Ohio Division 3 State Final Four preview

By Jim Dabbelt Prep Girls Hoops Ohio   State Semi-Finals Thursday March 14 Berlin Hiland (26-2) vs Columbus Africentric (26-0), 6:00 Doylestown Chippewa (25-1) vs Waynesville (26-0), 8:00   State Championship Game Saturday, March 16, 10:45   What you will see if you attend the Division 3 state tournament games, including a breakdown of each team.   Columbus Africentric Early College- the odds on favorite in Division 3, as not only are they ranked #1 in Ohio in Division 3, they are also ranked #3 nationally by both the USA Today and ESPN Hoop Girls polls. They also bring in the state D3 Player of the Year in [player_tooltip player_id="32333" first="Jordan" last="Horston"], who is headed to the University of Tennessee. Horston, a 6-foot-1 senior is averaging 18 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists per game but is not the only weapon they have. Also averaging 16 points per game is 5-foot-8 junior Alexa Smith while 6-foot-4 junior [player_tooltip player_id="89324" first="Sakima" last="Walker"] is scoring right around 10 per game. All five starters nearly average double figures as the team is over 75 per game. Africentric has six state titles and two state runner-up finishes, while capturing nine regional championships. This team will push the ball every chance they get, which is most of the time. Their defense will pressure you, and you better find a way to neutralize that. Watch this one: [player_tooltip player_id="89329" first="Nyam" last="Thornton"] is a 5-foot-8 junior who is a great defender and a hard nosed player who won’t back down to anyone. She is averaging 7 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists per game.   Berlin Hiland- They have won 850 games in their storied history, the most of any program in Ohio which they accomplished with their last victory. Coach Dave Schlabach has won an amazing 24 consecutive league championships, and are playing an OHSAA record 16th appearance in the final four. They have five state championships, with that last one coming in 2017. This team is balanced and very young. How young are they? Out of their top nine kids, they have no seniors and three juniors. They are sophohomore-heavy with five that contribute. [player_tooltip player_id="91075" first="Zoe" last="Miller"] is a 6-foot-1 sophomore averaging a team-best 16.1 points per game, while sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="91113" first="Brynn" last="Mullet"], a 5-foot-6 guard, is the only other player in double figures at 10.6. They have played a challenging schedule with several Division One teams, and their young kids have proved to be very talented and able to handle the demands of the longtime coach. Watch this one: One of their biggest offensive threats due to her solid three-point shooting is sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="91139" first="Morgan" last="Yoder"]. She averages close to 10 points per game but can take over or change the game with her perimeter shooting.   Doylestown Chippewa- Like Schlabach, Chippewa coach Denny Schrock is no stranger to success. He has not been to Columbus as many times, but his success at Chippewa in his long coaching career is exceptional. Chippewa comes in with only one loss on the season, and had to battle back from a double-figure deficit in the regional finals to make it to the Final Four. Two players stand out, as Celina Kontz is a 5-foot-11 junior averaging 16.9 points and 8 rebounds per game. Also scoring in double figures is Grace Lindquist, as the 6-foot senior is at 12.3 points. Four of the starters are seniors, meaning they come into the game with a lot of experience. They only allow 34 points per game as a team, so their defense will pressure you. They also want to play fast, but are not very deep as they are seven deep. Watch this one: Lindquist is a volleyball kid who plays basketball, as she will attend Walsh to play volleyball next season..   Waynesville- will join Africentric as the only two unbeaten teams in Columbus this weekend. This team is solid at all aspects. They can score from the perimeter, create turnovers leading to points, and has a very athletic post player who can create at the rim. They just missed the state final four last year, losing to Versailles in the regional finals, but Waynesville evened the score by knocking out the Tigers this year. [player_tooltip player_id="32393" first="Rachel" last="Murray"] is their go-to on offense, as the first-team all-Ohio guard has over 1,700 points in her career and averages 20 points per game. She controls the offense, can attack the rim, or shoot overtop for a three. Also honored at the state level was second-team all-Ohio post Marcella Sizer. The soccer player headed to Youngstown State, can get physical with anyone inside, and is not afraid of anyone when taking the ball to the rim. Solid rebounder and defender. Also Lynzie Hartshorn is another senior looking to end her career strong. She iced the game against Purcell Marian to get to Columbus when she hit 2 free throws with seconds left. Excellent perimeter threat. Watch this one: like I said in a recent story, Leah Butterbaugh is the player who could be a difference maker. She has strong skills from the three and plays under control. Only a sophomore, Leah is one to watch now.   Prep Girls Hoops Ohio will be there Friday and Saturday for the latest on these teams going for a state title.