SETTING THE SCENE: Following three straight non-conference games over Christmas break, the Milford High School boys basketball team will jump back into Eastern Cincinnati Conference play as the calendar flips to 2017. The Eagles have uncharacteristically lost three row, the first such stretch since January 2014, and enter the week 3-5 overall. The squad is 2-1 in league play and will look to improve on that mark first with a home visit from Turpin on Tuesday, prior to a trip to Walnut Hills on Friday.

A LOOK BACK: December 27 vs. Fairfield: Fairfield 48, Milford 45

THE SHORT STORY

A valiant comeback by Milford came up just short as Fairfield held on for a 48-45 win over the Eagles in a non-conference battle. Trailing by eight midway through the fourth quarter, the Eagles used a 10-2 run to tie the game for the 10^th time with just under two minutes remaining. In the waning seconds, Fairfield’s Andre Givens tipped in a missed free throw to put the Indians up by three and Matt Kirk’s game-tying three-point attempt rattled out with time running out.

RECORDS

Milford 3-4

Fairfield 5-1

KEY PLAYERS

Milford

Matt Kirk 12 points

Jacob Riesenberg 10 points, 6 rebounds

Nathan Gallimore 10 points

Fairfield

Devonte Ross 16 points, 9 rebounds

Ben Phillips 12 points, 7 rebounds

Andre Givens 10 points

NUGGET OF NOTE: A tight, back-and-forth contest featured 10 tie scores and five lead changes.

FINAL GAME STATS LINK

December 30 at Taft: Taft 63, Milford 49

THE SHORT STORY

Six first half three-pointers, including five by Ezyonta Brazzle helped Taft knock off visiting Milford by a 63-49 score in non-conference action. The hot shooting Senators led 38-27 at the half and pulled away in the third quarter, holding on despite not scoring in the final 5:07 of the contest.

RECORDS

Milford 3-5

Taft 6-1

KEY PLAYERS

Milford

Jacob Riesenberg 11 points, 6 rebounds

Taft

Ezyonta Brazzle 24 points

Malek Green 16 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals

NUGGET OF NOTE: Junior Hunter Pollitt and senior Diamante Johnson both gave Milford a spark off the bench as each posted career-best numbers. Pollitt scored six points and grabbed four rebounds (both career-bests), while Johnson came in late to score a personal-high five points.

FINAL GAME STATS LINK

A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS: A look at Milford’s schedule for the upcoming week:

• Tuesday, Jan. 3 vs. Turpin, 7:30 p.m.
• 2016-17 Record: 1-7, 1-2 ECC (NR Division I area coaches’ weekly poll)
• Top Scorer: Junior Griffen Durso (9.5 ppg)
• Last Meeting: 2015-16; Milford 74, Turpin 54 & Milford 69, Turpin 67
• Friday, Jan. 6 at Walnut Hills, 7:30 p.m.
• 2016-17 Record: 3-2, 2-1 ECC (9^th Division I area coaches’ weekly poll)
• Top Scorer: Senior Jordan Henderson (12.7 ppg)
• Last Meeting: 2015-16; Walnut Hills 49, Milford 38 & Walnut Hills 38, Milford 31

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: A look at Milford’s statistical leaders through 8 games:

Points per game: Jacob Riesenberg (10.0), Matt Kirk (9.1), Wes Reid (8.5)

Assists per game: Nathan Gallimore (2.1), Wes Reid (1.6), Jacob Riesenberg (1.3)

Rebounds per game: Jacob Riesenberg (5.8), Matt Kirk (4.4), Wes Reid (3.5)

Steals: Nathan Gallimore (6), Matt Kirk/Wes Reid (3)

Blocks: Hunter Pollitt (4), Jacob Riesenberg (3), Nathan Gallimore (2)

Field goal percentage: Wes Reid (.575), Jacob Riesenberg (.548), Jake Ayler (.415)

Three-point percentage: Wes Reid (.375), Jake Ayler (.357), Nathan Gallimore (.303)

Free throw percentage: Wes Reid (.760), Jake Ayler (.739), Matt Kirk (.698)

INSIDE THE ECC: Loveland has started the league season at a perfect 3-0 to take early command in the ECC standings. A logjam of Kings, Milford, Walnut Hills and Withrow all shared second place, each at 2-1 so far. The schedule of ECC conference games this week includes: Tuesday-Turpin at Milford, Glen Este at Kings and Walnut Hills at Anderson and Withrow at Loveland; Friday-Milford at Walnut Hills, Withrow at Glen Este, Kings at Turpin and Loveland at Anderson.

