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2016 OHSAA
Girls Basketball
State Tournament Recaps

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Division III Semifinal
Marion Pleasant 50, Gates Mills Gilmour Academy 47
COLUMBUS, Ohio � Tenth-ranked Marion Pleasant defeated Gates Mills Gilmour Academy 50-47 on Thursday afternoon to advance to the 2016 OHSAA Girls Basketball Division III State Final on Saturday at the Jerome Schottenstein Center.

Leading Pleasant (27-2) in scoring was junior Summer Blevins, who finished with 18 points coming on six-of-eleven shooting from the field, including going three-for-three from beyond the three-point line. Blevins led the team in assists with four, while grabbing eight rebounds. Pleasant senior Kamryn Kimmel scored 17 points while also recording eight rebounds.

Trailing 20-23 at halftime, Pleasant shot 11-for-20 in the second half to help take the lead in the fourth quarter and seal their spot in Saturday�s championship game. Gilmour Academy (23-6) finished 18-for-44 from the field with sophomore Naz Hillmon leading the team in scoring with 16 points after going seven-of-10 from the field.

Pleasant will play on Saturday, March 12 at 10:45 a.m. against the winner of the second Division III semifinal between Columbus Africentric (22-5) and ninth-ranked Ironton (27-0).


Division III Semifinal
Columbus Africentric Early College 63, Ironton 34
COLUMBUS, Ohio � Columbus Africentric Early College will face Marion Pleasant in the 2016 OHSAA Girls Basketball Division III State Final after defeating Ironton 63-34 on Thursday afternoon at the Jerome Schottenstein Center.

The Africentric Lady Nubians (23-5) trailed by five after the first quarter, but turned it around on both ends of the floor to lead 27-20 going into halftime. After keeping Ironton (27-1) to four points in the third quarter, Africentric outscored Ironton 26-10 in the fourth quarter to secure the chance to play for its fifth girls basketball state championship. Africentric junior Leah Morrow led all scorers with 22 points on 11-of-20 shooting. Africentric senior Zharia Lenoir scored 14 points while freshman Jordan Horston added 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

Ironton sophomore Alexis Wise led the team in scoring with 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, with senior Alexis Barrier adding 10 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.

Africentric will play Marion Pleasant (27-2) on Saturday at 10:45 a.m. in the Division III State Final.


Division II Semifinal
Kettering Archbishop Alter 60, Columbus Eastmoor Academy 34
COLUMBUS, Ohio � Defending champion Kettering Archbishop Alter defeated Columbus Eastmoor Academy, 60-34, to advance to the 2016 OHSAA Girls Basketball Division II State Final on Saturday at Value City Arena inside the Jerome Schottenstein Center.

Alter (27-2) took a 24-17 lead going into halftime before outscoring Eastmoor 36-17 in the second half to seal a spot in Saturday's final. Alter junior Braxtin Miller led all scorers with 19 points after going six-for-20 from the field, including 4-for-10 from three-point range. Alter junior Olivia Gillis went a perfect eight-for-eight from the field for 16 points, while junior Libby Bazelak recorded a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Senior Jala Belcher of Eastmoor Academy (22-5) recorded a team-high in points with 10 and rebounds with nine. Senior Amani Burke led the Warriors in assists with five.

For the third-consecutive year, Alter will play in the championship game after winning the title in 2015 and finishing as runner-up in 2014. The Knights face the winner of the second Division II semifinal matchup between Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown (17-10) and Ottawa-Glandorf (25-2) on Saturday at 2 p.m.


Division II Semifinal
Ottawa-Glandorf 51, Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown 40
COLUMBUS, Ohio � Ottawa-Glandorf defeated Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown, 51-40, to advance to the 2016 OHSAA Girls Basketball Division II State Final on Saturday at Value City Arena inside the Jerome Schottenstein Center. In a rematch of 2015�s Division II championship game, Ottawa (26-2) will face Kettering Archbishop Alter (27-2) at 2 p.m.

Tied 26-26 at halftime and down three points going into the fourth quarter, Ottawa held Hathaway Brown scoreless throughout the fourth quarter, forcing the Blazers to go 0-for-10 from the field. With no points in the quarter, Hathaway Brown (17-11) holds the record among all divisions for fewest points in a quarter of a state tournament semifinal game.

