Postseason basketball starts in southwest Ohio

Postseason basketball has started in southwest Ohio and the Cincinnati area is poised for a possible significant run toward the state final four in boys and girls basketball.

Girls basketball teams begin sectional play this week with several first-round games scheduled to start today.

Princeton (Cincinnati) (20-0), the top-ranked Division I team, will play against Woodward (Cincinnati) or Amelia (Batavia) on Saturday in the Harrison sectional. The Vikings received a bye in the first round.

The girls basketball state tournament is March 17-19 at Ohio State University in Columbus.

The boys basketball regular season concludes this week with the sectional tournament starting the week of Feb. 21.

Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) (18-0), Lakota East (Liberty Township) (19-0) and La Salle (Cincinnati) (17-2) are among Cincinnati's top Division I teams this season.

For Moeller, it's the best start in several years. Moeller is 18-0 for the first time in school history. With a win against Roger Bacon last week, the Crusaders tied the longest winning streak in school history. Moeller, the No. 1 seed in the sectional tournament, is led by senior guard Charlie Byers, who averages about 14 points, three rebounds and three assists. The Crusaders started 16-0 in 2007, and started 17-0 this season.

Lakota East, the No. 2 seed, is led by senior guard Michael Boyd, who averages about 12 points and four rebounds. The Thunderhawks clinched their first outright Greater Miami Conference title with a 57-49 win over Princeton last week, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

La Salle, the No. 3 seed, is led by seniors Ryan Fleming and Brandon Neel and junior guard Josh Lemons, who averages about 14 points and four rebounds.

The state boys tournament is March 24-26 at Ohio State's Value City Arena.

MARY JO HUISMANN TO STEP DOWN FROM A.D. POSITION AT MERCY
Mother of Mercy (Cincinnati) girls basketball coach Mary Jo Huismann will step down from her role as athletic director at the end of the school year. Huismann plans to continue to be the head basketball coach. She won her 600th career game this season and has been selected as state Coach of the Year three times. Her teams have won 18 league titles and 15 district championships since 1972.

TOP STANDOUTS
* Orlando Berry, Taft: The junior guard had a game-high 26 points and also added 10 assists to lift the Senators past Aiken 73-61, according to the Enquirer. Taft is ranked No. 1 in the Enquirer Divisions II-IV coaches' poll.

* William Moore, Aiken: The junior had 19 points and 12 rebounds in the loss to Taft, according to the Enquirer. Moore, a guard, is one of the state's top players in the 2012 class. He has offers from Akron, James Madison, Miami University, Kent State and Ohio.

* MacKenzie Loesing, St. Ursula: The junior guard had 25 points, eight rebounds and two steals in a 59-31 win over McAuley on Tuesday. She averages about 17 points, four rebounds and three steals.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
* Glen Este (Cincinnati) at Anderson (Cincinnati) boys basketball, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday: Two of the top boys basketball teams in the Fort Ancient Valley Conference. This east-side rivalry game should be special. Senior forward Patrick McCallum averages 14.2 points and 6.3 rebounds for Anderson. Glen Este senior forward Mike Bouley averages about 10 points and 11.4 rebounds.

* Lakota West (West Chester) vs. Ursuline Academy (Cincinnati) girls basketball, 6 p.m. Thursday: These two teams play in the Division I sectional at Lakota East. Lakota West is led by senior forward Ronni Grandison, who averages about 10 points and five rebounds. She is committed to play at the University of Massachusetts. Ursuline is led by senior guard Morgan Donovan, who averages about 12 points, three rebounds and three steals.

* Moeller at La Salle boys basketball, 7:30 p.m. Friday: One of the most anticipated games of the season – these two teams close out the regular season on the west side of Cincinnati. Moeller defeated visiting La Salle 50-45 on Jan. 21. These two teams could meet again in Columbus in March.

RANDOM THOUGHTS
Don Treadwell, the new Miami University head football coach, will be the keynote speaker at the 44th National Football Foundation's "That's My Boy Award" banquet, which recognizes Cincinnati-area players who have demonstrated academic excellence and involvement in extracurricular activities. Treadwell, formerly the Michigan State offensive coordinator, was hired by Miami on Dec. 31, 2010. …The McAuley (Cincinnati) girls basketball team clinched a share of the Girls Greater Cincinnati League Scarlet title for the first time since 1997 when the Mohawks defeated Mercy 49-37 on Feb. 3, according to the Enquirer. St. Ursula Academy (Cincinnati) was also co-league champions.