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All four of the Lakota varsity high school basketball programs will be in action this weekend. The boys’ programs will play Friday night, while both girls’ programs will take the court Saturday afternoon.

The Lakota West boys’ program (1-0 overall, 1-0 in the Greater Miami Conference) will host Sycamore (1-2 overall, 0-1 in the GMC) at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Firebirds won their season opener against Oak Hills (1-2 overall, 0-1 in the GMC) by the score of 56-47 Dec. 6.

In that win, Lakota West held a 19-point lead in the third quarter. The Firebirds struggled to finish the game, however, as the Highlands eventually tied score 42-42 with three minutes to play.

Led by junior guard Ali Barnes, who scored all of his seven points in the last three minutes, Lakota West closed out the game on a 14-5 run.

“As a team, we haven’t learned to believe in each other yet. That is our biggest problem right now,” Lakota West head coach Sean VanWinkle said after the game.

“We have a long, long way to go.”

Meanwhile, Sycamore has lost to Indian Hill (55-39) and Princeton (76-37). The Aves only win was against Milford (46-44).

Senior A.J. Williams, who has committed to play football at Michigan, leads Sycamore with 13.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Williams, who is 6-foot-6 260 pounds, could be a tough matchup for the Firebirds.

Meanwhile, the Lakota East boys’ program (1-1 overall, 0-1 in the GMC) is hoping to rebound from a 66-52 loss against Fairfield (4-0 overall, 1-0 in the GMC) last week when its visits Oak Hills at 7:30 p.m. Friday. (more…)

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Tags: Tags: A.J. Williams, Ben Laumann, Desiree Ash, Jake Richmond, Jillian Spurlock, Lakota East, Lakota East basketball, Lakota East High School, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West High School, Lakota West sports, Sean VanWinkle, Stedman Lowry, Tazzie Shaw, Tazzie Shaw Lakota East, Tazzie Shaw Marshall, Whitney Wyckoff, Whitney Wyckoff Lakota East

Oak Hills erased a 19-point second half deficit, but came up short at the buzzer losing 56-47 to Lakota West Tuesday.

After leading Lakota West in scoring down the stretch last season, junior guard Ali Barnes waited until the final minutes of the season opener to get in the scoring column.

With the score tied 42-42 with three minutes to play, Barnes drilled a three pointer. He would later score on a lay up and make two free throws, as the Firebirds ended the game on a 14-5 run.

“When I took the three in the corner it was a little nerve racking. It was my first jumper of the season and it was when the game was tied, they were coming back and the crowd was out of it,” Barnes said.

“It felt good. It was a big shot to make and I just knocked it down.”

It appeared that Firebirds wouldn’t need any late-game heroics after jumping out to 33-14 lead in the third quarter.

Lakota West started to accumulate its big lead when 6-foot-4 senior Kayaune Ross scored 12 first-half points off the bench.

Ross, who entered the game without scoring more than two points in a varsity game, also finished with four rebounds.

Feeding off the energy in the first half, Lakota West began the second half on a 7-0 run.

Battling back, the Highlanders cut the Firebirds’ lead to 38-31 after three-point field goals from seniors Ben Laumann and Jack Pflum late in the third quarter. (more…)

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Tags: Tags: Ali Barnes, Ben Laumann, Jack Pflum, Kayaune Ross, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Lakota West sports photos, Mike Price, Monty Boykins, Oak Hills basketball, Ross, Sean Van Winkle, Sean Van Winkle Lakota West, Tyler Walter, West Chester photos