Ottawa sophomore Kadie Hempfling led all scorers with 20 points after going seven-for-18 from the field. Ottawa junior Kylie White recorded a game-high in rebounds with 11 while scoring 11 points to finish with a double-double.

Hathaway Brown sophomore Jackie Carman led the Blazers in scoring with 14 points. Hathaway junior Dani Lawson recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds on the night.


Division IV Semifinal
Waterford 52, Willoughby Cornerstone Christian 42
COLUMBUS, Ohio � Second-ranked Waterford capitalized on near-perfect free-throw shooting and a 13-2 run in the second quarter to defeat Willoughby Cornerstone Christian Academy, 52-42, to advance to the 2016 OHSAA Girls Basketball Division IV State Final on Saturday at Value City Arena inside the Jerome Schottenstein Center.

Waterford (27-1) trailed 13-8 after the first quarter but turned it around defensively in the second, forcing Willoughby Cornerstone to go one-for-10 from the field. Waterford, meanwhile, shot 3-for-11 from the field in second quarter while going a perfect seven-for-seven from the free-throw line to take a lead that they would not relinquish. Overall, Waterford went nearly perfect from the free-throw line, hitting 23 of 24 total attempts.

Waterford had three players scoring in double figures, led by sophomore Alli Kern who finished with 12 points on four-of-six shooting. Waterford sophomore Megan Ball scored 11 points, aided by a perfect seven-for-seven effort from the free-throw line while senior Dani Dryer added 10 points, hitting six-of-six free-throw attempts.

Cornerstone (23-5) went 13-for-49 from the field with senior Ashley West recording a game-high 18 points and 8 rebounds. Senior Jordan Cloonan scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Patriots.

Waterford will play the winner of the second Division 4 semifinal between Fostoria St. Wendelin (25-3) and Jackson Center (21-7) in Saturday�s Division 4 championship game at 5:15 p.m. at Value City Arena inside the Jerome Schottenstein Center.


Division IV Semifinal
Fostoria St. Wendlin 47, Jackson Center 37
COLUMBUS, Ohio � Everything went through Fostoria St. Wendelin senior Kamryn Troike on Friday afternoon as Troike controlled the paint on both ends of the floor to help lead St. Wendelin to a 47-37 victory over Jackson Center in the 2016 OHSAA Girls Basketball Division IV Semifinal at Value City Arena inside the Jerome Schottenstein Center.

In looking to attack down low, St. Wendlin (26-3) scored 28 points in the paint. Troike nearly earned a triple-double after recording 24 points, 17 rebounds and eight blocks. With 17 rebounds, Troike tied a record for most rebounds in a Division IV state semifinal game. Wendelin senior Allie Rutter score 11 points and dished a team-high four assists while junior Hailee Burns added eight points for the Mohawks.

Leading 26-16 at halftime, Jackson Center cut the deficit to seven by the start of the fourth quarter. Fostoria, however, managed to go four-for-eight from the field and seven-for-11 from the free-throw line to seal its first birth to the state final after losing in the semifinal to Waterford in 2015.

Jackson Center (21-8) shot 24.5 percent from the field, going 12-for-49 on the game. Senior Nicole Fogt led the Tigers with 14 points and nine rebounds while senior Pauline Meyer had a game-high three steals in addition to her 10 points.

Wendelin will play Waterford (27-1) in the state championship game on Saturday at 5:15 p.m. at Value City Arena inside the Jerome Schottenstein Center.


Division I Semifinal
Wadsworth 58, Reynoldsburg 48
COLUMBUS, Ohio � Wadsworth defeated Reynoldsburg 58-48 in a 2016 OHSAA Division I girls basketball state semifinal at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on Friday and punched its ticket to a state championship for the first time since 1997.

Wadsworth (27-1) held a decisive advantage inside, outscoring Reynoldsburg 30-16 in the paint and winning the battle on the boards, 38-23.

Wadsworth senior Jodi Johnson led the way with 24 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Sophia Fortner pitched in with nine points.

Reynoldsburg started strong, beginning the game on a 13-7 run and leading 19-11 at the end of one. Junior Brooklyn Pannell recorded 10 first quarter points on four-of-five shooting for the Raiders.

