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Lakota East came up just short, 57-56, against Withrow, while Walnut Hills defeated Lakota West, 60-46, in the sectional finals Friday night at the University of Cincinnati.

Senior guard Corey Wise led all scorers with 21 points for Withrow. Senior Stedman Lowry and sophomore Alex White each scored 15 points for Lakota East. White also pulled down 15 rebounds.

The loss ends the Thunderhawks season. Overall, East finished 17-8 and 8-6 in the Greater Miami Conference. Lakota East began the season 10-0 and was ranked as high as No. 4 in the state. The Thunderhawks, however, finished the regular season going 5-7 and placed No. 8 in The Cincinnati Enquirer’s local coaches’ poll.

In the postseason, East had defeated Glen Este, 73-48, and Oak Hills, 57-37, before losing to Withrow.

The loss marks the end of the high school career of seniors Austin Emrick, Robbie Harpring, Stedman Lowry and Zach Panzeca.

Withrow (20-4) - Ibbott 1 0 3, Coleman 2 3 7, Thompson 3 2 8, Wise 6 6 21, Cannon 1 1 3, Brown/Jackson 4 0 8, Jones 2 0 4, Robinson 1 1 3. Totals: 20 13 57.

Lakota East (17-8) - A. Emrick 2 0 4, Harpring 2 2 6, S. Lowry 6 3 15, D. Lowry 4 2 10, D. Baxter 3 0 6, White 5 5 15. Totals: 22 12 56.

Halftime: L 28-26. 3-pointers: W (Ibbott, Wise 3).

Meanwhile, Lakota West led Walnut HIlls briefly in the first quarter before falling behind 38-18 by halftime. Isaiah Johnson, who will play college basketball at Akron, had a game-high 25 points and 9 rebounds. Teammate Dontonio Wingfield, who is committed to Ohio, added 12 points and 7 rebounds.

Senior Ali Barnes led Lakota West with 17 points.

The loss ends the 2012-2013 season and the high school career of Zach Hicks, Ethan Thomas, Zach Moo Young and Monty Boykins.

The Firebirds finish 16-8 and 9-5 in the GMC, which was good enough for a four-way tie for first place in the conference this regular season. This postseason, Barnes had defeated Sycamore, 46-42, on Tuesday.

Lakota West (16-8) – Barnes 5 6 17, Bowling 1 0 2, Williams 4 0 9, Grove 1 0 2, Martin 3 0 6, Capossela 2 0 6, Thomas 1 2 4. Totals: 17 8 46

Walnut Hills (24-1) – Burton 2 2 7, Wingfield 6 0 12, Hill 1 1 3, Johnson 10 5 25, Gilmore 1 2 4, Brown 1 0 2, Irby 1 0 2, Williams 0 1 1, Jackson 2 0 4. Totals: 24 10 60

Halftime: Walnut Hills 38-18. 3-pointers: L 4 (Capossela 2, Barnes, Williams); W 2 (Burton, Hill)

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Lakota East, Lakota East basketball, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Ohio state basketball tournament

From postseason basketball to a spring musical, there is plenty to do in West Chester, Ohio, this weekend.

For things to do in Greater Cincinnati, visit Cincinnati.com’s new Things to Do page.

Lakota East senior guard Stedman Lowry goes up for a dunk in East’s 20-point win against Oak Hills Feb. 26, 2013. The win advanced the Thunderhawks to the sectional finals, which be played Friday night at UC. Photo taken by Barb Trimble of TrimPhotoAndVideo.com. For more photos from this game, http://proofs.trimphotoandvideo.com/g/022613east_oh

When you are not out and about, visit the new video page on WestChesterBuzz.com To view West Chester and Liberty Township related videos, visit westchesterbuzz.com/videos.

Friday

Lakota postseason boys’ basketball double header – Lakota East (17-7) and Lakota West (16-7) will play in back-to-back sectional final games this Friday at the University of Cincinnati. East will play Withrow (19-4) at 7 p.m., while West will play Walnut Hills (23-1) at 8:30 p.m. A win by either team would mean a trip to the district finals at the University of Dayton next Saturday, March 9. If East wins, it will play the winner of the Northwest/Colerain matchup, which will be played Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at UC. And if West wins, it will play the winner of the Miamisburg/Centerville matchup, which will be played on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Wright State’s Nutter Center.

