The best of the boys state basketball tournament
Twelve games in three days is a lot. I’d like to say I watched every moment of every game at the state tournament at UD Arena. But no. You have to write sometime and sometimes that’s during a game you don’t have to write about.
Still, I saw plenty of thrilling games, great performances and a lot of talent at my favorite place to watch hoops.
Best games: Our local teams played in some of the best games of the weekend even though they each lost.
Chaminade Julienne opened the tournament Friday against Rocky River Lutheran West and lost 56-54. West scored late in the Division II semifinal and CJ had to throw a pass from end of the court to the other to try to win. George Washington III caught the pass and got off an open 3-pointer at the buzzer but it bounced off the rim.
Saturday night’s Division IV semifinal between Russia and Richmond Heights wasn’t close at the end, but the Raiders played inspired and were tied at 35 in the third quarter against a team built to compete in Division I. No one gave Russia a chance, but through sheer will they had one.
Friday’s Division I semifinal between Centerville and Pickerington Central was a classic battle. Both teams played well enough to win, but Central made the last shot with two seconds to go to break a tie. Tough way for Centerville to go out, but they had another great season getting to state for the third straight year.
In a Division III semifinal Saturday morning, Ottawa-Glandorf came back from 12 down to defeat Columbus Africentric in double overtime. Dailyn Swain, who is headed to Xavier, made a shot that was too late and would have won the game.
The best final on Saturday was Akron Buchtel’s two-point win over Lutheran West. Just like Africentric lost, West lost when a shot was barely late that would have sent the game to overtime.
Best performances: In the order they were played:
Lutheran West’s Jayson Levis scored 20 points in the D-II semifinal win over CJ. He made 8 of 15 shots and found a variety of ways to score.
Columbus Bishop Ready’s Charlie Russell scored 19 points and made 5 of 7 3-pointers in a D-II semifinal loss to Buchtel.
Mitch Temple scored 25 points, made 15 of 17 free throws and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Convoy Crestview to a D-IV semifinal win.
Russia’s Brayden Monnin showed no fear in taking on the long and athletic Richmond Heights lineup. He scored 20 points on 7 of 9 shooting.
Hayden Quinter was just as big for Russia with 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Colin White needed to have a big game for Ottawa-Glandorf to advance past Africentric in Division III. He had 24 points and only three turnovers while handling the ball a lot against the Nubians’ pressure and playing all 40 minutes of the double-overtime game.
Theo Maag, at 6-foot-7, was also big for O-G against Africentric with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Africentric’s Dailyn Swain almost single-handedly pushed his team through. He scored 21 points to go with 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals, and played all 40 minutes.
In the other D-III semifinal, Lutheran East’s T.J. Crumble made 11 of 15 shots and scored 23 points in a victory over Harvest Prep.
Gabe Cupps made two 3-pointers to start Centerville’s D-I semifinal loss to Pickerington Central and almost carried the Elks to victory. He scored 22 points on 7 of 9 shooting, had seven assists and made four steals.
Devin Royal scored 23 points on 9 of 14 shooting and had eight rebounds to lead Pickerington Central past Centerville.
Juwan Turner was the X factor in Central’s win against Centerville. He was 4 for 4 from 3-point range and scored 16 points.
The state tournament was a coming-out party for Akron Hoban 6-8 freshman Sam Greer. He had 12 points and 12 rebounds in a D-I semifinal win over Toledo St. John’s.
Marcel Boyce scored 18 points and made the winning free throws to lift Buchtel in the D-II final. His big day was needed when leading scorer Khoi Thurmon missed a lot of time in foul trouble.
Richmond Heights sophomore Dorian Jones set a Division IV championship game record with seven 3-pointers in 10 attempts. He scored 25 points.
Cody Head played all 32 minutes of the D-III final and led Lutheran East to the title with 19 points, five rebounds and three steals.
In the D-I final, Greer scored 12 points again and helped defend the paint against Central’s Royal.
From the outside, Hoban’s Logan Vowles was 5 of 9 from 3-point range for 17 points to lead Hoban to its first state title.
My five-man all-tournament team in no particular order (and you didn’t have to play twice):
Colin White, Ottawa-Glandorf
Sam Greer, Akron Hoban
Gabe Cupps, Centerville
Dailyn Swain, Africentric
Dorian Jones, Richmond Heights