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SPORTS

Skeen's scene for the week

Tom Skeen
tskeen@communitypress.com

My travels will take me to Dayton and back twice this week, in addition to a weekend trip to the Cintas Center, as we've reached the district finals in Ohio high school boys' basketball.

First up is Roger Bacon High School who faces off with Miami East High School out of Casstown March 5 at University of Dayton Arena at 5:30 p.m. The Spartans - who ranked No. 5 in the final Associated Press Ohio high school boys basketball state poll - have breezed through the Division III tournament so far, winning their first three games by an average of 51.3 points.

Carlas Jackson leads Roger Bacon in scoring at more than 15 points per game.

It's been quite the opposite for the Vikings (15-10). Entering the postseason as the No. 13 seed, Miami East pulled off three consecutive upsets to win the Tecumseh sectional, with their last being a 53-45 win over Milton Union in the sectional final.  The Vikings have won seven in-a-row heading into their contest with the Spartans.

The winner will square off with either Badin or Stivers March 12 at 8 p.m. at Kettering Fairmont High School.

It will be two times the action Thursday, March 6 as I'm back in Dayton for Division IV action. Lockland High School is up first as they square off with Troy Christian at 7:15 p.m. followed by Aiken vs. Russia at 9.

Lockland enters its match-up with the Eagle's  sitting at 10-13 on the season, having won four straight and five of their last six games. The Panthers entered the postseason as the No. 7 seed and knocked off the Nos. 3, 6 and 2 seeds en route to a sectional title.

Senior Jaquon Short leads Lockland with 13.3 points and 5.7 assits per game, while senior Cheikh Athie is scoring 13 and pulling down seven rebounds. Short scored 22 points in the Panthers' 64-60 upset win over Georgetown March 1 in the sectional finals.

Troy Christian enters the game ranked No. 6 in the final AP state poll and is 23-2 on the season.

The winner will play either Tri-Village or Fort Loramie in the regional semifinals March 11 at Kettering Fairmont at 8 p.m.

Aiken is back in the district finals for the first time since 2012 when they were a Division II team. Now in Division IV, the Falcons are looking for their first trip to the regional semifinals since the 2008-09 season when they were a Division I program and lost to Princeton 78-65.

As the No. 1 seed in the Oak Hills sectional, Aiken (15-9) breezed to the district finals with winning margins of 59, 43 and 32 over their sectional tournament opponents.

Sophomore Carlik Jones has been fantastic for coach Leon Ellison who may be putting on his best coaching performance in his six seasons at Aiken.

Jones leads the Falcons with 12.3 points and 5.7 assists per game and ranks third on the team with 5.2 rebounds.

Senior Corey Cavins has improved his scoring total each of his three seasons under Ellison and ranks second on the team at 12 points a contest.

Russia entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the Piqua sectional and avoided an upset in the sectional final by squeaking passed No. 6 Jackson Center 45-41.

The Raiders are 21-4 on the season.

In what is sure to be a day full of fantastic Division I high school basketball, La Salle leads off the slate of four games March 8 at the Cintas Center on the campus of Xavier University as the Lancers play Trotwood Madison at 1 p.m.

The Lancers (18-5) will be looking to make it back to the regional semifinals for the fifth time in six seasons, but their task is tall in 2014.

Trotwood comes in ranked No. 5 in the final AP state poll, 22-2 on the season, champion of the Greater Western Ohio Conference North Division and winners of nine consecutive games.

The Rams are led by senior and first-team All-GWOC performer Dezhontae Bennett, who led the conference at 24.3 points, 10.8 rebounds and 5.3 blocks per game. Bennett dropped 41 points in back-to-back games in wins over Wilmington and Northwest earlier this season. He's scored 30-plus points six times this season and was recently named District 15 Co-Player of the Year.

In the Rams' season finale, he posted a triple-double with ridiculous numbers: 38 points, 15 blocks and 12 rebounds.

There is good news for the Lancers though; they have a big man of their own in Blake Simpson, who owns the career blocks record in the Greater Catholic League. While not the scorer Bennett is, Simpson has no problem blocking shots and fighting for rebounds. The senior is averaging 7.7 rebounds and 2.9 blocks a game to go with his 4.1 points. La Salle big's Simpson and junior Jordan Thompson, along with the rest of the Lancers will have their hands full with Bennett.

La Salle entered the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the Cincinnati sectional and breezed through its first three opponents winning each game by at least 17 points.

Senior Jeff Larkin leads the Lancers with 14.4 points per game, closely followed by little brother Jeremy at 11.8.

Anybody who watches La Salle knows coach Dan Fleming will have his boys ready nobody the opponent.

The winner advances to play either Fairfield/Withrow or Huber Heights Wayne March 12 at 6:45 p.m. at a site still to be determined.