Lakota West spring musical – After debuting last weekend, the Lakota West Theatre’s spring musical, “All Shook Up,” returns this Friday and Saturday. Both shows will begin at 8 p.m. and will be performed at the Lakota West High School Theatre, 8940 Union Centre Boulevard.

Saturday

J.S. Bailey book signing at Book Bums – The local author will discuss and sign her debut Christian suspense novel, “The Land Beyond the Portal” at Book Bums, 8992 Cincinnati-Dayton Road, in Olde West Chester. The free signing event will take place Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, call 513-847-1471.

Sunday

Hound Hike at VOA Park – Man’s best friend is invited to come out to the first hound hike of the year at Voice of America Park on Sunday from 3 to 4 p.m. All dogs must have up-to-date tags, rabies shot, be on a 6-foot leash or less and follow all MetroPark rules and regulations about pets on trail.

Muhlhauser Barn open house – West Chester Township’s Muhlhauser Barn at Beckett Road is currently closed, but still can be toured at one of the several open houses offered on the first Sunday of each month this winter. Those interested in renting the restored, 1880s era, timber-frame barn for the 2013 season can get a tour this Sunday from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.

Posted in: Events, Recreational events, School events, Schools, Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: All Shook Up Lakota West, All Shook Up Lakota West Theatre, Lakota East, Lakota East basketball, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Lakota West spring musical, Lakota West Theatre, Lakota West Theatre spring musical, Ohio state basketball tournament

It may been a line from the movie “Bad Boys” that saved Lakota West’s season.

With the game and the Firebirds’ season on the line, junior guard Malik Grove converted all 6 of his free-throw attempts in the final quarter en route to a 46-42 win against Sycamore in the Division I sectional semifinals at Hamilton High School Tuesday night.

“I just wanted to block everything out,” Grove said of his late-game foul shots.

“When there is a lot of pressure on you, you just say ‘woosaa.’”

Until now, Grove thought his dad, Jerry, had just made up the phrase, which is spelled w-o-o-s-a-a, according IMDB.com. He didn’t know that Jerry learned the phrase from Martin Lawrence’s character from “Bad Boys” and then taught it to Malik when he was about 6 or 7 years old. Oddly, over the years, the phrase has become a way of meditation for the family.

Woosaa, it worked.

If that phrase didn’t work for Grove then it had to be message his senior teammate Ali Barnes delivered at the end of the 3rd quarter.

Trailing by 8 points, 33-25, in what was a low-scoring affair, Barnes walked to the Lakota West bench and yelled at his teammates, “We are going to win this game!”

“I am a really motivated person and I get really emotional, especially since this could have been my last high school game,” said Barnes, who scored six of his 12 points in the 4th quarter.

“I said what I had to say and it obviously worked.”

Grove, who scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, admitted after the game that he was “pumped up” by Barnes’ message before the final quarter.

“You don’t want it to be the seniors’ last game,” Grove said.

For Sycamore, it was the last game for its seniors Nick Setser, Joey Gruden, Isaiah Brown and Mason Morgan. The 6-foot-6 Morgan, who signed to play tight end at Ohio University, led the Aves with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Gruden scored 9 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter.

“It was a huge game, a GMC game, one of those really physical games,” Gruden said. “It was a tough loss.”

In the regular season, Sycamore and Lakota West were part of a four-way tie (along with Fairfield and Middletown) for first place in the Greater Miami Conference. It was the first in the 47-year history of the conference that four boys’ basketball teams finished the regular season in a tie for the GMC title.

Sycamore (13-11) - Gruden 6 2 15, Shropshire 1 0 2, Wrade 4 0 8, Morgan 8 1 17. Totals 19 3 42.

Lakota West (16-7) - Barnes 6 0 12, Bowling 2 1 5, Williams 1 2 4, Thomas 1 0 2, Moo Young 1 0 2, Grove 5 6 19. Totals 17 9 46.

