site, so keep checking in for all the high school hoops action. Pics from the games at XU.

Carl Porter posted a great stat line for Withrow tonight.

Note: Our exclusive interview with Semaj Christon is being re-edited to add on more of the questions and some effects. That interview will be re-posted in its entirety tomorrow.

• Moeller 51 Fairfield 45: The Indians looked poised to pull an upset when they led at the half and then regained the lead with 2 minutes remaining on a three pointer from Devon Barlow; but Charlie Byers thought otherwise. Byers went in the post and was dominant, while also converting his free throws, and Moeller held on to win a close and intense contest. Byers, who put the Crusaders up for good at the line with :45 remaining, scored 19 points and Josh Davenport added 8. Fairfield was led by Devon Barlow, Marcus Jones, and Brandon Murphy who all scored 9 points. CPHR would like to commend the energetic and enthusiastic play of Fairfield and recognize coach Tim Austin for a doing a great job in his first season at the helm.
• Lakota East 45 St. Xavier 32: The Bomb squad was able to hang around through three quarters, the game was tied at 26 after three, but East just had too much depth for them to get a upset win. The fourth quarter play of Cameron Lee and Jalen Goodwin, along with Mike Boyd was exceptional tonight as East advanced to the district final round. Lee and Goodwin each scored 10 points while Boyd added 7. X was led by Sean Duggan's 10 points. 

• 

  Brandon Neel scored a game high 24 points against Aiken.

  Withrow 51 Mason 46: The Tigers out-rebounded Mason by 22 en route to the win in which they initially trailed 12-0. Withrow looked to have control of the game until 5 quick points from Mason left the score at 33-32 Withrow entering the fourth. The fourth quarter was all Withrow however as their switch from a laid back zone to a pressuring defense changed the game. Aaron Thomas and Carl Porter were excellent tonight for Withrow. Thomas scored 18 while Porter totaled 20 points, 7 boards, 5 blocks, and 3 steals. Devin Williams added 6 points and 13 rebounds for Withrow. Mason got 14 points from Mike Van Kleinnen, 12 from JD Sprague, and Ethan King added 7 points and 7 dimes.
• LaSalle 72 Aiken 56: The Lancers blew the game wide open in the second half thanks to their signature pressure defense and fast paced offense. Brandon Neel was unstoppable tonight, he scored 24 points, grabbed 5 boards, and had 5 assists. Josh Lemons scored 16 points for LaSalle while Ryan Fleming and Trey Casey each added 12. Aiken was led by Austin Grimes who scored 17 points, Keron Hicks scored 12, Femi Thompson 10, and Landen Gaulden 9. 

• 

  East couldn't have won without the 4th quarter play of Cam Lee.

  Winton Woods 63 Middletown 42: Semaj Christon totaled 6 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 7 steals in the blowout win. A 13-2 run in the second quarter busted this game, which was considered to be the the most intriguing of all today's contests, wide open for good. Mark Ellison led Winton Woods with 18 points and 8 boards and Dion Dearmond added on 12 points. Middletown was led by Zach Edwards' 11 points in the disappointing loss.
• Princeton 52 Elder 38: Malcom Smith scored 20 points off the bench to lead the Vikings who jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Lionel Hill added 9 points and Dorian Jordan 8 for Princeton. Corey Cason and Alex Viox each scored 10 points for Elder.
• Roger Bacon 72 Finneytown 62: Jared Bryant led the Spartans with 27 points and 11 rebounds while Gavin Schumann added on 22 points in the win.
• North College Hill 40 McNicholas 37

Friday Results- Division III Sectional Championships

The first game at XU was a nail-biter between Summit and Shroder, one in which the Silver Knights earned the right to go to UD Arena next week at districts. As predicted, Taft took care of business in game two. In the third game, both teams played even the first half and then in the second it was all Clark as they helped the MVC finish 2-0 for the day. The three winners will all play next Thursday night at UD Arena.
  Pictures from all three games