But Wadsworth answered, beginning the second quarter on a 9-2 run, cutting the Reynoldsburg lead to just 21-20. With its lead cut to 21-20, Reynoldsburg responded with a 7-0 run of its own, extending the lead to 28-20.

Reynoldsburg took a 31-27 lead into halftime. Wadsworth shot just 21.4 percent in the first half compared to 53.3 percent for Reynoldsburg, but outrebounded Reynoldsburg 21-11 and grabbed 13 offensive rebounds. Johnson led the way for Wadsworth in the first half with 13 of the team�s 27 points.

In the third quarter, Wadsworth edged Reynoldsburg 11-10 to go into the fourth trailing just 41-38.

Trailing 43-39 with 6:17 remaining, Fortner connected on a three-pointer and then Johnson hit a jumper at the 5:44 mark to give Wadsworth the lead, 44-43 and spark a 19-5 run to end the game. Wadsworth used the run to take control and earn the win, 58-48. Wadsworth shot 57 percent in the fourth quarter and held Reynoldsburg to 22 percent shooting in the final frame.

The 2016 OHSAA Division I girls basketball state championship will be Saturday at 8:30 p.m.


Division I Semifinal
Mason 48, Solon 31
COLUMBUS, Ohio � Mason defeated Solon 48-31 in a 2016 OHSAA Division I girls basketball state semifinal at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus on Friday.

Mason (26-2) will face Wadsworth (27-1) in the Division I state championship Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Wadsworth�s only defeat came against Mason in a regular season contest on January 17 by a score of 41-30.

The Comets will be appearing in their fourth girls basketball state final in school history and their first since 2000.

Mason held Solon to 21.1 percent shooting for the game and 11.1 percent from the field in the fourth quarter. Mason also held decisive advantage inside, scoring 36 of its 48 points in the paint.

Freshman Sammie Puisis paced Mason with 21 points and five rebounds. Senior Jailyn Mason recorded 10 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Mason led 11-9 heading into the second quarter. At the 7:24 mark of the second, Mason junior Samari Mowbray drove the lane for a layup to spark a 14-3 second quarter run that saw Mason take a 25-12 lead with 1:22 until halftime.

Mason outscored Solon 16-5 in the second quarter and took a 27-14 lead into the break. Puisis led Mason at halftime with 11 points and four rebounds. Mason shot 70 percent in the second quarter and held Solon to 29.4 percent shooting in the first half.

Solon trailed 34-18 at the 3:07 mark of the third quarter, but went on a 9-2 run to end the quarter to pull within striking distance, 36-27 heading into the fourth.

But Mason began the fourth quarter on a 12-2 run, regaining momentum and extending its lead to 48-29 with 2:31 to go, which it maintained on the way to a 48-31 victory.

 

 

Division III State Championship Game

Columbus Africentric Early College Wins Fifth State Title
Lady Nubians top Marion Pleasant, win second title in three years

 

GAME STATS

COLUMBUS, Ohio � Columbus Africentric Early College capitalized on 36 turnovers by Marion Pleasant and went on a 16-3 run in the third quarter to win the 2016 OHSAA Girls Basketball Division III State Tournament, 59-37, for the second time in three years on Saturday afternoon at Value City Arena inside the Jerome Schottenstein Center.

Africentric Head Coach William McKinney reflected on his team�s composure and ability to come from behind.

�It was great playing against a team in our district,� McKinney said. �It speaks volumes to the level of play in Central Ohio. It was a hard fought game and I�m happy that my ladies were able to compose themselves after having a sluggish start in the first half. To be able to come back and score off of our turnovers and keep our composure, I was very impressed with that.�

Columbus Africentric (24-5) trailed 10-11 after the first quarter, shooting 17.6 percent on three-of-17 shooting. Going into halftime, Pleasant held a 23-19 lead, shooting eight-for-16 from the field while hitting six-of-eight from the free throw line.

The Lady Nubians took back the lead early on in the second half thanks to a 10-0 run to start the third quarter. Africentric outscored Pleasant 16-3 in the quarter to take a 35-25 lead going into the fourth.

A stifling Africentric defense and converting off turnovers made for a strong finish for the Lady Nubians, who outscored Pleasant 24-11 in the fourth quarter and 40-14 in the second half. Africentric scored 32 points off of 36 forced turnovers.

