*PLEASE NOTE, All remaining OHSAA winter tournaments are postponed until further notice. This includes boys basketball regionals and state wrestling, ice hockey and girls basketball. *
COLUMBUS, Ohio– St. John Arena, which opened on the Ohio State University campus in 1954, is one of the best places to watch basketball in the entire country. With two levels of seating, fans are on top of the action, creating a loud, active environment.
Unfortunately, due to precautions surrounding the coronavirus, and a strong suggestion from Governor DeWine to not allow spectators at indoor sporting events, the OSHAA Girls Basketball Tournament—played at St. John Arena for the first time since 1999—will have only limited fans.
All 12 state tournament games will still be streamed at ohsaa.boxcast.com (available free to Spectrum customers with log-in), and Saturday’s state championships will be live on Spectrum News 1.
The action begins Thursday at 1 pm, when Beloit West Branch takes on Dayton Carroll in a Division II semifinal. Carroll puts its stamp on the game with defense, allowing just 127 points (21.2 PPG) in six tournament contests, and is making a second straight appearance in Columbus. West Branch, meanwhile, seeks its second title in school history (2004). Stability has been the hallmark of the Warriors program, with just two head coaches (Chuck Campbell 1988-2005; Walt DeShields 2005-present) in the last 33 seasons.
Also, in Division II, Napoleon brings an undefeated 27-0 record into its match-up with Tri-Valley. The Scotties are led by sisters Kyndal and Lexi Howe. Their father, Ronald “Buster” Howe, was Ohio’s first-ever Mr. Football in 1987 at Zanesville. He is also an assistant under head coach Kurt Kaufman.
Friday’s evening session brings Division IV to the forefront. Fort Loramie—another undefeated squad boasting the AP poll championship and a 26-0 record—is looking for its third state title in school history. Included in the Redskins’ perfection were wins over fellow state tournament participants Anna (twice) and Minster. Cornerstone Christian reached its second straight Division IV state tournament, and are led by twins Madison & Michaela Cloonan. Lisa Stopp was named the state’s coach of the year in Division IV.
Minster is going for a three-peat, and a fourth title overall. Wildcats head coach Mike Wiss (who also has coached the school to three OHSAA baseball state championships) earned his 100th career win in less than four seasons (100-12). Juniors Ivy Wolf (first-team all-Ohio) and Janae Hoying (third-team all-Ohio) pace the play. On the opposite bench is Fort Frye, returning to Columbus for the first time since 2013. The Cadets are a youthful squad with just one senior and three juniors on the roster.
Division III contests headline the Friday afternoon games. At 1 pm, Berlin Hiland—one of the state’s most decorated programs—is in the Final Four for the 17th time since 1989 (most of all schools) and claims five state titles, most recently in 2017. The Hawks soar high on offense, averaging 75 points a game while yielding just 25.5. Providing opposition is Elyria Catholic. The Panthers have two sets of identical twins (Abby & Ally Winnen; Stephanie & Sarah Griffin), and are senior-laden, with eight in the roster.
Following that, is two-time defending Division III state champion Africentric, which plays Anna in the 3 pm contest. The Nubians are playing in their 11th Final Four (all since 2007), and are also shooting for an OHSAA record eighth championship (currently tied with Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame & Pickerington Central at 7). Three players (Sakima Walker-Rutgers, Alexia Smith-Minnesota, Nyam Thornton-Texas Tech) are signed to play in college next year. Anna suffered half of its losses (3 of 6) to Minster and Fort Loramie (twice), which each made the Final Four. The Rockets have made several comebacks in the tournament already, relying on a stingy defense.
In Division I, three of the four semifinalists from 2019 return, including Canton GlenOak, which overcame transfers and injuries, robbing the Golden Eagles of all five returning starters. Newark is back for the second time in four years. The Wildcats start five guards, all of whom are versatile, paced by Emma Shumate, the daughter of head coach J.R. Shumate.
At 8 pm, it’s a battle of Notre Dame, as defending Division I champion Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame squares off with Notre Dame Academy of Toledo. The two met in the 2017 championship game, with the Cougars coming out on top. Mount Notre Dame brings a 44-game winning streak to Columbus. The Eagles are in the Capital City for the seventh time in nine years, still seeking a first state crown. Both schools feature top players in the state, and both are just sophomores. Mount Notre Dame’s KK Bransford averages better than 20 points a game, meanwhile, Notre Dame Academy’s Grace VanSlooten is close to 16 points per contest.
On Saturday, the championship schedule looks like this:
- 10:45 am – Division II Championship
- 2 pm – Division IV Championship
- 5:15 pm – Division III Championship
- 8:30 pm – Division I Championship
OHSAA Championship Gameday coverage, hosted by MaryLee Melendez, with Dave Cecutti, begins 15 minutes ahead of each championship, with postgame coverage immediately following, all on Spectrum News 1.