DAYTON, Ohio — Eli Greenberg scored a game-high 19 points and knocked down two 3s as Centerville beat Toledo Whitmer 58-39 in the OHSAA Division I boys’ basketball state semifinal at UD Arena on Saturday.
The Elks (20-8), who won the title in 2021 but lost in 2022, have made the state tournament semifinal in each of the past four seasons.
“Our guys know the work that we’ve put in, the challenges that we’ve faced, the adversity that we’ve gone through this year,” Centerville head coach Brook Cupps said. “I’m a firm believer that that stuff makes you better, and sometimes it pays off in an opportunity to play for a state championship.”
Centerville carried a 10-0 run into the second quarter and held a lead as large as nine points in the first half. The Elks shot 50% and got 10 points from Greenberg.
Toledo Whitmer’s Antione West Jr. made a jump shot midway through the third quarter to pull the Panthers within five points 30-25.
But the Elks closed the third period on a 7-0 run in which Jonathan Powell, who is committed to Xavier, scored four points.
Powell totaled 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting. Jamar Montgomery had 14 for the Elks, who shot 54% from the field and 56% from distance.
“It’s a team thing,” Powell said. “We’re an unselfish team and we all like to share the ball, and everybody’s scoring the ball.”
Toledo Whitmer (25-3) made its fifth state semifinal appearance and first since 2012. The Panthers won 20 games during the regular season for the first time in school history.
West led the Panthers with 16 points and fouled out with 2:16 left to play.
“We struggled to shoot tonight,” Toledo Whitmer head coach Anthony Stacey said. “I thought we had to make about 10 3s tonight for us to have a really good chance. And unfortunately, we didn’t get that done tonight, but I’m just so proud of our guys.”
Centerville will play Cleveland St. Ignatius in the Division I final on Sunday at 8:30 p.m.