Summit freshman PG Antonio Woods 

• Summit 33 Shroder 32: The Jaguars controlled this game throughout the first 31 minutes but then the Knights took advantage of a few Shroder mishaps to steal a win. After a Kevin Johnson three point play tied the game with less then a minute left Shroder turned the ball over. Summit went down and Jack Gustafson was able to get to the foul line and put Summit up by 1 with six seconds remaining. Shroder was then unable to get a shot off before the final horn and Summit held on for the win. Kevin Johnson and Ryan Glass each led Summit with 8 points while Jack Gustafson added 5 points and 13 rebounds. Freshman PG Antonio Woods was extremely productive tonight, Woods played all 32 minutes and finished with 5 points, 4 assists, and no turnovers. Shroder was led by Ladell Griffin's 9 points, Jalen Billups' 8, and Kairo Cannon scored 7.  
• Taft 78 Clinton Massie 42: An early run, one of the best dunks that CPHR has even seen (Dwayne Stanford off of a baseline out of bounds lob), and 13 different Taft players scoring were the highlights of yet another Senator blowout. Jalean Lowe led Taft with 13 points, Jermaine Freeman scored 12, while Adolphus Washington and Dwayne Stanford each added 10. 
• Clark 47 Reading 32: Paul Woodson led Clark with 12 points and 12 boards. The Cougars broke open the game in the second half with their pressure defense and fast paced offense. CPHR was really impressed with Reading freshman PF Devin Pike, who already stands 6-5, and freshman PG Cole Cloud. Both have been well coached and play with nice poise to match their skills and athletic abilities. 

Weekend Sectional Final Preview:

A great weekend for HS hoops fans, including a tough decision to be made Saturday evening between the Middletown-Winton Woods and Mason-Withrow games. Check back in often as CPHR will have full coverage of who will be heading up to Dayton for district play.

Friday:

• Summit vs Shroder: 5:30 @ XU- Two very talented D3 teams will be leaving it all on the court in this one, both teams are very familiar with each other and bragging rights will be on the line. The key for Summit will be slowing down Jalen Billups' production around the basket. Shroder will need to focus on not letting Summit's shooters have open looks and on stopping Kevin Johnson in transition.
  • Prediction: Could easily go either way but CPHR is going to take Summit.
• Taft vs Clinton Massie: 7:00 @ XU- The first two teams couldn't test Taft, nothing will change here.
  • Prediction: Taft by at least thirty.
• Clark vs Reading: 8:30 @ XU- Just like the first game this one is an interesting meeting of two evenly matched teams. Clark's up and down style that focuses on pressure will clash with the more traditional Reading style.
  • Prediction: Clark wins a close game.

Saturday:

• Winton Woods vs Middletown: 6:30 @ UC- Semaj Christon vs Geovonie McKnight, that should be enough said right there; with college coaches from UC, Georgetown, West Virginia, and more expected to be in attendance this one has all the hype of a heavyweight prize fight. Dennis Thomas, Dion Dearmond, Thomas Owens and the rest of the Warrior supporting cast facing off against Kirby Wright, Vince Edwards, Mikey Brown, Josh Johnson, and the rest of the Middies should make for some exciting basketball as well. The key to this game will be the Warriors ability to control pace and not let the bigger Middie squad control the paint. If Christon continues to play like he has been playing and Dennis Thomas knocks down shots it will be hard for McKnight and the Middies to put up enough points to get this win. But, if Kirby Wright and Vince Edwards can establish themselves down low then Winton Woods lack of interior depth might get exposed.
  • Prediction: Not sure which way to lean on this one. The last time that one of these teams lost was January 21^st. Middletown has looked very vulnerable in their two tourney games while Winton Woods looked excellent against Lakota West on Wednesday. So, Winton Woods appears to be slight favorites and that's who CPHR is picking, but it's a real toss up.
• Elder vs Princeton: 8:00 @ UC- GCL South teams are always tough to eliminate come tourney time but Princeton is playing very well, especially in their first tournament game against West High. The Vikings just have too much athleticism, depth, and talent for Elder to deal with.
  • Prediction: Elder will find a way to stick around but Princeton wins by about 10.
• Moeller vs Fairfield: 3:00 @ Cintas- Who would've thought that Fairfield would be playing in a sectional final game? Well, after wins over Glen Este and Turpin the Indians have earned that right. Their prize? Moeller, a team with only two losses all season. The Crusaders looked good on Tuesday, finally rebounding from their brief skid, and are trying to get to clicking on all cylinders again before district play. Look for this to be a similar result for Moeller.
  • Prediction: Moeller wins big.
• St. Xavier vs Lakota East: 4:30 @ Cintas- The Bomb Squad has floated under the radar as a really solid team this season, and they're no stranger to state ranked opponents (they played Moeller and LaSalle twice). East has been dominant all year, only losing one game, and has blown out both of their tourney opponents so far. X might be good but they probably don't have enough to take down the Thunderhawks.
  • Prediction: Lakota East wins.
• Withrow vs Mason: 6:00 @ Cintas- Another game that everyone has been talking about. Two totally different styles here as Mason is very deliberate in their attack while Withrow plays as fast as they can with the ball. The sharpshooters of Mason will need to be on their mark and Mason will have to contain Withrow's great athletes. Withrow will need to stay disciplined on both ends of the court and limit their turnovers and bad shots to win. This could be one of those games where Aaron Thomas turns in a special performance.
  • Prediction: Should be a good game with Withrow getting the win.
• Aiken vs LaSalle: 7:30 @ Cintas- LaSalle is playing as well as anyone in the state, while Aiken has been up and down all season long. But, the Falcons do have the talent on the perimeter and the big game experience to match LaSalle. The Lancers are major favorites but if Aiken can get hot early then they could give LaSalle quite a scare or maybe even pull an upset.
  • Prediction: Aiken hangs around for a while but LaSalle gets the win.

