SETTING THE SCENE: With just four regular season games remaining, the Milford Eagles are back on the court twice in the next three days, taking on a pair of challenging goes in Maderia and Walnut Hills. The Eagles are 6-12 on the season and will travel to Madeira on Thursday night for the final non-conference game of the year. Then on Saturday, Milford is back at home, hosting Walnut Hills in the second round of the Eastern Cincinnati Conference’s Battle of the Eagles. On Sunday afternoon, the Eagles will learn their OHSAA Tournament fate as the area coaches’ select their tournament match-ups.
A LOOK BACK: January 24 vs. Winton Woods: Milford 42, Winton Woods 35
GAME REWIND
Milford overcame an early 5-0 deficit and then turned back a late Winton Woods rally to stake a 42-35 victory. In the final quarter, the Eagles opened a 36-30 lead, only to see WWHS score five straight points to claw within one. A combination of two free throws by Abby Thierauf and four by Bryn Rolfsen, along with a defense that didn’t allow another point allowed the Eagles to score the home victory.
RECORDS
Milford 6-11
Winton Woods 4-12
KEY PLAYERS
Milford
Bryn Rolfsen 14 points, 4 rebounds
Caitlyn Wiscombe 13 points
Winton Woods
Avyonna Kinsey 9 points, 12 rebounds
NUGGET OF NOTE: Bryn Rolfsen and Caitlyn Wiscombe each recorded career highs in scoring, allowing Milford to hold a 31-2 edge in bench scoring.
January 27 at Turpin: Turpin 36, Milford 29
GAME REWIND
Turpin outscored Milford 9-2 over the final 1:49 of the game as the Spartans overcame a halftime deficit to score a 36-29 home court win over the Eagles. The match-up was a seesaw battle that featured eight lead changes and five ties.
RECORDS
Milford 6-12, 1-10 ECC
Turpin 10-8, 4-6 ECC
KEY PLAYERS
Milford
Azyiah Williams 15 points, 7 rebounds
Turpin
Ellie Holt 18 points, 6 rebounds
NUGGET OF NOTE: Azyiah Williams enjoyed the best game of her short career with personal bests in points (15), rebounds (7) and three-pointers made (3).
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS: A look at Milford’s schedule for this week:
- Thursday, Feb. 1 at Madeira, 7:30 p.m.
- 2017-18 Record: 15-3, 10-1 CHL (3rd Division III area coaches’ weekly poll)
- Top Scorer: Senior Mary Englert (15.7 ppg)
- Last Meeting: 2016-17; Madeira 56, Milford 50
- Saturday, Feb. 3 vs. Walnut Hills, 2:00 p.m.
- 2017-18 Record: 18-1, 11-0 ECC (4th Division I area coaches’ weekly poll)
- Top Scorer: Junior Kennedi Myles (15.2 ppg)
- Last Meeting: 2017-18; Walnut Hills 67, Milford 23
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: A look at Milford’s statistical leaders:
Points per game: Morgan Hills (7.3), Azyiah Williams (7.0), Ali Kirk (5.1)
Assists per game: Azyiah Williams (2.1), Bryn Rolfsen/Abby Thierauf (0.9)
Rebounds per game: Abby Thierauf (6.2), Ali Kirk (4.9), Azyiah Williams (3.4)
Steals: Ali Kirk/Azyaih Williams (29), Bryn Rolfsen (16)
Blocks: Abby Thierauf (30), Carlie Duesing (6), Maddie Plucinski/Azyiah Williams (3)
Field goal percentage: Maddie Plucinski (.355), Abby Thierauf (.338), Azyiah Williams (.336)
Three-point percentage: Ali Kirk (.364), Morgan Hills (.313), Bryn Rolfsen (.300)
Free throw percentage: Ali Kirk (.794), Azyiah Williams (.688), Maddie Plucinski (.647)
INSIDE THE ECC: Walnut Hills is within one victory of clinching the outright 2017-18 ECC Championship as they hold a two-game lead with three remaining. Loveland at 9-2 and West Clermont at 8-3 are the other teams still alive. The schedule for ECC conference games this week includes: Saturday-Walnut Hills at Milford, Turpin at Kings, West Clermont at Withrow and Anderson at Loveland.
