Rams show resolve, defeat Dunbar

     In the "Rematch" between Dunbar and Trotwood, after the first half it looked as if the Wolverines would be headed towards a huge win, as they outplayed, outscrapped, and beat the Rams at their own game.

Amir Foster, Amari Davis, Torrey Patton lead Rams to big W

 
    Dunbar star Forward Terrance Landers Jr. was housing the Rams, and with freshman sensation Amari Davis in major foul trouble (3 in the 1st quarter) it looked a little shaky for the #1 seed in the Region in the Nutter Center.

   The Wolverines held a 40-32 lead at half, and was brewing with confidence, as they had shaken the Rams with a mixture of D, aggressive offense, and good coaching.

      However, midway through the 3rd quarter, the Rams D bucked up, and the offense put on a flurry (9-0 run) within a 2 minute span to turn a 7-pt deficit into a lead.
 

#1 ranked Amari Davis shoots over Chris Jackson 

The Rams never looked back, en route to winning 71-64.

   While Dunbar kept the game in striking distance until the last seconds, & had chances to seize the moment, they couldn't quite match their excellent play in the 1st half.
   The Rams were led by Combo Guards Amir Foster (16) and Torrey Patton (21), as Foster started the run with a steal and thunderous finish to ignite the Rams.

      Foster said, "We gotta win all the 50-50 hustle plays," in regards to the extra effort he displayed in his game changing play to leap and snatch the steal, break out, and 2- hand slam it down, turning up the young Rams squad, coaches, and fans.

  Patton, in the 4th was in one word - dominant.

     He willed his way to the basket, hit tough layups, floaters and free throws, & added 6 rebounds to go with 5 key steals, which helped turn the tide.

   Patton said it feels "Great" to knock off the State Semifinalists of last season.

    Trotwood knocked down 10 FTs in the 4th, (mostly by Patton) & the Rams won their biggest challenge of the season.
   

All-GWOC G Torrey Patton playing D

     They did it in a fashion that they hadn't shown before (coming from behind in some adverse conditions), and on the biggest stage of their young careers?
 
 Could be the start of something special.

   Dunbar Coach Pete Pullen was happy with his teams effort, but knows that the 3rd quarter really hurt the Wolverines, when Dunbar was outscored 17-7 and lost their offensive flow for a key stretch of the game.
 
  Trotwood will play Cincinnati Taft on Sunday at UD Arena for the D-2 Distict Championship.

 




 

 

Big Weekend for Boys hoops, Sectional Championship Matchups

This is one of the biggest weekends in high school hoops for Southwest Ohio, as a lot of really good team still have an opportunity to move forward in the OHSAA tournament.

Here are some of the biggest games for the weekend as the cream of the crop will rise up this weekend..


(1) Wayne vs Piqua -  can pick will pull off the upset of the OHSAA tournament?


(2)Trotwood vs Dunbar -  and what will be the game of the weekend can the Rams continue their incredible surge? Or will the Wolverines get some revenge after losing earlier in the season?


(3) Carroll vs Thurgood Marshall  - Can carroll continue to play gray ball and pull off the upset of a state hopeful 3rd good Marshall team?


(4) Alter vs Oakwood -  Can Oakwood continue with solid play after dismantling of Franklin team? or will alter be too strong?


(5) Springfield vs Springboro - Can the Boro continue to move further than they have in a decade? Or will the "Field" get back to the Districts like last year?


(6) Middletown vs Mason - Can  Middletown continue its strong play in the tournament? They will have to defeat the #1 seed in their bracket.


(7) Yellow Springs vs Tri - Village -  can Yellow Springs continue with magical ride against a very solid and state worthy Tri- village team?

"Rematch" set as Dunbar steamrolls Eaton, Trotwood eases past Ponitz

When Dunbar skipped going to the "3rd Bracket" it stunned the coaches, and the committee of experts, who thought that the Wolverines would take the top seed in that bracket, and meet the powerhouses later.

Toughest sectional in Southwest Ohio?

Instead, the Wolverines opted for the bracket with Trotwood.

Well, on Saturday night at the Nutter Center, the "Rematch" is in effect as both teams handled business in round 2.

   Dunbar and Trotwood now bring us the first "BigTime" tourney match up of the OHSAA Bball Tournament Season.

     Dunbar throttled Eaton 94-59 in the early game as star Forward & Purdue University bound Terrance Landers Jr. dominated with 24.
 
     Eaton played tough in the 1st quarter (down 1) but the Wolverines press and offense overwhelmed Eaton, so much so that the 2nd and 3rd quarters  the Wolverines outscored Eaton 54-35.
 

  In the 2nd game, state ranked Trotwood stormed out early (up 29-16 after 1st qtr) and often, and Ponitz was no match for the Supremely talented Rams as they won 106-59.

 Myles Belyeu, the son of former Mami Redhawk standout Scott Belyeu, dropped 28 and was the best player on the court.

