DAYTON, Ohio — Reynoldsburg’s pressure and tempo were too much for Anthony Wayne to handle, as the Raiders advanced to the OHSAA Girls Basketball Division I state championship game, winning Friday 67-48.
Reynoldsburg’s pressure forced 21 Generals’ turnovers, 12 of which were off steals. Mya Perry (Ohio State bound) and Imarianah Russel (West Virginia), with 20 points each, led Reynoldsburg.
The Generals got 20 points from Brooke Bender and 12 from her twin sister, Elise.
There were lots of whistles in this game, as the teams combined for 42 fouls, and 55 free throw attempts. Anthony Wayne star freshman Elise Bender was limited to 11 minutes due to foul trouble, after picking up her fourth just 45 seconds into the second half.
It was the 16th straight win for Reynoldsburg, the second longest in the state after Purcell Marian’s 21 in a row.
That means It’s Reynoldsburg and Mason, a 54-35 winner in the other semifinal, in the Division I championship game on Saturday. You can see all four state finals on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News App.
10:45 a.m. – Division III (Worthington Christian vs. Purcell Marian)
2 p.m. – Division II (Alter vs. Sheridan)
5:15 p.m. – Division IV (Waterford vs. New Knoxville)
8:30 p.m. – Division I (Reynoldsburg vs. Mason)
OHSAA Championship Gameday, hosted by MaryLee Melendez and Dave Cecutti begins 15 minutes before each game, and immediately following coverage, they’ll return with postgame analysis and interviews.