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Thirty-Two Players with Ohio High School Roots Competed in the MAC Men’s Basketball Tournament

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Thirty-Two Players with Ohio High School Roots Competed in the MAC Men’s Basketball Tournament


CLEVELAND, OHIO- The Mid-American Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament was held this past week, as the top eight teams in the conference converged on Rocket Arena in Cleveland.

There were seven games over three days – quarterfinals on Thursday, semifinals on Friday and the championship game on Saturday – with Akron taking home the title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 79-76 win over Toledo.

Former Ohio High School Stars Standout on the College Stage

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Among the rostered players on the eight teams were 32 players who played their high school basketball in the state of Ohio, led by Akron with nine players and Kent State with eight.

The biggest impact was made former Shaker Heights Raider Shammah Scott, as the MAC Sixth Man of the Year and honorable mention All-MAC selection hit the game-winning 3-pointer for Akron in the championship game with just six seconds left.

Two Ohio high school players were also named to the All-MAC Tournament team – Akron’s Amani Lyles (Beechcroft) and Toledo’s Sean Craig (Northview).

This is how each player fared in the MAC Tournament.

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Akron Zips

defeated Buffalo 73-70 in quarterfinals; defeated Kent State 75-68 in semifinals; defeated Toledo 79-76 in championship game.

Zach Halligan (Walsh Jesuit) – Did not score in limited action in the win over Buffalo. Did not score in limited action in the win over Kent State. Scored two points in limited action in the win over Toledo in the championship game.

Bowen Hardman (Princeton) – Scored five points in the win over Buffalo. Had nine points and four rebounds in the win over Kent State. Had 12 points in the win over Toledo in the championship game.

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Cody Head (Lutheran East) – Did not play.

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Josh Henderson (Westerville Central) – Did not play.

Amani Lyles (Beechcroft) – The first-team All-MAC selection recorded a double-double with 12 points and 16 rebounds in the win over Buffalo in the quarterfinals. Had eight points and nine rebounds in the win over Kent State. Had 15 points and 16 rebounds in the win over Toledo in the championship game.

Eric Mahaffey (Archbishop Moeller) – The MAC All-Freshman team selection scored three points in the win over Buffalo in the quarterfinals. Had two points and three rebounds in the win over Kent State. Had eight points and five rebounds in the win over Toledo in the championship game.

Evan Mahaffey (Archbishop Moeller) – The All-MAC honorable mention selection scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the win over Buffalo in the quarterfinals. Had 16 points and seven rebounds in the win over Kent State. Had eight points and six rebounds in the win over Toledo in the championship game.

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Tai Perkins (Westerville North) – Did not play.

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Shammah Scott (Shaker Heights) – The MAC Sixth Man of the Year and honorable mention All-MAC selection scored 12 points in the win over Buffalo in the quarterfinals. Tied for the team-high with 18 points in the win over Kent State. Hit the game-winning shot in the championship game win over Toledo, scoring 12 points.

Bowling Green Falcons

Lost to Toledo 77-76 in quarterfinals.

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Makhi Leach (Whitmer) – Scored one point in limited action in the loss to Toledo.

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Mohamed Maxamud (Westerville South) – Did not play.

Sam Towns (Pickerington Central) – Had nine points and nine rebounds in the loss to Toledo.

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Kent State Golden Flashes

Defeated Ohio 86-75 in quarterfinals; lost to Akron 75-68 in semifinals.

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Rayvon Griffith (Taft) – Scored two points in an 86-75 win over Ohio.

Drew Huffman (Cuyahoga Falls) – Did not play.

Deandre Jones (Garfield Heights) – Did not play.

Dylan Lakatos (North Royalton) – Did not play.

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Morgan Safford (Bishop Hartley) – The All-MAC honorable mention selection scored 24 points and pulled down six rebounds in the win over Ohio. Had seven points and five rebounds in the loss to Akron.

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Jamal Sumlin (Rhodes) – Did not play.

Landon Vanderwarker (Delaware Hayes) – Did not play.

Quinn Woidke (St. Ignatius) – The MAC All-Freshman team selection scored three points in the win over Ohio in the quarterfinals. Scored 12 points and had seven rebounds in the loss to Akron.

