Mariemont Wins Div. IV Soccer Title as UConn Beats Ohio State

Cincinnati Mariemont secured its first girls state soccer title with a 6-1 victory over Liberty Benton in the Division IV championship on Friday at ScottsMiracle-Gro Stadium.

The championship win follows a dominant semifinal performance where Mariemont defeated West Branch 4-0 on Tuesday. This victory establishes them as the premier Division IV side in the state.

In other regional sports, the Crestview boys bowling team split its season opener at Hunt Club Lanes, according to Salem News. The Rebels’ boys team secured a decisive 1,786-1,165 win over Liberty, while the girls’ team fell to Liberty with a score of 1,283-1,364.

David Smith led the Crestview boys with a two-game series of 308 and a high game of 157. Other notable performances for the Rebels included Kaegan Zohnd with a 301 series, Dominic Dillon with a 261 series, Aidan Frye with a 243 series, and Tobias Field with a 228 series.

UConn maintains dominance despite injury concerns

No. 4 UConn extended its winning streak to 4-0 with an 84-68 victory over Ohio State on Friday night in Hartford, Connecticut. The Huskies relied on a high-scoring performance from Braylon Mullins, who scored 22 points and hit five 3-pointers before leaving the court with an injury in the second half.

Na’jai Hines contributed 17 of his 20 points during the second half to help UConn maintain control. Freshman Colben Landrew also made an impact, recording 12 points in his first career start. Silas Demary Jr. added 10 points and nine assists to the Huskies’ effort.

Ohio State attempted a comeback after trailing by 14 points, leading five different times early in the second half. Jimmie Williams led the Buckeyes with 17 points, while John Mobley Jr. contributed 16 points. Despite the rally, UConn regained momentum when Mullins scored five consecutive points to erase a two-point deficit.

The Huskies are currently managing roster depth issues due to the absence of starting forward Nik Khamenia, who is expected to miss several weeks following a foot injury sustained on Monday. This loss comes at a critical juncture in the season as the team maintains its undefeated record.

Miami Heat claim lead in NBA Cup Group B

The Miami Heat moved to 2-0 in the NBA Cup by defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 133-121 on Tuesday night. The win places Miami alone at the top of East Group B, giving them control over their path to the knockout stage.

Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokiunmpo each finished the game with 37 points, while Adebayo also secured 14 rebounds. This performance mirrored a rare feat achieved by the Heat in 2013, when LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were the only two players in franchise history to score 37 points in the same game.

Davion Mitchell provided essential support for Miami, recording 22 points and a career-high-tying 17 assists. Ryan Conwell added 20 points from the bench to help seal the victory.

Cleveland Cavaliers Scorers	Points Scored
Donovan Mitchell	25
Tyrese Proctor	22
James Harden	20
Jaylon Tyson	16
Meleek Thomas	12

Cleveland’s loss drops them to 1-1 in group play. The Cavaliers will likely face a difficult path to the quarterfinals, as no team in NBA Cup history has advanced to the knockout stage with a record worse than 3-1 in group play. Cleveland must aim to win their remaining games against Indiana and New York to stay competitive.

The Cavaliers played without forward Evan Mobley, who sat out due to a sprained left great toe. “The MRI came back clean. Sprained, definitely sore, but we don’t expect it to be a long-term thing at all,” said Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson.

Miami played the contest without Klay Thompson, who is sidelined with a sprained ankle, and Pelle Larsson, who was out due to illness.