OHSAA boys basketball state semifinal score updates: Hoban beats St. John's, to play for title
DAYTON — After a 25-year wait, the Archbishop Hoban High School boys basketball team makes its return to the state tournament. The Knights play Toledo St. John's in an Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I state semifinal at University of Dayton Arena tonight. St. John's, a state tournament regular in the early 2000s, is back at state for the first time in 14 years.
Hoban arrives with a 24-3 record. The Knights knocked off state-ranked St. Edward in the regional semifinals before beating Summit County rival Walsh Jesuit in the regional championship game. St. John's is 19-9. The Titans, who were 8-6 and fourth in the Three River Athletic Conference, have gotten hot at the right time. They beat Perrysburg and Garfield Heights in regionals, giving up a total of just 78 points.
Here is how the game unfolded throughout the evening with our live updates on the Hoban's pursuit of a state title:
Hoban wins 49-36 over St. John's in OHSAA state semifinal
The Titans trimmed their deficit, but the Knights were still able to win by double figures to advance to the Division I state championship at 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
Hoban leads St. John's 42-19 through three quarters in OHSAA state semifinal
The Knights concluded the third quarter on an 8-0 run to lead the Titans 42-19 heading into the fourth quarter.
Will Scott Jr. and Jonas Nichols each made two layups during the spurt that put Hoban comfortably ahead.
Hoban leads St. John's 28-14 at halftime in OHSAA state semifinal
The Knights played an efficient first half and were rewarded with a double-digit lead.
Freshman Sam Greer leads Hoban with nine points and junior Jonas Nichols has seven points.
Hoban senior Will Scott Jr. has six points and seniors Joey Hardman and Andrew Griffith have three points apiece.
Joseph Taylor has 10 points for St. John's.
Hoban leads St. John's 14-10 at end of first quarter in OHSAA state semifinal
Jonas Nichols and Sam Greer each scored seven points in the opening quarter to guide Hoban to a 14-10 lead over St John's Jesuit.
The Knights led the Titans 12-2 with 2:40 left in the first quarter. The Titans countered with a run to cut the deficit.
When does Hoban basketball play in the OHSAA state semifinals
The Knights and Titans tip off their game at 8:30 Saturday night at UD Arena.
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Is the Hoban basketball game on TV?
Spectrum customers can watch this game and the other state tournament games on Spectrum News 1. It is Channel 1 on Spectrum cable.
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The Hoban starting five features:
Jonas Nichols, 6-3, jr., 16.0 points per game, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists
Will Scott Jr, 6-2, sr., 14.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.8 apg
Logan Vowles, 6-2, sr., 8.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.5 apg
Andrew Griffith, 6-7, sr., 6.1 ppg
Sam Greer, 6-8, fr., 5.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg
Hoban's regular reserves are seniors Colin Coyne and Lamar Sperling, and juniors Joey Hardman and Josh Greer. Sperling was named Ohio Mr. Football in the fall and returned to the Hoban basketball team this winter after not playing for two years.
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Toledo St. John's Jesuit projected starters in OHSAA state tournament
The St. John’s starting five features:
CJ Hornbeak, 6-3, sr., 19.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.1 apg
Jaylen Murphy, 6-2, jr., 11.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.4 apg
Marquez Frazier, 5-9 sr., 6.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.9 apg
Mitchell Michalak, 6-4, sr., 4.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.1 apg
Eddie Heywood, 6-3, jr., 1.7 ppg
St. John’s main reserves are freshman Race Kowalczyk, sophomore Jalen Teamer and junior Joseph Taylor (9.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.9 apg). Kowalczyk's father, Tod Kowalczyk, is the University of Toledo men's basketball coach.
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Hoban, St. John's boys basketball OHSAA state tournament history
The Knights are in the state semifinals for the third time in program history, matching the feat accomplished by teams in 1989 and 1998. The 1989 Hoban team won the Division III state championship.
The Titans are in the state semifinals for the seventh time in program history. They also accomplished the feat in 1993, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2009. The 1993, 1996 and 2004 St. John's teams finished as a state runner-up.
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What's next for the Hoban-St. John's winner
The OHSAA Division I state championship game is at 8:30 Sunday night at UD Arena. The Hoban-St. John's winner plays the winner of the first semifinal — Centerville (25-3) vs. Pickerington Central (23-5), who play at 5:15 Saturday.
Buchtel plays for the Division II state title at 10:45 Sunday morning.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Hoban score vs. St. John's basketball updates | OHSAA state tournament