Halftime: Sycamore 21-17. 3-pointers S 1 (Gruden); L 3 (Grove 3).

Lakota West will play Walnut Hills Friday in the sectional final at the University of Cincinnati at 8:30 p.m.

Walnut Hills 78, Woodward 43

Walnut Hills cruised to 78-43 win against Woodward in the Division I sectional semifinals at Hamilton High School Tuesday night.

Isaiah Johnson, who is committed to play college basketball at Akron, led the Eagles to a 40-13 lead at halftime. In the first half, the 6-foot-9 center scored 12 points and pulled down 5 rebounds. With the large lead, Johnson didn’t play in the second half.

Senior teammates Khari Burton and Dontonio Wingfield, who is committed to play at Ohio, combined for 17 points and 10 rebounds in the first half. Burton and Wingfield only played a few minutes each in the second half.

Walnut Hills (23-1) - Jones 2 0 4, Brown 0 1 1, Burton 4 0 9, Wingfield 4 0 8, Myaka 4 0 9, Irby 1 0 3, Austin 1 0 2, Banks 1 0 2, Williams 2 2 8, Johnson 6 0 12, Jackson 1 1 3, Carter 1 5 7, Akanbi 2 1 5, Gilmore 1 3 5. Totals 30 13 78.

Woodward (5-16) - Watkins 2 0 4, Williams 1 0 2, A. Mincey 2 3 8, Connell 1 0 2, Harrington 3 2 10, R. Mincey 2 0 4, Vines 1 0 2, Johnson 3 1 7, Carter 1 2 4. Totals 16 8 43.

Halftime: Walnut Hills 40-13. 3-pointers WH 5 (Burton, Myaka, Irby, Williams 2); WOOD 3 (A. Mincey, Harrington 2).

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Ali Barnes, Ali Barnes Lakota West, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove, Malik Grove Lakota West, Woosaa, Woosaa Bad Boys, Woosaa Martin Lawrence

Mason, who entered postseason play No. 4 in the Associated Press Division I state poll, ended Lakota East’s season with a 64-33 win in the district semifinals on Saturday night at Kings High School.

Lakota East sophomore Leah Goodwin goes up for a basket in a 64-33 loss to Mason Feb. 23, 2013. Photo taken by Barb Trimble of TrimPhotoAndVideo.com. More photos from this game, http://proofs.trimphotoandvideo.com/g/022313east_mason

Missouri-bound forward Kayla McDowell led Mason with 20 points and 13 rebounds, both of which were game highs.

A total of 12 Thunderhawks saw action in their final game of the season. Of those 12, eight were sophomores, two were juniors and two were freshmen.

Lakota East finishes the year with a 10-15 overall record. In the regular season, East posted a 7-7 record within the Greater Miami Conference.

Lakota East (10-15) - Satterwhite 2 1 5, Rodgers 1 1 3, Wills 1 1 3, Goodwin 2 2 8, Franklin 3 0 8, Catron 1 0 3, Panzeca 1 0 2, White 0 1 1. Totals 11 6 33.

Mason (21-1) - Herren 1 4 6, McDowell 8 4 20, Ammons 3 0 6, Neal 2 0 4, Gunn 2 2 6, Mason 3 3 9, Melinick 1 3 5, Brown 2 0 4, Rutowski 2 0 4. Totals 24 16 64.

Halftime: Mason 34-24. 3-pointers L 5 (Goodwin 2, Franklin 2, Catron).

BOYS’ SWIMMING

Division I state championship

Team scores: 1. St. Xavier 270; 2. Upper Arlington 187.5; 3. St. Ignatius 186; 4. St. Francis De Sales 115; 5. Centerville 113; 6. Hudson 107; 7. North Canton Hoover 101; 8. Moeller 95; Mayfield 91; Sycamore 91; 15. Kings 39; 16. Anderson 38; 18. Talawanda 36; 25. Mason 27; 26. Lakota West 26; 28. Walnut Hills; 38. Little Miami 13; 42. Middletown 10; 43. Lakota East 9; 44. Cincinnati Turpin 7; 50. Lebanon 4; La Salle 1.

