February 19 vs. Loveland
Milford was able to overcome a sluggish first quarter with two outstanding middle quarters as the Eagles outlasted Miami Township and ECC rival Loveland, 49-40 in the opening round of the OHSAA Sectional Tournament. With the win, the 20^th-seeded Eagles advance to take on No. 4 Lakota East on Tuesday night.

The Eagles made just 2 of 9 first quarter shots and trailed the Tigers 13-7 after eight minutes. In its quest for a third win of the year over Loveland, MHS fought back to even the score at 20-all at the break.

When the second half got underway, Alex Hannah put his team on his back, scoring eight of his game-high 17 points in the third quarter. The Eagles moved to a comfortable 11-point cushion in the period as they outscored the Tigers 18-7 over the eight-minute session.

In the fourth, Loveland clawed back within six points on several occasions and got as close as five with just 1:20 to go. But Pete Craft’s put back at that point was the Tigers’ last score of the night as Ethan Owens and Erich Morgan each knocked down a pair of free throws to seal it.

Hannah once again led the Eagles with 17 points. Milford also got a huge spark off the bench from junior Chase Duesing who recorded career-highs with seven points, six rebounds and three steals, along with one block.

RECORDS
Milford 9-11
Loveland 8-13

KEY PLAYERS
Milford
Alex Hannah 17 points, 4 rebounds
Erich Morgan 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
Chase Duesing 7 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals (all career-highs)

Loveland
Sam Cox 14 points
Drew Gleason 10 points, 4 rebounds
Aaron Krabacher 7 points, 7 rebounds

FINAL GAME STATS