SETTING THE SCENE: Tournament time has arrived and the Milford High School girls basketball team will open play on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. as the Eagles take on Oak Hills at Sycamore High School. Coming off a narrow loss to Withrow last Saturday night, the Eagles enter the tournament as the No. 24 seed and will have an upset on their minds when they take on the 15^th-seeded Highlanders. Milford completed its regular season at 8-14 overall, while Oak Hills is fresh off a 12-10 campaign this winter. The winner will advance to the tournament’s second round next Wednesday night against Eastern Cincinnati Conference member Glen Este.

A LOOK BACK: February 8 at Kings: Kings 63, Milford 47

THE SHORT STORY

Milford could never really overcome a slow start that saw them trail by 13 after one quarter, ultimately falling on the road 63-47 at Kings. The Eagles played an outstanding second quarter when they trimmed the deficit to just five at the half and were still close until midway through the third until the Knights started to pull away for the victory.

RECORDS

Milford 8-13, 4-9 ECC

Kings 16-5, 10-3 ECC

KEY PLAYERS

Milford

Tori Gilman 12 points, 6 rebounds

Hannah Thierauf 11 points, 10 rebounds

Katelyn Rheude 10 points, 12 rebounds

Kings

Carolyn Bruns 16 points, 11 rebounds

Taylor Brown 14 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds

Jordyn Rhodes 10 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists

NUGGET OF NOTE: The double-doubles posted by Hannah Thierauf and Katelyn Rhude represented the first time since Feb. 3, 2014 against Norwood that two Eagles recorded double-doubles. That day, the Eagles were Brooke McDonald (16 points, 14 rebounds) and Taylor Foster (10 points, 11 rebounds).

FINAL GAME STATS LINK

February 11 vs. Withrow: Withrow 49, Milford 46

THE SHORT STORY

Withrow put a damper on Milford’s Senior Night celebration as Jerria White hit the game-winning three-pointer as time expired to give the Tigers a 49-46 win. After playing to a 21-all first half tie, the Eagles led by three after three quarters only to see Withrow come up with the last second triumph.

RECORDS

Milford 8-14, 4-10 ECC

Withrow 12-10, 4-10 ECC

KEY PLAYERS

Milford

Tori Gilman 17 points, 7 assists

Olivia Redrow 14 rebounds

Withrow

Bria Canada 14 points, 7 rebounds

Doneisha Brewer 13 points, 10 rebounds

Jerria White 12 points

NUGGET OF NOTE: The nailbiter was Milford’s ninth loss of the season in games decided by six points or less.

FINAL GAME STATS LINK

A LOOK AT THE OPPONENT: A look at Milford’s next OHSAA Tournament opponent:

• Saturday, Feb. 18 vs. Oak Hills (at Sycamore HS), 5:30 p.m.
• 2016-17 Record: 12-10, 8-8 GMC (NR Division I area coaches’ weekly poll)
• Top Scorer: Senior Carlie Hulette (16.7 ppg)
• Last Meeting: 2014-15; Oak Hills 44, Milford 41

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: A look at Milford’s statistical leaders through 22 games:

Points per game: Tori Gilman (14.0), Hannah Thierauf (10.6), Katelyn Rheude (7.4)

Assists per game: Tori Gilman (3.5), Katelyn Rheude/Hannah Thierauf/Hayden White (1.5)

Rebounds per game: Hayden White (7.4), Olivia Redrow (5.5), Katelyn Rheude (5.4)

Steals: Tori Gilman (76), Katelyn Rheude (41), Hannah Thierauf (35)

Blocks: Hayden White (15), Tori Gilman/Olivia Redrow (7)

Field goal percentage: Tori Gilman (.445), Hayden White (.371), Katelyn Rheude (.320)

Three-point percentage: Katelyn Rheude (.267), Ashli Sheldon (.258), Tori Gilman (.250)

Free throw percentage: Katelyn Rheude (.780), Hannah Thierauf (.747), Tori Gilman (.550)

INSIDE THE ECC: Kings knocked off Walnut Hills on the last day of the regular season to earn a share of the 2017 ECC title with the Eagles, each at 11-3. Glen Este and Turpin tied for third at 10-4, with Milford earning a tie for sixth with a mark of 4-10.

