Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

PROCTORVILLE — Here are the numbers, but they are just numbers.

All the numbers are impressive as would be the case with the teams in the state tournament, but none of the numbers will matter when the teams play on the court.

The Fairland Lady Dragons will have equally impressive numbers as their counterparts when they play in their first-ever state basketball tournament.

The Lady Dragons (22-3) will play No. 9-ranked Versailles (23-3) at 3 p.m. on Friday in the Division III Final Four. The first semifinal game has No. 8-ranked Columbus Africentric (24-3) playing unranked Smithville (26-2) at 1 p.m. Friday.

The championship game is 5:15 p.m. on Saturday.

Africentric was the state runner-up last season and has played in the state championship game in all five prior Final Four appearances.

Versailles is in the state tournament for the sixth times but first since 2009. The Lady Tigers — who claimed a state title in 2008 — beat fifth-ranked Miami East 47-40 in the regional semifinals.

Smithville is in the state tournament for the third time in five years and fifth overall. The Smithies lost in the semifinals in each of their previous appearances.

Fairland is making its first state tournament appearance. The Lady Dragons beat Sugarcreek Garaway 52-46 in the regional finals on Saturday.

In the other regional finals, Africentric beat Archbold 60-42, Smithville edged Beachwood 38-36 and Versailles routed Jamestown Greeneview 57-32.

Ohio High School Athletic Association

Girls’ State Basketball Tournament

Value City Arena, Jerome Schottenstein Center

Ohio State University, Columbus

(Home team listed first)

THURSDAY

Division II

Toledo Rogers (24-4) vs. Kettering Archbishop Alter (28-0), 1 p.m.

Millersburg West Holmes (27-0) vs. Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary’s (25-2), 3 p.m.

Championship Saturday 10:45 a.m.

Division IV

Zanesville Bishop Rosecrans (26-1) vs. Holgate (23-4), 6 p.m.

Reedsville Eastern (25-1) vs. Fort Loramie (26-2), 8 p.m.

Championship Saturday, 2 p.m.

FRIDAY

Division III

Smithville (26-2) vs. Columbus Africentric (24-3), 1 p.m.

Fairland (22-3) vs. Versailles (23-3), 3 p.m.

Championship Saturday, 5:15 p.m.

Division I

Cincinnati Princeton (26-2) vs. Toledo Notre Dame Academy (24-3), 6 p.m.

North Canton Hoover (25-2) vs. Dublin Coffman (22-6), 8 p.m.

Championship Saturday, 8:30 p.m.