SETTING THE SCENE: Looking to get back on the winning side of the ledger, the Milford High School boys basketball team is back on court this week with a pair of match-ups. The Eagles open this week with the next-to-last non-conference tilt of the season when it welcomes CHCA on Tuesday evening. Then, it’s back on the road for an Eastern Cincinnati Conference battle at Turpin on Friday. The Eagles will be looking to improve on records of 5-11 overall and 3-7 in ECC play.
A LOOK BACK: January 24 at Loveland: Loveland 56, Milford 42
THE SHORT STORY
Milford closed to within three points midway through the third quarter, but then went nearly six minutes without another field goal as Loveland pulled away for a 56-42 win over their arch rivals to complete the season sweep of the Eagles. After trailing by nine at the half, the Eagles used an 8-1 run to climb to within 36-33, but couldn’t overcome the extended scoring drought.
RECORDS
Milford 5-10, 3-6 ECC
Loveland 8-7, 5-4 ECC
KEY PLAYERS
Milford
Jacob Riesenberg 17 points, 9 rebounds
Matt Kirk 12 points, 6 rebounds
Loveland
Mitch Suber 15 points
Jalen Greiser 14 points
NUGGET OF NOTE: After entering the season having beaten Loveland six straight times, the Eagles have now fallen to their inter-township rivals twice in a season for the first time since 2012-13.
January 27 at Glen Este: Glen Este 60, Milford 46
THE SHORT STORY
Glen Este used a 13-2 in the middle part of the fourth quarter to pull away as Milford fell to the Trojans in the last scheduled meeting ever between the squads by a 60-46 count. The Eagles trailed by just four at the end of both the second and third quarters, but couldn’t overcome Glen Este making 8 of 10 field goals, including all three three-pointers in the final period.
RECORDS
Milford 5-11, 3-7 ECC
Glen Este 8-7, 5-5 ECC
KEY PLAYERS
Milford
Jake Ayler 11 points
Jacob Riesenberg 9 points, 12 rebounds
Glen Este
John Aicholtz 13 points, 7 rebounds
Elijah Johnson 12 points, 7 rebounds
Brad Gardner 12 points
NUGGET OF NOTE: Career-highs of 12 rebounds by Jacob Riesenberg and seven points by Caleb Farrell weren’t enough to help the Eagles overcome their first loss to Glen Este since the 2011-12 season.
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS: A look at Milford’s schedule for the upcoming week:
- Tuesday, Jan. 31 vs. CHCA, 7:30 p.m.
- 2016-17 Record: 10-6, 5-5 ECC (3rd Division III area coaches’ weekly poll)
- Top Scorer: Junior Mason Bernhardt (12.6 ppg)
- Last Meeting: 2015-16; Milford 63, CHCA 56
- Friday, Feb. 3 at Turpin, 7:30 p.m.
- 2016-17 Record: 5-11, 4-6 ECC (NR Division I area coaches’ weekly poll)
- Top Scorer: Sophomore Nick Haddad (11.5 ppg)
- Last Meeting: 2016-17; Turpin 52, Milford 47
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: A look at Milford’s statistical leaders through 16 games:
Points per game: Matt Kirk (10.1), Jacob Rieseneberg (8.8), Jake Ayler (8.2)
Assists per game: Nathan Gallimore (2.1), Wes Reid (1.5), Three tied (1.2)
Rebounds per game: Jacob Riesenberg (5.6), Matt Kirk (4.9), Wes Reid (2.8)
Steals: Matt Kirk (10), Jake Ayler (8), Nathan Gallimore/Wes Reid (7)
Blocks: Hunter Pollitt/Jacob Riesenberg (10), Nathan Gallimore/Matt Kirk (2)
Field goal percentage: Wes Reid (.571), Jacob Riesenberg (.496), Jake Ayler (.470)
Three-point percentage: Jake Ayler (.400), Nathan Gallimore (.343), Matt Kirk (.167)
Free throw percentage: Jake Ayler (.750), Matt Kirk (.725), Wes Reid (.700)
INSIDE THE ECC: Despite dropping just its second Eastern Cincinnati Conference game of the season, Walnut Hills remains atop the league standings at 8-2, two games ahead of Loveland. A three-game logjam at 5-5 is next comprised of Glen Este, Kings and Withrow. The schedule of ECC conference games this week includes: Friday-Milford at Turpin, Kings at Glen Este, Anderson at Walnut Hills and Loveland at Withrow.
