SETTING THE SCENE: The Milford High School boys basketball team will be out to snap a five-game losing streak against a pair of the early season Eastern Cincinnati Conference heavyweights when it returns to play this week. Sitting at 3-7 overall, but still in the ECC race with a 2-3 mark, the Eagles open this week with a Tuesday night trip to Kings who shares the top spot in the league race. Friday night is back at home as a much improved Withrow squad visits the friendly confines of the MHS Gymnasium.

A LOOK BACK: January 3 vs. Turpin: Turpin 52, Milford 47

THE SHORT STORY

Milford couldn’t overcome a cold shooting first half or a hot shooting three-point shooting Turpin squad as the Eagles fell to the Spartans by a 52-47 margin. The seesaw affair featured a 13-all tie at the half and a back-and-forth battle in the second half. The Eagles led by a 38-36 margin with 4:30 to play, but a 7-0 Spartan run pushed the visitors into a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

RECORDS

Milford 3-6, 2-2 ECC

Turpin 2-7, 2-2 ECC

KEY PLAYERS

Milford

Matt Kirk 14 points, 6 rebounds

Turpin

Nick Haddad 20 points

NUGGET OF NOTE: Milford’s five three-pointers made were a season-high, but its 40% shooting performance was its second-lowest mark of the year.

FINAL GAME STATS LINK

January 6 at Walnut Hills: Walnut Hills 63, Milford 55

THE SHORT STORY

Walnut Hills outscored Milford 17-8 over the last three minutes of the game to pull away for a 63-55 win in the first round of the Eastern Cincinnati Conference’s annual Battle of the Eagles. MHS played well throughout but Walnut made 4 of 6 field goals and 12 of 15 free throws in the final quarter to seal the triumph and stretch its win streak over the Eagles to four.

RECORDS

Milford 3-7, 2-3 ECC

Walnut Hills 5-4, 4-1 ECC

KEY PLAYERS

Milford

Jake Ayler 15 points

Matt Kirk 13 points, 6 rebounds

Jacob Riesenberg 10 points

Walnut Hills

Malcom Moffett 17 points, 4 assists

Kameron Gibson 14 points

Chase Loring 14 points

NUGGET OF NOTE: Sophomore Jake Ayler scored a career-high 15 points, helping Milford make a season-high 22 field goals. The Eagles’ 48.9% shooting performance was the squad’s second-highest of the year.

FINAL GAME STATS LINK

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

• Tuesday, Jan. 10 at Kings, 7:30 p.m.
• 2016-17 Record: 6-3, 4-1 ECC (7^th Division I area coaches’ weekly poll)
• Top Scorer: Senior Clay Spivey (12.1 ppg)
• Last Meeting: 2015-16; Kings 65, Milford 63 & Kings 67, Milford 59
• Friday, Jan. 13 vs. WIthrow, 7:30 p.m.
• 2016-17 Record: 6-4, 2-3 ECC (RV Division I area coaches’ weekly poll)
• Top Scorer: Senior Davon Jorden (13.1 ppg)
• Last Meeting: 2015-16; Milford 62, Withrow 57 & Milford 52, Withrow 48

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: A look at Milford’s statistical leaders through 10 games:

Points per game: Matt Kirk (10.0), Jacob Riesenberg (9.5), Wes Reid (7.9)

Assists per game: Nathan Gallimore (2.0), Wes Reid (1.6), Matt Kirk (1.4)

Rebounds per game: Jacob Riesenberg (4.9), Matt Kirk (4.7), Wes Reid (3.5)

Steals: Nathan Gallimore (6), Wes Reid (5), Matt Kirk (4)

Blocks: Hunter Pollitt (7), Jacob Riesenberg (3), Nathan Gallimore/Matt Kirk (2)

Field goal percentage: Wes Reid (.583), Jacob Riesenberg (.539), Jake Ayler (.453)

Three-point percentage: Jake Ayler (.421), Nathan Gallimore (.350), Wes Reid (.300)

Free throw percentage: Wes Reid (.769), Jake Ayler (.759), Matt Kirk (.691)

INSIDE THE ECC: Loveland endured its first ECC loss of the season which leaves a three-way tie for the top spot with Loveland, Kings and Walnut Hills all sitting at 4-1. Three more teams are just two games back including Milford, Turpin and Withrow, all at 2-3. The schedule of ECC conference games this week includes: Tuesday-Milford at Kings, Anderson at Glen Este, Turpin at Withrow and Loveland at Walnut Hills; Friday-Withrow at Milford, Glen Este at Loveland, Anderson at Turpin and Kings at Walnut Hills.

POLL WATCH: Milford did not receive any votes in the weekly Cincinnati Enquirer Division I area coaches’ poll, released on Jan. 9. Moeller continues to be the clear favorite of the voting coaches, this week earning all but one of the 15 No. 1 votes. The rest of the top-five continues to features LaSalle (one vote), Oak Hills, Mason and Lakota East. coaches’ poll is released every Monday at Noon at preps.cincinnati.com/coachespolls.

Milford Eagles Season/Career Highs

Jake Ayler

Points—Season: 15 at Walnut Hills; Career: 15 at Walnut Hills (2016-17)

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

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

Caleb Farrell

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

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

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

Nathan Gallimore

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

Rebounds—Season: 5 three times; Career: 5 three times (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)

Steven Huxell

Points—Season: N/A; Career: N/A

Rebounds—Season: N/A; Career: N/A

Assists—Season: N/A; Career: N/A

Diomante Johnson

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

Rebounds—Season: 1 at Walnut Hills; Career: 1 at Walnut Hills (2016-17)

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 twice; Career: 3 twice (2016-17)

Kyle Minton

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

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

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

Hunter Pollitt

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

Rebounds—Season: 7 vs. Turpin; Career: 7 vs. Turpin (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)

Brady Sluder

Points—Season: N/A; Career: N/A

Rebounds—Season: N/A; Career: N/A

Assists—Season: N/A; Career: N/A