Division I regional track finals
Fenwick graduation 2012
Ponitz graduation 2012
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Saturday, March 6, 2010
Fairmont wins to join Xenia, Butler at regional level
HARRISON — After watching Fairmont’s Cassie Sant put a bulging ice pack on her right shoulder last week in the Firebirds’ sectional final win, I wondered how physical she would be in the district final Saturday, March 6.
Answer: Very.
Sant led all scorers with 17 points and added nine rebounds and eight assists as Fairmont beat Miamisburg 52-32 at Harrison High School to advance to Tuesday’s Division I regional semifinal at the Nutter Center against the winner of the game happening now, Princeton vs. Sycamore.
Sant started early, scoring seven of Fairmont’s first 13 points on a layup, a three-point play and a rebound and put-back. In the second quarter, she added a 3-pointer and a left-handed layup to show off a wide skill set.
The 6-foot-2 senior and University of Dayton recruit showed no signs of the shoulder discomfort — caused when she tangled with a Springboro player under a basket last weekend — or the stress fracture in her lower right leg that bothered her early in the season.
Fairmont doesn’t have great depth — the varsity roster includes eight players — but the Firebirds do have one of the area’s best in Sant, and she showed Saturday she’s still sharp despite some physical play.
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Miami Valley guaranteed three D-I girls teams in state’s final 16
HARRISON — I just got to Harrison High School to cover Fairmont against Miamisburg in a Division I girls basketball district final, and I’m catching up on two other area teams that already advanced to regional semifinals earlier today.
Vandalia Butler is finishing cutting down the nets following their 56-49 defeat of Lakota East. The Aviators (20-4) got 21 points from Akron-bound point guard Kacie Cassell and clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch to set up a matchup with Walnut Hills at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Nutter Center.
In the 11 a.m. game, Xenia used 25 points from Brittiney Latimer to top Lakota East 67-64 and advance to the Columbus regional, where the Buccaneers will play the winner of New Albany and Pickerington North at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday at Otterbein College.
We knew all year the Miami Valley was strong in D-I girls basketball, and the area is now guaranteed three teams in the final 16 in the state.
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Dunbar nips Alter in sectional nail-biter
LEBANON — The Dunbar High School boys basketball team entered the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead in this history-laden matchup.
Then Alter freshman Jaaron Simmons got hot, and we the observers got what we want: A nail-biter.
With Alter trailing 46-39, Simmons scored nine straight Knights points to cut Dunbar’s lead to 52-48 with 52.8 seconds left. The Knights got two points closer when Joe Thuney made two free throws with 36.7 seconds left to make it 52-50.
But in the closing seconds, Dunbar used its characteristic pressure and quick baskets to leave Lebanon High School with a 56-50 Division II sectional final victory on Saturday, March 6.
“It was a game,” said Dunbar guard Geron Johnson, “where you had to take what you wanted.”
Dunbar advanced to face the winner of Indian Hill and McNicholas (which play at 7:30 p.m. Saturday) on Wednesday at UD Arena in a district final. But getting there was no cinch for the state’s second-ranked team.
The Wolverines (19-3) got 13 first-quarter points from 6-6 sophomore Deontae Hawkins to take a 19-10 lead after the first period. They led 30-24 at halftime and pushed the lead to 12 points (40-28) with 4:32 left in the third quarter on a breakaway dunk by guard Ryan Bass.
Alter (12-11) then steadied after Max Zukowitz canned a deep 3-pointer and frustrated Dunbar with a mix of 3-pointers and free throws. Simmons, the guard who eased into the regular rotation as the season progressed and started Saturday, helped the Knights rally, but Dunbar pulled away late.
After Thuney’s free throws made it 52-50, Bass hit two free throws, Alter turned the ball over, Dunbar’s Roger Williamson got a fast-break layup and Alter was called for over-and-back on another turnover to help the Wolverines advance.
Hawkins led Dunbar with 17 points, and Bass added eight. Simmons finished with 16 points, including nine in the fourth quarter, and Thuney and Zukowitz each added 11.
Dunbar cuts Alter’s advantage in the series to 15-11.
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