POLL WATCH: Milford did not receive any votes in the most recent Division I area coaches’ poll sponsored by the Cincinnati Enquirer and released on Jan. 29. Lakota West continues to show the way at the top of the rankings with 15 of the 20 first place votes that were cast. Second place Mount Notre Dame and third-place Mason each earned a pair of top nods, with fourth place Walnut Hills of the ECC taking the final one. McAuley rounds out the top-five. The well represented ECC also shows Loveland in sixth and West Clermont in seventh, along with Turpin and Kings in others receiving votes. The coaches’ poll is released every Monday at Noon at preps.cincinnati.com/coachespolls.
Milford Eagles Season/Career Highs
Emily Bientz
Points—Season: 4 at Walnut Hills; Career: 4 at Walnut Hills (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: N/A; Career: N/A
Assists—Season: N/A; Career: N/A
Kyrsten Brown
Points—Season: 6 twice; Career: 6 twice (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: 9 at Anderson; Career: 9 at Anderson (2017-18)
Assists—Season: 1 twice; Career: 1 four times
Izzy Dadosky
Points—Season: N/A; Career: N/A
Rebounds—Season: 3 at Hughes; Career: 3 at Hughes (2017-18)
Assists—Season: N/A; Career: N/A
Carlie Duesing
Points—Season: 8 at Hughes; Career: 8 at Hughes (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: 5 at Hughes; Career: 5 at Hughes (2017-18)
Assists—Season: 1 three times; Career: 1 three times (2017-18)
Brookelyn Edgar
Points—Season: 5 vs. Withrow; Career: 5 vs. Withrow (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: 2 three times; Career: 2 three times (2017-18)
Assists—Season: 2 at Hughes; Career: 2 at Hughes (2017-18)
Hannah Gallimore
Points—Season: N/A; Career: N/A
Rebounds—Season: 1 at Hughes; Career: 1 at Hughes (2017-18)
Assists—Season: N/A; Career: N/A
Morgan Hills
Points—Season: 14 twice; Career: 14 twice (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: 6 vs. Withrow; Career: 6 vs. Withrow (2017-18)
Assists—Season: 4 at Hughes; Career: 4 at Hughes (2017-18)
Ali Kirk
Points—Season: 14 vs. Hillsboro; Career: 14 vs. Hillsboro (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: 10 at Clark Montessori; Career: 10 at Clark Montessori (2017-18)
Assists—Season: 2 at Loveland; Career: 2 three times
Maddie Plucinski
Points—Season: 11 twice; Career: 11 twice (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: 6 at Hughes; Career: 6 at Hughes (2017-18)
Assists—Season: 2 at McNicholas; Career: 2 at McNicholas (2017-18)
Sydney Poleski
Points—Season: 2 at Loveland; Career: 2 at Loveland (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: 2 vs. Withrow; Career: 2 vs. Withrow (2017-18)
Assists—Season: N/A; Career: N/A
Bryn Rolfsen
Points—Season: 14 vs. Winton Woods; Career: 14 vs. Winton Woods (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: 4 six times; Career: 7 vs. Oak Hills (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 3 vs. Withrow; Career: 3 vs. Withrow (2017-18)
Abby Thierauf
Points—Season: 14 at Hughes; Career: 14 at Hughes (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: 14 vs. Northwest; Career: 14 vs. Northwest (2017-18)
Assists—Season: 2 four times; Career: 2 four times (2017-18)
Blocks—Season: 6 vs. Shroder; Career: 6 vs. Shroder (2017-18)
Caitlyn Wiscombe
Points—Season: 13 vs. Winton Woods; Career: 13 vs. Winton Woods (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: 5 vs. Turpin; Career: 5 vs. Turpin (2017-18)
Assists—Season: 5 at Hughes; Career: 5 at Hughes (2017-18)
Azyiah Williams
Points—Season: 15 at Turpin; Career: 15 at Turpin (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: 7 at Turpin; Career: 7 at Turpin (2017-18)
Assists—Season: 6 vs. Northwest; Career: 6 vs. Northwest (2017-18)
Steals—Season: 10 at Hughes; 10 at Hughes (2017-18)