Byline: Post staff report
Taft High School senior guard Roberto Allen sank a half-court shot at the buzzer to give the Senators, ranked No. 1 in The Post's Division II Ohio area boys' basketball poll, a 61-58 win over Hughes on Tuesday night.
Hughes tied the score at 58-58 with 3.8 seconds remaining on two free throws by Chris Andrews.
Following a Taft timeout, Allen took the inbounds pass, dribbled a couple of times and launched his winning shot a step before the midcourt line. It swished cleanly through as the buzzer sounded.
''Believe it or not, it was actually the play we designed during the timeout,'' said Taft coach Eric Thomas. ''It was either he was going to make it from there or at worst we go overtime.''
Allen finished with 14 points, 11 in the second half.
Taft outscored Hughes, 20-9, in the second quarter, thanks to seven points from senior forward Robert Coates, to erase a 15-10 deficit after one quarter and move into a 30-24 halftime lead.
But Hughes, behind nine third-quarter points from Anwar Cooper, outscored Taft, 19-13, in the third quarter to tie the score at 43-43.
Taft then pulled out to an eight-point lead with three minutes remaining before Hughes tied it on Andrews' free throws.
HUGHES 15 9 19 15-58 at TAFT 10 20 13 18-61
HUGHES (58): Parker 3 2 8, Edmerson 5 1 11, Cooper 6 1 13, Keyes 1 0 2, Owens 2 7 11, Andrews 4 2 11, Grissom 1 0 2. Totals 22 13 58. TAFT (61): Allen 5 0 14, Coates 7 4 18, Howard 2 1 5, Howell 1 2 4, Martin 1 2 4, Ward 6 2 16. Totals 22 11 61. Three-point goals: H-Andrews. T-Allen 4, Ward 2. Records: Hughes 6-4, Taft 9-2. JV: Hughes won.
GIRLS' BASKETBALL
Greater Miami Conference
MIDDLETOWN 56, FAIRFIELD 49 - Middletown's Pam Freeman scored 14 of her game-high 29 points in the second quarter.
Nikki Groeber led Fairfield with 14 points, 11 rebounds and six steals.
FAIRFIELD 21 10 7 11-49 at MIDDLETOWN 13 18 7 18-56
FAIRFIELD (49): Tegge 1 0 2, Groeber 5 3 14, McKey 1 0 2, Eaton 2 0 6, Glasmeier 3 5 11, Kirby 6 1 13, Reese 0 1 1. Totals 18 10 49. MIDDLETOWN (56): Black 0 2 2, Freeman 12 5 29, Hasan 2 0 4, Jennings 2 2 7, Revelos 1 0 2, Roberts 5 0 10, Storey 0 2 2. Totals 22 11 56.Three-point goals: F-Groeber, Eaton 2. M-Jennings. Records: Fairfield 3-9, 1-8 GMC. JV: Fairfield won.
Non-league
LEBANON 54, XENIA 43 - Amber Bunce scored 10 of Lebanon's 16 points in the second quarter, and she made three baskets early in the fourth quarter.
XENIA 8 12 11 12-43 at LEBANON 14 16 9 15-54
XENIA (43): Grissom 1 0 2, Rose 2 0 4, Whalen 3 0 6, Arrington 3 0 8, Seilhamer 2 2 6, Tisdale 2 3 7, Collins 5 0 10. Totals 18 5 43. LEBANON (54): Burns 3 2 8, McVey 2 0 4, Bunce 9 4 22, Bolling 3 0 6, Williams 3 6 12, Harris 1 0 2. Totals 21 12 54.Three-point goals: X-Arrington 2. Records: Lebanon 4-9, Xenia 0-11. JV: Lebanon, 36-33.
GYMNASTICS SEVEN HILLS 96.2, MIAMI TRACE 93: Vault-Weeks (SH) 7.9; Bars-Houston (SH) 5.5; Beam-Weeks (SH) 7.4; Floor-Houston (SH) 7.0; All-around-Weeks (SH) 25.6.