200MR–St. Ignatius 1:31.97 ; 200 free-Long (Upper Arlington) 1:38.43; 200IM–Palazzo (Hudson) 1:48.49; 50 free–Miller (Westerville North 20.87; 100Fly–Bailey (Youngstown Boardman) 49.43; 100 free–Belanger (Akron Firestone) 45.17; 500 free–Hendricks (St. Xavier) 4:27.69; 200FR–St. Xavier 1:23.74; 100Back–Appleby (Cuyahoga Falls) 49.00; 100Breast–Palazzo (Hudson) 55.00; 400FR–St. Ignatius 3:04.86.

GIRLS’ SWIMMING

Division I state championship
Team scores: 1. Ursuline 234; 2. Upper Arlington 215; 3. Mason 148; 4. Strongsville 136; 5. Fremont Ross 125; 6. Hudson 112; 7. Massillon Jackson 108; 7. Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 100; 9. Centerville 99.5; 10. St. Ursula 95; 14. Sycamore 54; Turpin 51; 36. Lakota East 12; 36. Mercy 12; 45. Mount Notre Dame 6; 48. Seton 4; 52. Lakota West 3; 54. Kings 1.

200MR–Ursuline 1:43.27; 200 free–Thatcher (Mason) 1:47.43; 200IM–Miller (Akron Firestone) 1:57.98; 50 free–Kinney (Massillon Jackson) 22.53; 100Fly–Martin (Pickerington Central) 55.37; 100 free–Kinney (Massillon Jackson) 49.70; 500 free–Thatcher (Mason) 4:47.81; 200FR–Upper Arlington 1:34.19; 100Back–Miller (Akron Firestone) 54.04; 100Breast–Blood (Ursuline) 1:03.09; 400FR–Ursuline 3:23.19.

WRESTLING

Division I District tournament At Fairfield
Team scores: 1. Moeller 195, 2. Centerville 96, 3. Loveland 85, 4. Fairfield 81, 5. Elder 76.5, 6. Laokta East 68.5, 7. Beavercreek 64, 8. Mason 62.5, 9. St. Xavier 60.5, 10. Miamisburg 58, 12. Princeton 51, 13. Colerain 49, 15. Sycamore 44, 16. Glen Este 39.5, 17. Lakota West 39, 18. Middletown 38.5, 20. Harrison 35, 23. Lebanon 28.5, 24. Edgewood 25, 27. Withrow 20, 28. La Salle 19, 29. Northwest 18, 31. Kings 9, 35. Anderson 7, 36. Hamilton 7, 37. Turpin 5, 39. Amelia 3.

Note: top four wrestlers in each weight class advance to state tournament.

First place
106-Jagel(Middletown) dec. Williams(Elder) 7-4; 113-Ziegler(Moeller) dec. Milano(LaSalle) 3-1; 120-Daly(Lakota East) dec. Barden(Fairfield) 5-2; 126-Selmon(Princeton) dec. Sicurella(Glen Este) 9-8; 132-Mendel(Moeller) dec. Denlinger(Kett. Fairmont) 3-1ot; 138-Sams(Fairfield) dec. Calvert(Sidney) 6-1; 145-Kowal(Princeton) dec. Leonhardt(Lakota West) 5-1; 152-Bair(Centerville) pin Wilson(Moeller); 160-Smith(Colerain) dec. Sizemore(Moeller) 9-6; 170-Corba(Beavercreek) dec. Schmidt(Miamisburg) 5-3; 182-Danis(Mason) dec. Rosser(Moeller) 5-3; 195-Thornberry(Moeller) dec. Scales(Colerain) 3-2ot; 220-Frueauf(Moeller) maj. dec. Isaacs(Withrow) 8-0; 285-Gutapfel(Harrison) dec. Burton(Lakota East) 6-1.

