Milford’s Gabby Chadwell (3) attempts a layup during the first quarter of a Division 1 district semifinal game Feb. 18, 2025, against Walnut Hills at Lakota East High School in Liberty Township.
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP — Milford swept East Cincinnati Conference foe Walnut Hills twice in the regular season, but the Division I district semifinal matchup was the third time a charm for Walnut Hills.
Behind Walnut Hills’ precise shooting from deep and Milford’s struggles to do the same, the Clermont County team bowed out of the OHSAA girls basketball tournament Feb. 18 in a 56-44 loss at Lakota East High School. It was the second straight year Walnut Hills ended Milford’s season.
However, Milford defeated Walnut Hills by a combined 10 points in two regular-season meetings this season, the latter being an overtime win at home.
“It’s not ideal,” Milford coach Matt Tolliver said of playing an opponent for a third time. “We know each other so well. We know what they are going to do, and they know what we’re going to do, so there were no surprises tonight.
“Both games came down to the wire, so we knew it was going to be a battle.”
A promising season for the Lady Eagles ended at 18-5 overall and a runner-up finish in the ECC. Meanwhile, Walnut Hills advanced to the district finals against Lakota East.
“We knew we had to play well, but we picked a bad time to not play our best basketball,” Tolliver said.
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