DAYTON, Ohio — Dee Alexander and Ky’Aira Miller each had 18 points as Cincinnati Purcell Marian beat Shaker Heights Laurel 79-52 to win their third-consecutive state title in the Ohio High School Athletic Association girls basketball Division II state championship game at UD Arena on Saturday.

OHSAA High School Basketball

 

Cincinnati Purcell Marian (29-1) broke the Division II state championship scoring record topping Napoleon’s previous high of 76 points set in 2021.

“Our girls just came out and really just executed everything that we’ve talked about the last 24 hours,” Cincinnati Purcell Marian head coach Jamar Mosley said. “We know what we had coming. We had a good shootaround, good walkthrough this morning, and girls just came out and executed what we were trying to do.”

Alexander, who earned Ohio Ms. Basketball for a second consecutive year, collected two fouls within the first 1:56 of the game, and Cincinnati Purcell Marian had to look for additional contributors while she spent time on the bench.

Both teams knotted at eight points in the first quarter following a media timeout. The Cavaliers went on a 12-0 run and never trailed the rest of the way.

“We’ve always had a goal just to get better every day, every practice, every game,” Alexander said. “So it was just if we knew that we got better by the day, by the game, by the practice then we knew that we would come on top.”

Cincinnati Purcell Marian led by as many as 32 points in the fourth quarter.

Samaya Wilkins also scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. The Cavaliers forced 17 turnovers and capitalized for 27 points on those extra possessions.

Shaker Heights Laurel High School girls basketball head coach Terrina Robinson leads a timeout huddle during the OHSAA Girls State Tournament final at UD Arena in Dayton on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Spectrum News 1/Jacob Benge)

“Something that we always talk about, just take care of the basketball,” Mosley said. “If we take care of the basketball and execute on the defensive end, most of the time we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win basketball games.”

Shaker Heights Laurel (19-11) made its first appearance in the state championship game in program history.

Saniyah Hall led all scorers with 21 points and had 14 rebounds. Tristan Williams had 13 points.

“I personally feel like we had the hardest route to get here,” Shaker Heights Laurel head coach Terrina Robinson said. “When I look back at the route that we had to take to make it here, I can’t help but to be proud of my freshmen and sophomores. Emphasis on my freshmen and sophomores. We’re not losing anybody. We’re only going to get better.”

To view the recorded game, click here.