Girls state basketball: Medina native Zoey Hodge helps lead Hoban to state title

Medina native Zoey Hodge was a key contributor to a first-half performance that most teams can only dream of. The Archbishop Hoban girls basketball team couldn't have played any better in the opening 16 minutes Saturday against undefeated Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame, setting the stage for a thoroughly impressive 72-64 upset in the Division II state championship game at University of Dayton Arena. Hodge finished with 12 points and three assists, including seven and two in a wildly entertaining first half that ended with the Knights (22-4) ahead 45-24. The daughter of former Medina standout guard Thomas Hodge was the top scorer for Claggett Middle School when it upset A.I. Root in the 2022 Greater Cleveland Conference eighth-grade championship game. She ended her high school career in the same fashion in the state championship game. "Oh, my gosh, it's great, you know?" a beaming Hodge said. "We fought every single day since last year, when we lost (to Brush in the regional finals). "We wanted to come back this year and get that ring, which we did. It feels amazing." The Knights, who start five seniors and subbed in former Highland backup guard Rhyan Garmon in the final seconds, got a game-high 25 points from Mercyhurst (Pa.) recruit Neira Stevens. Power forward MaKenzie Grant, the daughter of former Ohio State linebacker Cie Grant, added 17 points and 11 rebounds. A 5-foot-7 point guard whose role is primarily to inbound, handle the ball atop the 3-point arc and get the top scorers involved, Hodge drilled a 3-pointer from the college line to push the lead to 21-8 in the first quarter. She then banked a driving layup 24 seconds later to maintain Hoban's advantage at 13 points. Hodge, who played a team-high 35 minutes in a thrilling overtime semifinal against Olmsted Falls on Friday, added a 12-footer in the paint to give the Knights a 25-12 lead with 5:37 to go in the half. She also had a scooping left-handed layup and made 1-of-2 free throws in the third quarter, then helped stop the Cougars' furious comeback attempt by making 2-of-2 free throws with 57.5 seconds left in the game. "It was good, but I wouldn't have been able to (score) without my teammates," Hodge said of her trend-breaking offensive performance. "They were awesome passes to me, and they did all the little things that helped me score." Falling short of its record ninth state title, Mount Notre Dame (27-1) was outrebounded badly in the first half and couldn't string together defensive stops until it was too late. The Cougars joined Bellevue (D-IV) and Ottawa-Glandorf (D-V) as undefeated teams that lost in championship games over the weekend. Sophomore forward Carine Harris led Mount Notre Dame with 20 points, highly skilled 6-2 sophomore guard Ava Simpson added 16 and Eastern Michigan-bound point guard Reece Hackney recorded seven points, five rebounds and three assists. The Cougars trailed 56-31 at the 4:57 mark of the third quarter but cut to 65-56 in a mere 9:26 of game time before Hoban regrouped. "During the timeouts and stuff, which just kept each other up because we didn't want anyone to get stressed," Hodge said. "It did get a little close there, but we still stuck together." In other games: Kettering Fairmont 61, Cincinnati Princeton 55 Wadsworth officially lost to the D-I runner-up. Akron recruit Kayla Thornton dramatically sent the game to OT with a transition pull-up 25-footer at the buzzer and Janiyah Hargrave's go-ahead 3-pointer in OT held up as the Firebirds (28-0) somehow won despite blowing a 13-point lead and trailing by seven with three minutes left in regulation. Hargrave led all players with 23 points, while Thornton added 19 that included four 3-pointers. Guard Erin Thomas again powered the Vikings (23-5) with 19 points and seven rebounds, while forward Kiara Harris posted 18, five and two. Fairmont led 22-9 with 5:04 left in the first half but struggled when Princeton switched to a trapping 1-2-2 zone en route to trailing 43-37 with three minutes left. Fairmont cut to 49-47 on a Hargrave jumper with five seconds left and Princeton split free throws at the other end to set up Thornton's 3-pointer. The matchup featured two of the top sophomores in the country, as Hargrave is ranked No. 15 and Thomas No. 21 by ESPN. Portsmouth 53, Ottawa-Glandorf 48 Fleet-footed guard KeKe Woods was masterful with 26 points on 11-for-11 shooting from point-blank range as the Spartans (24-4) repeated as D-V champions by handing the Titans (28-1) their first loss. Fellow 1,000-point scorer and Ohio University recruit Sienna Allen, a smooth-operating 6-0 point guard who also spends time at center, added 13 points that included making 2-of-2 free throws with 52 seconds remaining to account for the final score. Portsmouth made 12 of its first 16 shots to take a 31-24 lead with 1:42 left in the first half and never trailed again despite Ottawa-Glandorf cutting to 47-46 with 4:08 to play. Now a five-time state runner-up over the last 11 seasons, the Titans were led by 18 points from Findlay-bound forward and Ms. Basketball finalist Karsyn Erford and 16 points and 10 rebounds from technically sound 6-2 center Madison McKee, whose offers include Toledo, Kent State and Ball State. Strasburg-Franklin 38, Russia 17 In D-VII action, the Tigers (25-5) broke the all-division state tournament record for fewest points allowed to crush the Raiders (25-4) and capture their first crown. Coached by Smithville graduate and former Loudonville boss Tyler Bates, who wore a safety orange blazer and pants, Strasburg-Franklin led 11-5, 17-8 and 31-11 at the quarter breaks and made 13-of-15 free throws in a methodical game was memorable for its ugliness. Center Ally Miller had 17 points and 10 rebounds, but the other six rotation players made only 5-of-33 field goals. Coincidentally, 5-for-33 was what Russia shot from the floor, too, including 0-for-12 from 3-point land. The previous record for fewest points in a state semi or final was 21 by Hudson in a 2003 blowout loss to Beavercreek. Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or agrindle@medina-gazette.com.