DAYTON, Ohio — DeErick Barber Jr. scored a game-high 17 points and Dorian Jones had 16 as Richmond Heights beat Russia 65-52 and advanced to its third-straight state championship game in the OHSAA Division IV boys basketball state semifinal at UD Arena on Friday.
Barber, Jones and the Spartans (18-9) never trailed and fought off Russia’s fourth-quarter comeback bid when the Raiders tied the game upon Benjamin York’s 3 with 7:42 left to play.
Jeremy Wilson scored four points during a Richmond Heights 7-0 run that distanced the Spartans who forced Russia (27-2) to fall 2-for-9 from the field in the final 3:29.
“We just found different ways to end up making sure that we could kind of throw them off balance and secure the win,” Richmond Heights head coach Quentin Rogers said.
Jones, who entered the game as Richmond Heights’ leading scorer averaging 14.1 points per game, surged in the first half shooting 6-of-7 including 3-of-3 from distance for 16 points.
He fouled out with 5:53 left to play.
“I kept telling them communicate and talk and move around on defense and fly everywhere,” Jones said.
With Jones and Richmond Heights ahead, the Spartans never let Russia come within six points the rest of the way in a rematch from the semifinals a year ago.
“They wouldn't back down, they wouldn't nothing, so we came out and put our heads down and prepared to be able to go out there,” Barber said.
Richmond Heights led by as many as nine points, but Russia closed the first half making six of its last eight shots and narrowed the gap to 31-29 at halftime.
The Spartans saw big second half performances from Demaris Winters Jr., who scored 10 points, Barber’s nine and eight from Hosea Steele Jr. Richmond Heights shot 50% in the second half.
“Arena is against us so that's nothing new,” Rogers said. “Steel sharpens steel, going against — playing the best, the hardest teams that you can possibly play just to prepare you to be one of the better teams in the state.”
Brayden Monnin led Russia with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting. York and Felix Francis each added 12.
“They're tough to defend for 32 minutes,” Russia head coach Spencer Cordonnier said. “I thought our guys all day long just battled and battled and battled, and just didn't come out on top again.”
Richmond Heights will play Berlin Hiland in the Division IV final at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday.