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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

The Lakota West boys’ basketball program will have the opportunity to tune up for the regular season and benefit local charities in a home exhibition game against St. Xavier Friday. The varsity teams are scheduled to take the court at 7:30 p.m.

The game is being considered a “foundation game” by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) and will benefit the Bill Brewer Foundation and the Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty.

The OHSAA provides teams the opportunity to replace a scrimmage with a “foundation game.” This game consists of two teams playing under normal game conditions, but does not count toward either team’s overall record. Schools are required to participate in a community service project benefiting a charity of their choice in conjunction with the game.

• Lakota West boys’ basketball 2011-2012 season preview

“This is a great test for our program,” Lakota West head coach Sean Van Winkle said. “It provides us the opportunity to have a regular season atmosphere and we can benefit others as well.”

Tickets, which can be purchased at the door, are $6 for adults and $4 for students.

Lakota West will tip off the regular season at home against Oak Hills at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6.

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Tags: Tags: Community Foundation, Community Foundation WCL, Community Foundation West Chester/Liberty, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Sean Van Winkle, Sean Van Winkle Lakota West, Sean VanWinkle, St. Xavier basketball, WCL Community Foundation

Winton Woods senior Semaj Christon was nearly perfect in the first half, making eight of his 12 field goal attempts and scoring 17 points in what turned out to be a 79-42 victory against Lakota West in the second round of the Southwest Ohio sectional tournament at Princeton.

For most of the first half, Lakota West kept it close and trailed 32-26 with 2:34 left in the second quarter after freshman Tyler Williams nailed a long jump shot for the Firebirds.

After that bucket, Christon scored nine of his 17 first-half points in what was a 14-0 run to end the first half giving Winton Woods a 46-26 advantage at halftime.

“As a coach, I have to tell myself that I am a coach and not a fan,” Walker said of watching Semaj Christon. “I sit there, sometimes, watching in awe, but Semaj is a pretty poised kid and is definitely going to be a good player here and at the next level.”

Walker said that Christon (photo – click to enlarge) has received interest recently from Georgetown, Iowa and Cincinnati to name a few. Numerous other scouts, including one from Boston College witnessed his latest performance.

>>>PHOTOS: WINTON WOODS VS. LAKOTA WEST<<<

Christon, who finished the game with 18 points, also got his senior teammate and neighbor Dennis Thomas involved. While Christon had five assists and only two turnovers, Thomas added 18 points and six rebounds.

“They have a chemistry that is unmatched by anybody,” said Walker said of the tandem that has shared the same backcourt in AAU for the past nine seasons.

The Warriors’ other seniors were just as impressive, Thomas Owens, who is getting Division I interest from colleges for football, scored five points and pulled down five rebounds, while Dion Dearmond scored a career-high 21 points in the win.

“They all have great chemistry. They all know where the other one is going to be and they are all comfortable with each other,” Walker said. “That is how we play.” (more…)

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Tags: Tags: Ali Barnes, basketball, Boston College, boys' basketball, Cincinnati, Dennis Thomas, Dion Dearmond, Georgetown, Iowa, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Middletown, Mike Walker, Monty Boykins, Sean VanWinkle, Semaj Christon, Thomas Owens, Tyler Williams, University of Cincinnati, Walnut Hills, Winton Woods

The Lakota West boys’ basketball program (9-12 overall, 5-9 in the Greater Miami Conference) enters tonight’s contest against Winton Woods coming off a 59-57 win against Kings over the weekend in the first round of the Southwest Ohio sectional basketball tournament.

“Kings did a very good job scouting us so we had to make some adjustments throughout the game. Our guys did a very good job adjusting,” Lakota West head coach Sean VanWinkle said. “Winton Woods is a totally different team than Kings so our game plan will be a lot different.”

VanWinkle mentioned that “taking care of the ball, shooting high percentage shots and rebounding” are the keys for his young team in its game against Winton Woods (17-3 overall, 14-0 in the Fort Ancient Valley Conference).

Statistically, seniors Semaj Christon (photo) and Dennis Thomas lead the Warriors.

