Mount Notre Dame wallops Solon, 56-36

A freshman's strong game led the Cincinnati school to another title.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- Kendall Hackney is sure glad she decided to attend Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame rather than Mason.
The 6-foot-1 freshman forward scored 12 points, including eight that helped stretch the lead in the third quarter, and Mount Notre Dame overwhelmed cold-shooting Solon 56-36 Saturday night to win the Division I girls state basketball championship.
"This is the reason I came to this program," said Hackney, who lives in suburban Cincinnati. "I came to win state."
The Cougars (25-3) shook off early struggles to outscore the Comets 35-22 in the second half. Solon committed 22 turnovers -- double its number of baskets -- and missed 18 of its 32 free throws.
Solon (23-4) scored a Division I-low one point in the first quarter, but stayed close until the third because Mount Notre Dame struggled in the second.
Leading 13-1 with 1:33 remaining in the first quarter, Mount Notre Dame didn't score again until Katie Paganelli's layup with 3:16 to go in the second made it 15-6. Mount Notre Dame led 21-14 at the half.
Big second half
Hackney sparked the Cougars after the break. She opened the second half with a 3-pointer and a putback, and after Ashley Fowler had a layup, Hackney hit another 3. Beth Perry followed with a 3 to give the Cougars a 34-20 lead.
"I knew somebody had to step up. I felt like I needed to do that for my team and [the shots] just went in," Hackney said.
Mount Notre Dame coach Scott Rogers was impressed by the 15-year-old Hackney's clutch play.
"She's a tough kid," he said. "She hit a huge 3, got a great putback and got us going."
Mount Notre Dame stretched its advantage to 43-24 on a 9-0 run that included two layups by Lee Stephens and two by Kaitlin Heimbuch.
The Cougars won their second state title in three years. They defeated Dayton Chaminade-Julienne for the 2004 crown and lost to C-J in the final last year.
"It doesn't even feel real right now," said Stephens, also a key contributor to the championship two years ago. "I just can't believe it. It hasn't hit me yet for sure."
Paganelli led Mount Notre Dame with 15 points. Stephens finished with 12 points, eight steals, five rebounds and four assists, but she went only 4-of-15 from the field, missing all eight of her 3-point attempts.
Kourtney Brown, who had 31 points and 12 rebounds in Solon's 66-62 semifinal win over Wadsworth on Friday, scored 13 points with 12 rebounds. Erin Wisner, coming off 18 points and 12 rebounds in the semis, scored 12 with 12 boards.