Girls state basketball: Avon Lake no match for Purcell Marian in title game (UPDATED)

DAYTON — Avon Lake's dream of winning its first state championship in 31 years ended Friday at the hands of three-time Ohio Ms. Basketball Dee Alexander and her Purcell Marian teammates. The Shoregals fell behind by 15 points in the first quarter and never recovered in a 72-44 loss to the Cavaliers in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division III state championship game at the University of Dayton. After holding its previous six opponents to a season low in points, Avon Lake (23-6) didn't have an answer for the shooting and size of the Cavaliers, who won their fourth straight state title. "We faced a lot of length and size that we don't usually see with Dee being 6-1," senior guard Olivia Tobin said. "They are a dominant team and honestly they play a different brand of basketball than anything we've seen." Neither team scored for the first two minutes, but as soon as Purcell Marian got on the board that allowed it to get into its full-court press and force Avon Lake into mistakes. The Shoregals committed seven turnovers in the opening period and were just 3-of-8 shooting in the first quarter as the Cavaliers built a 23-8 lead. "It was a special season for our girls to go on the run we went on," Avon Lake coach Paul Appel said. "I couldn't be more proud of the entire team, especially our three seniors. I've enjoyed watching them become exceptional basketball players and exceptional young women." Avon Lake never led. With 5:20 to play in the second quarter, senior Izzie Polinko make a pair of free throws that cut the Purcell Marian lead to 30-10. It was the last time Avon Lake trailed by fewer than 21 points. Alexander had 27 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks. The free throw line was the one area where Avon Lake excelled against the Cavaliers, going 9-for-9. "Their intensity and aggressiveness was something we saw a few times this year against teams like Olmsted Falls and Brush," Polinko said. "But they knew how to stay aggressive the whole game and we had a tough time matching it at points. Defensively we always do well but it was tough to match up against them." The Cavaliers' 72 points were the most Avon Lake allowed all season. It was the first time in 16 games Avon Lake allowed more than 50. Alexander and 6-foot-3 sophomore center Samaya Wilkins, who had 11 points, dominated inside for the Cavaliers, who had 40 points in the paint compared to Avon Lake's 22. Ky'Aria Miller also had 16 points for Purcell Marian, including five 3-pointers. Avon Lake was led by Olivia Miller, who had 12 points, and Polinko, who finished with 11. Purcell Marian (23-6) became only the fourth school to win at least four consecutive state championships. "Before the game we talked about what we had to do. We said we had to go out and do for 32 minutes what we've been doing this entire season," coach Jamar Mosley said. "We wanted to put ourselves in a position to win a basketball game and for 32 minutes we did that." Alexander made a free throw with 5:10 to go in the third quarter that gave her team a 58-23 lead and started a running clock. Avon Lake's Evelyn Ritt hit a 3-pointer with less than four minutes to play that capped a 10-2 run and cut the Shoregals' deficit to 65-38 and stopped the running clock for the remainder of the game. Even though Avon Lake knew it faced a monumental task against the Cavaliers, Appel wanted to make sure his players savored the moment of playing in a state championship game. "Coach Appel did a good job of reminding us it's a huge game but also to take it all in," Polinko said. "He didn't want to leave with any regrets on not doing certain things on the court. He told us to have fun. We did that. It was a great experience. We made history this year." Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Purcell Marian 72, Avon Lake 44 AVON LAKE (44): Olivia Tobin 3-0-7, Izzie Polinko 4-3-11, Olivia Miller 4-4-12, Bre Jones 3-0-7, Molly Milligan 1-2-4, Evelyn Ritt 1-0-3, Alyssa Jones 0-0-0, Bri Droke 0-0-0, Rachel Besaw 0-0-0, Mariela DiTullio 0-0-0, Frankie Persia 0-0-0, Riley Koury 0-0-0. Totals 16-9-44. PURCELL MARIAN (72): Dee Alexander 11-5-27, Ky'Aira Miller 4-1-11, Trinity Small 5-1-16, Samaya Wilkins 5-1-11, Layla Claxton 3-0-7, Cy'Aira 0-0-0, Jaylah Winters 0-0-0, Alexis McDonald 0-0-0, Genayia Wilburn 0-0-0 Totals 28-8-72. Avon Lake 8 13 7 16 —&emsp;44 Purcell Marian 23 22 18 9 —&emsp;72 Three-point goals: Avon Lake (Ritt, Tobin, B. Jones), Purcell Marian (Small 5, K. Miller 2, Claxton). Field goals: Avon Lake 16-38 (42 percent), Purcell Marian 28-51 (55 percent). Free throws: Avon Lake 9-9 (100 percent), Purcell Marian 8-11 (73 percent). Rebounds: Avon Lake 20, Purcell Marian 28. Turnovers: Avon Lake 12, Purcell Marian 8. Team fouls: Avon Lake 15, Purcell Marian 12.