High Schools

COLUMBUS — During its snowbound weekend, the Alter High School girls basketball team watched the movie "Step Up 2."

"It was just about dancing, street dancing," sophomore Ashley Christie said. "It was really cool. I wish I could do some of that stuff."

Christie and her teammates did some stepping up of their own in beating Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown 60-46 on Monday, March 10, for Alter's first girls basketball state championship.

"Step up" may be overused in sports, but it definitely applied in the Division II title game, which was delayed two days.

Christie scored 20 points while her sister — senior Nicole — and Mary Bruner each added 12 at the Schottenstein Center.

The Knights broke it open with a 21-6 game-ending run.

"Congratulations to our kids," Alter coach Christina Hart said. "It's an awful lot of hard work."

Alter (25-3) got just nine points combined from leading scorer Courtney Chihil and third-leading scorer Meghan Waterman. But Ashley Christie (8.7) and Bruner (3.5) each scored well above their averages.

"If you would have told me that we were going to hold Waterman to seven and Chihil to two, I would've said I'd take it," said Hathaway Brown coach Paul Barlow, whose team is state runner-up a second straight year.

Instead, the Blazers (22-5) got a glimpse of Alter's balance and depth.

"We're a team, and on any given night a number of our kids step up," said Hart, repeating the phrase of the day. "That's one of the things that makes us difficult to prepare for and to guard. You don't know who it's going to be."

Alter ran out to 9-0 and 16-7 first-quarter leads by forcing 10 of Hathaway Brown's 24 turnovers. Behind one 3-pointer from Nicole Christie and three from Ashley, Alter was up 28-14.

"There's always points in the game where everyone knows you need a bucket and it's just up to the team — whoever has the open shot should take it," Ashley Christie said.

But the younger Christie got her second foul, headed to the bench and took Alter's momentum with her. Hart and co-coach Kendal Peck debated bringing Christie back before halftime, but did not.

Mylan Woods (14 points) and Alexis Dobbs (11) helped Hathaway Brown get within 30-27 at the half and the Blazers had a brief 37-35 lead.

Alter fought off the eight blocks from HB's Angela Groves and won the rebounding battle, 34-32. With a 41-40 lead, Alter got a Nicole Christie 3 and a three-point play and steal from Waterman for a 47-40 lead. Layups and free throws iced it.

Tourney run

Sectional

Alter 75, Franklin 26

Alter 86, Stivers 15

Alter 63, Oxford Talawanda 17

District

Alter 66, Cin. Taft 34

Regional

Alter 72, Col. Eastmoor Academy 37

Alter 49, Carroll 37

State

Alter 45, Col. Mifflin 31

Alter 60, Hathaway Brown 46