Saturday, March 19, 2005
Cincinnati North College Hill and Columbus Africentric also won titles.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- A coach in his first year at the school -- who brought his two talented sons with him -- helped produce a magical season at Upper Sandusky.
The Dieblers -- coach Keith and sons Jon and Jake -- helped the top-ranked Rams build a 24-point lead and then withstand a furious Wooster Triway comeback to take the Division II state championship with a 94-86 win Saturday at Value City Arena.
"This is excellent for a group of young people who deserve this," the teary-eyed coach said after the victory. "We are teachers and what has happened to them is the direct reflection on their willingness to learn, their hard work and their willingness to assume responsibility."
The title came in Upper Sandusky's first appearance at the state tournament. Before this year, the Rams (27-0) had never made it out of the district.
Highest scoring game
It was the highest-scoring Div. II title game ever. The Rams set numerous records for scoring and 3-point shooting during their two tournament games. Their 189 points matched the second-highest scoring total, surpassed only by Jerry Lucas' legendary Middletown team in 1956.
Jon Diebler, a second-team All-Ohioan, scored 32 points and added 14 rebounds for the Rams. Micheli, who quarterbacked the Wyandot County school's football team to an unbeaten season last fall, added 21 points. First-team all-stater Jake added 14 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and five steals before fouling out in the fourth quarter. He played more than a quarter with four fouls.
Jamie Breneman scored 25 points and Jeff McCartney and Linc Rottman -- the hero of the Titans' semifinal victory over Columbus Linden McKinley with a late free throw -- each scored 16. Ryan Whitmer added 15 points and 13 rebounds for Triway.
Division III
Mr. Basketball O.J. Mayo had an assist on a critical basket and then scored the final four points for No. 1-ranked Cincinnati North College Hill in a 71-65 win over No. 2 Ironton.
Mayo finished with 22 points, six assists and three rebounds, despite carrying four fouls for most of the second half.
Second-team All-Ohioan Bill Walker also had a strong game with 19 points and 14 rebounds, with 6-11 center Keenan Ellis adding 14 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots.
Ironton, which was making its second trip to the final four, received 28 points from center Cliffton Howard, who also had 16 rebounds. Dennis Gagai, a special mention All-Ohio selection, tossed in 22 points.
Division IV
First-team All-Ohioan Donald Suel scored 20 points and top-ranked Columbus Africentric built an early lead and then held off Cleveland Heights Lutheran East 74-66.
Africentric (27-1) won a state championship in only the second year of existence for the school, a secondary magnet school that specializes in African studies, history and culture.
LaQuawn Perry added 17 points, Lance Sullivan had 14 and Travante Leftenant 11 for the Nubians, ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press regular-season poll. Suel also had 10 rebounds and 6 assists.
The Nubians were the champions of the Columbus City League South Division, then shocked perennial Division I power Brookhaven in the title game to gain momentum for their tournament surge.
Jon Liggins set a small-school record for a championship game with 42 points for East (21-6). His older brother Sam, who also played last year at Euclid last season before transferring to East, had 10 points. George Hayden added 10 rebounds.
Africentric shot 61 percent from the field in the second half and 52 percent from the game.