Boys’ Basketball Looks to Continue Post-Season Run vs. Lutheran West in Thursday’s D-II Regional Semifinals
The Central Catholic boys’ basketball team will look to continue its impressive post-season run against top-ranked Rocky River Lutheran West on Thursday, March 14 in the Regional Semifinals of the OHSAA Division II Tournament on the campus of Bowling Green State University. The opening tip against the Longhorns (23-2) is slated for 6 p.m. in the Stroh Center.
Tickets are currently available at www.ohsaa.org/tickets (Basketball, Basketball – Boys, Division II, March 14, Locate our Game, Get Tickets). General admission tickets cost $5 for students and $12 for adults. In addition, all parking at BGSU is $5.
Thursday’s postseason matchup can also be heard on The Ticket l 100.7 FM with the “Voice of the Irish” Bill Clark & Mike Murnen, starting at 5:45 p.m. or streamed online HERE.
Sixth-year head coach Mike Floyd and CCHS (12-14) advanced to Thursday’s neutral-site contest on the heels of post-season victories vs. Woodward, 65-13, Bowling Green, 77-49, Wauseon, 65-59, and most recently Scott, 44-41, to secure their 3rd district title in the last 4 years.
Individually, sophomore Manny Johnson is pouring in a squad-best 16.0 ppg in the 4 postseason contests, followed by freshman Isaiah Mack-Russell and sophomore Draden Wardrop at 13.0 and 12.5 ppg, respectively. As a team, CCHS is averaging 62.8 ppg, while giving up only 40.5 ppg (+22.3 ppg differential).
Overall in 2023-24, Mack-Russell is tallying a team-high 15.7 ppg, while Wardrop (10.9 ppg) and Johnson (10.0 ppg) are also contributing double digits.
Should the Fighting Irish advance to the Region 6 finals, they would face either Shelby (23-2) or Lima Shawnee (19-6) on Saturday, March 16 at 4 p.m. in the Stroh Center.
