PIAA Class 2A boys basketball championship preview: OLSH vs. Constitution
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Tuesday, March 27, 2018 | 2:12 AM
Class 2A boys
OLSH (26-3) vs. Constitution (20-11)
2 p.m. Tuesday, Giant Center, Hershey
Starting lineups
Coach: Mike Rodriguez
No., name, position, height, class
1, Ricco Tate, F, 6-3, Jr.
11, Dante Spadafora, G, 5-11, Fr.
13, Daren DiMichele, G, 6-1, Jr.
21, Michael Dugan, F, 6-2, Jr.
24, Austin Wigley, G, 6-1, Jr.
Constitution
Coach: Rob Moore
No., name, position, height, class
0, Damon Wall, G, 6-0, Sr.
2, Keshaun Hammonds, G, 6-0, Sr.
5, Jahmir Marable-Williams, G, 6-0, Sr.
11, Jabari Merritt, G/F, 6-5, Jr.
15, Leeron Wills-Worthy, F, 6-5, Sr.
Title-game history: OLSH is making its first state championship appearance. Constitution has reached the PIAA finals four times since 2012 and has won three titles.
Notable: Constitution lost the PIAA final in overtime to Sewickley Academy, 68-63, last season. But the two stars from that team, Tamir Green and Maurice Waters, have moved on. Marable-Williams and Hammonds each average around 13 points, but it was Merritt who led the team with 20 points in a 69-64 semifinal victory over Holy Cross. Moore is 198-77 in nine seasons as Constitution's coach. OLSH defeated last year's champion, Sewickley Academy, in the semifinals 70-68 in overtime. The Chargers won the semifinal without leading scorer Donovan Johnson (19.4 ppg), a 6-foot-6 sophomore sidelined with a leg injury. DiMichelle averages 17.6 and Spadafora 15.4. DiMichele could become a second-generation state champion. His father, also named Daren, won a PIAA Class 2A title with Sto-Rox in 1983.
Predicted winner: Constitution
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• PIAA taking bids to host basketball championships
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