PIAA Class 2A boys basketball championship preview: OLSH vs. Constitution

By: HSSN Staff
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

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

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