Friday, March 05, 1999
Kings poses test for unbeaten Springboro
BY CAREY HOFFMAN
Enquirer contributor
The outcome of a tournament matchup between an 11-11 team and a 21-0 team ranked No. 3 in the state would seem simple to predict. But not Saturday's Kings-Springboro game.
With its unbeaten record, Springboro has earned its status as one of the state's most respected Division II championship contenders. But with its play in the last two weeks, Kings has put aside its .500 record and carries full credibility as a team capable of beating the best.
“I think they've made a really great run at the end of the year,” Springboro coach Troy Holtrey says of Kings, who his team meets at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at University of Dayton Arena in a Division II sectional final. “They're playing very well by doing what you want to be doing, which is peaking at the end of the season.”
It's been a long way back for Kings, which started the year 0-7 and didn't win until January. But the Knights have stormed back to claim nine victories in their last 11 games.
They closed the regular season two weeks ago by upsetting Fort Ancient Valley Conference champion Lebanon at Lebanon, then pulled a first-round tournament upset which truly legitimized their chances, ousting 20-0 Eaton, the state's No. 2-ranked Division II team.
Most recently, last Sunday they knocked off traditional power Badin, 62-54, a team that went to the state Division II Final Four a year ago.
“We're on a roll right now,” Kings coach Brian O'Connell admits. “Our starting lineup is really playing together, they've really gelled.”
Kings is playing in a sectional championship game for only the second time in school history — the first time was last year, when the Knights pulled a similar first-round upset, knocking Dayton power Alter out in the first round for the first time in 27 years.
Kings is led by guards Ronnie Swearingen (14 ppg.) and Brad McCarty (11 ppg.), who are good players but highlight one of the obstacles of the Springboro game — Kings' starting lineup consists of four 5-11 players and one 6-4 post player.
“The biggest difference between Eaton and Springboro is Sprinboro is bigger at every position,” O'Connell says.
Sports Stories
Vaughn goes deep - into infielder
REDS NOTEBOOK
REDS 4, TWINS 2
UC 76, SOUTH FLORIDA 56
UC NOTEBOOK
C-USA ROUNDUP
XAVIER 72, MASSACHUSETTS 68
A-10 ROUNDUP
Pitt picks coach - and it's not Prosser
Bengals still in running for Ball
