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Akron St. V-M plays for third straight state title

From Staff Reports

COLUMBUS — The Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary boys basketball team is going for three state titles in a row.

The seventh-ranked Irish defeated Powell Olentangy Liberty, 58-49, in Friday’s Division I state semifinal in front of 12,080 at the Schottenstein Center.

Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (24-3) — led by head coach Dru Joyce II, a 1973 graduate of East Liverpool High School — will be seeking a ninth state title against top-ranked Cincinnati Moeller (28-0) at 8:30 p.m. today.

Moeller shot 79 percent in the first half to beat Lakewood St. Edward, 72-52, in the first Division I state semifinal Friday. Moeller advances to its third straight state final.

In its fourth straight year qualifying for the state tournament, St. Vincent-St. Mary pulled out an early lead. For the Irish, second team All-Ohioan Lunden McDay scored a team-high 21 points. Senior Chris Painter added 13 points, while senior Darius Cone and sophomore Malaki Branham each had 10.

Olentangy Liberty qualified for its first-ever basketball state tournament. The Patriots’ senior and first team All-Ohioan Ben Roderick scored a game-high 25 points and had nine rebounds.

Joyce has led the Irish into the state championship for the ninth time in his 18 seasons as head coach.

Spartans fall in semis

COLUMBUS –Maybe Springfield Local took too much out of Richmond Heights.

Second-ranked Convoy Crestview defeated Richmond Heights, 59-49 in the Division IV state semifinals Friday in front of 11,327 at the Schotttenstein Center.

After eight lead changes, the Crestview Knights managed to finish on top after dominating the third quarter by outscoring Richmond Heights 21-10. First-team All-Ohioan Javin Etzler scored a game-high 25 points, while senior Derick Dealey scored 18 as they combined for than half of the Knights’ points.

Leading the way for the Spartans was first-team All-Ohioan senior Curtis Houston II with 13 points. Right behind him were junior Gbolahan Adio and sophomore Jamarr Talbert Jr. with 12 and 10 points.

This was Richmond Heights’ first state tournament appearance. The Spartans defeated Springfield, 46-43, in the regional final last Friday.

Convoy Crestview (28-1) will play top-ranked Berlin Hiland (28-1) in the Division IV state championship game at 5:15 p.m. today.

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