Third place
106-Heidkamp(Butler) pin Roth(Lakota East) 2:17; 113-Tucker(Loveland) dec. Logsdon(Lebanon) 5-2; 120-Ward(Moeller) dec. Clouse(Beavercreek) 3-0; 126-Parrett(Kett. Fairmont) dec. Borton(Moeller) 7-3; 132-Newell(Butler) dec. Heyob(St. Xavier) 12-7; 138-Branham(Miamisburg) dec. Morgan(Elder) 3-2; 145-Huber(Sycamore) pin Miller(Wayne) 2:33; 152-Lauffer(Fairfield) dec. Buchanan(Tecumseh) 3-1; 160-Caniglia(Loveland) dec. Globke(Middletown) 1-0; 170-Weber(Loveland) dec. Gilchrist(Centerville) 6-4; 182-Lay(Loveland) dec. McGraw(Troy) 5-1; 195-Bere(Sycamore) dec. Tonkin(Centerville) 9-8; 220-Nye(Springfield) dec. Martin(Butler) 7-3; 285-Daniels(Northwest) dec. Johnson(Elder) 5-1ot.

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Lakota East, Lakota East basketball, Lakota East swimming, Lakota East wrestling, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Lakota West swimming, Lakota West wrestling, Ohio state basketball tournament

After defeating McAuley by 20 points just two weeks ago, Lakota West was eliminated from postseason play when it lost to the Mohawks by the score of 58-57 in overtime of a district semifinal game on Friday night at Harrison High School.

In the loss, the Firebirds made only 26.9 percent of their field goal attempts. McAuley, on the other hand, converted 41.1 of its percent its field goal tries.

Sophomore Lauren Cannatelli led Lakota West with 17 points, 13 of which came in the fourth quarter and overtime. Freshman Nia Staples added 15 points in the loss.

Lakota West officially finishes the 2012-2013 season with a 20-4 record. There are two seniors on the team, Emily Niehaus and Rachel Tomasic.

Lakota West (20-4) - Staples 5 3 15, Wells 1 0 2, Cannatelli 5 3 17, Carter 0 1 1, Tomasic 1 2 4, Whitaker 3 0 6, Aull 1 5 7, Wasan 2 1 5. Totals: 18 15 57.

McAuley (15-9) - Bove 7 0 15, Lambert 4 0 11, Vogelpohl 2 0 4, Egbers 3 4 11, Pifher 2 0 4, McFelea 4 0 10, Meunch 1 0 2. Totals: 23 5 58.

Halftime: McAuley 30-23. 3-pointers: L 6 (Cannatelli 4, Staples 2); M 7 (Lambert 3, McFelea 2, Bove, Egbers).

Lakota East boys’ basketball team advances – The Thunderhawks defeated Glen Este by the score of 73-48 in their postseason opener on Friday night at Lakota West High School. Sophomore center Alex White led Lakota East with 16 points. East will now play Oak Hills (8-14) on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Lakota West. The Thunderhawks defeated Oak Hills, 49-36, in their only regular-season meeting this season on Dec. 18.

Lakota East (16-7) - Boez 1 4 6, A. Emrick 1 0 2, Harpring 3 0 7, S. Lowry 3 2 8, Shaw 4 1 10, Norris 3 1 7, D. Lowry 2 0 4, Panzeca 3 1 7 Baxter 2 2 6, White 6 3 16. Totals: 28 15 73.

Glen Este (4-19) - Keszei 3 0 6, Harris 1 1 4, Flanigan 1 2 4, T. Burdick 1 5 7, Jones 1 0 3, Gordon 1 2 4, Rieck 6 2 16, Speigel 0 2 2, Couch 0 2 2. Totals: 16 14 48.

Halftime: Lakota East 37-20. 3-pointers: G 4 (Harris, Jones Rieck 2); E 2 (Harpring, Shaw). (more…)

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Lakota East, Lakota East basketball, Lakota East wrestling, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Lakota West wrestling, Ohio state basketball tournament

From postseason basketball to a spring musical, there is plenty to do in West Chester, Ohio, this weekend.

For things to do in Greater Cincinnati, visit Cincinnati.com’s new Things to Do page.

Sophomore Myo Baxter, who has an offer from Toledo, is averaging 9.1 points and 4.8 rebounds this season. Photo taken by Barb Trimble of TrimPhotoAndVideo.com.