Miami Redhawks

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Lost to UMass 87-83 in quarterfinals.

Brady Ganley (Brecksville-Broadview Heights) – Did not play.

Trey Perry (Lakota West) – Scored five points in the loss to UMass.

Luke Skaljac (Brecksville-Broadview Heights) – The third-team All-MAC selection scored 10 points in the loss to UMass.

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Antoine Woolfolk (Brush) – The All-MAC honorable mention selection was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field for 14 points and five rebounds in the loss to UMass.

Ohio Bobcats

Lost to Kent State 86-75 in quarterfinals.

Jesse Burris (Delaware Hayes) – Did not score in limited action in the loss to Kent State.

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Dior Connors (Pickerington North) – Did not score in limited action in the loss to Kent State.

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Jordan Fisher (Reynoldsburg) – Did not play.

Carter Reese (Westerville North) – Did not play.

Ajay Sheldon (Dublin Coffman) – Scored three points in the loss to Kent State.

Javan Simmons (Gahanna Lincoln) – Scored 22 points and had five rebounds in the loss to Kent State.

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Toledo Rockets

defeated Bowling Green 77-76 in quarterfinals; defeated UMass 77-67 in semifinals; lost to Akron 79-76 in the championship game.

Sean Craig (Northview) – Scored 10 points in the win over Bowling Green. Had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds in the win over UMass.  Scored 10 points and had six rebounds in the loss to Akron in the championship game.

Troy Nwokolo (Reynoldsburg) – Did not play.

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Austin Parks (St. Marys Memorial) – Had 10 points and six rebounds in the win over Bowling Green in the quarterfinals. Had seven points, four rebounds and four assists in the win over UMass. Had 13 points and seven rebounds in the loss to Akron in the championship game.



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Cleveland, OH

Woman found dead in backyard of Cleveland home

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Woman found dead in backyard of Cleveland home


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A woman was found dead in the backyard of a home on the city’s West side Friday morning.

Officers responded to the 3400 block of Bosworth Rd. around 9 a.m. for a welfare check.

This is in the city’s West Boulevard neighborhood.

When officers arrived at the home, they found the victim.

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The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Officer will now determine the victim’s name and cause of death.

A child connected to the woman has been located and confirmed safe, said Cleveland police.

Police added the circumstances regarding the death remain under investigation.

Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.



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Cleveland, OH

Extreme heat warning ends Friday evening: What to expect

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Extreme heat warning ends Friday evening: What to expect


This forecast is outdated and inaccurate. Get the latest forecast here.

CLEVELAND (WJW) — (WJW) — The National Weather Service has extended its EXTREME HEAT WARNING for all of Northeast Ohio.

It will remain in effect until 8 p.m. on Friday, July 3, in Ashland, Ashtabula, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Holmes, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning Medina, Ottawa, Portage, Richland, Sandusky, Stark, Summit, Trumbull and Wayne counties; and until 10 p.m. Friday, July 3, in Carroll, Coshocton and Tuscarawas counties.

The heat waves continues! An EXTREME HEAT WARNING will remain in effect through 8 p.m. Friday. Heat indices could top 105 degrees during the hottest time of day on Friday.

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Once again, there will not be much relief from the heat and humidity overnight. Tonight lows will be in the mid to upper 70s again. Feeling warmer with the higher humidity. Mostly clear skies.

Friday will be the last sweltering summer day before the heat starts to back off for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. There is the chance of rain and storms Friday evening, around 7pm that could go through the late evening. This may impact some 4th of July celebrations on Friday. Any storm that pops up we’ll have to watch for the potential of gusty winds, heavy downpours and large hail.

This is what the radar could look like by the time some Fireworks celebrations are expected Friday evening. We have a level 2 out of 5 chance of any storm turning severe, meaning that 1 or 2 have the chance.

The upper-level ridge, or heat dome, will start to breakdown on Friday. This means two things. The first is it will go from being very hot and humid to being very warm and humid. The second thing is the chance of rain and threat of storms will return.

The Fourth of July holiday weekend will be far from a washout! There will be more dry time than time with downpours and storms. However, clusters of downpours and storms will move through Northeast Ohio at times. This means some Fourth of July events, backyard BBQs, pool parties, and firework shows could be impacted by rain and storms.

