'I think this means everything.' Purcell Marian girls head to OHSAA DIII state title game

DAYTON – A year after departing Dayton with a semifinal loss the Purcell Marian High School girls basketball team is making history. The Cavaliers are now 26-1 and heading to their first state title game Saturday morning, thanks to a 59-43 convincing win over Belmont Union Local.

Purcell Marian now can add a fifth state title to the school resume, which includes baseball crowns in 1953 and 2003, a boys basketball tile in 1985 and a football championship in 1986.

"I think this means everything," Purcell Marian coach Jamar Mosley said. "Not just to our program, but to our school. It means the world to our school and community."

More:Purcell Marian, Cincinnati Country Day, Mason girls shooting for state basketball titles

Despite not having one of their better shooting games, Mosley's squad led for nearly 26 minutes of the 32-minute contest. They began by making just 3-of-17 shots in the opening quarter but ended up making 5-of-6 in the final frame.

Freshman Dee Alexander, the Southwest District Division III Player of the Year for Coach of the Year Mosley, led all scorers with 19 points and hauled down 13 rebounds. It was her 21st double-double of the season.

"My main reason I picked Purcell (Marian) was the coach," Alexander said. "I like the way he coaches. He knows he can coach me any type of way. He can get on me. Most coaches don't coach the way he coaches."

Sophomore Jayda Mosley, the lone Cavalier to have played in last year's state semifinal had 18 points and 7 rebounds. After raining threes in their regional final win over East Clinton, the Cavaliers were just 3-for-18 at the more spacious University of Dayton Arena. Likewise, Union Local made just 4-of-23.

Purcell Marian never lost confidence, something Jayda has had all season.

"When I came back (to start the season), I said, 'This is the team that's going to make it to state,'" she said. She's no relation to Jamar. 

With long shots not falling, freshman Ky'Aira Miller drove to the basket several times successfully in the first half. Early in the second half, her twin sister, Cy'Aira, finally hit the first trey of the game for the Cavaliers who then began to open the game up, leading by nine after three quarters.

Purcell Marian had a scare just four seconds into the game when Alexander was fouled hard on a rebound. Two minutes later, she returned to the relief of the Cavaliers fans.

"I just fell to the ground and my tailbone was hurting pretty bad," Alexander said.

Upon her return, she helped Purcell Marian not only win by the score but also in the rebounding battle against a team that had 6-foot-2-inch Reagan Vinskovich and 6-foot-1-inch Torre Kidlow.

Both Kidlow and Vinskovich led Union Local in the loss with 13 points. It was just their fourth loss of the season.

The Cavaliers didn't make a field goal until under the two-minute mark of the first quarter but Jermyrha Behanan hit a couple before quarter's end when Purcell Marian led 9-5. The 3-point shot eluded the Cavaliers after hitting 15 in their regional final win over East Clinton.

"The girls did exactly what they were supposed to do on the defensive end," coach Mosley said. "It kept us right where we wanted to be defensively. I told them in the second half, 'We're going to make some shots. Keep shooting the basketball.'"

The Cavaliers would not connect from the arc until the 6:11 mark of the third quarter when Cy'Aira Miller found the net. Mosley, who has hit as many as 11 in a game, finished with a pair of trifectas. On her second trey, coach Mosley with confidence called a timeout before it hit the bottom of the net. He then set up his keep-away strategy as the Cavaliers were able to ice the victory. With 34 seconds to go, both coaches cleared the bench as the celebration began to build.

"My goal at the beginning of the season was to make it to state and to win state," Alexander said.

Purcell Marian will play Worthington Christian at 10:45 a.m. Saturday at UD Arena for the Division III state championship. If It's Worthington Christian, they defeated Purcell Marian's semifinal opponent, Union Local, 65-52 to begin this season. 

"With our youth, if someone had told me we'd play this consistent the entire season, I probably would have went against what they said," coach Mosley said. "At the beginning of the season, we started five 14-year-old girls. It's unheard of."

Other than senior Behanan and sophomore Mosley, Purcell Marian had a combined 36 points from four freshmen.

PURCELL MARIAN  9  12   22  16 59

UNION LOCAL         5   13   14  11  43

PM C. Miller 1 0 3 Alexander 8 3 19 K. Miller 5 1 11 Mosley 8 0 18 Small 0 3 3 Behanan 2 1 5

UL Kildow 5 2 13 Kellaway 1 0 2 Merritt 4 0 11 Gregor 0 2 2 Vinskovich 5 3 13 Miller 1 0 2