ATHENS – While the Harvest Prep boys basketball team needed a Khalil Daniels layup with 10 seconds left to secure a Division III district final win against Africentric last Thursday, the Warriors’ regional semifinal victory Wednesday was less dramatic.

Facing Seaman North Adams, Harvest Prep (22-4) cruised to a 78-48 win at Ohio University's Convocation Center to secure its second consecutive regional final bid. The Warriors will face Malvern at 1 p.m. Saturday at OU.

“We’re finally getting into a groove,” Harvest Prep coach David Dennis Sr. said. “(We’re) starting to understand a little bit of who we are and what we are doing. The boys, they believe in each other, they believe in the system.”

While Ephraim Campbell was the player to wake up the Harvest Prep offense on a 4-point play to help spark a 14-point run, the Warriors’ pace and aggressiveness in the open floor allowed them to keep the double-digit lead they set in the first quarter.

It’s who Harvest Prep is as a team, freshman guard Antwon Pollard said. It’s the style of play the Warriors embrace when they are at their best.

It’s a style of play that forced nine turnovers, including ones by Brandon Roddy and Pollard at the end of the first half that turned into four Harvest Prep points.

“It’s fun basketball,” Dennis said. “When we do that defensively, isn’t that fun?”

Pollard led the Warriors with 20 points, making 8 of 11 attempts from the field, including four 3-pointers. He was one of five double-digit scorers for Harvest Prep, joining Ephraim Campbell (15), Adonus Abrams (12), Roddy (11) and London Foggie (10).

“We can still do better, but we’re still playing good right now,” Pollard said.

Harvest Prep shot 54.8% from the field. The Warriors limited North Adams to 20 makes on 47 shots.

“It showed everything, where we are offensively and defensively,” Abrams said.

And to Dennis, this response to Harvest Prep’s 62-61 win against Africentric showed the energy the Warriors need heading into the regional final.

“Got to keep it going, keep it going,” he said.

–Colin Gay

Castalia Margaretta 69, Worthington Christian 59

BOWLING GREEN – After relinquishing a halftime lead and trailing for most of the second half, Worthington Christian turned to a player who has been instrumental for the Warriors throughout his high school career.

Senior Sam Johnson, the Central District Player of the Year in Division III, scored three consecutive baskets to erase a six-point deficit and tie the game at 59 with 1:40 remaining.

Johnson, however, fouled out with 49.9 seconds left, and Margaretta closed the game on a 10-0 run to win the regional semifinal at Bowling Green’s Stroh Center.

“We had a little bit of trouble keeping the ball out of the paint,” Worthington Christian coach Quintin Aden Jr. said. “We talked all year about keeping the ball out of the paint. We didn’t do that the best tonight. They’re a good team. It’s tough to beat any team if you can’t keep them out of the paint. We left it all out there and we played our hearts out.”

Johnson, a Cedarville commit, finished with 33 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Logan Woloshan added nine points, all on 3-pointers.

Johnson committed three fouls in the first half and two in the fourth quarter.

“Johnson, physically, is awfully good,” Margaretta coach Steve Keller said. “He’s a man. I played at the Cedarville level at Malone. He’s going to be a nice player there. ... He was better live than we saw him on film.”

Trailing 28-20, Margaretta went on a 13-0 run to take a five-point lead midway through the third quarter.

Worthington Christian (22-5) remained within striking distance, eventually tying the game late before Margaretta's decisive run.

“We have a no-quit mentality,” Aden said. “We know basketball is a game of runs. We settled in and kept fighting. That’s our mindset at all times.”

Julian Washington led Margaretta with 26 points and seven rebounds. Gage Bodey had 17 points and Judah Keller scored 13.

–Frank DiRenna

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Harvest Prep boys basketball advances to OHSAA regional final