Maysville’s Alex Bobb fires a three-point shot over Archbishop Alter defender R.J. Greer during the DII State Final Game at UD Arena in Dayton. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Brian Bayless)
Playing a finely honed all-around game, Kettering Alter — with four double figures scorers — defeated Maysville 68-54 to capture its first state title in 23 years.
Dayton, OH – As if the players needed another reminder about Kettering Alter’s rich history in athletics, one of its most famous graduates, John Paxson, spent time with the players during state tournament week.
Paxson played on Alter’s first state championship team in 1978 before enjoying a stellar career at Notre Dame, then winning four NBA championship rings with the Chicago Bulls – three as a player and one as a coach.
Veteran central Ohio columnist Steve Blackledge writes the OCC and sports at large for Press Pros.
Now, the Knights players will share a spot in the trophy case right along with Paxson.
Alter played solid, disciplined, efficient basketball in all phases to beat scrappy Zanesville Maysville 68-54 in the Division II state championship game Sunday at University of Dayton Arena. This marked Alter’s 11th time in the Final Four, with only titles in 1978, 1999 and 2001 to show for it.
Joe Brand scrambles after a loose ball but the play was called dead due to a Maysville foul.
“Every time I got to the Final Four with coach (Joe) Petrocelli, we always fell a little short, so for me this is so special,” said 11th-year coach Eric Coulter. “For me, this just brings a lifetime of memories into perspective. I know how hard it is to win the state championship.
“As for the players, these guys walk the halls and see all the trophies and honors. They have relatives who lived it. They want to uphold the tradition and be part of it.”
The ninth-ranked Knights (23-7) knew they’d have their hands full with a high-energy Maysville team that played with reckless abandon, but they knew their ambitious schedule prepared them for this moment.
After trading three-pointers for two-and-a-half entertaining quarters, Alter went on a 12-0 run to seize command.
Maysville (26-4) couldn’t pull without nine the rest of the way.
Joe Brand scored 23 points to pace Alter. R.J. Greer added 17, Brady Conner 13 and Gavin Leen 12.
“It still feels surreal to tell you the truth,” Brand said. “Maysville is a really good team. We knew we needed to lock in on defense, sit down and stop the ball and get out in transition.”
Alter seemed to give Maysville trouble with a matchup zone designed to pay special attention to the Panthers’ top perimeter shooters.
Charlie Uhl puts an exclamation point on Alter’s double-digit lead late in the 4th quarter of the DII Championship game at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio on March 24, 2024.
The ploy worked: Maysville shot just 37 percent from the field, including 14 of 36 from three-point range. That emphasis on long-range shots gave Alter a big rebounding advantage and kept Maysville off the free throw line. Alter made 18 of 21 foul shots. Maysville shot none, much to the chagrin of the Panthers’ large rabid fan base. The discrepancy in fouls was 20-5.
Alex Bobb scored 24 points and Jordyn Watson 17, along with five assists to pace Maysville.
“We’re not gonna blame anybody for that,” Maysville coach Dave Brown said. “We didn’t attack the rim like they did.
“The bottom line was, to prepare for a team like Kettering Alter on a 24-hour turnaround was not easy. That’s a really good basketball team and they’re so athletic. Their length and athleticism really affected us tonight.”
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