DAYTON — The Central Catholic girls basketball team will play for an Ohio High School Athletic Association state championship for the first time in more than 45 years when the Crusaders take on St. Henry at 7 p.m. at the University of Dayton Arena on Friday, March 13.
Central Catholic advanced to the Division VI state championship game with a 48-42 win over Castalia Margaretta in the state semifinals on Thursday. The last time Central Catholic reached a state title game was in 1981 when it finished as the state runner-up.
St. Henry (26-1) overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Canal Winchester Harvest Prep 55-51 and reach its first state final in program history.
Here’s how the game unfolded through our live updates.
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St. Henry beats Canton Central Catholic 53-34 to win Division VI state title
St. Henry wins its first state title in school history. CCC finishes its season at 23-6.
CCC closes gap but St. Henry still leads big in fourth quarter
CCC finally hit a three-pointer early in the fourth and nailed two more, but the deficit it still sizeable. St. Henry leads it 51-28 with 3:42 left in the game.
St. Henry leads CCC girls basketball 45-18 after three quarters in state final
St. Henry continues to convert its free throws, while CCC is ice cold from the field. St. Henry is led by Addy Homan, who has 18 points, including 10 in the third quarter.
St. Henry in command midway through the third quarter vs. CCC
St. Henry hit its first two three pointers of the game, stretching the lead to 39-15 with 3:19 left in the third quarter. CCC has hit one field goal since the first quarter.
CCC calls timeout early in third quarter as St. Henry starts second half hot
A steal and score by St. Henry’s Alexis Buscher forced CCC coach Tim Vandervaart to call timeout. CCC is down 31-15 with six minutes left in the third quarter.
Halftime statistics for CCC-St. Henry girls basketball
St. Henry leads CCC 26-13 at half of Division VI state final
St. Henry limited CCC to five points and only one field goal in the second quarter, while hitting numerous layups. The Crusaders have also committed 10 turnovers in the first half.
St. Henry extends lead over CCC in second quarter
The Crusaders have had problems hanging onto the ball, as St. Henry has forced 11 turnovers already. St. Henry leads it 22-11 with 2:58 left in the first half.
St. Henry goes on 6-0 run, stretches lead over CCC in second quarter
Addy Homan has the hot hand for St. Henry, as she has 12 of her team’s 18 points. CCC trails 18-9 with 5:32 left in the second quarter.
Canton Central Catholic trails St. Henry 12-8 after one quarter in state final
The Crusanders are dominating on the boards in the first quarter, but eight turnovers have disrupted their offense. St. Henry’s Addy Homan leads the scoring with six points.
Frenetic start by both teams as St Henry leads CCC in the first quarter
It’s been up-and down basketball to start the Division VI state championship game. St. Henry has been a bit more accurate, while forcing the Crusaders into five turnovers. St. Henry leads it 10-4 with 3:15 left in the first quarter.
Canton Central Catholic-St. Henry set for 7 p.m. tip off
CCC will wear its dark green uniforms with white numbers and letters. St. Henry in the all white uniforms with red letters and trim. It looks like St. Henry had its entire student body in the stands.
Canton Central Catholic girls basketball’s starting five
St. Henry girls basketball’s starting five
How to watch Canton Central Catholic vs. St. Henry state final
The game can be watched on Spectrum or OHSAA.tv.
Central Catholic’s OHSAA tournament history
The Crusaders return the state final four for the first time since 1981 when they finished Class AA runner-up after losing 52-45 to Claymont in the title game.
St, Henry’s OHSAA tournament history
St. Henry is in the state title game for the first time in program history.
Central girls basketball’s 2026 OHSAA tournament scores
St. Henry girls basketball’s 2026 OHSAA tournament scores
Breaking down Central Catholic vs. St. Henry
Central Catholic likes to slow the pace of the game and limit scoring. The Crusaders are 13-0 when holding opponents to 35 points or less this season. …The Central offense is led by Lily Belden (13.4 ppg), Grace Finefrock (13.3 ppg) and Sarah Belden (12.5 ppg). …. Freshman Aubrey Harris-Hall is a key player on the interior for the Crusaders. She averages 6.3 rebounds per game and alters the trajectory of shots with her length. … St. Henry could be without as many as two starters for this game. Molly Wendel suffered a head injury after a fall to the court and was taken from the court on a gurney. Morgan Baumer missed the state semifinals with a knee injury sustained in the regional championship game. … St. Henry doesn’t have a dominant scorer and tends to play through whoever has the hot hand on a given night.
The Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at sports@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ohio girls basketball state tournament score, Central Catholic-St. Henry recap
Reporting by Michael Leonard, Canton Repository / The Repository
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