• North College Hill vs McNicholas: 6:00 @ Mason- The Trojans handled their business on Tuesday against Indian Hill and now will focus on doing the same against McNick.
  • Prediction: NCH cruises.
• Roger Bacon vs Finneytown: 7:30 @ Mason- Finneytown has had a very successful season but Roger Bacon is playing excellent basketball right now.
  • Prediction: Roger Bacon.

Wednesday Sectional Semi-Final Results:

Lots of blowouts tonight from the top teams as they tune up for this weekend's sectional finals: Photos

• 

  Malcom Smith was Princeton's leading scorer tonight.

  Princeton 68 West High 47: Huge statement made by the Vikings in a game that was never close, and they did it with their top scorer, Ulysses Thomas, sidelined with an injury. Malcom Smith and Marcus Monterio were both hot tonight as Smith scored 15 points and Monterio 11. Lionel Hill was very productive attacking the basket and added 13 points, Deion Isham scored 9, Jay McCants 8, and Dorian Jordan totaled 5 points and 7 assists in one of his better games. West High was led by Keevin Tyus' 14 points and Darrell Bullock's 12 in a disappointing loss. Princeton advances to play Elder on Saturday at UC. 
• St. Xavier 50 Loveland 20: Freshman Roderick Mills, who scored 7 points, was extremely impressive in the first varsity game that CPHR has had a chance to see him play. Mills showed a good understanding of when to pick his spots to attack in St. Xavier's disciplined offense and was active on the glass as well. Once he gains strength and adds a little more to his ball skills the sky is the limit for this young player.

• 

  6'6 Freshman wing Roderick Mills has a bright future at St. X

  Aiken 62 Little Miami 44: Austin Grimes scored 12, Willy Moore 11, Gene Primus 11, and Landen Gaulden 9 to lead Aiken who advances to play LaSalle on Saturday at XU. 
• Lakota East 72 Hughes 26: Mark Minch scored 15 and Mike Boyd 13 as East cruised. East advances to play St. Xavier on Saturday at XU.
• Elder 49 Colerain 48: Corey Cason led the Panthers with 13 points in the win. Elder advances to play Princeton at UC on Saturday.
• LaSalle 87 Amelia 30: Brandon Neel led LaSalle with 21 points and 13 boards. The Lancers advance to play Aiken on Saturday at XU.
• Roger Bacon 95 New Richmond 33: In the win JaBriel Coaston scored 18 points, Gavin Schumann 15, Jared Bryant 14, and Paul Byrd 8.The Spartans advance to play Finneytown at Mason on Saturday.
• Reading 44 Badin 26: The Blue Devils advance to play Clark on Friday at XU.
• Summit 68 Williamsburg 43: Kevin Johnson was the leading scorer for Summit with 22 points in the blowout win. The Knights advance to play Shroder on Friday at XU.
• Shroder 58 Felicity 28: The Jaguars advance to play Summit at XU on Friday.
• Clark 71 Ripley 45: The Cougars advance to play Reading on Friday at XU.
• Finneytown 80 Clermont NE 62: The Wildcats advance to play Roger Bacon on Saturday at Mason.

