should be a rematch of last years very competative regional finals. East is big and quick any thoughts? (they were out coached last year and I would say that was the differance)

It will be LE unless something incredible happens against Kirtland.

You think LE was out-coached last year? That guy lost his composure and led his team to lose their composure. A 2 point Hiland lead went to 20 in a hurry.

LE lost to Potter's House 89-44. Hiland didn't lose that badly to PH, but the Hawks played them at the PRCC and I get the idea that PH Coach Bannister took it a little easy on the Classic hosts. So, I wouldn't draw much from that.

A game I would draw something from was their loss to Hathaway Brown (44-25). Hiland played HB in some scrimmages and at the Pickerington preview and hung right with them or beat them.

Two games that indicate that LE can play very well are their win over Chaminade Julienne (48-31) and their loss to a very good Toledo Waite team (64-61).

Hiland should win this game for 2 reasons:
1) Hiland's coach is way better
2) Hiland has been prepared for this exact game by playing incredibly talented teams and beating most of them.

On the second point we can go back to Africentric last March, the amazing AAU teams they beat in Kentucky, and then the Washington DC champ (Elizabeth Seton), the NYC Catholic League and NY state champ (St. John the Baptiste), the Maryland champ (Digital Harbor), the North Carolina big school champs 4 years in a row (Bishop McGuiness), and nationally ranked Potter's House and Regina. You can throw in scrimmages and one summer game against Toledo Start and some other high profile Ohio powers.

I'm guessing that LE will be somewhere in the area of the 15th to 20th most talented teams the Hiland girls have faced. They beat them last year, they know what to expect, they will be more disciplined and better prepared than LE, and they will have more going for them in terms of coaching and fan support. That should add up to a win - but LE is certainly capable of sending some Lady Hawks home in tears.

We got a final yet?? I'm thinking the LE/Kirtland game was at 1 pm. Interestingly, saw Kirtlands coach but not LE's at last nights game. To my knowledge LE has not seen Hiland in person. Not too sure they did last year, either.

Nm. I'll answer my own question...

Lutheran East won big, something like 73-26

Hilands'coaches may know more about LE than LE's coaches...I like our chances, but can't look past this game at all!

other points of interest in this regional...(1) we see lowellville again, how much better have they gotten since theyre regional massacre last year...(2) mogadore got upset by cuyahoga heights! is this just a flook due to bad game by mogadore or is this team for real?

I think a bit of both... Mogadore losing was indeed an upset. Reading other places I get the feeling they might not have given Cuy Hts a great deal of credit, CH had a really good game plan, and maybe some luck on their side.

Should just reinforce with the Hiland girls that anything can happen. And LE's not a "anything can happen" type of team... They're better than that

I have Hiland winning this match up.

I'll take Hiland!!!!!!! Did it ever quit snowing back home in Ohio!

Hiland by 11.

bluishgreen wrote: other points of interest in this regional...(1) we see lowellville again, how much better have they gotten since theyre regional massacre last year...(2) mogadore got upset by cuyahoga heights! is this just a flook due to bad game by mogadore or is this team for real?

I remember the L'ville fans were upset with you, me and a lot of people for saying the obvious - that was the worst team we had ever seen in a regional. The were small, not that skilled, and they got killed. I guess they played mostly freshmen last year, so they have to be better, but it would be a surprise if they were that much better.

Anyone know any thing about Cuyohoga Hts?

Gotta believe the winner Thursday night will be the regional rep at state with the game Sat a formality.

G_Callen wrote: I'll take Hiland!!!!!!! Did it ever quit snowing back home in Ohio!

Sunny and 50 and snow is going fast but there's a lot of it to melt.

Pariah wrote:

bluishgreen wrote: other points of interest in this regional...(1) we see lowellville again, how much better have they gotten since theyre regional massacre last year...(2) mogadore got upset by cuyahoga heights! is this just a flook due to bad game by mogadore or is this team for real?

I remember the L'ville fans were upset with you, me and a lot of people for saying the obvious - that was the worst team we had ever seen in a regional. The were small, not that skilled, and they got killed. I guess they played mostly freshmen last year, so they have to be better, but it would be a surprise if they were that much better.

Pariah - I wasn't able to be at that game last year - had practice. Were you at Massillon the year before??? McDonald that year lost to Bedford Chanel by a boatload, who then lost to Hiland by 20ish. I have a hard time imagining that Lowellville was worse than they were.

just after taking a look at maxpreps it looks like they are very up and down...they look like they might be playing their best ball right now (as a 10 game win streak indicates) , they just upset mogadore by 1 and thats their only noteable win of the year... they lost to kirtland who just got shalacked by LE and they lost to a team with 9 losses and a team with 14 losses...its tough to say about this team without ever seeing them play and just judging by their schedule...

to me it looks like a case of weak conference because they swept the 5 other teams in their league but outta league they got all 5 of their losses...i guess we shall see thursday, pariah you gonna save me a seat buddy?

Angel, yeah I remember McDonald that year - who was the worst team I'd seen in a regional until I saw L'ville last year. Honestly, they looked like they had brought their 7th grade team.

i second that...there was a lot of controversy stirred the week before and after the hiland-lville game last year. l'ville had a ton of supporters on the huddle and talked a tremendous amount of garbage, if my memory serves em right didnt they have some unstoppable defense that their defensive mastermind assitant invented? im not trying to stir anything up this year but thats the gist of last year...apparently those l'ville fans have been humbled cause i havent heard one word from them on here or huddle...

To be fair to those people, I think they come from an area and conference where the basketball is not that good. They were pretty dominant over some bad teams which made them think they had a pretty good program going. Most teams get their reality check at the districts. They got theirs at the regional.

Last year Lutheran East did not scout Hiland. Got word today that they saw the Lady Hawks twice this year, so they are taking it a bit more serious. I bet Dave scouted them a 1/2 dozen or more times. The Hiland girls will know all the tendencies of the players they are guarding.

Another thing in Hiland's favor: last year Hilary Weaver's knee was really gimpy for that game. She's totally healthy this year, which will pretty much negate any pressure they bring.

Bluish - the "crab" zone defense...

Oh my, I forgot about that one. Hilarious!

3 point shooting will be very important to Hiland in this game. My scouting report says LE has one 3 point shooter. If Noelle, Hil, and Kenz can several down and maybe get one from Meg and Reagan, it will really help the cause.

Katelyn Stuckey will be huge in this game. She was playing some sick defense on their posts last year, which was a big reason why their coach and players lost their composure. They couldn't penetrate, she was taking charges, she was pushing them out farther than they wanted to be, and her footwork was amazing. LE depends on a lot of insided scoring, so all Kate has to do is what she did last year and Hiland will be in good shape. Problem is she can only guard one and they have 2!

To be the best, you have to beat the best, and that's Hiland. If LE has any chance, the Hawks's will have to play an extremely poor game, and I just don't see that happening. Hawks should win this matchup.

12-13 LE after 1
23-19 LE half
LE is playing very good

36-37 LE after 3

LE 44
Hiland 44 OT

Wow
Final
Hiland 57
LE 52
Wow

wow. congrats Hland! for those of us anable to see/hear the game, how did it go/end?