SBLive’s Top 25 in Ohio high school girls basketball: Arcanum re-enters the fray as tournament draw looms
By Sam Houseworth | Photo by Ben Jackson
It’s about time to get those tournament predictions in.
Two weeks left in the season and only five days until the tournament draw. With teams from all four divisions represented in the top 10, there is going to be some excellent basketball played in Dayton.
Frankly, the road to Dayton may be a little bumpy for some teams, but that is part of the excitement. Who can we expect to see in Dayton this spring? Well, here are some teams to look for.
SBLIVE'S OHIO TOP 25
1. Reynoldsburg (14-2)
Last week: 1
Another dominant week for the Raiders as they improve to 7-0 in the OCC Buckeye Division with an 80-23 win over Groveport Madison on Friday. Then Saturday, they headed downtown to face the best team in the Columbus City League, Africentric. The Raiders walked away with a 74-50 win. West Virginia commit Imarianah Russell scored 59 points in the two games, bringing her streak of 20-point games to 11. Reynoldsburg heads to Newark on Friday in OCC Buckeye action.
2. Archbishop Hoban, Akron (15-0)
Last week: 2
The Knights remain undefeated after their most challenging week to date. Hoban opened the week with a 68-46 win over Fremont Ross, then a blowout win against Lutheran East, 68-35. The toughest test of the season came Saturday, playing fellow undefeated team Archbishop Alter in Columbus. Hoban jumped out to a 37-21 lead at halftime and held off a relentless Alter squad, sealing a 60-59 win. Hoban heads to SWC leader Olmsted Falls on Thursday.
3. Dublin Coffman (14-1)
Last week: 4
The Lady Rocks have all but clinched the OCC Central Division after their Friday win over Olentangy Liberty. Indiana Tech commit Taylor Covington led all scorers with 17. The Lady Rocks are only one win away from clinching the OCC Central, and their next chance comes at Olentangy Orange on Friday, followed by a game against Centerville on Saturday.
4. Mount Notre Dame, Cincinnati (16-1)
Last week: 5
The Cougars improved to 5-0 in the GGCL on Thursday with a 74-32 win over Mercy McAuley. MND then welcomed Cooper (Kentucky) to town, posting a 47-31 win. Notre Dame commit KK Bransford tallied 44 points over the weekend. The Cougars head to St. Ursula on Tuesday, then Seton at home on Thursday.
5. Fort Loramie (17-0)
Last week: 3
One thing that makes Loramie so dangerous is that if one girl is shooting cold, there are a half-dozen other players who can take her place. The depth of this team is unmatched among small schools. On Thursday, Ava Sholtis had the hot hand, leading the Redskins with 15 in their 52-31 win over Botkins. Saturday, it was Ava Turner who scored 16 in Loramie’s 45-32 win over Bath. Tuesday features one of the best games in the state when Loramie heads to MAC leader New Knoxville. Saturday, the Lady Skins host Houston.
6. Princeton, Cincinnati (16-2)
Last week: 6
Wednesday, the Vikings held on to their narrow lead in the GMC with a 71-29 win over Middletown. Unfortunately, Princeton ran into one of the most battle-tested teams in the state in Pick Central on Saturday. The Vikings took a 44-39 lead into the fourth quarter but could not hold off a red-hot Tigers team, falling 65-60. Princeton hosts Lakota West on Wednesday, then packs the bus for a trip to Oak Hills on Saturday.
7. Tri-Village, New Madison (15-2)
Last week: 7
The lone game for the Patriots was Saturday at Minster. Tri-Village jumped out to a 19-2 lead after the first quarter and never looked back, winning by a final margin of 52-31. Marshall commit Rylee Sagester led all scorers with 17, while junior Morgan Hunt posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. The Patriots host Twin Valley South on Thursday, then Bradford on Saturday in a pair of WOAC contests.
8. Purcell Marian (Cincinnati) (15-1)
Last week: 8
If there was any question as to who the favorite in D-III is, those questions have been answered. Thursday, the Cavs headed to Sheridan and came away with a 68-62 win against a very tough Generals team. Dee Alexander was unstoppable, leading all scorers with 31. Saturday, the Cavs improved to 6-1 in MVC play with a 66-52 win over Roger Bacon. The Cavs host CHCA on Wednesday, then head to Mercy McAuley on Monday.
9. Pickerington Central (11-6)
Last week: 9
The Tigers earned two statement wins after suffering a three-game skid against nationally ranked competition the previous week. Friday, Pick Central got themselves a revenge win against division rival Newark, 54-42. Berry Wallace led the way with 25. Saturday, the Lady Tigers took out the only team to beat MND in the past three years, Princeton. Four Tigers finished in double figures as Pick Central won 65-60. Pick Central heads to Central Crossing on Friday, followed by Africentric on Saturday.
10. Archbishop Alter, Kettering (14-1)
Last week: 11
Something had to give. After a blowout 76-21 win over Thurgood Marshall on Wednesday, Alter set its sights on Hoban, which could not miss in the first half, jumping out to a 37-21 lead going into the locker rooms. However, Maddie Moody and company turned up the heat and chipped away at the lead little by little. In the end, Alter came up just short, losing 60-59. The Knights have a trio of GCL contests this week against McNicholas on Wednesday, Carroll on Saturday, then finishing their conference schedule at Fenwick on Monday.
11. Olmsted Falls (15-1)
Last week: 10
The Bulldogs were all about the 3-pointer on Saturday. In their lone contest, Olmsted Falls beat Midview on the road, 52-37, hitting 43% of their 3-pointers as a team. The Bulldogs will host Hoban on Thursday in a top 15 contest, followed by a game against Elyria on Saturday.
