DAYTON, Ohio — Thanks to three-point shooting, Tri-Village moved one step closer to an undefeated state championship season. The Patriots (29-0) were 51-34 winners over Berlin Hiland in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division IV girls’ basketball state semifinals.
Tri-Village shot nearly 50% from the field (48% on 21 of 44 shooting), and connected on seven of 17 three-point attempts.
Rylee Sagester (runner-up for Ohio’s Ms. Basketball) scored a game-high 22 points, while fellow seniors Torie Richards and Morgan Hunt added 8 and 7, respectively. That group has won four straight district titles, before finally capturing a regional crown last week, and now is close to the ultimate goal, a first-ever state title.
The Patriots have a chance to match the school’s 2015 boys’ team as one of just four in OHSAA history (girls or boys) to complete a 30-0 season with a state championship. Sagester’s father, Josh, is the head coach for Tri-Village on the boys’ side. Last year, that team fell to Richmond Heights in the Division IV championship game.
The Hawks finish 22-6 on the year, which ended with a record 19th appearance in the state tournament. Joplin Yoder led the way with 15 points.
Up next in the Division IV final, is Toledo Christian, 57-39 winners over New Middletown Springfield in the other state semi. That championship will be played at 2 p.m. Saturday, live on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News App, and is guaranteed to provide a first-time champion.
