The Leopards withstood a late rally by the Falcons to claim the Division III boys crown. Tate Aljancic finished with 17 points.
DAYTON, Ohio — Rise up, Leopard Nation!
Louisville made history by winning its first-ever state championship in boys basketball. They clinched the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Division III title by defeating Cincinnati Aiken 63-61 in a thrilling game. Despite a strong comeback attempt by Aiken in the second half, Louisville managed to maintain their lead from the first quarter onwards. The game ended in dramatic fashion with Aiken’s final shot hitting the top of the backboard as time expired.
Leading the way for Louisville was Tate Aljancic, who scored 17 points. Avery Andrejcik and Beau Siegfried, the son of head coach Tom Siegfried, each contributed 14 points with three 3-pointers each. This victory marked the end of their high school basketball careers as seniors.
On the losing side, James Burnett Jr. put up an impressive performance for Aiken, scoring 23 points and grabbing six rebounds. Aiken, despite being down by 20 points at one stage, made a strong comeback to narrow the gap to just one point late in the third quarter. However, Louisville managed to extend their lead to nine points with only 1:23 remaining. Aiken rallied back with a 12-4 run, giving themselves a chance to either tie or win the game. In the final moments, Aiken’s last attempt to score fell short as Burnett’s shot missed the mark.
The victory completes an 11-game winning streak for Louisville that included a 49-48 semifinal triumph over Garfield Heights and Ohio Mr. Basketball honoree Marcus Johnson. It also helps alleviate the pain of last year’s tournament when, prior to the OHSAA’s expansion to seven basketball divisions, the Leopards fell to GlenOak in the D-I district finals.
This marks the fourth state championship for Louisville in any sport, all since 2010.
