A Flyin’ first: Top-ranked Fort Loramie now 12-0

Fort Loramie has seen the best of the Shelby County League and even the Midwest Athletic Conference. But playing Thurgood Marshall was a bit out of the box for the Redskins.

“It’s definitely something new that we don’t see every day,” assured Loramie standout senior Dillon Braun. “It’s not on our schedule so we don’t play these kinds of teams. It was a great time to get this experience and get ready for the tournament.”

Braun hit three 3-pointers and scored a game-high 21 points in leading unbeaten Loramie past pesky Thurgood 58-53 in the 16th annual Premier Health Flyin’ to the Hoop on Monday at Fairmont’s Trent Arena.

Evan Berning hit 6 of 8 shots and added 12 points for the Redskins, who were making their first Flyin’ appearance. Loramie (12-0) is top-ranked in the state in Division IV. Last Tuesday Loramie handed host Versailles its only loss, 48-46 in overtime. Seven of its top eight players return from last season’s district-title team.

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Loramie won small-school state titles in 1977, ’87 and ’93 and is shooting to do so again.

“It’s an amazing start,” Braun said. “It’s remarkable; hard to believe. Playing these MAC schools, they get us prepared for the bigger and tougher teams because they bully us. It’s nice. We’ve still got a long way to go, but we’ll get there.”

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Loramie is at Botkins on Friday and hosts Minster on Saturday.

Tavell Sims led Thurgood with 18 points. Freshmen Anthony McCombs added 16 points and Chanze Amerson 14.

16th ANNUAL PREMIER HEALTH FLYIN’ TO THE HOOP

At Fairmont’s Trent Arena, Kettering

Friday’s results

Spire Institute (Ohio) 80, Fairmont 70

Findlay Prep (Nev.) 50, Huntington Prep (W.Va.) 48

Saturday’s results

Springboro girls 57, Tippecanoe 38

Xenia 67, Olentangy Liberty 60

Pickerington North 51, Princeton 38