“Christon could be the best player in the entire city. He is a great scorer and does it in many different ways,” VanWinkle said.

Christon scores in so many ways that he leads the FAVC in scoring with 21 points per game. He also averages 5.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3.2 steals per game.

His teammate, Thomas, is averaging 14.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. He has also made 51 of his 112 three-point attempts (45.5 percent) this season.

“Thomas is a long-range shooter and may be the best pure shooter we have faced all season,” VanWinkle said. “Limiting both these guys will be a tough task, but our kids will be up to it.”

If the 15th-seeded Firebirds can upset No. 6 seed Winton Woods, they will play the winner of the Middletown (No. 7 seed) vs. Walnut Hills (No. 21 seed) game at the University of Cincinnati March 5 at 6:30 p.m. in the district semifinals.

The Lakota West/Winton Woods game will tip off tonight around 7:30 p.m. at Princeton High School. At the same venue this evening, the Middletown/Walnut Hills game will tip off at 6 p.m.

(WestChesterBuzz.com will cover the game and provide a game story and photos from Princeton)

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Tags: Tags: basketball, boys' basketball, Dennis Thomas, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, playoff, postseason, Sean VanWinkle, sectional tournament, Semaj Christon, Winton Woods

Both the Lakota West and Lakota East boys’ basketball programs were given their seed for the 2011 southwest district sectional tournament this past Sunday, Feb. 13, afternoon. Lakota West was given the No. 15 seed, while Lakota East received the No. 2 seed.

Many fans of the Greater Miami Conference were upset to hear that Lakota East, which is currently 19-0 overall and 13-0 in the GMC, was given the No. 2 seed. Opinion from GMC loyalists was that the Thunderhawks’ schedule was much more difficult than that Moeller, who received the No. 1 seed and is currently 18-0 overall and 9-0 in the Greater Catholic League.

“It’s inconsequential,” Lakota East head coach Wally Vickers said of not receiving the top seed. “I knew we would be No. 1 or No. 2 – they are undefeated, we are undefeated – so we absolutely have no feelings about that either way.”

The Thunderhawks will begin postseason play against No. 31 Talawanda (5-13 overall, 3-9 in Fort Ancient Valley Conference) next Saturday, Feb. 26, at Lakota West. The winner plays No. 33 Hughes (1-17 overall, 0-11 in Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference) March 2 at 8 p.m. at Princeton. (more…)

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Tags: Tags: Ali Barnes, basketball, boys' basketball, Jackson Blue, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Monty Boykins, Phil Cook, Phillip Cook, Sean VanWinkle, Wally Vickers, Walter Vickers

If history repeats itself, Lakota East head coach Wally Vickers says “you can throw out the records and expect a hard fought game” when his Thunderhawks face rival Lakota West tonight, Jan. 25, at 7:30 p.m. at Lakota West High School.

“It (this rivalry) is special for the players,” Vickers said. “In many cases they have known each other most of their lives. They have been competing against each other for many years. In most years, it has been the case that you can throw out the records and expect a hard fought game.”

This hasn’t been a typical year for Lakota East, which boasts an undefeated record of 13-0 and a 7-0 record within the Greater Miami Conference. Currently, the Thunderhawks are also ranked No. 1 in the Cincinnati Enquirer’s regional coaches’ poll.

“Lakota East is having a very special year and a lot of that is attributed to their senior class,” Lakota West head coach Sean VanWinkle said. “They have a very talented class that has been playing with each other for the last several years. This has made their team chemistry very exceptional. The leadership that class displays, coupled with a very knowledgeable coach will make any team strong.”

Senior contributors Cameron Lee (7.6 points per game), Jalen Goodwin (8.5 points per game), R.J. Leppert (7.3 points per game), Jeff Cargill (4.2 points per game) and Michael Boyd (12.5 points per game) are a big reason why the Thunderhawks have been so successful. MaxPreps.com has also taken notice of the team and currently ranks them No. 1 in the state and No. 37 in the country.

Meanwhile, Lakota West (7-6 overall, 4-3 in GMC) is No. 15 in Enquirer poll has been without one of its scoring leaders in senior Phillip Cook (photo – above) for the past five games. Before an old fracture was found in Cook’s ankle, the senior forward was fifth in scoring (12.6 points per game) in the GMC and first in rebounding (eight rebounds per game) in the GMC this season.

