Pickerington Central 47, Cincinnati Princeton 44
DAYTON, Ohio - Pickerington Central used a fourth-quarter run to erase a seven-point deficit and made four straight free throws down the stretch to rally past Cincinnati Princeton, 47-44, in the Division I state championship game at University of Dayton Arena.
Pickerington Central (25-3 overall) claimed its eighth state championship in its 16th trip to the state tournament. The Tigers’ eight titles are tied for second most in state history. Princeton (21-7) finished runner-up for the first time to go along with three girls basketball state titles.
Pickerington Central trailed 36-29 a minute into the fourth quarter before piecing together an 11-4 run, capped by a Zoe Coleman three-pointer that tied the score at 40 with 3:54 remaining. Kali Fortson scored for Princeton on the next trip down the court, but another Coleman three with 2:06 left gave Pickerington Central a 43-42 lead it would not relinquish.
Gabby Plair and Devon Smith combined to go 4 for 4 at the foul line - Pickerington Central’s only four made free throws of the game - in the final 32 seconds to close out the win.
Pickerington Central led by as many as eight points twice in the contest, including a 25-17 margin early in the second half, but Princeton won the third quarter 15-6 and took its first lead (32-29) when Fortson banked in a long three-pointer at the third quarter buzzer.
Plair led Pickerington Central with 13 points, while Blossom Wallace added 10 points, six rebounds and four assists. London Johnson tallied nine points, five assists, five steals and three blocked shots.
Princeton’s Fortson led all scorers with 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting. She also had a team-high nine rebounds. Mari Gerton finished with eight points, five rebounds and four assists.
Cincinnati Winton Woods 70, Whitehouse Anthony Wayne 55
DAYTON, Ohio - Freshman Strawberry Blankumsee scored 28 points, including nine in an 18-7 second-half run that broke the game open, to lead Cincinnati Winton Woods to a 70-55 win over Whitehouse Anthony Wayne in the Division II state championship game at University of Dayton Arena.
Winton Woods finished the season a perfect 27-0 and won its first girls basketball state title in its first trip to the state tournament. Anthony Wayne, which advanced to its first state title game, finished 24-3 overall.
The game was tied 8-8 early until Winton Woods scored seven points in 30 seconds to take a 15-8 lead with 4:18 left in the first quarter. Anthony Wayne responded with a 9-1 run of its own to take its first lead, 17-16, with two minutes left in the opening period. Blankumsee, who scored 13 points in the first quarter alone, tallied Winton Woods’ final five of the period and gave her team a 21-19 lead after one period.
After the end of the first quarter, Anthony Wayne pulled within three points twice, and both times Winton Woods answered with runs of its own.
A Brooke Bender three-pointer drew Anthony Wayne within 31-28 with 2:29 left in the first half, but Winton Woods answered with a basket, steal and another basket to immediately bump the lead back to seven. Winton Woods led by four, 37-33, at halftime.
Elise Bender, who finished with a double-double of 26 points and 13 rebounds for Anthony Wayne, scored on a putback with 5:16 left in the third quarter to cut Winton Woods’ lead to 40-37. From there, however, Winton Woods out-scored AW 18-7 over the next 7:55 to take a 58-44 lead with 5:21 left in the fourth quarter. The margin remained at least nine points the rest of the way.
Blankumsee led four Winton Woods players in double figures. She was 7 of 11 from the floor and 13 of 15 at the foul line. Daniah Trammel had 17 points and eight rebounds, Whitley Davis scored 11 points and Niyala Harmon added 10.
Winton Woods scored 36 of its points in the paint, made 23 of 30 free throws and forced Anthony Wayne into 19 turnovers.
Leah Pike added 14 points for Anthony Wayne, while Brooke Bender had a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Cincinnati Purcell Marian 72, Avon Lake 44
DAYTON, Ohio - Dee Alexander scored 27 points and three others reached double figures as Cincinnati Purcell Marian defeated Avon Lake, 72-44, in the 2025 Division III state championship game at University of Dayton Arena.
