Meigs dominates Hillsboro behind Carson Davis
By: Charlie Ihlenfeld
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CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (WOUB) – The number one-seeded 21-1 (10-0) Meigs Marauders traveled to Southeastern to face eighth-seeded Hillsboro 11-12 (3-7) in the district semi-finals. Powered by a dominant performance by Carson Davis, Meigs held off a late Hillsboro rally to win 72-56. Jack Howland led the effort for Hillsboro with 22 points and two steals.
Meigs’ fast-paced offense put Hillsboro on the backfoot out of the gate. The Marauders took a 2-0 lead, and they never trailed for the rest of the night. In addition to Davis, the Marauders were paced by Reed Brinager. In his first career playoff game, Brinager finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and three assists. After one period of play, Meigs had a 25-10 lead.
In the second quarter, Hillsboro was able to even out the scoring. Brayden Hunter was an efficient seven for nine from the field and four for six from beyond the arc. He pulled down five rebounds to complement his 14 points. The second frame saw Davis take over. He finished the half with 21 points. The junior powered their offense, and he finished with 33 points, seven rebounds and a steal. At the half, Meigs led Hillsboro 43-31.
The third quarter saw Hillsboro begin to apply consistent pressure to the Meigs offense. Hillsboro finished the game with nine steals with the majority coming in the third quarter. Still, the Marauders were able to keep them at arm’s length. With a Carson Davis three to end the quarter, Meigs entered the fourth ahead 60-47.
Hillsboro was able to rattle off a brief 7-2 run to begin the fourth quarter, but Meigs called a timeout and regrouped. The Marauders were able to burn the clock and draw fouls to put the game out of reach. With an authoritative dunk from Carson Davis in the closing seconds, Meigs secured a 72-56 win.
The Marauders improved to 22-1 and will play the winner of Circleville and New Lexington in the Convocation Center this Thursday. Meigs earned head coach Ryan Davis’ first playoff win as the coach of the Marauders. Hillsboro’s season ends at 11-13.