Local Sports Briefs

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HIGH SCHOOL

SCOL looking to expand

The South Central Ohio League is interested in expanding membership from 8 to 12 schools. Current league members are Chillicothe, Wilmington, Washington Court House Miami Trace, Washington Court House Washington, Greenfield McClain, Hillsboro, Lees Creek East Clinton and Clarksville Clinton-Massie. The league’s goal is to have two 5- or 6-school divisions based on competitive balance of athletes, not necessarily enrollment and geography. Any school interested should contact Jim Winner, SCOL Commissioner, in writing to [email protected] by Jan. 31, 2016.

COLLEGE

Men’s Basketball

Top-ranked West Liberty outscores Marauders

WEST LIBERTY, W. Va. – The Hilltoppers of West Liberty University showcased their offensive firepower in a 113-90 win over the Central State Marauders on Wednesday night.

Going against the No.1 ranked team in the NCAA Div. II national poll, CSU coach Joseph Price looked forward to seeing how his team would match up and after 40 minutes of play came to the conclusion that the Marauders have talent but the Hilltoppers may be the best shooting team he has seen during his time as a coach.

Price and the Marauders hung with the Hilltoppers in the first half, trading baskets for most of the opening 20 minutes before WL used a late run to take a 57-52 lead at halftime. Jeremy Brown kept CSU within striking distance thanks to an efficient 8 for 10 performance from the field to lead all scorers at the break.

The Marauders came out in the second half with a 7-2 run as good jumper from Hosie Smith Jr cut the WL lead to 59-58 at the 18:28 mark. With CSU showing confidence, the Hilltoppers quickly responded with a 12-1 run sparked by three straight 3 pointers to take a 72-59 lead. Akil Cornish hit from beyond the arc for CSU to bring the team back within 10 but the Hilltopper shooters continued to hit. sparking an 8-0 run to extend the lead to 18 with 12:19 to play. From that point on, West Liberty maintained a comfortable lead to the finish while eclipsing the century mark for the seventh time this season.

While West Liberty’s offense was clicking in the second half, CSU struggled to shoot the ball in the latter parts of the contest. CSU shot just 37% from the field and had a woeful 52% conversion rate from the free throw line.

West Liberty’s Seger Bonifant led all scorers with 27 points, going 10 of 16 from the field and making 6 of 10 three point attempts. After a scoreless first half, Brady Arnold erupted for 16 in the second to go along with a game-high 8 assists. As a team, the No. 1 scoring offense in the NCAA Div. II converted 20 of their 38 three point attempts and were 41 of 73 from the field as they improved to 10-0 overall.

Brown led the way for CSU with 26 points and 9 rebounds. Guard Sterling Gilmore finished with 19 points while Smith Jr and Tre’ Edwards each recorded 12.

Central State goes into the holiday season with an overall record of 1-5. The team returns to action on Jan. 2 when they travel to Georgia to resume Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play against Albany State.

EVENTS

WWE Smackdown coming to Nutter Center

FAIRBORN — Wright State University will be the site of a WWE Smackdown professional wrestling event, starting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 19 at the Nutter Center.

Competitors scheduled to be on the fight card include WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns & Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose vs. Sheamus & Kevin Owens, the Divas, and many more.

Tickets, starting at $15, are on sale at the Nutter Center, Ticketmaster.com, area Ticketmaster outlets and by phone at 800-745-3000.

AUTO RACING

MDU announces Kil-Kare race date

WESTFIELD, Ind. — The Midwest Drift Union announced its four-race regional schedule, with a season-ending date taking place at Kil-Kare Raceway in Xenia.

The MDU will host events in four states over a five-month time period, beginning May 1 with an event at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Ill. Round two will take place June 25 at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Ind., with round three set for Aug. 20 in Detroit, Mich.

The Kil-Kare date is Sept. 17.

The MDU was founded in 2010 as a Midwest regional feeder series with the intention of advancing the area’s top drifting competitors to the professional level. Last season, the top-3 drivers were rewarded with a Formula Drift Pro 2 competitors license.

Compiled by John Bombatch. Please send sports information to: [email protected].

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