With all the heat and humidity around, any downpours or storms that develop could be strong and produce gusty winds, small hail, torrential rain, and lightning. Here’s the latest 8 Day Forecast:

Keep up with FOX 8 News for the latest weather updates.



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Cleveland, OH

Mason and Bell preview all-Ohio showdown – FIGHTMAG

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Mason and Bell preview all-Ohio showdown – FIGHTMAG


Abdullah Mason and Albert Bell previewed their championship bout and came face to face at the press conference. The two fighters square off this Saturday, July 4, at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center.

  • Cleveland-based 22-year-old southpaw Mason (20-0, 17 KOs) of Bedford, Ohio, defends his WBO lightweight title after claiming the vacant belt last November by decision against Sam Noakes.
  • Toledo’s 33-year-old Bell (28-0, 9 KOs), who makes his first bid to become a champion, took the fight on short notice, replacing Joe Cordina of Wales.

See below what Mason and Bell had to say at the press conference on Thursday, following the open workout.

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Mason: I’m prepared to come out on top

“I’m excited. I’m super excited,” Mason said. “This is something me and my brothers have been looking forward to doing since we were amateurs. We fought on the same card a few times as amateurs, and all of us did it together on the last show my father threw here in Cleveland. It was huge.”

“At that time, we were like, ‘Yo, when we do this on a professional level, it’s going to be big for Cleveland.’ And now, it’s big for not only Cleveland, but it’s on TNT, so this is a national stage, a world stage with DAZN. I’m just excited to be able to put this show on with two of my brothers on the card.”

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“I feel like it [fight vs Sam Noakes] was definitely a much-needed experience. That’s not the type of fight you have all the time in your career. It was something I felt like I had to do that night. Every fight is different, and it definitely gave me some insight into how I’ll approach the rest of my career. So, it was a much-needed experience and a great fight.”

“It [opponent change] was definitely unexpected. Albert Bell – that’s our guy from Toledo. But it’s boxing. You’ve got to be prepared for anything, and I’m prepared to come out on top. Everything happens for a reason.”

“One thing I do want to say is, I’m the youngest world champion in boxing for a reason, and I’m prepared to show that when I step into the ring.”

“Boxing is offense, defense and IQ, and you’ve got to put it together and tailor it to the person you’re stepping in the ring with. So, with the opponent switch, I just have to tailor it to the person across the ring from me, and that’s Albert Bell.”

Abdullah Mason and Albert Bell face off at a press conference in Cleveland
Abdullah Mason and Albert Bell face off during a press conference in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 2, 2026. Photo by Top Rank

Bell: We’re here now, and that’s all that matters

“I mean, it caught me by surprise,” Bell said on stepping in to face Mason on short notice. “It was an ideal opponent for me. I wasn’t really thinking about fighting Abdullah, especially not this soon. But everything made sense. I talked to my pops about it, and it made sense, so I stepped in to save the card, get my world title opportunity and put on a show for all of Ohio.”

“I mean, I get turned down by a lot of guys. I’m not saying that in a cocky way or trying to act like I’m the boogeyman or anything like that, but a lot of guys say no when my name comes across their table. I would’ve had the name I was supposed to have by now if it weren’t for that, but what’s delayed is not denied. We’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”

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“I just need to be the best version of myself. I know he’s coming to be the best version of himself. He’s prepared, I’m prepared. We’re ready. We’re two top fighters, and we’re professionals. We’re both Ohioans. We’ve got history with each other, and it’s gonna be a show for sure.”

Mason vs Bell undercard

In the co-feature, Bruce Carrington (17-0, 10 KOs) of Brooklyn makes the first defense of his WBC featherweight title against Rene Palacios (19-0-1, 10 KOs) of Mexico.

On the undercard, Cleveland’s Delante “Tiger” Johnson (17-0, 8 KOs) takes on Canada-based Mexican Christopher Guerrero (16-0, 9 KOs) at welterweight.

Plus, Deric Davis (11-0, 10 KOs) of Fort Washington, Maryland, and Carlos Ramos (18-4-1, 10 KOs) of Spain by way of Ecuador, square off at lightweight.

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