Division II Championship | Cincinnati Purcell Marian 57, Canal Fulton Northwest 48
DAYTON, Ohio - Cincinnati Purcell Marian claimed its second straight girls basketball state championship, defeating Canal Fulton Northwest, 57-48, in the Division II state championship game at University of Dayton Arena.
Sophomore Dee Alexander, Ohio’s 2023 Ms. Basketball, led the way with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Classmate Ky’Aira Miller scored 17 on the strength of a 13-for-14 performance at the foul line.
Neither team led by more than four points until Purcell Marian closed the first half on an 8-2 run and took a 21-15 lead into halftime. Senior Lilly Bottomley scored 11 of her team-high 19 points in the third quarter to keep Northwest within striking distance, but Alexander and Miller accounted for all 16 of Purcell Marian’s points in the fourth quarter. Alexander scored the Cavaliers’ first 10 points of the period to stretch the lead to as many as 11 points, and Miller made six straight free throws in the final minute to seal the win.
Purcell Marian (27-2), winner of 17 straight games to close the season, returned to the state tournament after having won the Division III championship in 2022. It was the Cavaliers’ third consecutive trip to the final four overall.
Northwest finishes 27-3 after making its first appearance at the girls basketball state tournament.
Division IV Championship | New Madison Tri-Village 52, Toledo Christian 50
DAYTON, Ohio - New Madison Tri-Village completed an unbeaten season, defeating Toledo Christian 52-50 in the Division IV state championship game at University of Dayton Arena.
The Patriots finished a perfect 30-0 in claiming their first girls basketball state title. Tri-Village also becomes the first school in OHSAA history to have both a girls and boys basketball team finish a season 30-0; the Tri-Village boys accomplished the feat in 2015.
Senior Rylee Sagester led the way for Tri-Village, scoring a team-high 20 points and handing out eight assists. Mackenzie Royal-Davis had 20 points, 11 rebounds and four assists for Toledo Christian.
A back-and-forth first half featured seven ties and three lead changes until Tri-Village scored the final nine points and took a 26-19 lead into halftime.
Sagester scored the first eight points of the the third quarter for Tri-Village, and Torie Richards added a three-pointer as part of an 11-1 run that saw the Patriots push their lead to 37-24 with 4:45 left in the third quarter. From there, Toledo Christian went on an extended 18-7 run that drew the Eagles within two, 44-42, with 6:06 left in the fourth quarter.
It remained 44-42 until Morgan Hunt’s layup and free throw bumped the lead to five with 2:32 left, and Richards hit a three on the next possession to stretch the lead to eight. Toledo Christian would get no closer than five until Kendall Braden’s three-pointer at the buzzer.
Morgan Hunt and Kynnedi Hager had 11 and 10 points, respectively, for Tri-Village, while Braden finished with 12 points and seven rebounds for Toledo Christian. The Eagles finished 23-5 and finished runner-up in their first appearance at the girls basketball state tournament.
Division III Championship | Columbus Africentric 75, Doylestown Chippewa 62
DAYTON, Ohio – Columbus Africentric set the OHSAA record for most points scored by a team in a Division III state championship game with 75 after defeating Doylestown Chippewa 75-62 Saturday evening in the Division III state championship game.
Africentric (24-4) made its 12th appearance in the girls basketball state tournament, third-highest in OHSAA history. The Nubians now hold the OHSAA tournament record for most points scored in one quarter of a state championship game with 27. Africentric’s victory marks their eighth state championship, tying Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame’s record.
Africentric went on a 15-0 run 5:06 minutes into the first quarter to build an early lead. Chippewa was once at an 18 point deficit but closed the gap to four points with 1:20 remaining in the third quarter after a fastbreak layup by senior Jaclyn Jundzilo.
The Nubians were led by in scoring by junior Natiah Nelson and freshman Jeniya Bowers with 17 points each. Junior Samairah Thompson had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Doylestown Chippewa (25-5) closed its season with its second runner-up trophy. The Chipps were led in scoring by senior Annabel Rodriguez with a game high 19 points. Jundzilo put up 15 points and senior Abby Henegar added 14.
