By TIM STRIED
OHSAA Media Director
DAYTON, Ohio - Quinn Woidke’s basket with 13 seconds remaining lifted Cleveland St. Ignatius to a 54-53 win over Delaware Hayes in the first Division I state semifinal at University of Dayton Arena.
St. Ignatius led by as many as 11 points in the first half but trailed by three entering the game’s final minute. Damon Friery scored in the paint to cut the Delaware Hayes lead to 53-52 with 50 seconds remaining, and the St. Ignatius defense forced a turnover as the clock ticked under 30 seconds.
Woidke drove to the basket out of a timeout and scored what proved to be the game-winner; Delaware Hayes had two challenged shots in the final five seconds that did not fall.
St. Ignatius led 19-11 after one quarter and 31-23 at halftime, but Delaware Hayes, behind 12 points from Landon Vanderwarker, won the third quarter 20-8 and took a 43-39 into the fourth quarter.
The lead changed hands five times in the fourth quarter, the final time on Woidke’s bucket with 13 seconds remaining.
Vanderwarker finished with a game-high 21 points. He also collected nine rebounds and blocked four shots. Jesse Burris added 17 points for Delaware Hayes.
Friery led St. Ignatius with 16 points, and Woidke finished with 15. Reece Robinson scored just four points but led all players with 13 rebounds and also blocked three shots.
St. Ignatius improves to 25-3 overall and advances to its third state championship game. The Wildcats won a state title in 2001 and finished runner-up in 1998.
Delaware Hayes, which had won 21 straight games entering its first state tournament appearance, closes its season at 27-2 overall.
Centerville 58, Toledo Whitmer 39
DAYTON, Ohio - Centerville will play in its third state championship game in the last four years after defeating Toledo Whitmer, 58-39, in the second Division I state semifinal at University of Dayton Arena.
Eli Greenberg scored 19 points, Jamar Montgomery had 14 and Jonathan Powell had 10 to lead Centerville. The Elks shot 20 of 37 from the floor (54.1 percent), including 5 of 9 from three, and 13 of 16 (81.3 percent) at the foul line.
Centerville, the 2021 Division I state champion and 2022 runner-up, improved to 20-8 overall. Whitmer, in its fifth state tournament and first since finishing runner-up in 2012, ends its season at 25-3 overall.
Centerville made seven of its 11 field goal attempts in the first quarter and led 15-6 after the opening eight minutes. Whitmer had drawn within two points, 18-16, but Centerville outscored Whitmer 19-9 over a 10-minute stretch that spanned the second and third quarters and led by 12, 37-25, entering the final quarter. Centerville then closed the game out by making 7 of 12 shots from the field and 5 of 6 field goals in the fourth quarter.
Antione West, Jr. finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals for Whitmer.
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