Tuesday Tourney Scores:

Sterling Gilmore

Another exciting night of tournament play, highlighted by the action at Princeton HS: Photos 

• Middletown 55 Walnut Hills 44: Intense game that was closer then the score indicates. The Middies survived a scare from the upset minded Eagles of Walnut Hills. Walnut has a lot of talent but many of their top players are young, and their leader Alex McGlothin missed almost the whole year with an injury. Geovonie McKnight was not feeling his jumper tonight so he did what great players do, find a way to contribute somewhere else. McKnight was active on defense, scored 3 times off of offensive rebounds, and passed the ball exceptionally well. He led the way with 17 points while senior sharpshooter Mike Brown added 14. Vince Edwards had another strong night for the Middies scoring 7 points and grabbing 9 rebounds. Walnut Hills was led by sophomore guard Sterling Gilmore's 10 points and also got 8 points from sophomore center Isiah Johnson. Johnson is a wide body down low that really played physical tonight and also possesses a soft touch to compliment his great strength. The Middies next game will be against Winton Woods at UC on Saturday night.

• 

  Semaj Christon

  Winton Woods 79 Lakota West 42: With college coaches from Georgetown and Iowa in the building to watch, Semaj Christon made sure not to disappoint. Semaj was electric in the first quarter, the only competitive stretch of this game, getting into the paint and wreaking havoc on the defense with buckets and assists. Semaj finished with 18 points and 6 assists for the night. Winton Woods was led by Dion Dearmond, who scored 21 points, and Dennis Thomas' 18. Winton Woods will play Saturday night against Middletown at UC. 
• Mason 43 Anderson 33: Brian Carden led the way with 14 points in the win. The Comets advance to face Withrow on Saturday at XU.
• Withrow 48 Harrison 35: Aaron Thomas led Withrow with 24 points, on 9-11 shooting, and 10 rebounds in the win. The Tigers will play Mason Saturday night at XU.
• Fairfield 52 Turpin 41: The Indians advance to play Moeller at XU on Saturday.
• Moeller 62 Oak Hills 33: Charlie Byers and Alex Barlow each scored 11 points while sophomore wing Josh Davenport added 8 in the win. The Crusaders will play Fairfield on Saturday at XU.
• North College Hill 65 Indian Hill 54: Jalen Render led NCH with 20 points in the win. The Trojans will play McNicholas at Mason on Saturday.
• Taft 98 Deer Park 25: Senior forward Glen Gilliam had a career night with 14 points and 9 rebounds off the bench as Taft cruised. The Senators will next play on Friday night at XU against Clinton-Massie. 

Tuesday/Wednesday Tournament Preview

The tourney is about to heat up to another level, these mid-week games will determine the weekend's showdowns:

Tuesday:

• Walnut Hills vs Middletown: @ Princeton 6:00
• Winton Woods vs Lakota West: @ Princeton 7:30
• Mason vs Anderson: @ Fairfield 6:30
• Withrow vs Harrison: @ Fairfield 8:00

• 

  Darrell Bullock has West High thinking upset on Wednesday.

  Turpin vs Fairfield: @ Lakota West 6:30
• Moeller vs Oak Hills: @ Lakota West 8:00
• North College Hill vs Indian Hill: @ Mason 6:00
• Deer Park vs Taft: @ Turpin 8:00

Wednesday:

• St. Xavier vs Loveland: @ Lakota West 6:30
• Princeton vs West High: @ Lakota West 8:00- CPHR is putting the Vikings on upset alert in this one. Admittedly, the Mustangs did not look good in their first playoff game, an overtime buzzer beater win over a depleted Northwest squad. But, West High does have the tools to pull this upset; they can match the depth, talent level, size, and athleticism of Princeton and have a level of intensity and toughness that the Vikings will have to rise to. Princeton is the favorite and will probably get the win, but an upset would not be that big of a shocker.
  • Prediction: Princeton survives a scare, barely.
• Elder vs Colerain: @ Princeton 6:30
• Hughes vs Lakota East: @ Princeton 8:00
• Aiken vs Little Miami: @ Fairfield 6:30
• Amelia vs LaSalle: @ Fairfield 8:00
• Clark vs Ripley: @ Monroe 6:30
• Reading vs Badin: @ Monroe 8:00
• Summit vs Williamsburg: @ Western Brown 6:30
• Shroder vs Felicity: @ Western Brown 8:00
• New Richmond vs Roger Bacon: @ Mason 6:00
• Finneytown vs Clermont NE: @ Mason 7:30

Saturday Tourney Results:

• 

  Bryan Porter led Colerain to a comeback
  win to keep the Cardinal's season alive.

