Senior Kaden Fuhrman scored 17 points and sank 5-of-6 free throws in the last 35.6 seconds to lead Lakota East to a 44-35 win over La Salle in a Division I regional semifinal at Xavier University’s Cintas Center. The win lifts the Thunderhawks to their first regional championship appearance in program history. They will meet Moeller on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Cintas.
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“It feels great,” the 6-foot-3 Fuhrmann said. “That was one of our goals, to get past where we’d been stuck at. We’ve made a lot of history this year, and this is the coolest thing yet.”
Lakota East (25-2) had lost in the regional semifinals three times since 2011 going into Wednesday’s game. Reaching the finals joins winning back-to-back Greater Miami Conference championships – a first for any boys basketball team in Lakota district history – and setting a single-season record for wins among the Thunderhawks’ notable accomplishments.
“It’s pretty special for the guys,” coach Clint Adkins said. “Back-to-back GMC championships, back-to-back district championships, now reaching the Elite Eight – it’s pretty special.”
Senior center Alex Mangold scored 10 points and was 2-for-2 on free throws while Lakota East was going 9-of-10 from the line in the last 1:29 to pull away from the Lancers, who were just 2-of-11 from the field in the fourth quarter. The Thunderhawks outrebounded the Lancers, 21-9, in the game.
“We had a lot of confidence,” Adkins said. “If you’re good on free throws and defend the way we defend, you’re going to win a lot of games.”
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The game was played before a sparse crowd due to attendance restrictions created by coronavirus concerns.
“I was concerned that the circus before the game might affect them a little bit, but once the ball was thrown up, it wasn’t a problem,” Adkins said.
“My family was here, and that’s all that matters,” said Fuhrmann, whose eight-point third quarter spurred Lakota East’s comeback. “We know we had great support back in Liberty Township.”
La Salle (23-4), ranked ninth in the Associated Press Division I statewide poll, opened up a 20-10 lead with 4:22 left in the second quarter before the eighth-ranked Thunderhawks closed the half on 7-0 run. The Lancers forced nine turnovers before halftime, helping them to a 10-4 advantage in points off turnovers.
Lakota East will take a 16-game winning streak into its matchup with top-ranked Moeller (26-1), which has won 25 straight as well as the last two Division I state championships. The Crusaders advanced with a 54-42 win over Centerville in Wednesday’s opener. Moeller knocked Lakota East out of last year’s tournament with a 47-33 win in the regional semifinals.
“We’re not scared,” Fuhrmann said. “We’re two really good teams. We won’t back down.”
“They’re everything you want in a team,” Adkins said. “I think, a lot of teams, teams are afraid of what’s on the jersey. We won’t be afraid of the jersey.”
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