CINCINNATI — It’s something that’s only been done four times before in the OHSAA girls basketball state tournament, and this year, the Purcell Marian Cavaliers are hoping to be the fifth to win four straight state titles. A lot of the team’s success is thanks to this senior class, which have been through it all together.
It’s the end of an era at Purcell Marian.
“It’s kind of sad," Trinity Small, a senior of the team, said. "Because I’ve been here for four years, and it just flew by so quickly, and it’s my last week here with all these girls. So I'm going to miss them.”
The Fab Four freshmen that began their high school career with a state championship, and every year after, are now hoping to end it the same way.
“It’s not even just breaking a Purcell record," Ky'Aira Miller, another senior, said. "It’s like history, we’re making history. And that’s something that not a lot of people get the opportunity to do. So just being able to be like, yeah, I won state four times in a row, like that’s a really big accomplishment.”
The senior class, including the Miller twins, shooting guard Trinity Small and two-time Ohio Ms. Basketball and University of Cincinnati commit Dee Alexander have been through it all. Alexander dreaming of this run her freshman year.
“We finally are at the stage where we should win a fourth, which I have confidence that we are going to win a fourth," Alexander said. "Just even to make it this far, freshman year I had hope in us but I knew that it’s hard to get there. The fact that we put in all the time, all the effort that we possibly can to even get to this stage, it’s shocking to me.”
And the Miller twins playing their final game together.
“This is really fitting to be my last game playing in high school playing with my sister," Ky'Aira said.
The hype was real when these four freshman started on that 2022 state championship team.
“I could kind of see it because everybody used to tell us that we were young and talented," Cy'Aira Miller said. "But I didn’t really think that way. I didn’t think we’d going to different divisions and still winning.”
But they couldn’t imagine all of this success and hardware, including Dee Alexander up for a record-typing third Ohio Ms. Basketball.
“It would mean a lot to me just the simple fact that I haven’t been doing this all by myself," Alexander said. "I’ve had all of my coaches with me the whole time. They’ve always held me to high standards, they always want the best for me.”
For these teammates, it’s obvious it’s more than that.
“It means everything to me because this is my family," Small said. "They kind of helped me grow up and evolve to the player that I am today and also a person.”
And they’ll do whatever it takes to finish their high school career with one more win.
“I’m putting everything on the line, honestly," Cy'Aira said. "I’m taking every charge, going after every loose ball, after every steal, whatever the case might be.”
Purcell Marian faces Avon Lake Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. in the OHSAA Division III state championship at UD Arena on Spectrum News.