  Roger Bacon 92 Batavia 35: Jared Bryant led Bacon with 23 points while JaBriel Coaston added 17 points and 9 boards in the win. Bacon advances to play New Richmond on Wednesday.
• Clermont NE 54 Wyoming 49: CNE will play Finneytown on Wednesday night.
• Finneytown 71 Taylor 44: Finneytown will play CNE on Wednesday night.
• LaSalle 81 Mt. Healthy 50: Ryan Fleming led LaSalle with 15 points in the win.
  The Lancers advance to play Amelia on Wednesday.
• Middletown 72 Woodward 62: The Middies pulled away in the fourth behind the strong play of freshman forward Vince Edwards who scored 19. Geovonie McKnight and Kirby Wright each added 15 points for the Middies. Trent Donald scored 27 points and grabbed 13 boards in the loss for Woodward. Middletown advances to play Walnut Hills on Tuesday.

• 

  Ramar Hairston did everything he could tonight,
  but West High pulled off the win on a OT buzzer beater. 

  Lakota West 59 Kings 57: The Firebirds just managed to hold on to their lead and squeaked out a win behind the superb shooting of sophomore guard Ali Barnes who scored 22. West will now play Winton Woods on Tuesday night.
• Colerain 66 Milford 53: After trailing by 8 at the break the Cardinals dominated the second half, led by Bryan Porter who scored 22 points. The Cards also got strong play from freshman forward Treyvon Hudson, who logged the most minutes of his young career tonight. Colerain advances to meet Elder on Wednesday night.
• West High 81 Northwest 78:  Randon Clark hit a three pointer with one second remaining in overtime to break the tie and win the game. West High was led by Darrell Bullock's 22 points and Keevin Tyus' 18, both of these players stepped up after Bubba Hill went down early with an ankle injury. Northwest, forced to play without star Melvin Hunter, got 18 points from Ramar Hairston, 17 from Allen Thompson, and 15 from Dorrell Flowers. West High will play Princeton on Wednesday.
• Lakota East 80 Talawanda 44: Mark Minch led the Thunderhawks with 14 points while Mike Boyd added 11 points and 7 assists in the win. East will play Hughes on Wednesday.
  
  
  Check back into CPHR tomorrow for a complete preview of the second round of the tournament.

Friday Tourney Results

Here's a look at who advanced on the first night of tournament play:

• Fairfield 46 Glen Este 45: A major upset in the first D1 tournament game of the season as the Indians knocked off Glen Este. Fairfield will play Turpin on Tuesday night.
• Anderson 74 Sycamore 70: Anderson will play Mason on Tuesday night.
• Indian Hill 65 Bethel Tate 55: Indian Hill will play North College Hill on Tuesday night.
• Taft 92 Purcell Marian 24: The Senators will play Deer Park on Tuesday night.
• Shroder 72 East Clinton 51: Shroder will play Felicity on Wednesday.
• McNicholas 51 Norwood 48: McNick will play Goshen on Tuesday night.
• Oak Hills 50 Hamilton 48: The Highlanders advance to play Moeller on Tuesday night.

City League Freshman Championship

Taft celebrates their title. 

The freshman league championship game of the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference had a familiar result, Taft won. In a game that changed hands several times in the last few seconds of regulation and overtime the Senators had just enough in the tank to get it done:

Taft 57 Withrow 55: Tamarik Washington's layup in traffic with 4 seconds left broke the tie in overtime to give Taft the title. Demetrius Gooch had just hit consecutive three balls with one minute left to put Withrow up by four, but two buckets by Washington and one layup from Marcus Scott were enough for Taft to claim a two point victory. Similar to the style of their varsity team it was a team scoring effort by Taft. Marcus Scott led the way with 15 points followed by Kenny Kauffman's 11. Tamarik Washington, Robert Smith, DeAndre Smith, and Devon Matthews all added a couple of buckets a piece in the win. Withrow got 10 points a piece from big man Landen Jackson, who shows a lot of promise down the road, and wing Malik Blaine. Demetrius Gooch was the game's high scorer with 21 points. Gooch single handedly kept Withrow in the game by doing all of the ball-handling and hitting several big three pointers and floaters in the lane. This game was destined to be close as these two teams split the regular season matchups, Taft's only loss, and both advanced relatively easily to the championship game. As always in the city league there was no shortage of talent as this game featured 4 of CPHR's ranked players in the '14 class (as well as an additional 5 honorable mention players).