OHSAA CENTRAL DISTRICT BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT DISTRICT I & III FINALS TO BE HELD MARCH 8-9

(Columbus, February 22, 2019) – The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Central District Basketball Tournament Division I and Division III Finals will be held for the first time at the SMG-managed Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC) on March 8-9.

“For high school basketball, this is a big deal when you get to the district level. We’re going to a nice venue and families can spend a whole day there, seeing two games on Friday and two sessions of two games each on Saturday. Parking is affordable at $5 and admission is reasonable at $7,” said tournament manager Tom Stoughton of the Central District Athletic Board (CDAB) of the OHSAA, which organizes and conducts sectional and district tournaments for high school boys and girls.

“If you’re a basketball junkie, this is what you want to see, and in a week, we’ll know who our teams are.” “We’re lucky to be in downtown Columbus with everything that the convention center and the city have to offer,” added Bob Britton, a CDAB board member. “It’s a great venue, and the fact that the Columbus Quest used to play there is really exciting. You can make a day and night of it. It’s a great opportunity to showcase what Columbus has to offer high school sports. It’s just awesome. The fans will love it.”

On Friday, March 8, two Division III District Tournament games will be played in Battelle Grand at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., followed on Saturday, March 9 with two sessions of Division I District Tournament games. The first session’s games will begin at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., with 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. tip-off times for the second Saturday session.

Admission is $7 per session for all fans.

“Our facility has a rich basketball history of hosting high school, intercollegiate and professional basketball events, including the Mid-American Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament, Columbus Quest championship team of the American Basketball League and last year’s NCAA Women’s Final Four Tourney Town,” said GCCC General Manager John R. Page. “The District I and III Finals played in Battelle Grand — the state’s largest multipurpose ballroom — will mark the debut of a court we purchased following the Women’s Final Four.” For more information, visit www.cdab.org and www.ohsaa.org.