Division I Championship | Cincinnati Princeton 69, Olmsted Falls 51
DAYTON, Ohio - Cincinnati Princeton is the 2023 OHSAA Division I girls basketball state champion after defeating Olmsted Falls, 69-51, in the state championship game at University of Dayton Arena.
Five different Vikings scored during an 11-0 run to open the second quarter, and in all Princeton out-scored Olmsted Falls 17-9 in the second period to build a 34-25 halftime lead.
Olmsted Falls opened the third quarter with a 9-2 run to draw within four, 38-34, with 5:23 left in the period. That was as close as the Bulldogs would get, as Princeton bumped the lead back to nine points after three quarters and out-scored Olmsted Falls 21-12 in the final quarter.
Princeton leaned on a balanced scoring effort that saw four players reach double figures. Diawna Carter-Hartley led the way with 18 points and nine rebounds, Kali Fortson had a double-double of 16 points and 12 boards, La’Sonya Hill scored 13, and Sole Williams had 13 points and eight assists. Mari Gerton chipped in nine points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Olmsted Falls’ Danielle Cameron led all scorers with 22 points. She was 6 for 13 from three-point range, setting a Division I championship game record for three-pointers made. Combined with a 6-for-9 performance from three in the semifinals, Cameron set a two-game Division I state tournament record with 12 made three-pointers. Paige Kohler added 17 points and Mia Kalich had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs.
Princeton (28-2) won its third state title in as many trips to the state tournament. The Vikings won a Division I state championship in 2014 and a Class AAA title in 1987, and Princeton joins a group of 21 schools statewide with at least three girls basketball state championships.
Olmsted Falls (22-4) finished runner-up in its first trip to the girls basketball state tournament.
Division II Semifinal #1 | Cincinnati Purcell Marian 61, Bryan 47
DAYTON, Ohio - Sophomore Dee Alexander scored 34 points to lead Cincinnati Purcell Marian to a 61-47 win over Bryan in the first Division II state semifinal at the University of Dayton Arena.
Alexander, named Ohio’s Ms. Basketball earlier in the week by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association, made 12 of 16 shots from the field and 10 of 12 from the foul line. She also had a game-high eight rebounds and three steals.
Bryan led by as many as 11 points, 25-14, midway through the second quarter, but Purcell Marian scored the final 12 points of the period to take a 26-25 lead into halftime and never trailed in the second half.
Purcell Marian improves to 26-2 and advances to Saturday’s Division II state championship game. Bryan, which was led by 11 points from both Ella Rau and Ella Voigt, finishes its season 25-3 after making its first appearance at the girls basketball state tournament.
Division II Semifinal #2 | Canal Fulton Northwest 56, Proctorville Fairland 34
DAYTON, Ohio - Canal Fulton Northwest will play for its first girls basketball state championship after defeating Proctorville Fairland, 56-34, in the second Division II semifinal at University of Dayton Arena.
Fairland led 14-13 after one period, but Northwest outscored the Dragons 16-4 in the second period to build a 29-18 halftime lead. Fairland cut the margin to seven twice in the third quarter, but Northwest finished on a 22-7 run over the game’s final 11 minutes to pull away.
Ashley Cudnik scored 16 points to lead Northwest (27-2), while Lily Bottomley had a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Seven different players cracked the scoring column for Fairland (27-1), led by Bailey Russell’s nine points.
Division IV Semifinal #1 | Toledo Christian 57, New Middletown Springfield 29
DAYTON, Ohio - Toledo Christian never trailed in a 57-29 win over New Middletown Springfield in the first Division IV semifinal game at the University of Dayton Arena.
The teams traded three-pointers to open the game, but Toledo Christian scored the final eight points of the first quarter and had a 10-0 run in the second quarter to build a 16-point halftime lead.
Toledo Christian was led by Kendall Braden’s 21 points. Kaylona Butler added 19 points and eight rebounds.
Jacey Mullen scored a team-high 10 points for New Middletown Springfield.
The Eagles (23-4) advance to Saturday’s state championship game, while New Middletown Springfield closes its year at 24-4. Both teams were making their first appearance at the girls basketball state tournament.
