Trotwood-Madison 85, Alter 80
Paint presence and transition offense help the Rams race past Alter in a thriller
Written by 270 Hoops staff writer Luke Harrington
Trotwood, OH - Just two days into the year 2026, a battle of regional finalists from a year ago was set to take place in the unique Trotwood-Madison gymnasium. I took the one hour fifteen minute drive down I-70 west to check out the action.
The Archbishop Alter Knights (6-3), who had lost two games in Ohio by a total of 10 points, looked to pick up a signature win in their young season. The Rams of Trotwood-Madison (5-1), who had just the one loss to St. Xavier on December 20th, were looking to extend their home winning streak to 14 games going back to last season.
This game lived up to the hype, as the Rams knocked off the Knights 85-80 in a frantic game filled with drama, action, highlight plays, and an energetic crowd.
Just after tip-off, it was obvious what each team wanted to do. Coach Eric Coulter, who has been the head coach of Alter for 12 seasons, had his Knights sit in their patented 2-3 zone, which he won a state championship doing in 2023. Trotwood was effective early beating the zone through high-low looks and excellent interior passes.
Defensively, the Rams turned up the full court pressure, which was handled by the Knights early to get themselves open shots from the perimeter. However, every time a shot was missed, Trotwood would corral the rebound and outlet it for a transition opportunity. The score was knotted up at 19 at the end of the first quarter.
