OHSAA Girls Basketball District Final
Saturday, February 28, 2026
West Liberty-Salem 51, Ansonia 41
@ Monroe High School
After trailing for most of the afternoon, the West Liberty-Salem Lady Tigers exploded in the fourth quarter to claim a District Championship — the third in program history — with a 51-41 win over Ansonia on Saturday.
The first half was a grind offensively for WL-S. Shots were hard to come by, while Ansonia capitalized from beyond the arc to build a 26-19 halftime lead.
Looking to spark a run, West Liberty-Salem opened the third quarter with a quick 4-0 spurt and turned up the defensive pressure. The Lady Tigers chipped away throughout the period, but Ansonia managed to keep them at arm’s length, holding a slim 30-28 advantage heading into the fourth.
The final quarter opened with back-and-forth play, eventually turning into a tie game with about five minutes remaining. That’s when WL-S battened down the defensive hatches. The Lady Tigers dominated the closing stretch, outscoring Ansonia 16-6 the rest of the way behind a long string of strong offensive possessions and timely defensive stops.
When the final horn sounded, the scoreboard read 51-41 — and West Liberty-Salem stood atop the Southwest 2 District as champions.
West Liberty-Salem was led offensively by Addison Wallen with 16 points, while Arianna Weaver added 14. Ava Poppe finished in double figures as well with 10 points. Ava Astorino chipped in 8, and Ellery Wygal rounded out the scoring with 3 in the district championship win.
Wallen and Astarino give their insight on how the team was able to come back and claim the District Title.
West Liberty-Salem now moves to 22-3 and advances to the Regional Semifinals, where the Lady Tigers will face a tough test against the winner of Fayetteville and Tri-Village on Wednesday, March 4, at 7:30 p.m. at Springfield High School.
OHSAA Boys Basketball District Quarterfinals
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Urbana 80, Valley View 57
@ Xenia High School
The Urbana Hillclimbers opened tournament play with a barrage of three-pointers, knocking down 12 from beyond the arc on their way to a commanding 80-57 win over Valley View on Saturday.
The opening minutes featured back-and-forth play, but Urbana quickly seized control. With the score at 5-4, the Hillclimbers ripped off a massive 14-2 run to build a 19-6 lead late in the first quarter and carried a 21-12 advantage into the second.
Valley View pushed the tempo to start the second quarter and responded with a 9-0 run to knot the game at 21-all. Urbana, however, answered with a run of its own, closing the half on a 12-5 spurt to take a 33-26 lead into the break.
That momentum carried straight into the second half, where the Hillclimbers took full control. Urbana’s defense was outstanding throughout, while the offense continued to click in every facet. The Hillclimbers outscored the Spartans 23-12 in the third quarter and 24-19 in the fourth to put the game away.
When the final horn sounded, the scoreboard read 80-57 as Urbana emphatically opened its tournament run.
Urbana was led by a big night from Grady Lantz, who poured in 30 points. Drew Dixon followed with 17, while Kaden Underwood added 9 and Gio Rube chipped in 7.
Head coach Jeremy Dixon says his team executed well all afternoon to bring home the victory.
With the win, Urbana improves to 20-3 and advances to face another foe from the Southwestern Buckeye League, the Oakwood High School Lumberjacks, Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m., back at Xenia.