“Both Phillip (Cook) and Ali (Barnes) are working with our excellent training staff here at West and are coming along nicely. I would not call either at 100 percent quite yet, but both are very eager to play this Tuesday,” VanWinkle said. (more…)

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Tags: Tags: Ali Barnes, basketball, boys' basketball, Cameron Lee, Dayton, Jalen Goodwin, Jeff Cargill, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Lakota West vs. Lakota East, MaxPreps, Miami University, Michael Boyd, Monty Boykins, Penn State, Phil Cook, Phillip Cook, R.J. Leppert, rankings, Sean VanWinkle, Wally Vickers, Walter Vickers, Xavier

When Lakota West needed a basket it went to its sophomore leader Monty Boykins, who finished with 19 points in a 52-41 win against Fairfield. The win gave the Firebirds their third straight win within the Greater Miami Conference.

On Tuesday, Lakota West upset Middletown, who entered that game with a 7-1 overall record (3-0 in the GMC). Fairfield entered tonight’s contest with a 6-2 overall record (3-1 in the GMC).

“When you see those teams near the top of the GMC and we beat them makes us think we should be up there,” Boykins said.

After scoring 12 points in the first half, Boykins was able to get his team out to a 24-16 advantage. Fairfield, however, outscored the Firebirds 17-10 in the third quarter, cutting West’s lead to 34-33.

In the fourth quarter, Boykins (photo – right – click to enlarge) drilled a three-point shot with 4:16 left to play, making the score 43-38. The score stayed that way until Jackson Blue scored on a put back after Boykins missed a wild three-point attempt with 1:45 left in the contest.

>>>PHOTOS OF FAIRFIELD AT LAKOTA WEST<<<

In what was a sloppy game overall, Boykins was on the floor for more than 28 minutes of it. His 19 points ended up being the second-highest total he has had in his varsity career. In his last five games, Boykins is averaging 18.6 points.

During that span, Lakota West is 4-1 and 3-0 in the Greater Miami Conference.

“Boykins has went from being a solid shooter to a well-rounded player,” Lakota West Sean VanWinkle said prior to the game. “He is a very good passer in traffic, a rebounder on both ends of the court and probably the most impressive thing is he is becoming a leader for this team and he is only a sophomore.” (more…)

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Tags: Tags: basketball, boys' basketball, Dayton, Fairfield, Jeff Woods, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Miami, Miami University, Monty Boykins, Penn State, Phil Cook, Phillip Cook, Sean VanWinkle, TIm Hudson, Xavier

The Lakota West boys’ basketball program enters tonight’s game with Fairfield fresh off a 62-59 upset win against the Middletown Middies. The Firebirds were able to win the game on Tuesday despite not having one of their top scorers and top rebounders, Phillip Cook, who was out due to an ankle injury.

Cook, who is averaging 12.6 points and eight rebounds per game this season, is expected to miss at least another week with an ankle fracture.

Not only will Cook’s offense be missed, but also his defense because the high-flying senior is responsible for “taking on the other team’s best interior defender,” according to Lakota West head coach Sean VanWinkle.

“You try to run a program where no one player is bigger than the team,” VanWinkle said. “I asked our guys to step up and assume larger roles and they responded with a very solid team effort against Middletown.”

Middletown (7-2 overall, 3-1 in the GMC), entered the game ranked No. 4 in the Cincinnati Enquirer’s local Division I boys’ basketball coaches poll, while Lakota West didn’t receive a single vote in the poll, which included 19 local teams.

Leading the Firebirds in the upset win was the play of sophomore guard Monty Boykins, who scored 23 points and pulled down 10 rebounds against Middletown.

Both totals were career highs for Boykins, who is averaging 18.5 points in the Firebirds’ last four games. In those last four games, Lakota West is 3-1 overall and 2-0 against GMC opponents.

“Monty Boykins has went from being a solid shooter to a well-rounded player,” VanWinkle said. “He is a very good passer in traffic, a rebounder on both ends of the court and probably the most impressive thing is he is becoming a leader for this team and he is a sophomore.”