    Trotwood won every quarter, and looked every bit as dominant as they did in game 1. Their defense was stifling, and the Rams offense was hitting on all cylinders.
 
 Which brings us to the matchup on Saturday.

 In the last matchup, at Dunbar, Trotwood jumped out early,  set the tone,  and held off the Wolverines for a 10-point win.
 
    Freshman sensation Amari Davis was dominant, and the Rams seemed the more aggressive & confident team.
 
  When asked why Dunbar chose the bracket with Trotwood, their answer was this;
 
We felt like we didn't play our best game vs Trotwood, and we barely lost;
We feel confident that we will put our best up against their best on a bigger platform.

 Enough said.
 
See you Saturday Night at the District Showdown.

 

Hoop4U24.com 4th Annual Rising Stars All-Star Promo (This Weekend)

This upcoming weekend  (Feb 27th,28th) most of the top Top 50 7th & 8th grade ballers (girls and boys) will be in attendance for the 4th Annual Rising Stars All-Star Games.




  The games will be held at Belmont HS, and registration will start at 9 AM on Saturday, February 27th. 

   With the best of the best attending last year, and over 80% of the Top 50 attending this year, the expectations are high, and  rising each and every year.

 

  Hoop4U24.com did a very good job last year in trying conditions, considering it was blizzard conditions, which caused the event to be postponed - twice.

  The turnout was still great, which lets you know the event is legit, and here to stay.



  Rennie Smith, the director of the event, was very pleased last year, and was also pleased with the FootballU4U.com Combine that went exceptionally well last week in Englewood, Ohio.




   There are still a few spots remaining, so register now.

   Word is they don't expect those spots to last long.




If you need more info, you can go to:




www.Hoop4u24.com       or   Call     Mr. Smith   @  248-1402










 




There are still spots available for the 4th ANNUAL Hoop4u24.com  Rising Stars All- Star Games.

HS Boys Tournament results; Trotwood, Wayne both drop 100, Ponitz upsets C-J, Dunbar cruises

Here are some of the Headlines and recap of what happened this last weekend in the 1st round of the OHSAA Bball tournament:

Wolverines guard Chris Jackson goes for 2 vs Massie

TROTWOOD  puts a 100 spot on ROSS
    Trotwood started off the OHSAA tourney with a bang, dropping a 100 spot on a overmatched Ross team. the Rams had 5 players in double figures led by All-GWOC Guard Torrey Patton who had 18.

THURGOOD smacks WAYNESVILLE
   The City League Champs handled business as they took out Waynesville 77-58. 
Thurgood was led by Evan Clayborne who had 17 & Jones who also had 17. 

CENTERVILLE  squeaks out win 

   The Elks won a tight game as Keegan Saben hit 12 huge points to lead the Elks to a 42-39 win. The score was 25-18 Centerville after 3 quarters when Fairmont made a run.

PONITZ upsets C-J 

    In one of the bigger upsets in the 1st round, Ponitz defeated State Semifinalist C-J to move on to the next round. 
Ponitz controlled the game, until the 4th, when the Eagles made a run to get back into it. Scott led the Panthers with 18. Ponitz led by 10 at half and played a strong game from start to finish. 
    Salute rookie head coach Dwayne Hansbro for his first OHSAA tournament win as a head coach.

DUNBAR cruises vs Massie
 The Wolverines came out firing and rolled to a easy 1st round win vs Massie. 
 Dunbar started the game on a 24-12 run, and never looked back, winning 87-52.
Terrance Landers Jr. led a balanced attack with 13. 


MEADOWDALE falls to OAKWOOD in final minute
  Meadowdale lost a heartbreaker to Oakwood as they couldn't seal the deal, lose late 48-47. 
  The game was tight all night long, and you knew it would be a fantastic finish. 
   The Lions had a couple chances, but couldn't finish the game. The Lions were led by J.Smith with 14. 
  

SPRINGFIELD claws past BUTLER
 The Wildcats easily handled Butler to move on to next round.


WAYNE drops 100 without star player
   Wayne had no trouble with West Carrolton, as they put up 101 against the Pirates. 
The Warriors didn't have star big man the Christian Blu Smith, as he sat out the game.



MIDDLETOWN survives Milford
  Middletown won it's 1st round opener vs Milford by a score of 38-35. 
 The game was close throughout,  but the Middies were able to make the key plays to push through.

Thurgood wins in OT, secures City League Title; Dunbar survives in OT; Wayne crusies

With everything on the line in Dayton Public Hoops last night, let's recap the City League games & see what happened:

Kent St bound Isiah Williams & Purdue bound Terrance Landers go at it

THURGOOD wins in OT, captures City title

  By the time the game was over, coach Darnell Hoskins and the Cougars was able to breathe a huge sigh of relief, as his Cougars escaped Belmont with a two-point win in overtime 52-50.

    From the jump Belmont was up in Thurgood and it was no doubt that they were going to have to fight to the end to get the win.
 