Purcell Marian (23-6) won its fourth consecutive state title, becoming the fourth school to win at least four straight girls basketball state championships, and extended its postseason winning streak to 31 games, fourth longest in state history.
Avon Lake (23-6) was playing in its second state championship game and first since winning the Division II state title in 1994.
Alexander, named Ohio’s Ms. Basketball for the third consecutive time earlier in the week, shot 11 of 13 from the floor and 5 of 6 from the foul line and added 10 rebounds and seven assists. She finishes her career as the leading scorer in the history of the girls basketball state tournament with 184 points in eight career state tournament games.
Trinity Small made five three-pointers and finished with 16 points for Purcell Marian. Ky’Aira Miller and Samaya Wilkins added 11 points each.
Olivia Miller had 12 points and Izzie Polinko added 11 for Avon Lake.
Purcell Marian scored the game’s first seven points and stretched its lead to 15 points, 21-6, late in the first quarter. The Cavaliers in the first half were 18 of 31 from the floor while forcing Avon Lake into 11 turnovers and built a 45-21 halftime lead.
Purcell Marian finished the game 28 of 51 from the floor, including 8 of 25 from three, and 8 of 11 at the foul line. Avon Lake shot 16 of 38 from the floor, including 3 of 10 from three, and made all nine of its foul shots. Purcell Marian held a 28-20 rebounding edge.
Bellevue 40, Kettering Archbishop Alter 29
DAYTON, Ohio - Bellevue is a girls basketball state champion for the first time after defeating Kettering Archbishop Alter, 40-29, in the Division IV title game at University of Dayton Arena.
Bellevue (28-1) wins its first girls basketball state title in its first trip to the state tournament. Alter (19-9) finished runner-up for the third time to go along with five state championships.
Hailey Rees scored a game-high 16 points to lead Bellevue, which never trailed after scoring the game’s first basket in the opening seconds and finished its season with a 16th consecutive win.
A three-pointer from Rees gave Bellevue its largest lead, 20-8, two minutes into the third quarter. Two buckets from Maddie Moody and two more from Alina Overman drew Alter within seven points, 23-16, after three periods.
The margin was eight in the early moments of the fourth quarter, but Rees extended the lead back to 11 with a three-point play with 4:32 left, and Bellevue made 5 of 6 throws to close out the win.
Rees was 3 of 8 from the field and 9 of 11 from the foul line for her 16 points. Audrey Turner added 11 for Bellevue, while Kaitlyn Turinsky finished with eight points, eight rebounds and seven blocked shots.
Alter was led by Moody’s 12 points and nine rebounds. Da’Shai Shepard added nine points and seven rebounds.
Portsmouth 53, Creston Norwayne 38
DAYTON, Ohio - Junior guard Sienna Allen had 17 points, five rebounds and four assists to lead Portsmouth to a 53-38 win over Creston Norwayne in the Division V state championship game at University of Dayton Arena.
Both teams were playing in their first girls basketball state title games. Portsmouth had advanced to the Division III state semifinals in 2023, while Norwayne was making its first state tournament appearance.
Three other players scored in double figures for Portsmouth: KeKe Woods and Hayven Carter both had 11 points, while Daysha Reid scored 10.
Ava Maibach led Norwayne with 15 points and eight rebounds.
After trading baskets to open the game, Portsmouth (27-1 overall) outscored Norwayne 10-1 to close the first quarter, including 7-0 in the final minute, to build a 16-8 lead after one period. Portsmouth’s defense forced 10 Norwayne turnovers in the opening period.
Norwayne (25-4) trailed by just four, 16-12, after Hannah Froelich made two free throws with 6:20 left in the first half, but Portsmouth went on an 11-2 run from there and led 27-14 at halftime. All four Trojans who eventually finished in double figures scored in that 11-2 run.
Froelich opened the second half with a three-point play for Norwayne, but Portsmouth scored the next 10 points to build a 20-point lead that would eventually grow to 22 points midway through the third quarter.
Portsmouth shot 22 of 43 from the floor and scored 34 of its 53 points in the paint. The Trojans forced 24 turnovers, were credited with 18 steals, and scored 25 points off of those 24 turnovers.
