Last year’s two-point semifinal loss to Worthington Christian motivated the Senators to make it back and win state. And they finished strong to pull away from the defending champion Falcons.
The Senators were balanced. Rayvon Griffith scored 17 points, while Brandon Cromer and Mekhi Elmore scored 11 apiece and Keiran Granville-Britten scored 10. Elmore formerly played at Thurgood Marshall.
Cody Head scored 16 points and Jesse McCulloch 15 to lead East.
Ottawa-Glandorf 53, Columbus Africentric 48: Sophomore Colin White scored 31 points to lead the Titans, who are making their second straight state appearance and ninth overall.
The Titans (25-2) trailed 21-14 at halftime and didn’t take the lead until the fourth quarter.
White made 11 of 20 shots, including two 3-pointers, and was 7 of 10 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed 11 rebounds. Caleb Kuhlman added 10 points.
Africentric star Dailyn Swain scored 32 points on 13 of 18 shooting. But the rest of the team made only 7 of 36 shots.
Gates Mills Gilmour Academy 58, Waverly 43: The Lancers will play for a first state title after pulling away from the Tigers in the second half of Friday’s second Division II semifinal.
The Lancers’ only other trip to state came in 1992 when they lost to Berlin Hiland in the Division IV final. Their opponent is Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, a 72-47 winner over Alter, a 2 p.m. Sunday. SVSM’s nine state titles, including last year, are the most in state history.
Brandon Rose led Gilmour with 23 points and Adisa Molton II added 14.
Waverly, making its first state appearance since 1950, was led by senior guard Trey Robertson with 19 points. He finished his career with 2,072 points.
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