SETTING THE SCENE: With the OHSAA Tournament draw scheduled for next Sunday, the Milford High School boys basketball team will look to improve its resume against a pair of quality opponents this week. Coming off a win at Turpin last Friday night, the Eagles will first tie a bow around the non-conference portion of the schedule with a Tuesday trip to Northwest. On Friday, its back home for a visit from league-leading Walnut Hills on Hall of Fame Night at MHS.
A LOOK BACK: January 31 vs. CHCA: CHCA 62, Milford 51
THE SHORT STORY
A spirited fourth quarter comeback wasn’t enough for Milford to overcome a cold shooting third period as the Eagles dropped a 62-51 non-conference tilt to area Division III power CHCA. After making just 3 of 10 third quarter field goals and falling behind by 18 early in the fourth, Milford rallied to get within eight but it wasn’t enough.
RECORDS
Milford 5-12
CHCA 11-6
KEY PLAYERS
Milford
Nathan Gallimore 14 points
Matt Kirk 11 points, 7 rebounds
CHCA
Michael Nelson 16 points, 5 steals, 4 assists
Cody Shiver 15 points, 7 rebounds
Tanner Southerland 13 points
NUGGET OF NOTE: With 14 points, including 4 of 7 shooting from three-point range, junior Nathan Gallimore set a new career-high in scoring.
February 3 at Turpin: Milford 51, Turpin 46
THE SHORT STORY
Milford twice overcame deficits of at least nine points, including one with less than four minutes remaining in the game to pick up a much needed 51-46 road win at Turpin. After a pair of Turpin free throws stretched the Spartan lead to 41-34 with just under five minutes to play, the Eagles ripped off 17 of the game’s final 20 points to storm to victory. Junior Nathan Gallimore came up big down the stretch, scoring eight points, including a pair of threes to key the comeback.
RECORDS
Milford 6-12, 4-7 ECC
Turpin 6-12, 4-7 ECC
KEY PLAYERS
Milford
Nathan Gallimore 12 points
Jake Ayler 11 points
Matt Kirk 10 points, 6 rebounds
Wes Reid 10 points
Turpin
Nick Haddad 16 points
Drew Sesler 12 points, 6 rebounds
NUGGET OF NOTE: For the first time this season, Milford had four players reach double figures in scoring as Nathan Gallimore, Jake Ayler, Matt Kirk and Wes Reid combined for 43 of Milford’s 51 points.
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS: A look at Milford’s schedule for the upcoming week:
- Tuesday, Feb. 7 at Northwest, 7:30 p.m.
- 2016-17 Record: 13-4, 8-1 SWOC (8th Division I area coaches’ weekly poll)
- Top Scorer: Senior Ronnell Turner (17.5 ppg)
- Last Meeting: 2015-16; Milford 54, Northwest 30
- Friday, Feb. 10 vs. Walnut Hills, 7:30 p.m.
- 2016-17 Record: 11-6, 9-2 ECC (7th Division I area coaches’ weekly poll)
- Top Scorer: Senior Kenny Thompson (11.4 ppg)
- Last Meeting: 2016-17; Walnut Hills 63, Milford 55
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: A look at Milford’s statistical leaders through 18 games:
Points per game: Matt Kirk (10.2), Jacob Rieseneberg (8.4), Jake Ayler (8.3)
Assists per game: Nathan Gallimore (2.0), Wes Reid (1.4), Jacob Riesenberg (1.3)
Rebounds per game: Jacob Riesenberg (5.6), Matt Kirk (5.1), Jake Ayler/Wes Reid (2.7)
Steals: Jake Ayler/Matt Kirk (13), Nathan Gallimore/Wes Reid (9)
Blocks: Hunter Pollitt/Jacob Riesenberg (10), Nathan Gallimore (3)
Field goal percentage: Wes Reid (.545), Jacob Riesenberg (.489), Jake Ayler (.464)
Three-point percentage: Jake Ayler (.385), Nathan Gallimore (.382), Wes Reid (.278)
Free throw percentage: Jake Ayler (.759), Wes Reid (.711), Matt Kirk (.701)
INSIDE THE ECC: Walnut Hills has moved within one victory of clinching no less than a share of the 2017 ECC Championship, as they are 9-2, three games better than a second place threesome of Glen Este, Loveland and Withrow, all at 6-5. The schedule of ECC conference games this week includes: Thursday-Anderson at Loveland; Friday-Walnut Hills at Milford, Glen Este at Withrow, and Turpin at Kings.
POLL WATCH: Milford did not receive any votes in the weekly Cincinnati Enquirer Division I area coaches’ poll, released on Feb. 6. Moeller continues to be the class of the area according to the voting coaches, this week earning all 12 of No. 1 votes. The rest of the top-five features LaSalle, Oak Hills, Mason and Lakota East. The ECC is represented by Walnut Hills in seventh and Withrow in ninth, along with Glen Este, Kings and Loveland all receiving votes. The coaches’ poll is released every Monday at Noon at preps.cincinnati.com/coachespolls.
Milford Eagles Season/Career Highs
Jake Ayler
Points—Season: 16 at Kings; Career: 16 at Kings (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 4 twice; Career: 4 twice (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 3 at Anderson; Career: 3 at Anderson (2016-17)
Caleb Farrell
Points—Season: 7 at Glen Este; Career: 7 at Glen Este (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 3 twice; Career: 3 twice (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 2 five times; Career: 2 five times (2016-17)
Nathan Gallimore
Points—Season: 14 vs. CHCA; Career: 14 vs. CHCA (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 5 three times; Career: 5 three times (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 5 twice; Career: 5 twice (2016-17)
Jack Hannah
Points—Season: 8 vs. Loveland; Career: 8 vs. Loveland (2106-17)
Rebounds—Season: 5 twice; Career: 5 twice (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 2 twice; Career: 2 twice (2016-17)
Steven Huxell
Points—Season: 3 at Kings; Career: 3 at Kings (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 1 at Glen Este; Career: 1 at Glen Este (2016-17)
Assists—Season: N/A; Career: N/A
Diamonte Johnson
Points—Season: 5 at Taft; Career: 5 at Taft (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 2 at Kings; Career: 2 at Kings (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 1 three times; Career: 1 three times (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: 10 vs. Lebanon; Career: 10 vs. Lebanon (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 3 twice; Career: 3 twice (2016-17)
Double-doubles—Season 1; Career 1
Kyle Minton
Points—Season: 6 vs. Withrow; Career: 6 vs. Withrow (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 6 at Anderson; Career: 6 at Anderson (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 1 seven times; Career: 1 seven 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 twice; Career: 1 twice (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: 4 at Anderson; Career: 4 at Anderson (2016-17)
Jacob Riesenberg
Points—Season: 18 at McNicholas; Career: 18 at McNicholas (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 12 at Glen Este; Career: 12 at Glen Este (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 3 twice; Career: 3 twice (2016-17)
Brady Sluder
Points—Season: 1 at Glen Este; Career: 1 at Glen Este (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 1 at Kings; Career: 1 at Kings (2016-17)
Assists—Season: N/A; Career: N/A