Southern Ohio Lady Mambas win March Madness championship in Mason

Derrik Haithcock’s 15U Southern Ohio Lady Mambas turned a weekend trip to Mason into another Adams County sports calling card, sweeping through the March Madness Tournament at Courts 4 Sports with a title-game win over Ohio Elite and a clear message that the program is built for more than one big result.

The Lady Mambas opened pool play by beating Cincy Starz 35-8, then followed with a 48-31 victory over Ohio Elite to secure a place in the championship game. When Ohio Elite met them again, the result was even more lopsided. Southern Ohio won 43-24 to claim its first championship of the season and close out a run that never looked close on the scoreboard.

That margin matters in a county where families watch school and travel basketball as part of the same pipeline. Several players pictured with the team’s coaches and teammates were identified as coming from Manchester, reinforcing how much of the roster’s identity is rooted in Adams County. For local readers, the win was not just a tournament result in Mason. It was another sign that area players are testing themselves against regional competition and bringing that experience back home.

The tournament itself was part of a structured youth basketball scene in Mason, not a one-off exhibition. Courts 4 Sports, located on Reading Road, is listed by T3TVSports as one of the event locations for its 2026 Mason-area youth basketball schedule, underscoring the level of competition the Lady Mambas were facing. Against that backdrop, the scores told the story of a team that controlled games from the start.

The program’s success has also become familiar beyond this spring. In July 2024, the Lady Mambas were reported as a national championship team under Haithcock, after winning the National Basketball Teammate Championship Tournament in Rock Hill, South Carolina. That same report noted the team had competed in Knoxville, Tennessee in 2023 and won its first world championship. The April tournament in Mason added another trophy to a run that has now stretched across state lines and into national and world play.

The team and families have also leaned on community backing to make that travel possible, a reality that speaks to how youth sports operate in small counties like Adams. Between the mileage, tournament fees and weekend commitment, the Lady Mambas’ success has been built with support as much as skill. This latest title gave Southern Ohio another reason to look to Manchester and the surrounding county as a place where the next wave of basketball talent is already being tested and proven.