by DAYTON, Ohio—In a matchup of two of the best individual girls basketball players in the nation, let alone the state, Dee Alexander of Cincinnati Purcell Marian showed that she had the kind of help necessary to win a state championship.
Purcell’s 79-52 victory over Laurel at the University of Dayton was the third state championship in a row for the Cavaliers, something that hasn’t been done since Kettering Alter won three consecutive Division II titles in 2015-2016-2017. Purcell, which ends the season with a 29-1 mark, won the Division III crown in 2022 and the Division II titles in 2023 and 2024.
“We were clicking on all cylinders from the start,” said Purcell coach Jamar Mosley. “They just did everything we talked about for the past 24 hours.”
Laurel’s Saniyah Hall, the third-rated 10th-grader in the nation, did all that she could, scoring 21 points and pulling down a game-high 13 rebounds. But she was unable to keep up with the depth of the Cavaliers, who had six players score at least seven points, led by Alexander and Ky’Aira Miller with 18 points each and Samaya Wilkins with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
After the game, Laurel coach Terrina Robinson made it known that Hall had been in the emergency room on Monday and had not practiced all week.
“She is not 100 percent and has not been 100 percent,” Robinson said. “But she still came out and gave everything she had for 32 minutes. I’m going to tell you what I told her: ‘Regardless of how you think you played, I’m going to continue to ride behind you and I’m going to continue to support you. There’s nothing you could ever do to let me down.’ She has put this team and this program on her back all year.”
Alexander, who is ranked as the No. 4 junior in the country, only played the first 1 minute, 56 seconds of the first quarter before picking up her second foul and being banished to the bench. At the time, the score was tied at six after Hall completed a traditional three-point play.
But with Alexander sitting on the bench, Purcell finished the period on a 14-4 run to take a 20-10 lead. Alexander then scored seven points in the second period, and the lead ballooned up to 38-20 by halftime.
Robinson acknowledged that the Gators failed to take advantage of the opportunity to make hay while Alexander was on the bench, but she said that her team that consists entirely of 9th and 10th graders, was frustrated at how the game was being officiated.
“I’m not big on making excuses,” she said. “I know we turned the ball over a lot, and I know we’re a young team. I never want to blame the refs, but I just felt like that first half, they got every call and we had to work a lot harder for ours. That’s not anything we’re not used to, but these are kids, and it’s not fair to not give them a fair shot.
“Our game plan was to get (Alexander) in foul trouble. We played them last year and she picked up two quick fouls last year as well. Our frustration came when their kids were flopping and they’re getting every single call, and our kids couldn’t understand how they were picking up these quick fouls. We try to preach to our kids to be able to fight through that frustration, but, they’re kids. Obviously, we could have taken care of the ball better. Yes, we should have taken advantage of when she was out. We should have moved the ball better. But, it’s tough.”
It didn’t get any better for Laurel in the third quarter, which ended with Purcell on top, 60-35. Tristan Williams, who also missed some practice time this past week because of illness, came alive for the Gators late in the contest, scoring all 13 of her points in the final 9:06 of the game, including three 3-pointers.
But in the end, it was too much Dee Alexander and too much Purcell. Of course it depends on the new divisions next year, but these teams could meet again for a state title next year. Purcell only has one senior in its rotation, and Laurel has no seniors on the roster.
