Mt. Notre Dame wins Div. I crown; Regina, Hathaway are on top

COLUMBUS — Kathryn Reynolds and Gabby Smith had 13 points apiece to lead four players in double figures as Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame earned its fourth straight title with a 52-38 victory over Toledo Start in the Division I championship Saturday.

The top-ranked Cougars (27-1) tied the record set by South Euclid Regina’s four consecutive Division III championships from 2000-03. Mount Notre Dame has played in the last six state title games and won five, losing only in 2005.

Kendall Hackney, the 2009 Associated Press Ohio Ms. Basketball, scored 12 points and Ashley Fowler had 10 for Mount Notre Dame. Hackney went to the bench on her third foul with 4:17 left in the second quarter, and the Cougars failed to score the rest of the half but held Start to only 3 points for a 21-15 lead at the break.

Yolanda Richardson, an AP first team All-Ohio selection, had 15 points for Start (22-4) in its first title game.

Division II

COLUMBUS — Erica Almady had 13 points and hit clutch free throws in the final seconds to secure a 52-46 victory for Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown over Wapakoneta in the Division II championship game.

Brown (21-6) earned its first championship and avoided becoming the first school to lose three straight titles games.

A rebound basket by Molly Crosby with 2:07 to play gave the Blazers a 46-44 lead. Brown’s Alexis Dobbs and Wapakoneta’s Devon Golden added two free throws each to make it 48-46 with 15 seconds left. Almady then went 4-of-4 from the line to finish the game.

Golden had 18 points and Heidi Schlegel had 17 as Wapakoneta (25-2) fell short in its first state final.

Brown’s Mylan Woods, the Associated Press Division II co-player of the year, scored 9 points and fouled out with 4:13 to play and the score tied at 42.

Division III

COLUMBUS — Amber Boyd scored 23 points to lead South Euclid Regina to a record-tying sixth state title with a 63-48 win over Oak Hill in the Division III championship.

The second-ranked Royals (27-0) have matched Pickerington for the most championships in Ohio basketball history after winning from 2000 to 2003 and adding a fifth title in 2005.

Oak Hill (25-2) rallied in the third quarter but trailed 55-46 with 4:30 left.

Regina jumped to a 61-46 advantage as Tay’ler Mingo went 6-of-8 on free throws in a three-minute span and finished with 8 points. Riley McCormick scored 12.

Lakin Caudill had 16 points and Rebecca Puckett added 15 for No. 5 Oak Hill.

Boyd broke a Division III championship record set in 1989 and matched in 1997 by making six 3-pointers.

Regina coach Pat Diulus collected his record ninth title. He had earned three titles with Garfield Heights.

Division IV

COLUMBUS — Shardai Morrison-Fountain scored 13 points in the second half to help Columbus Africentric overcome a 17-point deficit to avenge last year’s Division IV championship loss with a 55-46 victory over Berlin Hiland.

Shardai Morrison-Fountain scored all 13 of her points in the second half, including seven in the fourth quarter as the Nubians (23-4) rallied from a 46-37 deficit with 6:50 to play. Raven Ferguson had 17 points and six rebounds, while Associated Press Division IV co-player of the year Ashar Harris had 14 points, 16 rebounds and three steals.

Karli Mast had 11 points for Hiland (26-2), who was trying to repeat last year’s 44-37 win over the Nubians.