Friday

Lakota East postseason boys’ basketball – Lakota East (15-7) will open postseason play with a game against Glen Este (4-18) this Friday at 6 p.m. at Lakota West High School. If East advances, it will face Oak Hills (8-14) next Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m. at Lakota West.

Armchair program – Residents of West Chester Township are invited to experience Alaska without ever leaving their hometown. The region will be discussed at this week’s Armchair session at Township Hall, 9113, Cincinnati-Dayton Road, at 7 p.m. Friday.

Lakota West postseason girls basketball – Lakota West (20-3) will be trying to keep its season alive and extend its winning streak to 11 when it faces McAuley (14-9) in the district semifinals on Friday at 7 p.m. at Harrison High School.

Lakota West spring musical – The Lakota West Theatre program will present its spring musical, “All Shook Up,” on back-to-back weekends – this Friday and Saturday, as well as next weekend March 1 and 2. All shows will begin at 8 p.m. and will be performed at the Lakota West High School Theatre, 8940 Union Centre Boulevard.

Saturday

Free performance of Jekyll and Hyde show – The themes in Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic horror novel are explored in the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s Off the Hill production of The Traveling Jekyll and Hyde Show, by playwright Russell Davis. The free public performance takes place at 3 p.m. this Saturday at the Miami University Voice of America Learning Center in West Chester.

Lakota East postseason girls’ basketball – Lakota East (10-14) will face off with Mason (20-1) in the district semifinals on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Kings High School. East has faced Mason twice in the regular season, losing 60-30 at Mason on Dec. 1 and losing 53-28 on Jan. 19.

Sunday

Library launches jazz series – The library won’t be so quiet this winter, as the MidPointe Library West Chester launches a Jazz Series at the end of February. The series kicks off on Sunday, as the Phil DeGreg Trio play from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. For more information, call 513-777-3131.

Posted in: Events, Library events, News, School events, Sports |

Tags: Tags: All Shook Up Lakota West, All Shook Up Lakota West Theatre, Lakota East, Lakota East basketball, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Lakota West spring musical, Lakota West Theatre, Lakota West Theatre spring musical, Ohio state basketball tournament

Sophomore Cydney Franklin led Lakota East with 9 points in her team’s postseason win against Harrison. Photo taken Feb. 20, 2013 by Barb Trimble of TrimPhotoAndVideo.com. More photos from this game, http://proofs.trimphotoandvideo.com/g/022013har_east

Lakota East had 10 players score and it held Harrison to 27 percent shooting, while forcing 25 turnovers.

The Thunderhawks led 18-17 at halftime, but blew open the game by outscoring Harrison 13-4 in the third quarter.

Cydney Franklin scored a team-high 9 points and Erin White grabbed 10 rebounds to help Lakota East hold onto the win.

Lakota East will play Mason (20-1) in the district semifinals on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Kings. Mason advanced to the matchup after defeating Oak Hills, 63-26, on Wednesday.

East has faced Mason twice in the regular season, losing 60-30 at Mason on Dec. 1 and losing 53-28 on Jan. 19.

Harrison – Borgemenke 1 1 3, Cron 0 2 2, Robben 2 4 10, Salatin 3 0 6, Ferneding 1 2 4, Knollman 3 0 7. Totals: 10 9 32

Lakota East (10-14) – White 2 2 6, Satterwhite 2 4 8, Rodgers 1 2 4, Wills 2 0 4, Franklin 4 0 9, Catron 1 0 3, Pearl 1 0 2, Goodwin 2 0 5, Panzeca 2 0 4. Totals: 16 10 45

Halftime: Lakota 17-16. 3-pointers: 3 (Robben 2, Knollman); H 3 (Franklin, Catron, Goodwin)

POSTSEASON UPDATE: GIRLS BASKETBALL – West (20-3) will play McAuley (14-9) in the district semifinals on Friday at 7 p.m. at Harrison High School.

POSTSEASON UPDATE: BOYS BASKETBALL – East will open with a game against Glen Este (4-18) this Friday at 6 p.m. at Lakota West High School. If East advances, it will face Oak Hills (8-14) next Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m. at Lakota West. Meanwhile, West won’t have its first postseason game until next Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m. at Hamilton High School. In that game, the Firebirds will face the winner of the Loveland (10-11) and Sycamore (12-10) game – which will be played Friday at 6 p.m. at Hamilton.

