Back to Back: Here's how Purcell Marian captured a Division II state championship

DAYTON, Ohio − All the way back in October, the Purcell Marian girls basketball team knew the date they were aiming for.

"We need to be playing on March 11th," Purcell Marian head coach Jamar Mosley said. "10:45 (a.m.) on March 11th, that's what we need to be working toward every single day."

That day came and Purcell Marian delivered on the season-long goal they set in the fall. Purcell Marian captured a Division II state championship Saturday morning with a 57-48 victory over Canal Fulton Northwest at UD Arena. It's back-to-back state championships to Hackberry Street after Purcell Marian won it all in Division III last season.

"I think throughout the entire year each one of them got better in different ways on and off the court," Mosley said. "I'm blessed and honored to be able to coach such a great group of young ladies."

More:Here's how Purcell Marian rallied past Bryan to reach Division II state championship game

3 keys to Purcell Marian's state final victory

• In Thursday morning's state semifinal, Purcell Marian trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half and had to rally to reach the state final. There was no slow start on Saturday as the Cavaliers' defense made Northwest uncomfortable from the start. Purcell Marian did not allow a point for the first 5:58 of the contest.
• In a slow-paced first half, Purcell Marian pounded the middle, scoring 14 points in the paint. On the defensive end, the Cavaliers forced nine Northwest turnovers through the first two quarters and took a 15-13 advantage with 3:46 left in the first half, a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. Purcell Marian led at the intermission, 21-15.
• After a defensive slugfest in the first half, both teams came out shooting hot to start the second half. Purcell Marian and Northwest combined to shoot 15-of-29 from the field in the third quarter, but the Cavaliers had an answer each time the Indians tried to seize the momentum. Purcell Marian was 2-of-20 beyond the arc in the first six quarters of the state tournament (2-of-17 vs. Bryan Thursday) but connected four times from the perimeter in the third quarter. Northwest trimmed the Purcell Marian lead to as little as six (47-41) in the final minutes of regulation, but Purcell Marian went 8-of-9 at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to clinch consecutive state crowns.

More:Here's how Princeton beat Midview to reach the Division I state championship game

Key performers

Dee Alexander, Purcell Marian: Alexander, who on Wednesday became just the second sophomore to ever be named Ms. Ohio Basketball, once again turned in a crucial second half to lead Purcell Marian down the stretch. Alexander scored 14 of her game-high 20 points in the second half, including Purcell Marian's first 10 points of the fourth quarter.

"She's not Ms. Ohio (Basketball) for nothing," Mosley said of Alexander. "Players win basketball games. I told them, 'If we lose this game, it's gonna be my fault, but you have to go out there and step up and play.' Dee went out there and said, 'Give me the basketball.' She went out there and had great execution at the end of the game."

Alexander completed her 15th double-double of the season with a game-high 10 rebounds to go with 3 steals and 2 assists.

Ky'Aira Miller, Purcell Marian: The sophomore guard led Purcell Marian with 9 points at halftime and finished with 17, her highest scoring performance of the state tournament. Miller was 13-of-14 at the free-throw line, going 6-of-6 over the final 40 seconds. She also had 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.

Lily Bottomley, Northwest: The 6-foot-2 senior center had 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting and pulled down a team-high 6 rebounds.

Jayda Mosley, Purcell Marian: The junior guard hit two 3-pointers in the third quarter to stretch Purcell Marian's lead to 29-20. She finished with 8 points and 2 assists.

Trinity Small, Purcell Marian: Small hit twice from the perimeter over a 58-second span in the third quarter for her 6 points, helping to give the Cavaliers a 41-34 lead going into the final stanza.

McKenzie Jones, Purcell Marian: The freshman had another big night off the bench. Jones finished with 6 points, 2 steals and grabbed 8 rebounds, five on the offensive end.

Ashley Cudnik, Northwest: The senior guard had 10 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.

Senior sendoff

Purcell Marian's lone senior was guard Nicohl Dicks, who got the start in both state tournament games. Over her four-year run, Dicks was part of Purcell Marian teams that went to four-straight regional championship games, three consecutive state Final Four appearances and back-to-back state titles. She received the Division II state championship trophy to present to her team to cap off her high school career.