POLL WATCH: Milford did not receive any votes in the weekly Cincinnati Enquirer Division I area coaches’ poll, released on Jan. 30. Moeller continues to be the clear favorite of the voting coaches, this week earning all 15 of No. 1 votes. The rest of the top-five features LaSalle, Mason, Oak Hills and Lakota East. The ECC is represented by Walnut Hills in sixth and Withrow in a tie for 10th, along with Kings, Loveland and Glen Este all receiving votes. The coaches’ poll is released every Monday at Noon at preps.cincinnati.com/coachespolls.
Milford Eagles Season/Career Highs
Jake Ayler
Points—Season: 16 at Kings; Career: 16 at Kings (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 4 twice; Career: 4 twice (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 3 at Anderson; Career: 3 at Anderson (2016-17)
Caleb Farrell
Points—Season: 7 at Glen Este; Career: 7 at Glen Este (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 3 twice; Career: 3 twice (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 2 four times; Career: 2 four times (2016-17)
Nathan Gallimore
Points—Season: 13 at Kings; Career: 13 at Kings (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 5 three times; Career: 5 three times (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 5 twice; Career: 5 twice (2016-17)
Jack Hannah
Points—Season: 8 vs. Loveland; Career: 8 vs. Loveland (2106-17)
Rebounds—Season: 5 vs. Glen Este; Career: 5 vs. Glen Este (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 2 twice; Career: 2 twice (2016-17)
Steven Huxell
Points—Season: 3 at Kings; Career: 3 at Kings (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 1 at Glen Este; Career: 1 at Glen Este (2016-17)
Assists—Season: N/A; Career: N/A
Diamonte Johnson
Points—Season: 5 at Taft; Career: 5 at Taft (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 2 at Kings; Career: 2 at Kings (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 1 twice; Career: 1 twice (2016-17)
Blake King
Points—Season: 4 vs. Glen Este; Career: 4 vs. Glen Este (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 3 vs. Glen Este; Career: 3 vs. Glen Este (2016-17)
Assists—Season: N/A; Career: N/A
Matt Kirk
Points—Season: 16 at Princeton; Career: at Princeton (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 10 vs. Lebanon; Career: 10 vs. Lebanon (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 3 twice; Career: 3 twice (2016-17)
Double-doubles—Season 1; Career 1
Kyle Minton
Points—Season: 6 vs. Withrow; Career: 6 vs. Withrow (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 6 at Anderson; Career: 6 at Anderson (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 1 six times; Career: 1 six times (2016-17)
Hunter Pollitt
Points—Season: 6 at Taft; Career: 6 at Taft (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 7 vs. Turpin; Career: 7 vs. Turpin (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 1 twice; Career: 1 twice (2016-17)
Wes Reid
Points—Season: 20 vs. Sycamore; Career: 20 vs. Sycamore (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 8 vs. Sycamore; Career: 8 vs. Sycamore (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 4 at Anderson; Career: 4 at Anderson (2016-17)
Jacob Riesenberg
Points—Season: 18 at McNicholas; Career: 18 at McNicholas (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 12 at Glen Este; Career: 12 at Glen Este (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 3 twice; Career: 3 twice (2016-17)
Brady Sluder
Points—Season: 1 at Glen Este; Career: 1 at Glen Este (2016-17)
Rebounds—Season: 1 at Kings; Career: 1 at Kings (2016-17)
Assists—Season: N/A; Career: N/A