Africentric junior Kynnedy Azubike led all scorers with 15 points on six-for-11 shooting. Junior Leah Morrow tallied 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds while freshman Jordan Horston added 11 points and seven rebounds. Africentric overall shot 37.7 percent from the field, including going 18-for-20 from the free throw line. 34 of Africentric�s 59 points were scored within the paint. Africentric�s victory marks its fifth overall girls basketball state championship.

Marion Pleasant (27-3) was led by senior Kamryn Kimmel�s team-high nine points, seven rebounds and two assists. Junior Summer Blevins and sophomore Leah Maniaci each added seven points for the Spartans. En route to its first state championship game, Marion Pleasant recorded a school record for the most wins in a season in program history with 27.

 

 

Division II State Championship Game

Kettering Archbishop Alter Wins Back-to-Back Titles
Alter defeats Ottawa-Glandorf with record-setting performance

 

GAME STATS

COLUMBUS, Ohio � In a rematch of last year�s Division II girls basketball state championship game, Kettering Archbishop Alter put forth a record-setting scoring performance to defeat Ottawa-Glandorf, 74-48, on its way to winning its second-consecutive OHSAA Girls Basketball Division II State Tournament championship on Saturday afternoon at Value City Arena inside the Jerome Schottenstein Center.

Archbishop Alter Head Coach Christina Hart commended her team�s effort, not just in Saturday�s game, but also throughout the season.

�What a great effort by our kids, and what a ride this whole year has been," Hart said. "The last three years, honestly. The fact that it was so physical in the first half - our kids showed resiliency in the locker room, and the way we came out in the third quarter really spoke to our tenacity.�

Archbishop Alter (28-2) led for all but two and half minutes throughout the game, converting on 58 percent of its shots, going 22-for-38 from the field including nine-for-15 from three-point range. Alter set the record for most points in a Division II Girls State championship game with 74.

Alter junior Braxtin Miller recorded a double-double, recording a game-high 33 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Libby Bazelak and senior Kara Stephen each added 10 points for the Knights.

Alter started strong, holding onto a 14-8 lead after the first quarter. Ottawa-Glandorf outscored Alter in the second quarter 14-13 to head into halftime down 27-22. Archbishop capitalized on a 10-1 run in the third quarter, shooting 78 percent from the field in the quarter to head into the fourth leading 48-36. The Knights capitalized on free-throws in the fourth quarter, going 9-for-12 and 21-for-28 overall. Alter hit seven of twelve shots in the fourth, including three of four three point attempts. Finishing with 26 points in the fourth quarter, Alter set a record for the most points in a quarter of a Division II Girls State championship game.

Ottawa-Glandorf (26-3) shot 46 percent from the field, going 21-for-46 from the field, including three-for-16 from beyond the three-point line. 36 of Ottawa�s 48 points came in the paint. Freshman Erin Kaufman led the Lady Titans in points with 12. Junior Kylie White added 11 points and sophomore Kadie Hempfling tallied 10 points and four rebounds.

Saturday�s victory marks Alter�s third girls basketball state championship and fifth appearance in the state final.

 

 

Division IV State Championship

Waterford Wins First State Championship In School History
Waterford defeats Fostoria St. Wendelin 29-27 in close, defensive, OHSAA Division IV girls basketball state championship
 

GAME STATS


COLUMBUS, Ohio � Waterford sophomore Megan Ball drove the lane and connected on a game winning layup with 13 seconds to go, as Waterford hung on to defeat Fostoria St. Wendelin 29-27 in the 2016 OHSAA Division IV girls basketball state championship at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on Saturday.

With the victory, Waterford (28-1) captured its first team state championship in school history in any sport.

�These guys have been through a lot,� said Waterford head coach Jerry Close. �Every experience these girls have had in four years has made them strong and they�ll be successful in life because of the things they�ve gone through these last four years. The things that sports teaches them, it�s amazing.�

A defensive struggle the entire way, the game set OHSAA girls basketball state championship game records across all divisions for fewest points by both teams (56) and fewest points by a winning team (29)

Waterford shot just 18.9 percent, 10-of-53 from the field, but forced St. Wendelin into 27 turnovers and held the Mohawks to just 23 shot attempts. The Wildcats pulled down 21 offensive rebounds in the game.

