Prep basketball | Thursday’s boys state semifinals

DIVISION II

New Concord John Glenn 84, Bay Village Bay 56

COLUMBUS

New Concord John Glenn rode a second-quarter blitz to a victory over Bay Village Bay Thursday night. Matt Weir scored 26 points while Drew Rackley had 22, Tanner Slack added 14 and Austin Blatt had 11 for the Little Muskies (27-1), who showed why they were ranked No. 1 in the final regular season Associated Press Division II poll. After falling behind 20-18 in the second quarter, the John Glenn blasted off with a 28-6 run to take a commanding 46-26 lead. The Little Muskies advanced to their first state championship game, where they will face six-time state champion Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary on Saturday. John Koz led Bay (24-4) with 21 points while Scott Durham added 14.

Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary 85, Cincinnati Aiken 68

COLUMBUS

Henry Baddley scored 27 points as Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary cruised into the Division II state championship game with a win over Cincinnati Aiken. Jayvon Graves added 23 points for the Fighting Irish (26-3), who made nine of their first 10 shots while building a 23-8 lead early in the first quarter. The lead never dipped below 10 points after the early blitz. SVSM led 44-26 at the half and 63-40 after three quarters. Carlik Jones scored 29 points for the Falcons (24-4) while Lonnie Berry added 20. SVSM advanced to its ninth state championship game. The Fighting Irish will go for their seventh state title at 5:15 p.m. Saturday against New Concord New John Glenn.

DIVISION III

Lima Central Catholic 74, St. Bernard Roger Bacon 56

COLUMBUS

Dantez Walton scored 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as Lima Central Catholic topped St. Bernard Roger Bacon. The Thunderbirds (27-1) outscored the Spartans 18-8 in the third quarter to expand a three-point halftime lead to 13. That’s as close as it got the rest of the way. Tre Cobbs added 20 points for LCC, and Ethan O’Connor had 12. Justin Jonson scored 16 and James Johnson added 14 for the Spartans (21-8). Lima Central Catholic advanced to its third consecutive state title game against Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph. They play at 2 p.m. Saturday. The Vikings won 63-50 last season, after LCC took the 2014 matchup 64-62. LCC also won a state title in 2010.

Cleveland Villa Angela St. Joseph 81, Lynchburg-Clay 64

COLUMBUS

Gene Higgins scored 16 points to lead Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph over Lynchburg-Clay. The defending champion Vikings (23-5) used a pair of 8-0 runs in the second half to take control of the game and open a 13-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Sherman Dean III and Kevin Roberts each had 14 points for VASJ, while Danny McGarry and Alonzo Gaffney each added 11. Devin Pierson led the Mustangs (25-3) with 28 points. The Vikings will play Lima Central Catholic at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday in the school’s 12th state championship game. They won the title in 2015 and 2013 after winning four championships in the 1990s.

Associated Press