Alter begins quest for second-straight state title
The topranked Alter High School girls basketball team’s quest for back-to-back Division II state championships began with its ninth straight postseason victory.
The No. 1-seeded Knights beat Stivers 70-9 in a D-II North 2 first round game on Wednesday night at Tecumseh High School.
Alter junior Riley Smith had 16 points and sophomore Maddie Moody added 12 as the Knights (20-3) surpassed 20 wins for the second straight season.
“This is a great start,” said Knights co-coach Christina Hart. “I thought that we had a good start to the game. We’ve had good practices leading up to today, which is something you always want at this time of the year. Our kids have been focused, we’ve improved in our practices and I thought it showed here.”
Stivers sophomore Katherine Jackson had eight points for the Tigers, which finished their season 8-12.
Alter advanced to face Kenton Ridge (4-18) in a second round game at 4 p.m. Saturday at Tecumseh.
The Knights returned all but three players from last year’s squad that won the program’s fifth state championship. They’ve had a target on their backs all year and have handled it great, Hart said.
“The kids have never been in the role that they’ve been in this year,” she said. “They have learned and matured and grown into those roles throughout the season. It’s been a fantastic group to work with, just really good.”
Several new additions to Division II, including last year’s D-III state champion and fourth-ranked Purcell Marian and perennial power Waynesville, will make it even more difficult to navigate this postseason. They also have to contend with Cincinnati Summit Country Day and eighth-ranked Hamilton Badin, which split with the Knights this season.
“It’s going to be a haul,” Hart said. “If we can get to regionals, that’s a great accomplishment and if we can get through that regional, wow.”
While the Knights know the road back to Dayton will be a tough one, they’re not looking ahead.
“The next opponent is our best opponent,” Hart said.
Greenon 72, Eaton 64, OT: Greenon senior guard Claire Henry scored nine of her team-high 23 points in overtime as the fifth-seeded Knights advanced to the D-II North 2 second round.