St. Wendelin went 10-of-23 from the field but shot just five-of-thirteen from the free throw line.

For Waterford, Ball finished with a team-high 10 points, going six-of-six from the free throw line and grabbed six rebounds. Senior Regan Porter added eight points and six rebounds.

Senior Allie Rutter led the way for St. Wendelin, scoring a game-high 11 points and pulled down five rebounds. Senior Kamryn Troike added seven points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.

Waterford led St. Wendelin 6-5 at the end of the first quarter and the game was tied at halftime, 12-12.

A low scoring third quarter saw Waterford take a 17-16 advantage into the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter trailing 25-22 with 1:42 to go, St. Wendelin senior Allie Rutter hit a three-point shot from the corner to tie the game at 25-25. Waterford countered with a Porter jumper to reclaim the lead, 27-25 with 1:11 left. On the other end, St. Wendelin sophomore Peighton Troike responded with a jumper of her own to tie the game back up at 27-27 with 51 seconds left.

On the ensuing possession, St. Wendelin stole the ball and called timeout with 27 seconds to go. After the timeout, an attempted lob inside to Troike was stolen by Waterford sophomore Alli Kern with 18 seconds to go. Kern passed it to Ball, who took it coast-to-coast for the game clinching layup with 13 seconds left.

St. Wendelin had a chance at the end, but could not convert an inside shot with one second to go, as Waterford took the game and state championship, 29-27.

An emotional win for the Wildcats, senior leader Dani Drayer spoke about the meaning of the victory. �It means everything,� said Drayer. �I know they�re all really proud of us. We have the best community.�

 

 

Division I State Championship
Wadsworth Wins Second Girls Basketball State Championship, Defeats Mason 60-51
Wadsworth upsets Mason in rematch to win Division I state title
 

GAME STATS


COLUMBUS, Ohio � Mason defeated Wadsworth in the regular season 41-30, but Wadsworth took the rematch on the state�s biggest stage, defeating Mason 60-51 in the 2016 OHSAA Division I girls basketball state championship at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on Saturday.

Wadsworth captured its second girls basketball state title and first since 1997, when it also beat Mason to claim the state championship crown.

Wadsworth (28-1) never trailed, shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 87.5 percent from the free throw line (24-of-27).

�Our mindset was if we�re going to play in the state championship game, let�s leave nothing on the court and have no regrets when we come in the locker room,� said Wadsworth head coach Andrew Booth.

Senior Jodi Johnson led the way for Wadsworth, scoring 28 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and 10-of-11 from the free throw line. Sophomore Peyton Banks added eight points off the bench on four-of-four shooting from the free throw line.

Mason was led by senior Lauren Van Kleunen with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Jailyn Mason added 10 points for the Comets.

Wadsworth started quickly, beginning the game on a 10-0 run and led 16-6 at the end of the first quarter.

The Grizzlies increased their advantage in the second quarter, outscoring Mason 14-8 in the period and took a 30-14 lead into the locker room. Johnson led Wadsworth at the break with 12 points on four-of-seven shooting. Wadsworth shot 55 percent and held Mason to 27.8 percent shooting in the first half.

But the tides changed in the third quarter. Mason began the third on an 11-5 run and outscored Wadsworth 16-7 in the quarter and trailed just 37-30 through three.

In the fourth, Johnson hit a three-pointer from the quarter to begin the scoring in the fourth, giving the Grizzlies a 40-30 lead with 7:30 to go. Mason responded, going on a 12-5 run over the next 2:57 to pull within three points, 45-42 with 4:33 to go.

But Wadsworth was determined not to give up its lead, outscoring Mason 15-9 to end the game. Wadsworth�s free throw shooting was key down the stretch, as the Grizzlies went six-of-six at the line in the last 59 seconds. Wadsworth never let its lead slip below three points in the fourth, going on to win 60-51.

Johnson scored 12 of Wadsworth�s 23 fourth quarter points and went five-of-six from the free throw line in the final frame. �When it�s winning time, number 15 in the white jersey is a pretty good one to have on your side,� said Booth.

The attendance for the game was 4,783.

 

 

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