12. Mason (15-2)
Last week: 13
Two conference games, two blowouts for the Comets. Mason headed to Fairfield on Wednesday and came away with a 52-27 victory. Over the weekend, they hosted Oak Hills and steamrolled them, 59-18. University of Miami commit Kyla Oldacre led all Comets with 29 points in the two GMC games. The Comets get a pair of Lakotas this week, hosting host East on Wednesday, then head to West on Saturday.
13. Shelby (16-0)
Last week: 12
Sometimes, we see scores and must check multiple sources to make sure they are real. That was the case with the Whippets last week. After a comfortable 60-35 win over Lexington on Wednesday, the Whippets demoralized Galion, 72-4. Shelby was up 29-1 after one and 52-3 at halftime when the reserves finished the game for the Whippets. Shelby hosts Highland on Thursday, then plays at River Valley on Saturday.
14. Liberty-Benton, Findlay (13-1)
Last week: 15
Bellevue stayed competitive with the Eagles on Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough as Liberty-Benton came away with a 54-40 win. Two nights later, McComb fell behind early and never recovered, handing the Eagles their 15th straight win. After facing Arcadia at home Tuesday, the Eagles head to North Baltimore in a game that will decide the Blanchard Valley Conference. The Eagles end the week at Bryan on Saturday.
15. Sheridan, Thornville (11-3)
Last week: 16
After a 10-day layoff, the Generals welcomed one of the best small schools in the state in the form of Purcell Marian. The Generals held a 44-33 lead at halftime but cooled off in the second half, as they had no answer for Dee Alexander. Sheridan fell for the first time in 2022, 68-62. Saturday, they bounced back with a Muskingum Valley League win over Meadowbrook, 72-26. Sheridan will host Philo on Wednesday, followed by a trip to John Glenn on Saturday.
16. Ursuline Academy, Cincinnati (14-4)
Last week: Unranked
After a rough December, the Lions return to the top 25 after going 7-1 in the month of January with their lone loss coming to Mount Notre Dame. The Lions tallied three wins last week against St. Ursula, Seton and Dixie Heights. The Lions have been led by Mercyhurst commit Jenna Van Schaik, who scored 50 points and forced seven steals in three games. The Lions host Mercy McAuley in their final GGCL game on Tuesday.
17. Cincinnati Country Day (11-3)
Last week: 21
The Nighthawks posted a pair of comfortable wins last week. Wednesday, they beat Cincinnati HomeSchool Trailblazers, 59-38, then beat Eastern Brown 76-57. Five players scored in double figures in the win against Eastern Brown, led by Gracie Barnes with 18. CCD has a pair of MVC road games this week with Roger Bacon on Wednesday and Norwood on Saturday.
18. Worthington Christian (12-2)
Last week: 17
No games to report from last week. Worthington Christian heads to Whitehall on Wednesday, then hosts the Columbus School for Girls on Friday.
19. GlenOak (Canton) (13-2)
Last week: 14
The Eagles cooled off after a statement win over Regis Jesuit (Colorado) last week. GlenOak barely edged out Canton McKinley 42-38. Three days later, Hoover earned another statement win against a top 25 team with a 48-39 upset of Federal League leader GlenOak. The Eagles don’t get any breaks. On Wednesday, they host a Jackson team that just missed this week’s top 25, followed by Lake on Saturday.
20. New Knoxville (15-1)
Last week: 19
The Rangers have held their opponents to under 30 points in seven straight games. Last Tuesday, Legacy Christian never got out of the starting blocks, outscored 34-4 in the first half en route to a 48-14 finish. Thursday, Delphos St. John’s didn’t fair any better, outscored 38-4 in the first half as the Rangers ran away with a 56-23 MAC win. The big game of the season comes Tuesday when the Rangers host Fort Loramie in the top 20 contest, followed by road games at Parkway on Thursday and Wapak on Saturday.
21. Arcanum (16-1)
Last week: Unranked
Welcoming back the Trojans after a hiatus from the top 25. Arcanum is on a nine-game winning streak since the middle of December with an 8-1 record in the WOAC. D-III Preseason Player of the Year Hailey Unger has lived up to her billing, averaging 17.6 points and 3.6 steals per game this season. The Trojans host Tri-County North on Thursday.
22. Union Local, Belmont (13-3)
Last week: 23
It was a busy week for the Jets. Union Local fell to Wheeling Park (West Virginia) on Wednesday, 67-66. Wheeling Park is considered one of the favorites to win the West Virginia 4A state championship this spring. The Jets responded by taking out their aggression on their weekend opponents. Union Local defeated Barnesville 64-12 on Thursday, followed by a Buckeye 8 win against Harrison Central, 56-13. The Jets have revenge on their mind when they home Linsly (West Virginia) on Wednesday.
23. Granville (16-0)
Last week: 24
The blowouts just keep coming for the Blue Aces. Wednesday, Granville dominated Northridge, 60-14. Saturday, they followed that up with a 51-19 win over Zanesville, led by Cate Schieber and her 24 points. The Blue Aces are on the road this week against Utica on Wednesday and Watkins Memorial on Monday.
24. Olentangy Liberty, Powell (11-5)
Last week: 22
2022 continues to be rough for the Lady Patriots as they are 3-4 in the month of January. Their road loss to division rival Dublin Coffman didn’t help matters, as it appears the Patriots will finish second in the OCC Central. Olentangy Liberty hosts Upper Arlington on Friday, followed by a trip to Bishop Watterson on Saturday.
25. Russia (14-4)
Last week: 20
The lone game for the Raiders this past week was a 55-36 blowout at Jackson Center. Russia will host Anna next Saturday before a gauntlet of games to end the regular season featuring New Knoxville, Botkins, and Versailles.
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