The schedule for ECC teams in the tournament includes: No. 5 Walnut Hills vs. winner of No. 11 Little Miami-No. 13 St. Ursula (Feb. 21, 7:30 p.m. at Lakota East), No. 8 Glen Este vs. No. 28 Seton (Feb. 18, 7:00 p.m. at Sycamore), No. 9 Kings vs. No. 27 Winton Woods (Feb. 18, 1:00 p.m. at Sycamore), No. 12 Turpin vs. No. 17 Mercy (Feb. 18, 1:30 p.m. at Lakota East), No. 18 Loveland vs. No. 7 Princeton (Feb. 16, 6:00 p.m. at Lakota East), No. 19 Withrow vs. No. 10 Fairfield (Feb. 18, 3:00 p.m. at Sycamore), No. 20 Milford vs. No. 15 Oak Hills (Feb. 18, 5:30 p.m. at Sycamore) and No. 32 Anderson vs. winner of No. 1 Lakota West-No. 31 Western Hills (Feb. 21, 7:30 p.m. at Sycamore).

POLL WATCH: Milford did not receive any votes in the final edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer Division I area coaches’ poll, released on Feb. 6. Lakota West is the poll champion, earning 14 of the 18 first place votes. Mason took second with two first place votes, ahead of McAuley, Mount Notre Dame (remaining first place vote) and Walnut Hills from the ECC. The conference was also represented by Glen Este in eighth and Kings in 10^th, along with Turpin, Withrow and Loveland all receiving votes. The coaches’ poll is released every Monday at Noon at preps.cincinnati.com/coachespolls.

GAME OF HOPE: On Wednesday night, January 25, 2017, the girl’s basketball programs from Milford High School and Turpin High School staged their second Eastern Cincinnati Conference match-up of the season. While the final score indicated a 42-28 Turpin victory, even the Spartans would agree that the biggest winner of the night was The Cure Starts Now Foundation. This game wasn’t just any game between two area rivals; instead it was the third annual Game of Hope and when all the pomp and circumstance of the evening was complete, a total of $5,000 was raised to benefit the fight against cancer. Click here to continue reading.

RETRO DAY: During the 2012-13 school year, five of the six seniors on this year’s Milford High School girls basketball team were members of a highly-successful eighth grade squad that went a perfect 16-0 and captured the Eastern Cincinnati Conference Championship. There coach that year? Phil Sheldon. Now fast-forward to January 14, 2017 and the quintet and their teammates were back on the court taking on ECC rival Anderson, led by a familiar face in…head coach Phil Sheldon. And it wasn’t just any game, it was a special throwback game between the two schools.

The brainchild of Milford head coach Kristi McKenney, the Eagles broke out the same jerseys the five seniors had worn as eighth graders for Sheldon for the second match-up between the schools this season. The Eagles also took time to say thank you to their former coach during a brief pre-game recognition. Click here to continue reading.

Milford Eagles Season/Career Highs

Kyrsten Brown

Points—Season: 2 at Seton; Career: 2 at Seton (2016-17)

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

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

Tori Gilman

Points—Season: 29 vs. Princeton; Career: 29 vs. Princeton (2016-17)

Rebounds—Season: 6 twice; Career: 7 vs. Anderson (2015-16)

Assists—Season: 7 vs. Withrow; Career: 7 vs. Withrow (2016-17)

Ali Kirk

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

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

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

Maddie Plucinski

Points—Season: N/A; Career: N/A

Rebounds—Season: N/A; Career: N/A

Assists—Season: N/A; Career: N/A

Olivia Redrow

Points—Season: 9 vs. Princeton; Career: 9 vs. Princeton (2016-17)

Rebounds—Season: 14 vs. Withrow; Career: 14 vs. Withrow (2016-17)

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

Katelyn Rheude

Points—Season: 20 vs. Kings; Career: 20 vs. Kings (2015-16)

Rebounds—Season: 12 at Kings; Career: 12 at Kings (2016-17)

Assists—Season: 4 twice; Career: 4 twice (2016-17)

Double-doubles—Season: 2; Career: 2

Bryn Rolfsen

Points—Season: 5 vs. Walnut Hills; Career: 5 vs. Walnut Hills (2016-17)

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

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

Ashli Sheldon

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

Rebounds—Season: 7 four times; Career: 7 four times (2016-17)

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

Abby Thierauf

Points—Season: N/A; Career: N/A

Rebounds—Season: N/A; Career: N/A

Assists—Season: N/A; Career: N/A

Hannah Thierauf

Points—Season: 22 at Winton Woods; Career: 22 at Winton Woods (2016-17)

Rebounds—Season: 10 at Kings; Career: 10 at Kings (2016-17)

Assists—Season: 4 vs. Kings; Career: 4 vs. Kings (2016-17)

Double-doubles—Season: 1; Career: 1

Hayden White

Points—Season: 11 at Glen Este; Career: 11 twice

Rebounds—Season: 14 twice; Career: 14 twice (2016-17)

Assists—Season: 6 vs. Hughes; Career: 6 vs. Hughes (2016-17)