Purcell Marian junior Dee Alexander named back-to-back Ms. Basketball winner

Cincinnati Enquirer

Purcell Marian Cavaliers guard Dee Alexander (2) dribbles down the court as Badin Rams forward Gracie Cosgrove (15) defends in the first half of an OHSAA Division II girls regional final game, Friday, March 8, 2024, at Springfield High School in Springfield, Ohio.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced that Purcell Marian junior Dee Alexander is the 2023-2024 Ms. Basketball award winner.

She has led the Cavaliers to a 27-1 record and an appearance in the Division II state semifinals by scoring 18.5 points per game, grabbing 8.2 rebounds per game, dishing out 4.1 assists per game and stealing 2.6 passes per game.

"Honestly, it's just a direct reflection of the hard work and the leadership that Dee has put in, and that's both on and off the floor. She's just so inspiring, and not just inspiring to the outside community, but the coaches and her teammates as well just to elevate their game and also have a true winning mentality within a team. Her ability to lead by example and to motivate others on and off the floor, I think, is really what set her apart from the other candidates," Purcell Marian head coach Jamar Mosley said.

Alexander also won the award as a sophomore, making her the seventh player to win the award in consecutive years. Mount Notre Dame's K.K. Bransford (2021 and 2022) and Mason's Michelle Munoz (2000 and 2001) are the only other players from Cincinnati to do so.

Thanks to her defensive pressure, Purcell Marian's Dee Alexander (2) grabbed six steals in a Division II regional semifinal win over Bloom-Carroll on March 5, 2024 at Springfield High School.

When Alexander won as a sophomore in 2023, she joined Canton McKinley's Kierstan Bell as the only sophomores to win Ms. Basketball. Bell is the only three-time winner, a feat Alexander could replicate if she wins as a senior in 2025.