Girls high school basketball || Friday’s state semifinals

DIVISION I

Twinsburg 49,

Reynoldsburg 41

COLUMBUS

Defending champion Twinsburg held off top-ranked and previously unbeaten Reynoldsburg in a Division I girls basketball state semifinal. Ashley Morrissette made all six of her free throws in the final 70 seconds for Twinsburg. She had 19 points. The Tigers (24-3) play Kettering Fairmont in a repeat of last year’s final today at 8:30 p.m. Twinsburg, No. 2 in the Associated Press poll, led 42-33 with 2:25 to play, but Reynoldsburg pulled to within 44-41 on a 3-pointer by Aliyah Zantt with a minute left. A LaShawna Gatewood free throw made it 45-41. Then Zantt missed a 3 and Morrissette made four foul shots to secure the win.

Kettering Fairmont 54,

Toledo Notre Dame 45

Fairmont used a huge advantage from the foul line to beat Notre Dame in the other Div. I semifinal. Fairmont’s Kathryn Westbeld and Chelsea Welch had 16 points apiece and Makayla Waterman added 13. Notre Dame (22-5), in its first state appearance, went cold in the fourth quarter, missing 12 straight shots as Fairmont reeled off eight consecutive points for a 48-32 lead with 3:40 to play. Fairmont (24-3) made 26 of 32 free throws. Notre Dame made 6 of 8. Demy Whitaker had 20 points for Notre Dame, including three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.

DIVISION II

Hathaway Brown 48,

Bellbrook 34

Beth Brozozowski scored 12 of her 14 points for Hathaway Brown in the fourth quarter to quell an attempted upset by Bellbrook in a Div. II semifinal. The Blazers (21-5) will play for a fourth straight title against Millersburg West Holmes at 5:15 p.m. today. Bellbrook (22-5) trailed 34-30 before Brozozowski converted a three-point play after being fouled. She followed with another basket for a 39-30 advantage with 2:23 remaining. The Golden Eagles missed 21 shots in a row in the fourth quarter after their 30th point. They were 5 for 41 — or about 12 percent — from the floor in the second half. Chea Taylor had 11 points for Bellbrook.

West Holmes 35,

Lima Bath 29

Laina Snyder added six of her 10 points in the final quarter as West Holmes against Lima Bath in the other Div. semifinal. Bath (23-3) led 14-6 at the half and 24-21 through three periods. But West Holmes (24-3) pulled ahead 29-27 with 3:38 left when Mallori Vess made a layup off a pass from Snyder. Snyder scored another basket off an assist from Rachelle Morrison, which put the score at 31-28 after a free throw by Bath’s Emily Ruhe. The remaining points from both teams came at the foul line.

Associated Press