SETTING THE SCENE: Winners of three of its last four outings, the Milford High School girls basketball team will look to keep the momentum going when it takes to the hardwood twice in a three-day span upcoming. The Eagles enter this two-game stretch with a 4-8 record and are coming off their first Eastern Cincinnati Conference win of the year. This week’s slate start with a Thursday evening trip to Hughes, before a Saturday return home and to ECC play with a matinee tip against Anderson.
A LOOK BACK: January 3 at Kings: Kings 36, Milford 21
GAME REWIND
Cold shooting plagued both teams, especially in the second half as Kings grinded out a 36-21 Eastern Cincinnati Conference victory over the Eagles. The Knights built an 11-point lead at halftime, but scored just 10 points in the second. Lucky for them, they limited Milford to just eight points after the break to pick up the victory.
RECORDS
Milford 3-8, 0-6 ECC
Kings 4-6, 2-4 ECC
KEY PLAYERS
Milford
Caitlyn Wiscombe 6 points
Abby Thierauf 2 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks
Kings
Jordyn Rhodes 10 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals
Kelsey Schmidt 2 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals
January 6 vs. Withrow: Milford 48, Withrow 40
GAME REWIND
Milford led from start to finish but could never quite pull away from a scrappy Withrow squad as the Eagles scored their first Eastern Cincinnati Conference win of the year, a 48-40 decision. The Eagles opened a game-high 11-point lead in the late stages of the second quarter, but the Tigers ripped off nine straight points to make it 21-19 at the half. Milford was able to pull back in front with a 13-6 third quarter scoring advantage, before ultimately holding on for the eight-point win.
RECORDS
Milford 4-8, 1-6 ECC
Withrow 1-9, 0-7 ECC
KEY PLAYERS
Milford
Azyiah Williams 13 points
Abby Thierauf 6 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks
Withrow
Jaenay Hines 10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals
Dariyana Wright 10 points, 5 rebounds
Destiny Gamble 11 rebounds
NUGGET OF NOTE: Making her first start in a Milford uniform, senior Brookelyn Edgar established career-highs with five points and two rebounds, while adding a pair of steals.
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS: A look at Milford’s schedule for this week:
- Thursday, Jan. 11 at Hughes, 6:00 p.m.
- 2017-18 Record: 3-9, 1-4 CMAC (NR Division I area coaches’ weekly poll)
- Top Scorer: Freshman Williams Keaja (15.2 ppg)
- Last Meeting: 2016-17; Milford 51, Hughes 20
- Saturday, Jan. 13 vs. Anderson, 2:00 p.m.
- 2017-18 Record: 5-8, 4-3 ECC (NR Division I area coaches’ weekly poll)
- Top Scorer: Sophomore Karley Steinher (9.9 ppg)
- Last Meeting: 2017-18; Anderson 30, Milford 26
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: A look at Milford’s statistical leaders:
Points per game: Morgan Hills (8.3), Azyiah Williams (6.8), Ali Kirk (5.5)
Assists per game: Azyiah Williams (2.2), Abby Thierauf (1.0), Morgan Hills (0.8)
Rebounds per game: Abby Thierauf (6.9), Ali Kirk (5.1), Azyiah Williams (3.5)
Steals: Ali Kirk (16), Azyiah Williams (14), Bryn Rolfsen (13)
Blocks: Abby Thierauf (23), Carlie Duesing (4), Morgan Hills/Maddie Plucinski/Azyiah Williams (2)
Field goal percentage: Maddie Plucinski (.389), Azyiah Williams (.337), Morgan Hills (.299)
Three-point percentage: Ali Kirk (.429), Morgan Hills (.310), Azyiah Williams (.222)
Free throw percentage: Ali Kirk (.708), Maddie Plucinski (.647), Caitlyn Wiscombe (.600)
INSIDE THE ECC: Three teams are within a game of each other as the halfway point of the league slate has arrived. Walnut Hills is unbeaten at 6-0, just ahead of Loveland (6-1) and West Clermont (5-1). The schedule for ECC conference games this week includes: Saturday-Anderson at Milford, Kings at Withrow and Loveland at Turpin.
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. 8. Mount Notre Dame is back on top of the rankings by a single point over Lakota West, on the strength of a 9-8 edge in first place votes. Mason, Walnut Hills from the ECC and McAuley wrap up the top-five. Also representing the ECC are Loveland in sixth, West Clermont in seventh and Turpin 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 vs. Northwest; Career: 6 vs. Northwest (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: N/A; Career: N/A
Assists—Season: N/A; Career: N/A
Carlie Duesing
Points—Season: 5 at Anderson; Career: 5 at Anderson (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: 4 vs. West Clermont; Career: 4 vs. West Clermont (2017-18)
Assists—Season: N/A; Career: N/A
Brookelyn Edgar
Points—Season: 5 vs. Withrow; Career: 5 vs. Withrow (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: 2 vs. Withrow; Career: 2 vs. Withrow (2017-18)
Assists—Season: 1 three times; Career: 1 three times (2017-18)
Hannah Gallimore
Points—Season: N/A; Career: N/A
Rebounds—Season: N/A; Career: N/A
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: 3 vs. Turpin; Career: 3 vs. Turpin (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 Clark Montessori; Career: 2 twice
Maddie Plucinski
Points—Season: 11 twice; Career: 11 twice (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: 5 at Kings; Career: 5 at Kings (2017-18)
Assists—Season: 2 at McNicholas; Career: 2 at McNicholas (2017-18)
Sydney Poleski
Points—Season: 1 at McNicholas; Career: 1 at McNicholas (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: 2 vs. Withrow; Career: 2 vs. Withrow (2017-18)
Assists—Season: N/A; Career: N/A
Bryn Rolfsen
Points—Season: 9 at McNicholas; Career: 9 at McNicholas (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: 4 twice; Career: 7 vs. Oak Hills (2016-17)
Assists—Season: 3 vs. Withrow; Career: 3 vs. Withrow (2017-18)
Abby Thierauf
Points—Season: 8 at McNicholas; Career: 8 at McNicholas (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: 7 twice; Career: 7 twice (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: 5 vs. Turpin; Career: 5 vs. Turpin (2017-18)
Assists—Season: 2 vs. Withrow; Career: 2 vs. Withrow (2017-18)
Azyiah Williams
Points—Season: 14 vs. Northwest; Career: 14 vs. Northwest (2017-18)
Rebounds—Season: 6 at McNicholas; Career: 6 at McNicholas (2017-18)
Assists—Season: 6 vs. Northwest; Career: 6 vs. Northwest (2017-18)