Live updates: Purcell Marian defeats Laurel in OHSAA girls basketball Division II state championship game
DAYTON, Ohio - Purcell Marian and Laurel will meet up on Saturday evening in the OHSAA Division II girls basketball state championship game at the University of Dayton Arena.
Defending Division II state champion Purcell Marian enters the game at 28-1 and advanced to the state championship with a 67-29 win over Copley. The Cavaliers also won the state title in Division III in 2022. Purcell Marian features junior 5-star recruit Dee Alexander, who is the back-to-back winner of Ohio's Ms. Basketball award.
Laurel is 19-10 and looking for its first state title. The Gators enter Saturday's title game after defeating Fairland 53-52 in the semifinals. Laurel is led by sophomore 5-star recruit Saniyah Hall.
The game is scheduled to tip at 5:15 pm. Stay tuned at SBLive Ohio for live coverage of the game as it unfolds.
First quarter updates:
6:04 left 1Q: Tied at 6-6. After Cy'Aira and Ky'Aira Miller each hit 3-pointers for Purcell Marian, Saniyah Hall scored six straight for Laurel with a 3-pointer and an and-1.
3:25 left 1Q: At the media timeout, Purcell Marian leads 11-8.
Samaya Wilkins of Purcell Marian and Sydnee Robinson of Laurel traded layups before Ky'Aira Miller found the range from deep again for the Cavaliers.
End 1Q: Purcell Marian leads 20-10 after the first quarter.
The defending state champs took control of the quarter, going on a 12-0 run. It started with the second Ky'Aira Miller 3-pointer and then she scored on a driving layup. Mackenzie Jones then got a steal and a layup and Trinity Small hit a pair of free throws.
Hall has six of the eight points for Laurel, but picked up her second foul late in the first. Alexander did not score for the Cavaliers and has two fouls as well.
Second quarter updates:
3:52 left 2Q: Purcell Marian leads 31-18 at the media timeout.
After Jayda Mosley hit a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 25-12, Hall responded with four straight points and Jordyn Meyer made a layup to cut it to 25-18.
But a 6-0 run by the Cavaliers, punctuated by an acrobatic and-1 by Alexander, gave Purcell Marian a 31-18 edge.
End 2Q: Purcell Marian takes a 38-20 lead into the half
The Cavaliers played a good portion of the half without Alexander, who picked up two early fouls in the first quarter and her third with 2:33 left in the second. Ohio's Ms. Basketball scored seven points and had three rebounds.
Ky'Aira Miller leads Purcell Marian with 10 points and sister Cy'Aira Miller added nine points.
Hall leads all scorers with 12 points and has six rebounds.
Third quarter updates:
3:41 left 3Q: Purcell Marian takes a 48-27 lead into the media timeout.
Alexander has six in the quarter so far to give her 13 in the game, while Hall has four points and leads all scorers with 16.
End 3Q: Purcell Marian has stretched the lead out to 25 at.60-35 after three quarters.
After another Mosley 3-pointer, Alexander connected on a layup to make it 53-27 and force Laurel head coach Terrina Robinson into a timeout.
Through three quarters, Alexander has 16 points and five rebounds and Hall has 18 points and 10 boards.
Fourth quarter updates:
3:53 left 3Q: Purcell Marian leads 73-44 at the final media timeout.
FINAL: Purcell Marian defends its Division II state title and wins its third state championship in a row with a 79-52 win.
Alexander and Ky'Aira Miller each scored 18 to pace the Cavaliers.
Hall had a double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds.
Stay with SBLive Ohio for a full story from this game.
Purcell Marian's Dee Alexander and Laurel's Saniyah Hall look on during a game on January 11, 2023. The teams will play for the Division II state title on Saturday.
Jeff harwell, SBLive Sports
-- Ryan Isley | ryan@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveoh
