Trotwood-Madison loses to Akron SVSM in D-II boys state final

Trotwood-Madison’s bid for an elusive boys state basketball championship was undone by nemesis Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary 60-51 at Ohio State University’s Schottenstein Center on Saturday night.

It was the second straight Division II title for the Irish, who also defeated the Rams in last year’s D-II state semifinals. It was a record eighth state title for Akron SVSM, the program that LeBron James elevated during his celebrated run with the Irish. That snapped a tie with Middletown.

Trotwood (26-4) had a 19-game win streak snapped. Akron SVSM (21-8) also defeated Trotwood early in the regular season.

Myles Belyeu ended a great Rams career with a game-high 20 points. Junior Amari Davis added 19 points on 9 of 13 shooting.

Lunden McDay led the Irish with 19 points and Scott Walter added 17.

Both teams made 21 field goals and each had three 3-pointers. The difference was at the line, where Akron SVSM converted 15 of 17 free throws to Trotwood’s 6 of 9. The Irish also had a decisive 35-20 advantage in rebounds.

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