Lakota West will likely lean on Boykins again when it faces Fairfield (6-2 overall, 3-1 in Greater Miami Conference) tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Lakota West High School. The Firebirds enter the game with a 5-4 overall record and a 2-2 mark within the GMC.

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Tags: Tags: basketball, boys' basketball, Fairfield, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Middletown, Monty Boykins, Phil Cook, Phillip Cook, Sean VanWinkle

The Lakota West boys’ basketball program started the season with a 55-40 win against Wilmington in the season opener Dec. 3. The Firebirds hope to improve their record to 2-0 tonight when they play Bellbrook at home at 7:30 p.m.

Despite the 15-point win, Lakota West head coach Sean VanWinkle wasn’t impressed with his team’s overall performance.

“We looked about what I thought we would look like,” VanWinkle said. “(We were) not very crisp on offense, but as the game progressed we played a little better. Our shot selection wasn’t very good and…defensively I was a little disappointed in the fact we didn’t defend in our man-to-man better. This is a work in progress for us and we have to continue drilling it each day.”

In the Wilmington matchup, Lakota West sophomore guard Monty Boykins (photo) led the team with 16 points in the win. Senior Phillip Cook recorded a double-double by registering 13 points and 15 rebounds. And, senior Shane Dixon added 11 points and six rebounds off the bench for Lakota West.

“Shane played well coming off the bench as did a few other guys. This was a good match game for Shane and he took advantage of his playing time,” VanWinkle said. “Shane works hard every day and continues to have a great attitude.”

Meanwhile, Bellbrook (1-1) comes into the game after losing to Fairborn (75-63) and beating Monroe (65-44). In the loss to Fairborn Dec. 4, Daveon Greene had 26 points and Chris Hamilton added 19 for the Golden Eagles.

“They are a well coached team year in and year out,” VanWinkle said. “They will be very disciplined with their shot selection and play very solid man-to-man defense. They have two very nice shooters and a very physical post presence.”

Last season, Lakota West defeated Bellbrook 60-55 on the road.

Photo provided by Mark Ferland of Ferland Fotos – pictures from this game and other Lakota West sporting events can be found at ferlandfotos.smugmug.com.

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Tags: Tags: basketball, Bellbrook, boys' basketball, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Monty Boykins, Phil Cook, Phillip Cook, Sean VanWinkle, Shane Dixon

Last year, Wilmington ended its regular season with a 67-63 overtime win against Lakota West. This year, Wilmington will open its regular season against a new-look Lakota West squad. Tip off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. tonight, Dec. 3, at Lakota West.

Lakota West will begin the year without two of last season’s top scorers in Jordan Hicks (13.1 points per game) and Obi Nwankwo (13.7 points per game), who both just finished up the college football season, Hicks at the University of Texas and Nwankwo at the University of Tennessee Martin.

The Firebirds, however, return Phillip Cook, who averaged 13.1 points and 8.3 rebounds as a junior last season. Lakota West head coach Sean VanWinkle also expects a big season from sophomore guard Monty Boykins, who already has a scholarship offer from Miami University. Last season, Boykins (photo) only appeared in seven games and averaged 4.6 points per game.

“We are building on a foundation of working hard in practice on a daily basis,” VanWinkle said. “We are not expecting a strong start, but we are really working hard to have one.”

Wilmington, who finished 16-6 (10-0 in Fort Ancient Valley Conference), opens the year in a three-way tie at No. 10 in the Cincinnati Enquirer boys’ basketball Division II-IV preseason poll.

“Wilmington will be a very well-coached team, one that will take very high percentage shots and play solid man to man defense,” VanWinkle said.

Lakota West is in four-way tie at No. 8 in the Cincinnati Enquirer boys’ basketball Division I preseason poll. Last season, the Firebirds finished with a 14-8 overall record (12-2 in the Greater Miami Conference).

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Tags: Tags: basketball, boys' basketball, Jordan Hicks, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Monty Boykins, Obi Nwankwo, Phillip Cook, Sean VanWinkle