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Central Ohio boys basketball teams play for state berths. See who won
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- Central Ohio boys basketball teams play for state berths. See who won
Central Ohio boys basketball teams played for state tournament berths March 14.
The Dispatch covered these regional finals: Watterson-Steubenville (Division III) and Circleville-Zanesville Maysville (Division IV) at Ohio University, and Westerville North-New Albany (Division II), Newark-Hilliard Bradley (Division I) and Pickerington Central-West Chester Lakota West (Division I) at Taft Coliseum.
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The Division V regional final between Columbus Academy and Castalia Margaretta was postponed to 1 p.m. March 15 because of a power outage at Ohio Dominican .
In Division IV, Jonathan Alder (21-6) lost 47-30 to Sandusky Perkins in a regional final at Bowling Green.
Here are recaps from the regional finals The Dispatch covered March 14:
The Hilliard Bradley boys basketball team celebrates after beating Newark 57-46 in a Division I regional final March 14 at Taft Coliseum.
Hilliard Bradley earns first state tournament berth
Bradley coach Brett Norris wasn't sure of his team's potential entering this season, but he thought it would rebound from last year's 8-15 finish.
The Jaguars rebounded and then some, earning their first state tournament berth by beating Newark 57-46 in a Division I regional final.
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Bradley (25-2) will play Pickerington Central in a state semifinal at 7:30 p.m. March 21 at Wright State's Nutter Center.
"We had an unbelievable offseason," Norris said. "We won eight games a year ago. Our kids felt the burden. It was hard, but we played better in the last month [last year], and we carried that momentum into the offseason. I didn't know how good we were going to be, but we were going to be significantly better."
Hilliard Bradley's Jayden Reed-Davis and Newark's Jake Quackenbush compete for a rebound during the Jaguars' 57-46 victory in a Division I regional final at Taft Coliseum on March 14, 2026.
Norris said his team was motivated by the last time the program reached a regional final. It happened in 2020, when that game and the remainder of the postseason were canceled because of the COVID pandemic.
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"We talk about that season," Norris said. "[A picture] of the 2020 team was hanging in the locker room tonight."
Bradley jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never trailed but needed to hold off several Newark comeback attempts, including when the Wildcats closed to 28-26 midway through the third quarter.
Sophomore guard Kypton Norris, the coach's son, finished with a game-high 25 points, which included 13-of-14 shooting from the free-throw line. Ben Mirgon added 15 points.
Jake Quackenbush, the son of coach Jeff Quackenbush, scored 19 points in his final game for the Wildcats. Quackenbush was Division I Central District Player of the Year .
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Ty Gilbert added 11 points for Newark (23-3), which was held to 10 of 44 shooting (23%) from the floor.
"When you shoot [23%], you're not going to win many games," Jeff Quackenbush said. "We had some open looks and they didn't go in. They put us in panic mode a little bit when they jumped out up 10. They're a really good team when they have a lead."
The Pickerington Central boys basketball team celebrates a 69-60 win over West Chester Lakota West in a Division I regional final March 14 at Taft Coliseum.
Pickerington Central continues surge with win over Lakota West
With a 13-8 record entering the postseason, high school basketball enthusiasts might not have expected much from Central.
The Tigers (17-8) have proven any skeptics wrong, earning their first Division I state tournament berth since 2023 by knocking off Lakota West 69-60.
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While some might be surprised by the Tigers' postseason run, coach Eric Krueger and his players always believed.
"I don't care if there's anyone outside of this locker room that believes or not," Krueger said. "Their parents might because they're your parents, but other than that, the coaching staff and the players, we believe in ourselves and we believe in what we're trying to do. Guys are playing together. They're playing unselfishly and playing Tiger basketball."
Leading 30-27 at halftime, Central caught fire from the perimeter in the second half, connecting on five 3-pointers.
The Tigers opened their largest lead of 14 points early in the fourth quarter and held off a late rally after the Firebirds (23-2) closed to 66-60 with just over a minute remaining.
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Aaven Snyder led Central with 21 points, followed by Landon Evans with 13 and Albee Moore with 11.
"We battled adversity at various points of the year with injuries, but now that we have a solid rotation it makes a world of difference for our continuity and what we're doing offensively and defensively," Krueger said.
Joshua Tyson led Lakota West with 22 points, followed by Bryce Curry with 15.
"I'm proud of them," Lakota West coach Kelven Moss said. "It was a hell of a season. It's not what we expected to finish, but a great year. … [Central] made some big-time shots at a big moment. We didn't answer. Our defense was a step behind today."
Westerville North’s Tony Cornett cuts the net after his team’s 58-50 win over New Albany in a Division II regional final March 14 at Taft Coliseum.
Westerville North wins 'battle' against New Albany
In a season in which it has dominated most opponents, North was challenged by New Albany in a Division II regional final, pulling away in the closing seconds to win 58-50 and continue its pursuit of a second straight state title.