Division IV Semifinal #2 | New Madison Tri-Village 51, Berlin Hiland 34
DAYTON, Ohio - Senior Rylee Sagester scored 22 points to lead Tri-Village to a 51-34 win over Berlin Hiland in the second Division IV state semifinal. The Patriots kept their undefeated season alive with a win over Hiland to advance to the state championship game for the first time in school history, Saturday afternoon against Toledo Christian.
Sagester, Ohio’s Ms. Basketball runner-up, made four of seven shots from the three-point line and 9 of 13 from the field. Patriots senior Morgan Hunt contributed 7 assists to the team’s total of 12.
Hiland was in the lead once in the first quarter by two and got within four in the second before Tri-Village pulled away. The Hawks were led by sophomore Joplin Yoder with 15 points and junior Ashley Mullet close behind with 11 points. Hiland went on a 5-0 run, the largest of the game. Junior Mallory Stuztman had six rebounds on defense.
The Patriots (29-0) advance to Saturday’s state championship game, while Berlin Hiland ends its season at 22-7.
Division III Semifinal #1 | Columbus Africentric 55, Wheelersburg 37
DAYTON, Ohio – Columbus Africentric will play for its eighth state championship after defeating Wheelersburg, 55-37, in the first Division III semifinal Friday morning at the University of Dayton Arena.
Africentric junior guard Natiah Nelson had a game high 13 points. Nubians junior forward Samairah Thompson pulled down eight rebounds.
Wheelersburg closes their season 25-3 after playing in the state tournament for the first time. The Pirates senior guard duo Kiera Kennard and Makenna Walker had 10 points each. Senior Macee Eaton contributed 6 assists.
Africentric (23-4) advances to Saturday’s Division III state championship game for the tenth time in school history.
Division III Semifinal #2 | Doylestown Chippewa 60, Castalia Margaretta 50
DAYTON Ohio - Doylestown Chippewa advanced to the state championship game for the second time in school history by defeating Castalia Margaretta, 60-50, in the second Division III semifinal.
The Chipps made their first six shots, scored the game’s first 10 points and led by as many as 14 in the first quarter. Margaretta, however, used a 9-2 run late in the second quarter to cut the margin to seven, 31-24, at halftime.
Chippewa led by 12, 52-40, before Margaretta scored eight straight points in just over a minute to draw within four, 52-48, with 3:57 remaining. The Chipps made 8 of 11 free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Abby Henegar had 15 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for Chippewa (25-4), while Annabel Rodriguez led all scorers with 16 and Jaclyn Jundzilo was in double figures with 13. Three players scored in double figures for Margaretta (22-7): Kylie Leibacher with 14, Lilly Edwards with 13, and Jaelle Keller with 12.
Division I Semifinal #1 | Cincinnati Princeton 61, Grafton Midview 57
DAYTON, Ohio – Cincinnati Princeton advanced the Division I state final game after defeating Grafton Midview 61-57 Friday night at the University of Dayton Arena.
Princeton (27-2) battled ahead in the fourth quarter to secure their place in the state championship for the third time in school history. Vikings sophomore guard Mari Gerton led with 25 points. Senior guard Sole Williams contributed 19 points and six assists. Sophomore forward Kali Fortson added 13 rebounds.
Midview (23-5) made its first visit to the state tournament in school history. Middie junior guard Olivia DiFranco had a double-double with 31 points and 11 rebounds.
Division I Semifinal #2 | Olmsted Falls 58, Pickerington Central 53
DAYTON, Ohio – Olmsted Falls trailed by eight points late in the third quarter but battled back to defeat Pickerington Central 58-53 in the Division I semifinal Friday night at the University of Dayton Arena.
Olmsted Falls (22-3) scored 22 points in the fourth quarter compared to 11 for Pickerington Central. Junior Danielle Cameron led the Bulldogs in scoring with 23 points. Mia Kalich, senior, had a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Pickerington Central (24-5) visited the state tournament for the 14th time, marking the second-most appearances in OHSAA history. The Tigers were led by junior Berry Wallace with a double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds. Senior Madison Greene added 14 points.
Olmsted Falls will play for the state championship Saturday night for the first time in school history.