CIN. N. COLLEGE HILL 71, IRONTON 65
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<!-- -->COLUMBUS, Ohio -- One down, two to go.
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 in the Division III state championship game on Saturday.
Second-team All-Ohioan Bill Walker had 19 points and 14 rebounds, with 6-11 center Keenan Ellis adding 14 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots.
"We had a goal way back in November _ to play for the state championship," Walker said. "We did it. Now the goal is to get two more."
Mayo took a back seat to his teammates most of the game, but with the game teetering in the balance in the final minute the 6-foot-6 sophomore asserted himself in a big way.
What had been a 12-point lead early in the quarter melted away for the Trojans (27-1) until they held a 64-63 advantage with time sifting away.
The Fighting Tigers had a shot at taking the lead with 43.9 seconds to go but Marcus Williams missed two free throws.
North College Hill inbounded to Mayo and he brought the ball down the court and drove the right baseline. He ran out of room at the end line and as he was falling out of bounds, whipped a pass to teammate Damon Butler on the other side of the basket. Butler just got off a shot as he was fouled, the shot going in and his free throw pushing the lead to 67-63 with 30.5 seconds left.
On the ensuing possession, the Fighting Tigers (26-1) missed a shot, rebounded it, and then turned the ball over _ Mayo stealing a pass in the corner. He raced down the court and glanced at a teammate on a 2-on-1 before dunking with 12 seconds remaining.
"We had a trap on the baseline and my job was to rotate to the closest player," Mayo said. "I didn't rotate right away because I wanted him to think he was wide open."
He later closed the scoring with two clinching free throws.
Mayo finished with 22 points, six assists and three rebounds, despite carrying four fouls for most of the second half.
"It was like playing an all-star team out there," Ironton coach Roger Zornes said. "They're very good."
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.
The Trojans, shuffling players in and out because of foul trouble, took the lead on Butler's 3-pointer and then expanded it to 36-30 with Walker scoring the last eight points for his team.
The Fighting Tigers foundered because of bad free-throw shooting. They hit just three of their first nine and ended the half 7-of-15 at the line _ then hit just 1-of-3 in the second half.
North College Hill was holding a 44-43 lead midway through the third period when Ellis scored on a baseline drive, Walker stole a pass and found Mayo for an easy layup _ Mayo waiting for the defender and then drawing the foul as he flipped in the layup. Ellis then tipped in a Mayo miss before Walker brought the crowd to life.
He stepped in front of a pass at midcourt and soared in for a dunk, windmilling it in while 14,749 at Value City Arena roared. That gave the Trojans a 53-43 lead.
Ironton trailed 64-52 early in the final period after Mayo's 15-foot bank shot, but scratched its way back with an 8-0 run _ Gagai drilling two 3-pointers and also hitting a baseline drive.
"We were getting the right people to shoot the ball and they were showing doubt," Zornes said.
That set up the wild finish, leading to North College Hill's first state title in its second trip to the final four.
"It's a great feeling we'll keep for a couple of months," Trojans coach Jamie Mahaffey said. "Now everybody's going to come after us and we've got to be prepared for everybody to come after us.
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Monday, March 21, 2005 <!-- ARTICLE HEADLINE -->
NCH's Mayo wants D-III state 3-peat
Future augurs well for Trojans
By Tom Groeschen
Enquirer staff writer
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North College Hill sophomore Keenan Ellis (50) has a lot to shout about after the Trojans beat Ironton for the Division III state title Saturday at Ohio State's Value City Arena.
The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger
Zoom
</TD></TR><!-- OTHER FEED PHOTOS --><!--RELATED PHOTO GALLERIES--><!-- RELATED MULTIMEDIA ASSETS --><!-- MAIN FACT BOX --><TR><TD class=sidebar_head>LOOKING STRONG</TD></TR><TR><TD class=sidebar_body>North College Hill's chance to repeat in Division III looks bright, as the Trojans only lose one starter to graduation.
DEPARTING SENIORS
*6-3 G, Darion Goins, 8 ppg
6-6 F, George Victorian, 6 ppg
TOP RETURNEES
(SENIORS IN '05-06)
6-4 F, Andre Evans, 7.2 ppg
6-5 F, Paul Leary, 4.4 ppg
(JUNIORS IN '05-06)
*6-5 G, O.J. Mayo, 27.4 ppg
*6-6 F, Bill Walker, 20.8 ppg
*6-11 C, Keenan Ellis, 14 ppg
6-0 G, Nathaniel Glover, 3.6 ppg
(SOPHOMORES IN '05-06)
*6-0 G, Damon Butler, 6 ppg
*Starter this season
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O.J. Mayo wants to win three consecutive state titles at North College Hill, essentially spiking rumors that he might transfer to another school.
Mayo and fellow sophomores Bill Walker and Keenan Ellis, all rated among the nation's top boys' basketball players in their class, led NCH to a 71-65 win over Ironton in the Ohio Division III state championship game Saturday in Columbus. Mayo had 22 points, Walker 19 and Ellis 14 in the title game.
"We've got a goal to win three state titles in a row and make history," Mayo said. "We want to leave as a dynasty."
