Ohio Division 2 State Final Four preview

Jim Dabbelt March 12, 2019 @ 08:21 PM

By Jim Dabbelt Prep Girls Hoops Ohio   State Semi-Finals   Thursday, March 14   Akron St. Vincent St. Mary vs Dayton Carroll, 6:00   Toledo Rogers vs Thornville Sheridan, 8:00   State Championship Game   Saturday, March 16, 2:00   What you will see if you attend the Division 2 state tournament games, including a breakdown of each team.   Toledo Rogers- the defending state champions bring back a lot of firepower as they look for a repeat title. Everyone knows about [player_tooltip player_id="32334" first="Zia" last="Cooke"], likely the best guard in Ohio who is headed to South Carolina. Cooke, a 5-foot-9 senior was a member of the U17 USA team and she lived up to the billing this season. She averaged 21.8 points per game with over six rebounds and four assists. She gets a lot of help from 5-foot-11 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="32563" first="Madison" last="Royal-Davis"], who scored over 18 points per game. Eight players return from last years title team, and they will cause problems with their incredible athleticism to push the ball and they will smother you on defense. If needed, Rogers can slow it down and play a halfcourt style of game. They have won seven district titles in the last eight years and four Final Four appearances. Watch this one: Courtney Gardner is only a sophomore but has come up big for Rogers. She doesn’t have the gaudy numbers as the starting five, but she will be one you will need to keep an eye on this weekend.   Dayton Carroll- survived a tough regional to get here, and they finished the season ranked #1 in Ohio in the final AP poll. The Patriots has a lot of weapons who will cause problems for their opponents. [player_tooltip player_id="32407" first="Elisabeth" last="Bush"] and [player_tooltip player_id="32533" first="Julia" last="Keller"] shared the league Player of the Year honors, as the senior Bush is a strong leader at the point guard spot with a good three-point shot. Keller, only a junior, combines a strong inside presence with the ability to get to the rim and draw fouls. She also has a good perimeter shot. [player_tooltip player_id="89290" first="Allie" last="Stefanek"] is multi dimensional, as she is able to shoot the 3 and run the floor and score in transition. Megan Leraas has improved a lot and developed into a legitimate three-point threat. Watch this one: [player_tooltip player_id="159378" first="Sarah" last="Ochs"] is a player not many know about....yet. She stepped up big in the district finals.   Akron St. Vincent St. Mary- the school known for LeBron James has quite the tradition on the girls side with three state titles, the last one in 1995. Coach Carley Whitney has them peaking at the right time, coming into the Final Four with nine losses. Freshman [player_tooltip player_id="92512" first="Lanae" last="Riley"] is a 6-foot-2 post who is a strong presence on the inside at 16 points and nine rebounds per game. [player_tooltip player_id="32405" first="Maria" last="Dobson"] is right behind with 15 points and Sophia Williams comes in at 12 points per game. Their size and depth will cause teams problems, with over four kids in the rotation at 6-foot or taller. Watch this one: One of the post players who is one to contend with is 6-foot-3 senior Aubrie Marsh, who is headed to Ursuline. She is one of three players who looks to play at the next level, including [player_tooltip player_id="32405" first="Maria" last="Dobson"] (Tiffin) and Jaida Haines (UNOH).   Thornville Sheridan- making their first appearance in the Final Four since 2004 and their third overall. In fact they are spaced out from 1988, 2004 and 2019. They have set the school record for fewest points allowed per game for a season, and their wins break the school record for most wins in a season. [player_tooltip player_id="32381" first="Rachel" last="Cooke"] is Sheridan’s all-time leading scorer and [player_tooltip player_id="89274" first="Kendyl" last="Mick"] broke the record for most assists in a career, and both are headed to the University of Findlay. Also a big regional championship game for sophomore Grace Conrad, who was 3-3 from the three in that game. Watch this one: after missing the first half of the season with an injury, 6-foot-1 freshman [player_tooltip player_id="32621" first="Faith" last="Stinson"] has come back strong averaging 8 points per game.   Reminder, Prep Girls Hoops Ohio will be at state on Friday and Saturday and will bring you the coverage from Columbus.