Division IV Regional Championship
Maysville 72, Circleville 52
ATHENS — Circleville got off to a strong start, but defending state champion Maysville went on a run in the second quarter to get out in front on the way to a 72-52 win in a Division IV regional championship at Ohio University.
Circleville had a 24-18 lead in the second before a pair of Jordyn Watson threes tied the game and then the Panthers turned three straight Tiger turnovers into six more points to go up 30-24.
The teams exchanged a couple baskets and then Circleville’s Jack Kline hit a deep three at the buzzer to keep it close with a 32-29 halftime score.
It was 36-34 in the third when Maysville scored the next seven and the Panthers ended the period up 54-42.
Circleville (23-3) could get no closer than nine in the fourth before Maysville (26-1) scored 13 of the game’s final 15 points.
Mr. Basketball finalist Gator Nichols led Maysville with 28 points – 13 in the fourth quarter – while Watson had 15 and Landon Iden had 13.
Riley Jenkins led Circleville 17 points and Kline had 10. Kole Nungester had his third three-pointer of the game in the earlier part of the second but was held scoreless the rest of the way to finish with nine. Blain Fowler and Ed Kirk each finished with eight.
Maysville will play Wyoming at 2 p.m. Thursday in Wright State’s Nutter Center in a rematch of last year’s state semifinal. Maysville is the defending Division IV state champion and was the Division II runner-up the previous year before the change to seven divisions.
Maysville 72, Circleville 52
Circleville — Kole Nungester 3-0-9, Blain Fowler 3-2-8, Jack Kline 4-0-10, Riley Jenkins 7-1-17, Ed Kirk 3-2-8. Three-point goals — Nungester (3), Kline (2), Jenkins (2). Totals — 20-5-52.
Maysville — Gator Nichols 9-7-28, Gavin Ferguson 3-0-8, Kade Rock 2-0-4, Landon Iden 6-0-13, Kane Roehrig 1-2-4, Jordyn Watson 5-0-15. Three-point goals — Nichols (3), Ferguson (2), Iden, Watson (5). Totals — 24-9-72
Quarter scores 1 2 3 4 F
Circleville 13 16 13 10 52
Maysville 13 19 22 18 72