POLL WATCH: Milford did not receive any votes in the weekly Cincinnati Enquirer Division I area coaches’ poll, released on Jan. 2. Moeller continues to be the clear favorite of the voting coaches, this week earning all 11 No. 1 votes. The rest of the top-five features LaSalle, Oak Hills, Mason and Lakota East. The coaches’ poll is released every Monday at Noon at preps.cincinnati.com/coachespolls.

Milford Eagles Season/Career Highs

Jake Ayler

Points—Season: 13 vs. Loveland; Career: 13 vs. Loveland (2016-17)

Rebounds—Season: 4 vs. Glen Este; Career: 4 vs. Glen Este (2016-17)

Assists—Season: 2 twice; Career: 2 twice (2016-17)

Caleb Farrell

Points—Season: 2 three times; Career: 2 three times (2016-17)

Rebounds—Season: 3 vs. Glen Este; Career: 3 vs. Glen Este (2016-17)

Assists—Season: 2 twice; Career: 2 twice (2016-17)

Nathan Gallimore

Points—Season: 12 at Princeton; Career: 12 at Princeton (2016-17)

Rebounds—Season: 5 twice; Career: 5 twice (2016-17)

Assists—Season: 5 vs. Sycamore; Career: 5 vs. Sycamore (2016-17)

Jack Hannah

Points—Season: 8 vs. Loveland; Career: 8 vs. Loveland (2106-17)

Rebounds—Season: 5 vs. Glen Este; Career: 5 vs. Glen Este (2016-17)

Assists—Season: 2 vs. Loveland; Career: 2 vs. Loveland (2016-17)

Diomante Johnson

Points—Season: 5 at Taft; Career: 5 at Taft (2016-17)

Rebounds—Season: N/A; Career: N/A

Assists—Season: 1 at Taft; Career: 1 at Taft (2016-17)

Blake King

Points—Season: 4 vs. Glen Este; Career: 4 vs. Glen Este (2016-17)

Rebounds—Season: 3 vs. Glen Este; Career: 3 vs. Glen Este (2016-17)

Assists—Season: N/A; Career: N/A

Matt Kirk

Points—Season: 16 at Princeton; Career: at Princeton (2016-17)

Rebounds—Season: 9 vs. Anderson; Career: 9 vs. Anderson (2016-17)

Assists—Season: 3 vs. Anderson; Career: 3 vs. Anderson (2016-17)

Kyle Minton

Points—Season: 3 vs. Anderson; Career: 3 vs. Anderson (2016-17)

Rebounds—Season: 3 vs. Glen Este; Career: 3 vs. Glen Este (2016-17)

Assists—Season: 1 four times; Career: 1 four times (2016-17)

Hunter Pollitt

Points—Season: 6 at Taft; Career: 6 at Taft (2016-17)

Rebounds—Season: 4 at Taft; Career: 4 at Taft (2016-17)

Assists—Season: 1 at Taft; Career: 1 at Taft (2016-17)

Wes Reid

Points—Season: 20 vs. Sycamore; Career: 20 vs. Sycamore (2016-17)

Rebounds—Season: 8 vs. Sycamore; Career: 8 vs. Sycamore (2016-17)

Assists—Season: 3 three times; Career: 3 six times

Jacob Riesenberg

Points—Season: 18 at McNicholas; Career: 18 at McNicholas (2016-17)

Rebounds—Season: 11 vs. Glen Este; Career: 11 vs. Glen Este (2016-17)

Assists—Season: 3 twice; Career: 3 twice (2016-17)

Aaron Salva

Points—Season: N/A; Career: N/A

Rebounds—Season: N/A; Career: N/A

Assists—Season: 1 at McNicholas; Career: 1 at McNicholas (2016-17)

Brady Sluder

Points—Season: N/A; Career: N/A

Rebounds—Season: N/A; Career: N/A

Assists—Season: N/A; Career: N/A