   Belmont had a two point lead in the final seconds of the game, when Darnell Hoskins Jr hit a beautiful spinning layup with 5 seconds left to push the game into overtime.
     Even in overtime, it looked as if the Bison would get it done. However, Thurgood grabbed a two-point lead, its first of the OT coming in the final moments of the game.
Belmont  missed their final attempt, and the rest was history.
The Cougar fans rejoiced, while Belmont was shocked in the defeat.
 
    Thurgood moves to 9-1 in the City, and 11-9 overall.
Belmont falls to 2-8.
But the optimism is real at Belmont, and within reason.



DUNBAR  wins in OT, survives TIGERS

      In a game that was similar to Belmont -Thurgood, Stivers stayed close all night,  and held a 6-point lead with less than 3 minutes to go, as it looked as if the Tigers would pull off the upset.

     Then the Wolverines kicked into gear, caused some turnovers, took advantage of Stivers misses at the line and pushed the game into OT.

    Both teams had a chance to win the game, but it headed to OT.

     In OT, Stivers still had a lead, but Dunbar got key baskets and at the end, Caleb McConnell caught a tipped pass from Stormi Cook and dished it to Devon Baker for a layup at the buzzer as the Wolverines won 72-70.
  The Tigers had numerous opportunities, but couldn't seal the deal.



 
MEADOWDALE knocks off PONITZ 

The Lions grabbed a 65- 53 victory over Ponitz as they roared late to get the win on Senior Night.
The game was close all night, and Ponitz held a 27-25 lead at half.
 The Lions regrouped in the 2nd half, and seemed to find their rhythm.
 So did Ponitz,  as it looked as if the Panthers Would Get Some "Getback" after losing earlier this season.
Not so fast Panthers.

Meadowdale finished on a 12-0 run to end the game, hence the final score.

  Jarvis Smith and Kameron Suber led the Lions with 14 a piece, while CJ Williams dropped 10.

    Meadowdale now moves to 6-4 in City League play, good for 3rd in the Rankings, and giving them confidence for the tourney.
  Ponitz was game all night and while Coach Hansbro, while disappointed ab out the result, like the fight his team had in em.


WAYNE  throttles FAIRMONT, now one game away

A little snow couldn't stop the WayneTrain from dismantling the Fairmont Firebirds 88-51.
 
    Initially the game was cancelled, but after reassessing the situation, feeling the weather wasnt too dire, the game was back on.

     Probably not good for the Fairmont squad,  as they were no match for the Top team in the state.
 Wayne will now play for a chance to go undefeated this weekend, and they prep for their State Championship defense.

Thurgood looks for Outright Title tonight; Belmont looks for upset; Wayne game update

Despite the snowy weather, the high school hoop scene in the City League will resume, as the City League Championship is at stake:
here's a look at each game and what it means tonight:

Can Belmont pull off biggest upset in team history?
(Pic courtesy of Marc Pendleton)

Thurgood (8-1) @ Belmont (2-7) 

 Thurgood looks to win the City League Title Outright with a win tonight. The Cougars, who defeated Dunbar 70-60 last Friday, now will try to capture the Title against a pesky Belmont team, who are playing much better under the direction of Art Winston.
The Bison do have talent, but defeating the Cougars would be a major upset and a signature win, to say the least.
 But the Bison have won 2 city league games, stopping a streak lasted over a whopping 78 games.
 Maybe the Bison football program is seeping into hoop program.
 Could the Bison pull off the huge upset?


Stivers (3-5) @ Dunbar (7-2) 

     In a game that looked better at the beginning of the season than it does now.
    Stivers hasnt had the consistency to show they are a top tier team, while Dunbar has had a subpar season by their standards, especially after losing last friday..

    However,  if the Wolverines win, and Thurgood loses, then the Wolverines will tie for the City League Championship, which,  despite an off season,  still is a major accomplishment.

   The Tigers are spearheaded by the Williams duo (Isiah and Joey) and Isiah is headed to Kent while sharpshooter Joey is the son of former hooper and now commissioner Joey Williams of Dayton, Ohio.



Ponitz Tech (1-7)  @ Meadowdale (5-4)

     In the battle between the new coaches in the city, Ponitz, coached Dwayne Hansbro is coming off a win over Clark Montessori on Sat.

     Meadowdale has had a solid season for the most part in coach Dwayne Chastain first season and the Lions could be a sleeper come tourney time.

     Last time they met, Meadowdale won, but look for a Ponitz team to battle to the end.
 


Wayne  @ Fairmont game is "ON" 
  initially I looked as if the rain Fairmont game would be off due to snowy weather, but that has changed as the game is being played tonight at Fairmont Trent arena. Game should start around 7.
  Hey, when you're in USA Today Top 20, sometimes things can happen that normally don't.
  Like a "once in a decade" type team, that everyone wants to see.

 Just sayin. Don't expect any empty seats either.


Coming up next Blog: OHSAA Tourney Pairings