VERSAILLES – The Versailles Tigers dropped out of 2024-2025 OHSAA DV tournament play with a 62-57 loss to the Cincinnati Clark Montessori Cougars in Friday night action played at Trotwood-Madison High School.
“We got behind the eight ball with a team faster and quicker than us,” said Versailles coach Travis Swank. “It’s hard to go chase them with them in the lead. We needed to come out and make shots early and try to pack it in as best as we could, and we weren’t able to do that here tonight.”
The difference in the game came down to slow starts in the first and third quarters and the free-throw line. Versailles was whistled for 16 fouls, and Clark Montessori hit 10-of-18 free throws. Clark was called for nine fouls, and the Tigers connected on just 2-of-5 tosses.
“We knew coming in we could not have that kind of start,” Swank noted. “Our first and third quarters were not very good. We were slow out of the gate both halves, and in the second and fourth quarters we did really good.”
The Cougars jumped out to a 12-6 lead after one quarter of play with Drake Ahrens accounting for four Versailles points and Jack Borchers adding a basket.
Clark quickly made a double-digit 16-6 lead at 7:02 in the second quarter. The Tigers battled back to grab their first lead of the night, 24-23 on a long Drake Ahrens jumper with 1:10 on the clock. The Cougars retook a 25-24 advantage before Ahrens went 1-for-2 at the line to knot the score at 25-25. Coach Swank went to his bench in the closing seconds of the first half to bring Maddox Stonebraker into the game with the 6’7” sophomore getting a last-second put back at the rim tip-in, giving the Tigers a 27-25 lead at the halftime break.
Versailles senior Jace Watren led Versailles second with 9 points, including a 3-pointer. Ahrens added 8 points, including a trey, and Ethan Wilker and Stonebraker scored 2 points.
Period No. 3 saw the Cincinnati team take the quarter 16-9, which was good for a 41-36 advantage with three periods in the book. Stonebraker paced the Tigers with eight third-quarter points, including back-to-back 3-pointers.
“He was able to knock down some shots,” Coach Swank said of Stonebraker’s play. “His future is very bright for us.”
The Cougars looked like they were going to run away with the district title game, grabbing a 53-41 lead. Versailles battled back to trail again by two points late in the game before Clark Montessori closed out the night with a five-point win.
“I’m happy with our kids in the fourth because they (Clark) are up 8, 10 late, and we were still able to go get them and get a chance to tie it at the end,” said Swank. “Unfortunately we weren’t able to do it.”
Two Versailles seniors made their final appearance for the Tigers’ basketball program, No. 12 Jace Watren and No. 21 Andrew Lyons.
“They mean a lot to our program because they put a lot of effort and a lot of time into it,” Swank said of his seniors. “Saying goodbye to those guys in the locker room is very difficult. Both of them loved our team, loved our program. When you love something and you know it’s your last time, it’s hard to say goodbye to it, but that’s life at the same time so you have to enjoy those moments while you are in them.”
Ahrens led Versailles and all scorers with a game-high 21 points. Stonebraker hit for 18 Tigers’ points off the bench in limited playing time.
BOXSCORE:
CLARK MONTESSORI – O. Brown 18, H. D. Thompson 12, A, Robinson 10, I. Douglas 9, B. Mcfadgen 7, E. Foster 5, J. Phelps 1 – TOTALS 20 10-18 4 62
VERSAILLES – D. Ahrens 21, M. Stonebraker 18, J. Watren 12, E. Wilker 4, J. Borchers 2 – TOTALS 20 2-5 5 57
3-POINTERS
Clark Montessori 4 (D. Thompson 2, I. Douglas 1, B. Mcfadgen 1)
Versailles 5 (D. Ahrens 2, M. Stonebraker 2, J. Watren 1)
SCORE by QUARTERS
12-13-16-21 62 Clark Montessori
06-21-09-21 57 Versailles