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"We knew this was going to be a battle," North coach Shan Trusley said. "[New Albany coach] Tim [Casey] is like a mentor of mine. ... We knew what we were getting into and we challenged our kids today. We challenged them to be tough, and in the second half we were tough, especially in the fourth quarter."
North (26-1) will play North Royalton in a state semifinal at 11 a.m. March 21 at Wright State.
Westerville North boys basketball coach Shan Trusley waves the net in celebration after the Warriors captured their second consecutive Division II state tournament berth.
The Warriors led by as many as 15 points in the first half before New Albany closed to 30-24 by halftime.
The Eagles (16-9) remained within striking distance in the second half but were never able to pull even.
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With his team leading 47-44, North senior guard Elijah McCree hit a step-back 3-pointer from the top of the key with 3:00 remaining. He later made four free throws to help seal the win.
New Albany boys basketball coach Tim Casey consoles Caden Kistner following a 58-50 loss to Westerville North in a Division II regional final March 14 at Taft Coliseum.
McCree, the Central District Player of the Year in Division II, led North with 24 points. Tony Cornett scored 14 and Damion King had 12.
Marco Mattucci led New Albany with 15 points and Kelby Martin added 13.
"I thought our effort was exactly where it needed to be," Casey said. "The execution was pretty solid. They made some shots. I'm disappointed we lost. I give them all the credit in the world."
Steubenville's Wiggins buries seven 3s in win over Watterson
Although Watterson had a size advantage in the paint in a Division III regional final against Steubenville, the Big Red's catch-and-shoot ability proved to be the difference, sending the Eagles home with a 61-55 loss.
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After the Eagles started hot with a 7-0 game-opening run, Watterson (21-6) struggled with paint turnovers. Meanwhile, Big Red guard Tre'Von Wiggins went to work, hitting 3-of-5 attempts from 3-point range in the first half.
Wiggins made four more 3s in the second half. He finished with 23 points and four rebounds.
"I've been playing with these guys since first or second grade," Wiggins said. "I couldn't be more proud."
Watterson's Carter Bellisari drives to the basket against Steubenville in a Division III regional final March 14 at Ohio University.
Trying to overcome a 17-point deficit in the third quarter, Watterson switched out of a 3-2 zone and opted for man-to-man to thwart the catch-and-shoot play. The Eagles built momentum and hit back-to-back 3s to cut their deficit to 45-40 with around 5 minutes to play.
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A Cole Bowers 3-pointer with 3:02 remaining helped restore order for Steubenville (25-1), which finished 12 of 25 from 3-point range compared to 4 of 13 for Watterson. Wiggins finished 7 of 12 beyond the arc.
"The guys had done a great job of fighting back in and continued to knock down some shots, but we did not quite get there," Watterson coach Vince Lombardo said.
Steubenville shot 51.3% on field goals and Watterson made 54.5% of their shots.
Drew Bellisari led Watterson with 13 points, followed by Carter Bellisari with 12 and Mike Mulligan with 10.
Circleville's Blain Fowler (1) goes up for a shot while Maysville's Gator Nichols (0) defends in the Division IV regional final on March 14, 2026, at the Convocation Center at Ohio Univresity in Athens, Ohio.
Maysville beats Circleville for regional title
A close first half and a team-high 17 points from forward Riley Jenkins weren't enough for Circleville to keep up with defending state champion Maysville, as the Tigers fell 72-52 in a Division IV regional final.
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Maysville senior guard Gator Nichols, last year's Division IV state Player of the Year, sparked the Panthers with 28 points, five rebounds and four assists. He shot 9 of 18 from the floor and made 7 of 8 free throws.
Taking 17 3-pointers in the first half, Maysville set the tone with an aggressive perimeter game. The Panthers also had a 12-0 run in the second quarter to erase a six-point deficit.
Circleville guard Jack Kline's buzzer-beating 3-pointer kept the Tigers close at halftime, down 32-29.
Maysville guard Jordyn Watson made all four of his 3-pointers in the first half and finished with 15 points for the game.
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"We run the dribble drive, we like to play with a lot of pace," Maysville coach Dave Brown said. "Our practice is a lot of skill work, and our guys are very skilled. ... That's why we space the floor and give our guys room to make plays."
Circleville's Ed Kirk (24) goes up for a shot between two Mayaville defenders in the Division IV regional final on March 14, 2026, at the Convocation Center at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.
Despite pouring down deep shots, Maysville struggled to guard Jenkins and guard Kole Nungester, who finished the first half with nine points each.
In the second half, the Panthers (26-1) thrived on Circleville (23-3) miscues, scoring 21 points off turnovers.
"They're No. 1 in the state for a reason," Circleville coach Evan Callihan said. "I think it showed tonight."
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Callihan praised the Tigers for their first district title since 1997 and setting a program record for wins.
"This is a group that's always going to be remembered," he said. "We really tried to preach that we [have] got to show toughness in everything that we do. ... I think they embraced that."
(This story has been updated with new information.)
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: OHSAA regional finals recaps for central Ohio high school basketball
