Ottawa-Glandorf’s Karsyn Erford (4) splits Africentric defenders Shaunie Little, left, and Natiah Nelson, right, during Saturday’s Division III state championship game at University of Dayton Arena.
Jessica Trinko | The Lima News
DAYTON — Ottawa-Glandorf’s girls basketball team came so far. The Titans came so close. Yet they left Saturday with their fourth state runner-up trophy in the past 10 years.
The Titans exited University of Dayton Arena disappointed but proud after falling to Columbus Africentric, 58-47, in the Division III state championship. With the victory, Africentric won back-to-back state titles and its ninth title overall.
“Every time we made a mini-run, just we didn’t get a break,” Ottawa-Glandorf coach Troy Yant said. “You know, we end up with a foul, and they get two shots. They they come down, we scramble for a loose ball, and they end up picking up and throwing it inside, and they get a layup. It’s just the way the cookie breaks sometimes.”
The Titans (26-3) will be escorted back into Ottawa on Saturday night after the Ottawa-Glandorf boys basketball team comes back from its regional final game at Bowling Green State University. There will also be a ceremony recognizing the girls’ success at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Supreme Court.
The Titans fell behind early but never stopped battling back. They trailed by as many as 11 points in the second quarter but edged within two points halfway through the third quarter.
Karsyn Erford had 18 points, 10 of which were in the third quarter, fueling that comeback. She hit four of the Titans’ first six shots in the quarter.
“The first half didn’t go exactly how we wanted it to,” Erford said. “We knew the only way to win the game was someone had to step up. Then once a person did, it sort of went from there. I tried to do everything I could.”
Then Africentric (28-2) went on a 13-3 streak to go back up 12 again.
The Titans didn’t relent, though, rallying within six in the fourth quarter, 48-42, with 4:48 remaining. During that stretch, Carlie Brinkman, who fell to the floor early in the game and bruised her face, had five of the Titans’ points to get them close again. She finished with 10 points.
“You saw Carlie Brinkman jump back in as soon as the trainer cleared her,” Yant said. “She was holding the bag of ice, jumping in to play basketball. She’s diving on the floor and running into the media people on the end of the floor. That’s basketball. That’s what you want the girls to do.”
The Nubians finished the game on a 10-5 run to secure the 11-point win.
“Ottawa played a great game with a great coaching staff,” Africentric coach Janicia Anderson said. “Those players played very hard, and we just want to say hats off to them for pushing us to be our very best.”
Africentric’s skill at the free-throw line paid off, hitting 13 of 14 attempts. In comparison, the Titans connected on 5 of 12.
Samairah Thompson and Natiah Nelson led Africentric with 12 points. Kamryn Grant and Jeniya Bowers added 10 points apiece. Grant, a University of Dayton signee who was the Central District player of the year, also had 13 rebounds after missing last year with an ACL injury.
“I wasn’t able to play last year with my team,” Grant said. “Just me being able to come back and be on top again with my team and lead them and still do my best after I got better from that injury just means everything to me.”
Kaitlyn Kimmet had a team-high six rebounds for the Titans.
It marked the end of a remarkable career for Malone-bound Katie Kaufman, who also saw the Titans go to state as a freshman. She and Myka Aldrich, who had three steals, were the only two seniors on this year’s squad. Aldrich was also a key figure in the O-G girls soccer team, which also finished as a state runner-up.
“It’s a feeling that we’ve wanted for the last three years to get back,” Kaufman said. “It’s a big blessing to be here. We wanted more than anything to give our coaches and our team a state title. As you said, the cards just didn’t go in our favor today.”
Africentric 58, Ottawa-Glandorf 47
Ottawa-Glandorf 10 5 18 14 — 47
Afridcentric 15 6 23 14 — 58
OTTAWA-GLANDORF
Alivia Grothause 5, Karsyn Erford 18, Carlie Brinkman 10, Megan Horstman 0, Savannah Recker 0, Katie Kaufman 7, Myka Aldrich 5, Kaitlyn Kimmet 2. Totals: 21-51 5-12 — 47.
AFRICENTRIC
Ashtan Winfrey 6, Faith Martin 0, Jeniya Bowers 10, Samairah Thompson 12, Shaunie Little 8, Natiah Nelson 12, Kamryn Grant 10. Totals: 21-46 13-14 — 57.
3-pointers: O-G-0-4 (Erford 0-2, Kimmet 0-2); A 3-6 (Bowers 2-3, Little 1-3).
Records: Ottawa-Glandorf 26-3, Africentric 28-2.
Reach David Trinko at 567-242-0467 or on Twitter @Lima_Trinko.