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Lakota East, Lakota East basketball, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Ohio state basketball tournament

Lakota West’s Lauren Cannatelli leads the Firebirds in scoring this season with more than 14 points per game. Photo from Mason game Jan. 12, 2013 by Jeff Swinger.

The Firebirds continued their winning streak into the postseason, as they captured their 10th straight victory when they defeated St. Ursula by the score of 60-36 Tuesday at Harrison High School.

The win pits Lakota West (20-3) against McAuley (14-9) in the district semifinal on Friday at 7 p.m. at Harrison. McAuley advanced to the district semifinal by defeating Sycamore (13-11), 52-42, on Tuesday night.

Sophomore guard Lauren Cannatelli scored a game-high 16 points to lead the way for the Firebirds in their win against St. Ursula. Lakota West sophomore forward Arianne Whitaker added 10 points and seven rebounds.

St. Ursula (4-20) - Ellerhorst 2 0 6, Morrissey 4 0 11, Wildermuth 2 1 5, Mullen 1 0 2, Kesterman 0 1 1, Long 1 4 6, Brown 1 0 3, Portman 1 0 2. Totals: 12 6 36.

Lakota West (20-3) - Staples 2 2 6, Wells 2 2 6, Cannatelli 6 2 16, Carter 3 0 6, Tomasic 1 0 2, Adams 1 0 2, Whitaker 5 0 10, Aull 1 0 2, Kivell 2 0 4, Wasan 2 2 6. Totals: 25 8 60.

Halftime: LW 33-17. 3-pointers: S 6 (Morrissey 3, Ellerhorst 2, Brown); L 2 (Cannatelli 2).

POSTSEASON UPDATE: GIRLS BASKETBALL – West (20-3) will play McAuley (14-9) in the district semifinal on Friday at 7 p.m. at Harrison High School. Meanwhile, Lakota East (9-14) will face Harrison (14-9) in a district quarterfinal matchup on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Kings High School.

POSTSEASON UPDATE: BOYS BASKETBALL – East will open with a game against Glen Este (4-18) this Friday at 6 p.m. at Lakota West High School. If East advances, it will face Oak Hills (8-14) next Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m. at Lakota West. Meanwhile, West won’t have its first postseason game until next Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m. at Hamilton High School. In that game, the Firebirds will face the winner of the Loveland (10-11) and Sycamore (12-10) game – which will be played Friday at 6 p.m. at Hamilton.

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Lakota East, Lakota East basketball, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Ohio state basketball tournament

The Lakota East girls’ basketball team tipped off the postseason on a positive note, defeating Little Miami by the score of 65-21 on Saturday.

Lakota East won its postseason opener, 65-21, against Little Miami. Photo taken at earlier game this season by Tony Tribble.

Sophomore Sharmaine Wills led East with a career-high 12 points. Sophomores Kandace Satterwhite (10 points) and Leah Goodwin (11 points) also scored in double figures for the Thunderhawks.

The win advances East (9-14) to the district quarterfinals where it will face Harrison (14-9) at Kings High School on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Meanwhile, in the earlier game (6 p.m) at Kings on Wednesday, Mason (19-1) is set to play Oak Hills (7-16). The winners will then play in the district semifinal at Kings on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Lakota East – White 4 1 9, Satterwhite 5 0 10, Rodgers 0 1 1, Wills 6 0 12, Franklin 1 1 4, Catron 2 0 6, Thomas 2 0 4, Pearl 1 2 4, Goodwin 3 3 11, Panzenca 2 0 4. Totals: 26 8 65.

Little Miami – Cupp 1 2 4, Davis 1 0 2, Rizzo 1 1 4, Knuckles 1 4 6, Brinkman 1 2 4, Taulbee 0 1 1. Totals: 5 10 21.

3-pointers: E 5 (Goodwin 2, Catron 2, Franklin); M 1 (Rizzo).

