1. Akron (OH) St. Vincent-St. Mary (21-1*)
The Irish defeated Akron Central-Hower (22-2) 83-56 as senior star LeBron James has 41 points and 14 rebounds.
The Irish outreebounded Central Hower 32-18. St. V-M scored 18 consecutive points early in the second period, holding Central-Hower scoreless for nearly five minutes to take a 43-20 lead at halftime.
Akron signee Romeo Travis had 18 points and Dru Joyce III finished with ten points, five assists and three steals. James outscored Central-Hower single-handedly through three quarters 38-37.
They will face Tallmadge (15-9) on Thursday at 8:30. The winner will face the winner of Ottawa-Glandorf (22-3)/Willard (22-3) Saturday at three.
They previously defeated Akron Hoban 80-48 as senior star LeBron James scored 24 points.
Akron signee Romeo Travis had 18 points and eight rebounds and junior guard Corey Jones made four of six three-point shots as he scored 16 points.
The Irish outscored the Knights 57-24 during an 18-minute, 55-second span, making 24 of 29 field-goal attempts. The Irish finished the game shooting 60.3% from the field
James held June Wilder, averaging 16.7 points, to just three points. The Irish forced the Knight into 15 turnovers as the Knights shot just 37% from the field.
James is averaging 32.1 points per game.
2. Indianapolis (IN) Pike (25-0)
Pike won its fourth sectional title in a row Saturday night with a 67-44 win over Noblesville (15-8). Pike opened a 14-2 lead and led 37-10 at halftime.
Junior forward Robert Vaden scored a team-high 17 points. Junior Courtney Lee added eleven points as ten players scored.
They previously defeated Carmel 67-52 as Vaden and senior Darren Yates, who signed with Ball State scored 17 points each. Yates made five of six three-pointers. Xavier signee Justin Cage added 15 points. The Red Devils made eight of 13 shots from beyond the arc.
The Red Devils defeated North Central, Carmel and Noblesville this week by an average margin of 18.7 points a game.
Pike is favored to give Sectional 9 its fourth 4A state championship since Indiana went to four classes in the 1997-98 season.
The Noblesville Sectional has produced three state champions and three Indianapolis Star Indiana Mr. Basketball recipients in the first five years of the multiclass basketball tournament.
Pike won state titles in 1998 and 2001, and North Central won in 1999.
Noblesville's Tom Coverdale and North Central's Jason Gardner wore No. 1 for the Indiana All-Stars in 1998 and 1999, respectively, and Pike's Chris Thomas was Mr. Basketball in 2001.
Vaden is averaging 13.1 points per game and Cage is adding 12.6 points. Cage is shooting 62.5% from the field and 75% from the line. Barlow is averaging 5.0 assists per game.
Pike is averaging 74 points per game and allowing just 48.9 points per contest. Devils' top six players return from last season's 24-4 team that reached the state championship game before losing to Gary West 58-55.
They face Lawrence North Saturday. The Red Devils defeated Lawrence North 75-67 February 25th.
3. Columbus (OH) Brookhaven (23-1)
The Bearcats beat Pickerington 57-42 as 5-7 guard Andrew Lavender scored 17 points. He scored the team’s first ten points of the fourth quarter and had 13 in the period.
Denzel Lyles added eleven points in the win. 6-6 sophomore forward Jamelle Cornley scored ten and 6-6 forward Brandon Foust added eight.
The defending state champions will play Newark on Thursday in the Coliseum in the regional semifinals.
The Bearcats previously defeated Delaware 65-44 as they outscored their opposition 25-4 after trailing 30-24 at halftime.
Oklahoma signee Lavender scored a game-high 17 points in the win. Foust, who also signed with Oklahoma and 6-5 junior Everett Spencer had 13 points each. Cornley had nine points.
Foust is averaging 17.5 points per game and Lavender is contributing 17.2 points and 9.6 assists per game. Foust is shooting 70.7% from the field and is adding 10.7 boards per game Lavender is shooting 61.4% from the field, 48.2% from three-point range and 87% from the line. Cornley is averaging 11.7 rebounds per contest and is shooting 61.4% from the field.
4. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (30-2)
The Monarchs defeated Mayfair 78-59 as Minnesota recruit Wesley Washington scored a game-high 27 points and was 18 for 18 at the free-throw line.
Junior Marcel Jones came off the bench to score 17 points. Junior Daniel Markus added 11 points.
They previously beat Redondo Union (18-13) 85-57 as Washington had 25 points and eight rebounds. Princeton recruit Harrison Schaen had 13 points and 13 rebounds and Maryland signee D.J. Strawberry added 15 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore point guard Mike Gerrity had 13 assists in the win.
Washington is leading the team with 14.4 points per game. Strawberry is scoring 13.3 points and junior Marcel Jones is contributing 10.8 points per contest. Schaen is averaging 10.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
Mater Dei has won 17 section boys basketball championships since 1983, five in a row, and eleven in the past 12 years.
The Monarchs plays in the CIF Southern California Regionals. It will play at home in the Regionals Division II first round Tuesday versus Bakersfield Highland (17-10). Highland is the Central runner-up.
