“It’s great,” said Patriots coach Tim Cogan. “We get to go back to Dayton and play in front of a hometown crowd. I’m proud of our guys. They’ve worked very hard to get to this point. We only returned one starter from last year. We’re a young team. They’re getting better when it counts.”
Junior Sean McKitrick had 21 points and Luke Kates added 13 for the Patriots, who hit 12 3-pointers and improved to 16-9 .
Carroll advanced to face either Taylor or Roger Bacon in a D-II district final at time to be determined on Wednesday at UD Arena.
Sophomore Willizhaun Yates had 22 points and sophomore Timothy Carpenter had 19 for Trotwood-Madison, which finished 3-8.
The Patriots led 27-25 at the half, but the Rams grabbed a 41-40 lead on five straight points by Carpenter. Carroll went on a 15-6 run, grabbing a 55-47 lead at the end of the third quarter on a 3-pointer by McKitrick.
The Rams cut the lead to seven points on a 3-point play by Yates, but a dunk by Patriots junior Tanner Smart and a 3-pointer by O’Bleness extended the lead to 12 points at 64-52.
“They’re extremely quick and (Trotwood coach Rocky Rockhold) does a great job with pressure,” Cogan said. “We knew what we needed to look for and our guys made some really good decisions and some really good passes and we hit some shots.”
With no seniors, the Rams are expected to return its entire roster next season..
“If a team makes 12 (3-pointers), you’re in trouble,” Rockhold said. “We’re not really a 3-point shooting team, so we’re not going to cut that lead in big numbers. Carroll did a great job tonight. They made shots, (Cogan) had them prepared. I do think with our youth we did a good job. I’m hurt, but I’m not angry. We love this group.”
Chaminade Julienne 69, Tippecanoe 54: Senior Kylan Tucker and sophomore Jonathan Powell each scored 16 points as CJ advanced to the district finals for the third straight season.
Senior Josiah Bowman had 13 points and Luke Chandler added 11 as CJ improved to 17-7. The Eagles advanced to face either Woodward or Indian Hill in a D-II district final game at time to be determined on Wednesday at UD Arena.
“We’ve been happy with this tournament run,” said Eagles coach Charlie Szabo. “This sectional is a beast. To have to play Dunbar and then Tipp, we feel really fortunate to be going to UD. We’re playing good basketball now. Everybody is healthy. We’re going to give it our best shot.”
Credit: Name Test
Credit: Name Test
Junior Stanley Clyne scored a game-high 20 points for the Red Devils, which finished its season 18-6.
A year ago, the Eagles beat Tippecanoe in a D-II regional semifinal game.
“We knew we were going to be in a street fight,” Szabo said. “They’ve got tough kids. Last year was only going to fuel them and we knew that.”
The Eagles led 15-9 after the first quarter and took a 12-point lead at 33-21 on a four-point play by Cal Weatherspoon with a minute remaining in the first half. Tippecanoe face-guarded three Eagles players throughout the game, forcing the other two players to beat them.
“We were really proud that they kept their composure and didn’t get frustrated,” Szabo said.
The Red Devils cut the lead to five points early in the third quarter at 37-32 on a 3-pointer by senior Gavin Garlitz, but they wouldn’t get any closer.
Powell converted a four-point play to make it 58-42 with five minutes remaining to seal the victory for the Eagles.
Tippecanoe will graduate four seniors from a squad that won the Miami Valley League Miami Division this winter.
“I thought our guys played their hearts out,” said Red Devils coach Adam Toohey. “We knew physicality was the missing link last year. I thought we matched physicality. They just made more shots. We missed a lot of shots.”
Alter advances: In a D-II district semifinal Friday night at Trent Arena in Kettering, Alter used a 23-7 fourth-quarter edge to break open a close game and beat Bellrook 75-55.
It was the 15th straight win for the Knights (22-2).
Alter will face Wyoming or Batavia in a district final Wednesday night at UD Arena.
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