POSTSEASON UPDATE: GIRLS BASKETBALL – East, so far, is the only Lakota team in action. Lakota West (19-3) will begin tournament play against St. Ursula (4-19) Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Harrison High School. If West advances, it will play either McAuley (13-9) or Sycamore (13-10) in the district semifinal at Harrison on Friday at 7 p.m. The McAuley/Sycamore game will be played at Harrison this Tuesday at 6 p.m.

POSTSEASON UPDATE: BOYS BASKETBALL – East will open with a game against Glen Este (4-18) this Friday at 6 p.m. at Lakota West High School. If East advances, it will face Oak Hills (8-14) next Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m. at Lakota West. Meanwhile, West won’t have its first postseason game until next Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m. at Hamilton High School. In that game, the Firebirds will face the winner of the Loveland (10-11) and Sycamore (12-10) game – which will be played Friday, at 6 p.m. at Hamilton.

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Lakota East, Lakota East basketball, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Ohio state basketball tournament

For the first time in the 47-year history of the Greater Miami Conference, four boys’ basketball teams finished the regular season in a four-way tie for first place.

Junior Tyler Williams and the Lakota West Firebirds won its final regular season game of the 2012-2013 season. The win gave West a share of the conference title. Photo during a game in 2012 by Jeff Swinger.

On Friday night, Lakota West won its final game of the 2012-2013 regular season. With its 65-50 win against Oak Hills, Lakota West improved to 9-5 in conference play.

Meanwhile, also on Friday night, Fairfield defeated Lakota East, 77-58, and Middletown defeated Hamilton, 89-66. The wins improved the Indians and the Middies records to 9-5 within the GMC.

On that same night, Princeton upset Sycamore 77-65 – as Sycamore fell to 9-5 after its regular season finale.

In the Firebirds win against Oak Hills, four of their players scored in double figures. Senior guard Ali Barnes led his team with 16 points. Juniors Tyler Bowling (15 points), Tyler Williams (10 points) and Justin Martin (11 points) also scored in double figures.

Back to the historical aspect of the four-way tie, it is something that has never occurred in any GMC sport with the exception of baseball where Hamilton, Lakota West, Oak Hills and Princeton all tied for first in the spring of 2006.

Furthermore, Lakota West hasn’t won or shared a boys’ basketball title since winning the GMC during the 2005-2006 winter sports season.

Lakota West (15-7, 9-5) – Barnes 6 2 16, Bowling 6 3 15, Williams 3 2 10, Grove 3 0 7, Martin 5 0 11, Thomas 1 2 4, Moo Young 0 2 2. Totals 24 11 65.

Oak Hills (8-14, 5-9) – Richmond 7 10 27, Laumann 2 2 8, Witsken 4 0 9, Chisholm 2 2 6. Totals 15 14 50.

Halftime: Lakota West 38-33. 3-pointers L 6 (Barnes 2, Williams 2, Grove, Martin); O 6 (Richmond 3, Laumann 2, Witsken).

Lakota East ends season on losing note – The Thunderhawks were ranked No. 2 in The Cincinnati Enquirer Division coaches’ poll for almost the entire first half of the regular season. After starting the year 10-0, Lakota East has lost 7 of its last 12 games including 3 of its last 4. The latest loss came Friday, 77-58 at Fairfield. On Jan. 4, East defeated Fairfield at home by the score of 62-44. With the loss, East finishes the regular season with a 15-7 overall record and an 8-6 mark within the GMC.

Lakota East (15-7, 8-6) – Emrick 2 0 4, Harpring 7 1 18, S. Lowry 4 2 13, White 2 1 5, D. Lowry 1 0 3, Baxter 6 3 15. Totals 22 7 58.

Fairfield (14-8, 9-5) – Fleming 5 5 15, Minella 2 2 6, Vinson 1 0 2, Boyle 0 2 2, Braun 3 0 9, Johnson 2 2 6, Brunis 9 5 23, Wells 5 2 12, Horn 1 0 2. Totals 28 18 77.

Halftime: Lakota East 32-28. 3-pointers L 7 (Harpring 3, S. Lowry 3, D. Lowry); F 3 (Braun 3).

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