With holiday basketball tournaments completed, southwest Ohio teams will look toward a regular week starting the first week of January. Before school resumes, it's worth taking a look at some of boys and girls basketball teams that made a significant impact over the past two weeks.
In the Cincinnati area,
Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) (9-0) remained undefeated by winning the VisitMesa.com championship. The Crusaders defeated Mountain View (Ariz.) 36-35 in the final on Thursday. Moeller senior guard
Charlie Byers has been the leading scorer for Moeller at 14.4 points per game.
Moeller returns to Cincinnati next week and plays at Purcell Marian Friday night.
The
Princeton (Cincinnati) girls basketball team, ranked No. 1 in the Cincinnati Enquirer's
Division I coaches' poll, improved to 8-0 with a 64-52 win over St. Frances (Md.) in a holiday tournament on Thursday. Princeton freshman guard Kelsey Mitchell had 20 points to lead the Vikings, which next play host to Sycamore in a Greater Miami Conference showdown on Wednesday.
In the Dayton area, the
Trotwood-Madison boys team improved to 5-0 with a 48-45 win at Chaminade-Julienne on Dec. 28. The Rams lead the Greater Western Ohio Conference North division and next play at Springboro Jan. 7.
In girls basketball,
Fairborn (8-0) and
Fairmont (Kettering) (8-0) remained undefeated in the South and Central divisions of the GWOC. Fairmont plays host to Centerville on Wednesday. Fairmont has been led by sophomore guard
Chelsea Welch, who averages nearly 14 points.
Fairborn plays host to Xenia on Wednesday. Senior center
Jaymee Veney averages 12.1 points for Fairborn.
In the Girls Greater Cincinnati League,
Carroll (Dayton) remained undefeated (8-0) with a 62-45 win over Oldsmar Academy (Fla.). Carroll plays at Miamisburg on Wednesday.
RAESHAUN GAFFNEY COMMITS TO VIRGINIAFairfield junior point guard
Raeshaun Gaffney has verbally committed to Virginia, according to the Enquirer. Gaffney, who is one of Ohio's top girls basketball players in the 2012 class, averages 27.9 points – tops in the Greater Miami Conference. She also averages 7.3 rebounds, 4.2 steals and 3.5 assists.
Gaffney said she felt comfortable with the Virginia coaching staff and the academic programs at the school. She said she plans to attend law school at Virginia and become a corporate or media lawyer one day.
"I think it's going to be a fantastic fit for Rae and Virginia," Fairfield coach Patrick O'Leary said. "Rae was really wowed by both their basketball program and law school. I'm very happy for her and her family."
Gaffney also considered Northwestern, Michigan State, Vanderbilt and Penn State.
JIM BARRE RETIRES AT WYOMINGWyoming athletic director Jim Barre said he planned to retire Dec. 31 after 35 years in education. He was athletic director for 26 years – having been at Wyoming since 1998. Former Deer Park athletic director Terry Hartley has been named the interim athletic director at the school. Barre was also formerly the football coach at Norwood from 1982-95.
TOP STANDOUTS* Kelsey Mitchell, Princeton girls basketball: The freshman guard had 20 points, five assists and three rebounds in the Vikings' 64-52 win over St. Frances (Md.) on Dec. 30. Mitchell averages 19.1 points for Princeton.
* Amy Brooks, Harrison girls basketball: The senior forward had 22 points, 11 rebounds and two assists in a 50-36 win over Hamilton on Dec. 30. Brooks averages 19.9 points for the Wildcats.
* JD Sprague, Mason boys basketball: The junior guard had 16 points and three assists in a 53-40 win over Milford on Dec. 30. Mason improved to 7-0 with the win.
UPCOMING GAMES* Anderson (Cincinnati) at McAuley (Cincinnati) girls basketball, Monday: Two of the premier Division I girls basketball programs in the area. Anderson led the Fort Ancient Valley Conference Buckeye division with a 6-2 record toward the end of December. Senior forward Mackenzie Kenney averaged 12.3 points and 7.4 rebounds in seven games. McAuley had a 7-1 record to start the season and won five consecutive games going into the new year.
* La Salle (Cincinnati) at Winton Woods (Cincinnati) boys basketball, Tuesday: This game provides an interesting matchup to open the new year. La Salle (8-1) has been ranked as the No. 1 team in the Cincinnati Enquirer Division I coaches' poll all season. The Lancers started the season 5-0 before a winter holiday tournament in Florida. La Salle has been led by junior guard
Josh Lemons and senior forward
Brandon Neel. Winton Woods has been led by senior guard
Dennis Thomas, who averaged 19.3 points through the first four games.
* Sycamore (Cincinnati) at Princeton girls basketball, Wednesday: One of the most highly anticipated matchups of the girls basketball season occurs in suburban Cincinnati this week. Sycamore won its first nine games, while Princeton was 8-0 to start the season. This is a critical game in the Greater Miami Conference. Sycamore is led by senior guard Ashley Schaefer, who averaged 15.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in the first eight games. Junior guard Chloe Pavlech (Maryland commit) has been averaging 13 points and nearly five rebounds and three steals. Princeton has been led by freshman guard Kelsey Mitchell, who averages nearly 18 points and nearly four steals and four rebounds per game.
RANDOM THOUGHTSMadeira (Cincinnati) wrestler Johnny Carpenter became the first wrestler in school history to win the Southwestern Ohio Wrestling Coaches Association Glenn Sample Classic on Dec. 19, according to the Community Press. … The
Mason gymnastics team won the Turpin Snowflake Invitational for a second consecutive season in late December, according to the Pulse Journal.
(Information from the Cincinnati Enquirer, Pulse Journal, ScoutingOhio.com and Dayton Daily News was used in this report)
