"It's great. The adversity we battled through this year, everybody talking about all the pressure that was on us. I'm just happy and proud of the girls keeping the outside noise where it was. They wanted four-for-four,

Three-time Ms. Basketball winner Dee Alexander finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to lead Purcell Marian to its fourth straight state championship.

It’s one thing trying to prepare for a team like Cincinnati Purcell Marian, but it’s another stepping on the court to play them.

Purcell Marian jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never led by less than five points the rest of the way, beating Avon Lake, 72-44, to capture the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division III state championship on Friday at University of Dayton Arena. Purcell Marian finished the season with a 23-6 record. Avon Lake also finished 23-6.

The Avon Lake Shoregals have strung together a few stalwart defensive performances in matchups against some of the best teams in Northeast Ohio and it has brought them to their first OHSAA girls basketball championship appearance in 31 years.

Avon Lake guard Olivia Tobin isn’t the biggest or the most athletic player. She has her own approach. “It’s brain over brawn and work smarter, not harder,” Tobin said. Avon Lake entered this

The old saying in sports, “It’s hard to beat a good team twice,” holds true for the Avon Lake girls basketball team, especially in its recent playoff run. Head coach Paul Appel, knowing the Shoregals had the talent and scheme to make a deep run,