Ohio Division 4 State Tournament Preview

The evening session on Thursday night at the 2020 state tournament will match up the small schools, with Minster going for a three-peat, Fort Loramie trying to run the table, and a pair of solid teams in Fort Frye and Cornerstone Christian looking to cement their names into the history books as state champions. Fort Frye comes in 26-2 and has been tested in their last three games, winning by an average of 15 points. This is only their second trip to the final four in school history, and they are led by a sophomore, 5’8" guard [player_tooltip player_id="159360" first="Hannah" last="Archer"]. Only one senior resides on the young roster, and they look to shock the two-time defending champions in the opener on Thursday night. Fort Loramie has cruised through their competition this season, with their closest tournament game in the regional finals, a 16-point win over Cincinnati Country Day. Junior [player_tooltip player_id="159039" first="Dana" last="Rose"]<strong><span style="font-size: 10pt"> </span></strong>is a solid player with inside/out capabilities, while [player_tooltip player_id="89273" first="Marissa" last="Meiring"] is a strong physical force in the paint with some range. They have good balance of experience and younger players stepping up. Kenzie Hoelscher is likely their most versatile player and [player_tooltip player_id="159381" first="Ava" last="Sholtis"] continues to impress. Cornerstone Christian was here last year and looks to use that experience to be prepared for the final four. Michaela Cloonan is a terrific prospect as the senior guard can score from anywhere on the court. [player_tooltip player_id="89262" first="Madison" last="Cloonan"] continues to improve and junior [player_tooltip player_id="159029" first="Riley" last="Stopp"]  is a difference maker in their lineup. Minster has the biggest target as they are the two-time defending champions. They bring in the state’s top Division Four guard in [player_tooltip player_id="32556" first="Ivy" last="Wolf"], a legitimate D1-2 college prospect with Janae Hoying, a solid perimeter player in Averi Wolf, and a group of improved post players who look to shine on the biggest stage. &nbsp; <strong>Thursday, 6pm- Willoughby Cornerstone Christian (22-5) vs Fort Loramie (26-0)</strong> <span style="color: #ff0000">Probable Starters</span> <strong>Cornerstone Christian</strong> G  [player_tooltip player_id="159029" first="Riley" last="Stopp"], 5’11" Jr.  (11.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg) F  [player_tooltip player_id="89262" first="Madison" last="Cloonan"], 5’11" Sr. (13.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg) G  Michaela Cloonan, 5’9" Sr. (10.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 6.7 apg) F  Aislyn Hurst, 5’9" Jr. (6.6 ppg) F  Kailey Tyna, 6’0" Sr. (13.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg) <strong>Fort Loramie</strong> F  Caitlyn Gasson, 5’3" Jr. (3.9 ppg) G  Kennedi Gephart, 5’5" Sr. (5.8 ppg) F  Kenzie Hoelscher, 6’0" Jr. (9.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg) C  [player_tooltip player_id="159039" first="Dana" last="Rose"], 6’0" Jr. (11.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg) F  [player_tooltip player_id="89273" first="Marissa" last="Meiring"], 5’8" Sr. (9.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg) <strong>The skinny</strong>: Defense is the game of the game for Fort Loramie, as they look to pressure and force turnovers, as they are better in the uptempo game. They are the deepest team in the state tournament as they can go 10 deep without a dropoff. The Redskins are averaging 73 points per game, and as you can tell, the scoring is spread out. Ava Sholits comes off the bench averaging nearly 11 ppg., and was second-team all-district. Cornerstone Christian played an incredibly tough schedule, and feels it has prepared them for what it will take to bring home the crown. This is the third trip to the Final Four in the last five years, and they have four players in double figures. Michaela Cloonan is their main go-to player, but she gets plenty of help. <strong>Thursday, 8pm- Beverly Fort Frye (26-2) vs Minster (22-5)</strong> <span style="color: #ff0000">Probable Starters</span> <strong>Fort Frye</strong> F  Kiersten Kesselring, 5’9" Sr. (6.3 ppg) G Lexie Huck, 5’5" Jr., (10.9 ppg) G Liv Schneider, 5’3" Jr. (7.1 ppg) G [player_tooltip player_id="159360" first="Hannah" last="Archer"], 5’8" Soph. (14.9 ppg., 4.5 rpg) G  Kenzie Dalton, 5’3" Soph. (8.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg) <strong>Minster</strong> G  [player_tooltip player_id="32556" first="Ivy" last="Wolf"], 5’9" Jr. (20.2 ppg., 4.1 apg) G  Averi Wolf, 5’10" Sr. (7.3 ppg.) G  Mara Schmiesing, 5’4" Sr. (3.5 ppg.) G Janae Hoying, 5’7" Jr., (12.5 ppg., 3.6 apg.) F Lauren Mox, 5’10" Sr. (3.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg) <strong>The skinny:</strong> Yes, Minster is the two-time champs, but this is a different team coming to Columbus. They have likely the best D4 backcourt in Ohio, but they lost a lot of inside game from last year. Look for Averi Wolf to be a factor in this game, and their post play continues to get better every night. Fort Frye is a young team with only one senior and two sophomores, and they have had some tough battles through the tournament. <strong>STATE FINAL: Saturday, March 14, 2:00 pm.</strong>