DAYTON, Ohio — Senior point guard Paul McMillan IV scored a game-high 19 points to lead four Woodward players in double figures as the Bulldogs defeated Chaminade Julienne 58-45 in a Division II boys basketball district final Wednesday night at University of Dayton Arena.
"I loved our energy and our composure," Woodward coach Jarelle Redden said. "We stuck to the game plan and executed. This district title means a lot to the school and our program."
Woodward (22-3) advances to play Roger Bacon (19-6), who defeated Dayton Carroll 63-38, in a Division II regional semifinal at 8 p.m. March 10 at Vandalia Butler High School.
McMillan, ranked No. 7 on the Ohio High School Athletic Association's all-time scoring list, has 2,607 points and is just 39 points away from LeBron James for sixth place on the distinguished list. McMillan also had six rebounds and three assists Wednesday night.
Junior guard Kanye Moreland added 14 points and five rebounds while senior guard/forward Keliese Frye and sophomore guard Ru Mills scored 10 points each.
Woodward led 13-9 at the end of the first quarter and 30-23 at halftime. The Bulldogs are in the regional tournament for the first time since 2018 when the team was a regional semifinalist, according to Woodward statistician Dan Wright.
Chaminade Julienne completes its season with a 17-8 record.
The game was the first of three Division II district finals at UD Arena Wednesday night.
Redden said he was truly proud of the effort from the players and the coaches at UD Arena.
"We deal with so much adversity on and off the court," Redden said. "Watching them execute tonight was beautiful. The coaching staff gets the credit for this one. The scout team was great in practice and the adjustments from my staff were dead on."
