Russia hoping Irish are out of luck

The Central District Champions from Lancaster are coming to the Southwest Regional Tournament (Picture via Facebook)

The Russia Raiders boys basketball team opens the Division IV Southwest Regional Tournament on Tuesday at 5:30 versus the Lancaster Fisher Catholic Irish. If local sports fans think that matchup sounds familiar, you might recall the two schools playing a regional semifinal baseball game back in 2021. On that particular June afternoon Russia squashed Fisher Catholic 9-0. You can bet the Irish are aiming to reverse their luck against the state-ranked #2 Raiders this time.

While most Fish Report readers have followed Russia's basketball success this season, you're likely not so familiar with the hot streak Fisher Catholic is on. The following is a short scouting report on the Irish heading into Tuesday's tipoff.

Record: 16-9

Conference: Mid-State League

Central District Sectional Seed: #6 of 19 teams split into two brackets (other bracket goes to the Southeast Regional)

Tournament Wins: #13-seed Newark Catholic 55-47 (sectional final), #5-seed Tree of Life 39-35 (district semi), #2-seed Shekinah Christian 51-46 (district final)

District Final Highlights: 

• Hyde O’Rielley (#4, 6-1 Junior)  – 19 points, 6 rebounds
• Peyton Owens (#2, 5-11 Senior) – 15 points, 4 rebounds
• Grant Keefer (#12, 5-10 Junior) – 8 points, 16 rebounds
• Sam Tencza (#30, 6-0 Freshman) – 4 points, 4 rebounds
• Ethan O’Rielley (#5, 5-11 Freshman) – 5 points 
• Irish made four straight 3-pointers in second quarter.
• Peyton Owens hit three 3-pointers in the third quarter alone and finished with four total.
• Irish won just their second district championship in school history (first was 2002).

Season Notes:

• Head coach A.J. (Alex) James first year with Fisher Catholic. Previously an assistant at Liberty Union and player at Bloom-Carroll.
• Started the season 0-3.
• Riding a 7-game win streak and have won 13 of the last 15.
• In their 76-66 league win over Fairfield Christian Academy on January 27, Hyde O'Rielley scored a career high 35 points, including 32 in the second half. His line was: FG 8-11, 3PT 6-7, FT 13-18, RBS 14.
• Team averaging 52 ppg offensively and 47 ppg defensively.
• 39-35 win over Tree of Life in the district semis was the fewest points offensively for the Irish all season and the fourth fewest points allowed defensively.
• After graduation senior Peyton Owens will play college baseball at Mount Vernon Nazarene.

Russia and Fisher Catholic fans unable to attend Kettering Fairmont's Trent Arena for the regional semifinals can listen live on ScoresBroadcast, WTGR 97.5FM, or watch live on NFHS.