Centerville vs Pickerington Central-Div I final

Sometimes it is about peaking at the right time. Central looked really good of late while Centerville looked not so great....
 
Congrats Pick Central !!!! Great ball handling - good job not worrying about the large centerville crowd - leading just about the entire game !
 
PC definitely EARNED this championship. Their athleticism and defensive intensity were incredible. Styles wasn't great on offense tonight, but MAN... on D he was totally intimidating! You can tell Cupps is a special player, but PC put the clamps down on him tonight. PC's guards were the unsung heroes... poise under pressure, especially Harlan. Great job Tigers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Congrats to Pickerington Central. If the ELKS are going to lose, at least it was a close and exciting game, giving it your all. Also, congrats to Centerville for another great season, it made me very proud. It's hard to repeat as state champions. I'm looking forward to next season. Come back stronger, and hopefully a second state championship.
 
I am a little surprised at the final outcome. Having seen C'ville numerous times this year and last, they are talented with decent size but too methodical and not a lot of offensive creativity. I don't know much about Pick Central but I have to assume they are talented, with decent size and can create offensively. I think this was the Elks best chance at a state championship for a little while anyway. They will be good next year but need an infusion of talent from the outside if they hope to win it all again. Like the team I pull for :) GBM
 
The analytics tell the story:

The shooting percentages tell most of the story. Centerville shot 40% overall and made only 6 of 23 3-point shots. Gabe Cupps led the Elks with 14 points, Rich Rolf had 12 and Tom House 11. Central shot 60% and made 3 of 8 3-pointers. - Dayton Daily News
 
Great game between two excellent programs. Love the way the coaches coach and how hard the kids play! I watched on TV but it certainly looked like an incredible atmosphere at UD. Seems like a major upgrade from the Schott.
 
What a game. It was clearly the best 2 teams in d1. Elks picked a bad night not to shoot well and Central took advantage of it. Royal looked like best player on the floor and showed why he is highly ranked
 
Great game between two excellent programs. Love the way the coaches coach and how hard the kids play! I watched on TV but it certainly looked like an incredible atmosphere at UD. Seems like a major upgrade from the Schott.
Agree! I hated having to make the drive to Dayton from Pickerington, but the UD Arena is ideal for the state championships. Love the atmosphere - lots of prime seating in an intimate setting. I was disappointed by the relatively small PC turnout, but tipping off at 8:30 on a Sunday night is not exactly ideal. Hopefully, that was a one-off experiment.
 
Agree! I hated having to make the drive to Dayton from Pickerington, but the UD Arena is ideal for the state championships. Love the atmosphere - lots of prime seating in an intimate setting. I was disappointed by the relatively small PC turnout, but tipping off at 8:30 on a Sunday night is not exactly ideal. Hopefully, that was a one-off experiment.
They need to get the tournament moved back a week, or this will continue to happen if the games stay in Dayton due to the First Four games earlier in the week on Tuesday and Wednesday.
 
I am a little surprised at the final outcome. Having seen C'ville numerous times this year and last, they are talented with decent size but too methodical and not a lot of offensive creativity. I don't know much about Pick Central but I have to assume they are talented, with decent size and can create offensively. I think this was the Elks best chance at a state championship for a little while anyway. They will be good next year but need an infusion of talent from the outside if they hope to win it all again. Like the team I pull for :) GBM
I would not be at all surprised to see another Pick Central - Centerville match-up again next year. PC will be absolutely loaded again, although Styles will be impossible to replace. I wonder how good he'd be if he strictly played basketball?

Last thing, Central Ohio basketball was really strong this year! Shout out to Gahanna, Reynoldsburg, Pick North, Newark, Olentangy Liberty and Upper Arlington. The fierce, highly competitive battles w/ your teams prepped the Tigers for this championship run. Thanks!
 
Sixteen of Pick Central’s 18, 2-point field goals were scored in the paint. The Tigers scored ten more points there than did the Elks. Those high- percentage, close-in shots were the reason why they hit 60% from the field. As an added bonus, PC made 10 of 13 of their free throw attempts.
 
Sixteen of Pick Central’s 18, 2-point field goals were scored in the paint. The Tigers scored ten more points there than did the Elks. Those high- percentage, close-in shots were the reason why they hit 60% from the field. As an added bonus, PC made 10 of 13 of their free throw attempts.
Really good point. It seemed like Centerville took a ton of pull-up midrange jumpers (in addition to their 3s). Not alot easy by the basket.
 
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