DAYTON, Ohio — Avery Brandewie scored 22 points including 18 in the second half as Fort Loramie beat Convoy Crestview 50-41 in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division IV girls’ basketball state semifinal at UD Arena on Thursday. 

Fort Loramie (27-2) erased a 23-19 halftime deficit and went on an 8-0 run at the start of the third quarter using four different scorers to give the Redskins their first lead of the game.

An 8-0 run this time by Convoy Crestview (26-3) sparked by a pair of layups by Cali Gregory helped the Lady Knights extend their lead back as far as four points.

Brandewie began the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run of her own and knocked down a jump shot with 5:03 left to play, helping Fort Loramie lead 37-33.

“I had to get the passes from someone so I’m not going to take all the credit at all,” Brandewie said. “They opened it up for me. They allowed it to space out, and like coach said, we’re a team.”

The Convoy Crestview High School girls basketball team lines up before the National Anthem during the OHSAA Girls State Tournament semifinal at UD Arena on Thursday. (Spectrum News 1/Jacob Benge)

Gregory drained a 3-pointer with 33 seconds remaining to end a 2:01 scoreless streak for the Lady Knights, drawing the game to 44-38 in favor of Fort Loramie.

Brandewie went 6-for-6 at the free throw line in the final 29 seconds to ice the game.

Fort Loramie shot 48.5% from the field and saw all five starters play the entire fourth quarter. They all scored at least four points.

“I can’t say enough about the way these girls did not show any defeat on the floor no matter what the score was,” Fort Loramie head coach Carla Siegel said. “We preach team basketball at Fort Laramie. It’s probably why our leading scorer only averages 10 points a game. And I felt like these five girls played team basketball tonight and their team basketball is what won the game.”

Fans of the Fort Loramie High School girls basketball team raise their arms and wiggle their fingers during the OHSAA Girls State Tournament semifinal at UD Arena on Thursday. (Spectrum News 1/Jacob Benge)

Gregory led the Lady Knights with 22 points on 9-of-26 shooting, including four 3-pointers. Ellie Kline had 10 points.

“I think the biggest difference, just their defensive intensity in the second half. They ramped up their intensity,” Convoy Crestview head coach Mark Gregory said. “In the game of basketball, you have to hit shots. And I think in the second half, we didn’t hit as many shots as we did in the first half.”

Fort Loramie will play Waterford (24-3) in the Division IV final on Saturday at 10:45 a.m.