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Sixth-seeded South Range battles with No. 1 LaBrae in regular season action

GREENFORD — As the high school boys basketball season progressed, the South Range at LaBrae season finale kept looking more attractive.

“We’ve tried not to think too much about it didn’t because you don’t want to look past anyone else,” South Range coach John Cullen said.

The Raiders didn’t as they secured their first league title in 18 years and head into tonight’s showdown matching two 21-0 state-ranked teams.

LaBrae is ranked No. 1 and South Range is No. 6 in the final Associated Press Division III poll released Monday.

“You want to have a good preparation game for the tournament,” Cullen said.

Not only is it going to be a good tournament tune-up, but it will be one of the top games in Ohio this week.

“It’s what you hope for right there is a game like that,” LaBrae coach Chad Kiser said. “I think it’s perfect for both of us to have that level of competition and game going right into the tournament.”

Tonight’s game in Leavittsburg is sold out, but it is being televised live on MyYTV beginning at 7 p.m.

“You’d like to grow as much as you can in a game like this,” Cullen said. “We’ve been in the districts the last couple of years. The bottom line is you don’t know what you’re going to do until you get there. If they play up to their capability, we will be right with them.”

LaBrae beat South Range, 53-50, a year ago. But South Range has clamped down on opponents this season, giving up an average of 42.3 points per game.

“LaBrae is very athletic,” Cullen said. “This is a team that gets a lot of easy points and they do a lot of things. Our defense is going to be tested (tonight).”

Both teams are the top seeds in their respective sectional-district tournaments — South Range at Salem and LaBrae at Warren Harding.

Both teams open sectional play Feb. 28 as South Range hosts East Palestine and LaBrae entertains Cardinal.

“We have teams in our tournament that can challenge us,” Cullen said. “I don’t think they have anyone who can challenge them.”

Looking ahead, South Range and LaBrae would not meet in the tournament until the regional finals.

“We’re not going to prepare like that is going to happen,” Cullen said. “Because if we do, we’re both going to be a little smarter the next time we play.”

McDonald (21-1) grabbed the No. 1 spot in Division IV. South Range handed McDonald its lone loss of the season in a matchup of eventual Inter-Tri County League divisional champions.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a team play two No. 1s in the same season,” Cullen said. “And I don’t think I’ve ever seen two unbeatens (in the area) play this late in the season. I’ve been going to tournaments in the state for 44 years.”

McDonald, the top seed in the Struthers Division IV sectional-district tournament, opens sectional play by hosting Heartland Christian on Feb. 28

Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (16-5) — with East Liverpool graduate Dru Joyce II in his 16th season as head coach– is ranked 11th in Division II. The Irish will host North Canton Hoover tonight.

Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, the top seed in the Canton Fieldhouse Division II district-sectional tournament, will open sectional play Feb. 28 by hosting Canton South.

In Division III, Martins Ferry (20-2) is ranked 14th after beating Buckeye Trail, 64-47, in the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Class 3A championship game Saturday.

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