5. Rochester (NY) McQuaid Jesuit (25-0)
The Knights defeated previously undefeated Niagara Falls (23-1) 48-44 a return trip to the state Class A semifinals in Glens Falls. Tyler Relph was held to just eight point, but his three-point gave McQuaid a 44-42 lead with 1:09 left and he hit two free throws in the final minute to seal the win. Senior Marty O'Sullivan iced the win with two late free throws and led the Knights with 23 points.
They previously defeated East 67-46 in the Class A state qualifier. The score was tied 31-31 at halftime, but the Knights outscored East 20-2 in the third quarter. O’Sullivan scored a game-high 25 points and had 17 rebounds. Relph scored 17 points and 6-8 Penn recruit Ryan Pettinella added 13 points.
The Orientals were just 18 of 66 from the field.
Relph, who was just named New York’s Mr. Basketball is averaging 21.1 points a game. O’Sullivan, who signed with Fairfield, is averaging 17.7 points and Pettinella is contributing 17.3.
They face CBA Saturday at 3:15 in the state semifinals.
6. Rockville (MD) Montrose Christian (20-1)
The Mustangs defeated Townson Catholic 43-34 to finish the season.
Senior forward Linas Kleiza, one of the top unsigned seniors, is leading the team in scoring, averaging 20.4 points per game. He is considering Missouri, Connecticut and North Carolina State. The Mustangs are averaging 69.7 points per game.
Their lone loss was to #9 Fairfax in the Iolani Classic.
7. Orlando (FL) Edgewater (32-1)
The Eagles defeated Evans for the fourth time this season 74-59 victory in the Class 6A Region 1 basketball final. Central Florida scoring leader Darius Washington made 14 of 16 free throws and scored 27 points. Senior guard Demetrius Scott added 18 points in the win and the Eagles forced 15 first-half turnovers by Evans (23-10).
They previously defeated Oviedo 58-53 in the regional semifinals as junior guard Darius Washington had 22 points. Edgewater trailed for much of the game, but were led by Washington's 12 fourth-quarter points. Senior guard Demetrius Scott added 15 points.
Edgewater had beaten its first three opponents by an average of 22 points. Washington averaged 38 points in those games.
6-6 forward Kenny Ingram reinjured his left ankle in the win over Oviedo and did not play against Evans.
Edgewater's loss came to New York Archbishop Malloy in January at the Hall of Fame Classic in Springfield, Mass.
The Eagles will face third-ranked Palm Beach Lakes (28-2) Thursday at 8:30 p.m. Three-time defending state champion Fort Lauderdale Dillard (30-1) will face Miami Northwestern (22-8) at 4 p.m. in the early 6A semifinal.
8. Memphis (TN) White Station (30-2)
The Spartans defeated Hamilton (24-9) 84-68 to win the Region 8-AAA Tournament as Region 8-AAA tournament MVP Leon Pattman scored 24 points. Courtney Pigram had 18 and Travis Strong added 13. Mr. Basketball finalist Dane Bradshaw added nine.
They previously beat Melrose 78-59 in the Region 8-AAA quarterfinals as Travis Strong scored 25 points. Dartmouth recruit Leon Pattman scored 14 points and Dane Bradshaw and Quentin Marion added nine points each.
Pattman had 14 and Strong added 12 in the 69-52 semifinals win over Fairley (27-7).
9. Springfield (MO) Kickapoo (28-1)
Kickapoo defeated Troy (24-6) 67-61 as Spencer Laurie led the Chiefs with 20 points.
All the Kickapoo starters were in double figures, accounting for all of the Chiefs’ points.
They previously defeated Glendale (22-7) 62-32 to advance to the state quarterfinals.
Missouri recruit Spencer Laurie led all scorers with 15 points. Senior Brandon Argo had 12 points and Southwest Missouri State signee Deven Mitchell added 11.
Kickapoo moves onto Columbia next week for the Missouri State High School Activities Association Class 5 final four.They will face Poplar Bluff at 4:45 p.m. on Friday at the Hearnes Center.
10. Bakersfield (CA) Garces Memorial (32-1)
The Rams defeated San Joaquin Memorial, 80-42 for the Central Section Division IV
It was the third straight lopsided playoff victory for the Rams, who are vying for a state championship this season after falling in the state semifinals the past two years. They had a 52-point lead after three quarters. Anthony Esparza had 21 points, Zach Ryan scored 20 and 7-0 junior center Robert Swift added 19 in the win
The Rams previously beat Orosi 110-54 in the quarterfinals and Riverdale (18-10) 113-48 in Wednesday's semifinals on the way to their third straight Central Section title and sixth in the past 10 seasons under coach Gino Lacava.
Swift had 30 points and 13 rebounds for Garces in the win over Orosi.
Swift is averaging 19.6 points per game and Ryan is contributing 17 points per contest.
Their lone loss was to Carson 47-38, who outscored the Rams 20-7 in the final quarter. That loss snapped a 20-game winning streak.
Garces will host a CIF Southern California Regional playoff game Tuesday versus Campbell Hall (25-3, Southern IV-A runner-up).