Norwayne made 12 of 37 shots, including 5 of 16 from three, and held a 32-21 rebounding edge.
Columbus Grove 65, Rootstown 46
DAYTON, Ohio - Four players scored in double figures and Columbus Grove never trailed in a 65-46 win over Rootstown in the Division VI state championship game at University of Dayton Arena.
Columbus Grove (27-2) won its 16th consecutive game to claim its first girls basketball state title in its first trip to the state tournament. Rootstown (27-2) was runner-up in its first state tournament appearance.
Senior guard Lauryn Auchmuty had 17 points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals to lead Columbus Grove. Nicole Nesby was a perfect 5 of 5 from the floor and 3 of 3 at the foul line and finished with 13 points, 16 rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots, while Kendal Palte and Aubrey Schroeder both scored 14 points for Columbus Grove.
Kelsey Bitecuffer led Rootstown with 12 points, Elliott Smallfield scored 10 and Addy Germann added nine.
Columbus Grove used a 17-0 first-quarter run to take control of the contest early. A 3-2 lead just over a minute into the contest grew to a 20-2 margin over the course of six minutes. Columbus Grove made 7 of 11 shots and forced Rootstown into seven turnovers during the run.
The game was played on even terms over the final three quarters, with Columbus Grove outscoring Rootstown 43-40 over the final three periods.
Columbus Grove shot 22 of 42 from the floor and 18 of 24 at the foul line, and the Bulldogs held a 34-21 edge in rebounds. Columbus Grove outscored Rootstown 36-8 in the paint.
Rootstown was 13 of 42 from the floor, including 8 of 18 from three, and made 12 of 16 free throws.
Waterford 48, Fort Loramie 46
DAYTON, Ohio - Waterford built an early 11-point lead, then came up with two defensive stops in the final minute to preserve a 48-46 win over Fort Loramie in the Division VII state championship game and win the school’s third girls basketball state title.
Avery Wagner played all 32 minutes and posted 16 points, five rebounds, four assists, four blocked shots and three steals to lead Waterford (27-1). Kendall Sury also played all 32 minutes and finished with 15 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Victoria Mescher led Fort Loramie (25-4) with a game-high 19 points. Avery Brandewie added eight points, 12 rebounds and four steals, while Myles Shatto chipped in nine points.
Waterford opened its largest lead of the game in the first half, hitting three-pointers on three consecutive possessions spanning the end of the first and start of the second quarter to take an 18-7 lead 90 seconds into the second quarter.
Fort Loramie responded, however, outscoring Waterford 16-2 over the final 5:30 of the first half to draw within three points, 23-20, at halftime.
Fort Loramie cut its deficit to one point with a basket on the opening possession of the third quarter, but Waterford answered with an 8-0 run that included a pair of three-pointers off Fort Loramie turnovers to stretch its lead back to 31-22 with 5:01 left in the quarter.
The Waterford lead was 10 points, 40-30, until Fort Loramie hit threes on back-to-back possessions to close the third quarter and open the fourth as part of an 8-0 run that cut Waterford’s lead to two points, 40-38, with 6:35 remaining.
Sury scored Waterford’s next six points, and Waterford led 46-40 with 4:15 remaining, but the Wildcats managed just a Brynnlee Pottmeyer free throw as Fort Loramie clawed its way back to within a point, 47-46, with 1:02 remaining on a jumper by Mescher.
Pottmeyer split a pair of free throws with 16 seconds remaining, and the Waterford defense came up with two turnovers and a Wagner block of a Mescher shot in the closing seconds to close out the win.
Waterford, in its eighth state tournament appearance, won its third title to go along with three runner-up finishes. Fort Loramie, a four-time state champion, finished runner-up for the third time; Fort Loramie’s 13 state tournament appearances are the fourth most of any school in the state.
The game was a rematch of the 2024 Division IV state title game, won by Fort Loramie, 42-29. It was the first rematch in a girls basketball state championship game since Minster and Ottoville met in the 2018 and 2019 Division IV finals.