Only two other Ohio boys' schools, Dayton Stivers (1928-30) and Columbus Wehrle (1988-90) have won three straight state basketball titles. Stivers won in Class A, then the big-school division. Wehrle won in Division IV, which remains Ohio's smallest classification.
LeBron James' Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary teams won three state titles in James' four seasons (2000-03), losing the Division II state title game to Roger Bacon in James' junior year.
"We want to be remembered as one of the top programs in any class," Mayo said. "We want to be up there with the Moellers and St. Xaviers and Akron St. Vincent-St. Marys."
Mayo and Walker transferred to NCH two years ago from Rose Hill Christian (Ashland, Ky.). Ellis arrived this season from Indianapolis. Rumors persist that Mayo and Co. next will transfer to national prep power Oak Hill Academy, but the players themselves refute such speculation.
"We set a goal to win state, and we did it," Walker said. "That's one. Two more to go."
NCH will lose two seniors, guard Darion Goins and forward George Victorian. Goins was a starter who averaged 8.0 points a game, while Victorian averaged 6.0 points off the bench.
Mayo, rated the nation's No. 1 sophomore by several scouting services, averaged 27.4 points a game this year and was named Ohio Mr. Basketball. Walker, who averaged 20.8 points, is rated anywhere from the No. 2 to No. 4 sophomore nationally. Ellis, who averaged 14.0 points, ranges between No. 12 and No. 55 in national sophomore ratings.
Point guard Damon Butler, who averaged 6.0 points a game as a freshman starter this year, also will return.
"We've got a great feeling right now, and that will last for a couple of months," NCH coach Jamie Mahaffey said. "But then we'll have to get right back at it."
NCH (27-1) pulverized its small-school Miami Valley Conference rivals by 56.1 points a game. NCH and the MVC have agreed the Trojans will be an "associate member" the next two years, playing each team once instead of twice. NCH will not be eligible for the league title.
The Trojans, rated No. 21 nationally by USA Today, lost only to eventual Division I state runner-up St. Xavier this season. Next season, the Trojans look to again play St. X and possibly other big-school Greater Catholic League and Greater Miami Conference teams.
NCH took a lot of heat for having so many transfers on this year's team, but the Ohio High School Athletic Association said the Trojans have played by the rules.
"We know we'll take everybody's best shot again next year," Mahaffey said. "We went through a lot this year, but our team showed a lot of composure and fought through it."
Email [email protected].
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Greg Oden
</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>Spiece Tourney Tips Tonight
By Evan Daniels Basketball Recruiting Editor
Date: Apr 28, 2005
Wake Forest recruits Greg Oden and Mike Conley are sure to be in attendance this weekend in Fort Wayne, as well as a lot of young talent. DeaconSports.com will have full extensive coverage.
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The Spiece Run N Slam in Fort Wayne is one of many stops on the AAU circuit that will be filled with all kinds of talent. While Boo Williams and Kingwood were loaded from top to bottom with talent, the Spiece Run N Slam isn’t going to be any different.
Among the top AAU teams in the country in attendance this weekend will be 64 senior division teams including the host team Spiece Indy Heat, The Family, Michigan Hurricanes, Illinois Wolves, Illinois Fire, D-I Greyhounds, Blessed IJN and many, many more.
The tournament will feature many of the top players in the class of 2006, but features a strong contingent of players from the class of 2007, including 8 of Scout.com’s top 20. There are also several top 2007 stars in attendance including:
O.J. Mayo- D-I Greyhounds
Billy Walker- D-I Greyhounds
Keenan Ellis- D-I Greyhounds
Derrick Rose- Meanstreets Express
Eric Gordon- Spiece Indy Heat
Cole Aldrich- Minnesota Magic
Darquavis Tucker- Michigan Hurricanes
Alex Legion- Michigan Hurricanes
For more on the tournament and the participants stay tuned or check out their Official Site
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</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>Spiece Run 'n Slam Evals: The Top 07 Targets
By Sam Webb Columnist/Photographer
Date: May 2, 2005
In part two of our Spiece Run-N-Slam evaluations we focus on a number of class of 2007 targets including Alex Legion, Keenan Ellis, Kalin Lucas, and many more
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</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>Spiece Run 'n Slam Interviews: Ellis & Huelsman
By Sam Webb Columnist/Photographer
Date: May 6, 2005
GoBlueWolverine caught up with two of Michigan's Ohio post at last weekend's Spiece Run 'n Slam Tourney…06 prospect Kurt Huelsman from St. Henry and 07 prospect Keenan Ellis from the powerhouse North College Hill program in Cincinnati.
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Ellis says Iowa is recruiting him the hardest at this point and he has visited Louisville unofficially and likes the program. He would love to hear from Kentucky.<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Is Keenan Ellis a U of L recruiting priority?
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Keenan Ellis
</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Evan Daniels
Date: May 23, 2005
6-foot-11 rising junior Keenan Ellis is considered one of the elite prospects in the Class of 2007. He's receiving recruiting attention from several of the nation's top basketball programs, including Iowa, but is the Indianapolis, IN native a recruiting priority for Rick Pitino and the Louisville Cardinals?
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