Which 4 girls basketball teams advance to the Southwest regional tournament?

The Division I, Region 4 girls basketball bracket is set after a hoops marathon at Lakota East and Princeton on Saturday, March 2.

Five teams from Cincinnati and three from the Great Western Ohio Conference took to the hardwood looking to either build on a streak of regional tournament appearances of break a drought of losses at the district level.

Here is how all four game shook out.

Princeton pulls away from Kings

Behind 13 points and 16 rebounds from senior Mackenzie Givens, the Vikings overcame a first-quarter deficit to defeat the Knights, 59-39, and win their third straight district championship.

Kings won the opening tip and used a fast-paced game plan to take an 8-2 lead before Princeton turned up its defensive effort. The Vikings forced 13 turnovers in the first half and 22 in the game. Their defense forced the Knights into multiple off-balance shots, even on fast breaks. It also translated to the offensive end of the court, allowing them go on an 11-0 run in the second quarter and a 13-4 run to open the third quarter.

"The game's a game of runs. They started out strong. We had to make our run in the second quarter," Princeton head coach Dee Davis said.

On offense, it was a team effort for the Vikings. Givens and forward Kali Fortson both had six points in the first half. Leading scorer Mari Gerton stepped up in the third quarter, scoring 11 straight points as she finished with a game-high 23.

"At halftime, she was a little down, but we all told her to pick her head up and she had that own self confidence for herself as well," Givens said.

Princeton survived a physical game in which 38 total fouls were called. Fortson fouled out in the fourth quarter, but the game was in hand by that point. Elise Marchal and Kassie Ingram both fouled out after combining for 30 points and 19 rebounds. The Knights' senior quartet of Ingram Marchal, Sami Drew and Abby Trapp led the Knights to a 41-13 record in the past two seasons, and their first regional final appearance in 2022.

"Their legacy is bigger than basketball. I mean, all the sports they've been in, their win-loss record is just incredible, and that's what I told them to hang their hats on. When you change a culture of a whole program, that's special. That's a special group of people and they're going to do great things. We're going to miss them tremendously.," Kings head coach Steve Green said.

Mason wins fourth straight district title

The Comets' have one win on their current winning streak for every year Rob Matula's has coached at Mason. In defeating Centerville, 55-39 to win their 19th straight game, Mason also advanced to its 11th regional tournament under Matula.

Sophomore Anna Habra led the way with 11 points, 11 rebounds and three assists, good for her sixth double-double of the season. The Comets only had eight assists as a team, but Habra often led the fast breaks and created shots for her teammates.

'Dedicated to Mason': Rob Matula leaves lasting impression on players, community

"When we moved the ball, we had wide-open layups. Our team, we work so well together as one that when we move the ball, we just get a layup," Habra said.

Madison Parrish (13 points) and Riley Yost (10 points) joined her in double figures. The Comets key to success was penetrating Centerville's triangle-and-two defense, leading to 22 points in the paint.

"I thought we did a good job of getting downhill through it and making some buckets and, you know, our kids followed the game plan and got it done," Matula said.

Mason got out to a fast start, a replica of its district semifinal against Goshen. The Comets ran out to a 15-2 lead after five minutes and were able to expand their lead to 12 points at halftime, even after Centerville went on an 8-2 run to end the first quarter.

"That's something that we've seen out of this group in games coming down the stretch. Against (Lakota) East, being down seven or nine and not blinking, and just staying with the plan and being confident. So I think that's just who they are right now," Matula said.

A staunch defensive effort held the Elks to 23.8 percent shooting in the first half. Mason was able to sustain a double-digit lead by shooting 52 percent from the floor in the second half.

A tradition continues for Mount Notre Dame

Senior forward Laila Harrison had the best game of her career when it mattered most. The Cougars never trailed Wayne on the way to a 62-40 win, and she poured in a career-high 25 points to help them pull away from a seven point halftime lead.

"Honestly, I was not expecting that from myself, but I told myself today I was going to be ready to go, and I wanted to execute really well," Harrison said.

Thanks to 11 first-half points, head coach Drew Fladung kept feeding Harrison the ball in the second half, especially since the Cougars missed all nine of their three-point attempts. She was also a force on defense, anchoring a zone defense that held Wayne to 13.6 percent shooting in the second half.

"It's a scout that we had in our back pocket. We used it a little bit against Walnut Hills, actually, in the sectional final to try and force them to shoot it from the outside. So we were confident that we'd be able to run it," Fladung said of the zone.

Even though leading scorer Kailee Bransford had an off night with only five points, sophomore Mia Vieth and freshman Reece Hackney combined for 22 points and nine rebounds. Vieth also played a key role on both ends, retrieving a number of loose balls that led to second-chance buckets.

"They don't get fazed. They don't get flustered. They go out, they make the right play. We needed them today," Fladung said.

After failing to win the district tournament in Dr. Scott Rogers' final season, the Cougars are back in the regional tournament for the ninth time in 10 years.

'Always been at the top of my list': Drew Fladung is living his dream at Mount Notre Dame

Springboro outlasts Winton Woods

The Panthers and Warriors combined to shoot 18 free throws in the final two minutes of a 50-41 Springboro win, a sign of how physical the entire game was.

"We have so much respect for Winton Woods and it was just a battle. It wasn't real pretty, but both teams played their hearts out," Springboro head coach Mike Holweger said.

This matchup didn't look like a low-scoring affair on paper, but an 8-6 score after eight minutes and an 18-17 halftime score indicated that the game was going to be, as Holweger said, a battle.

Springboro junior Bryn Martin is one of the best players in the state. After she got an uncontested layup to start the game, Winton Woods coach Carlton Gray had his team face guard her and double-team her. The 10 points she had at halftime didn't come easily. In fact, 12 of her game-high 21 points came at the free-throw line.

"It's pretty difficult but, you know, I'm kind of used to it. I think it also helps my teammates get open, if two people come on me, someone's open," Martin said.

While Martin and fellow junior Aniya Trent were neutralized, seniors Chloe Downing and Morgan Meek stepped up with 10 points each. Meek's layup and free throw in the fourth quarter gave the Panthers a 33-28 lead, their largest lead since it was 8-4.

"I think everyone that came off the bench and had energy, I thought that's what kick-started us. If that and-one sparked us, then awesome, because that's what I gotta do for my team," Meek said.

Her three-point play wasn't the only energizer for Springboro. Martin made a 25-foot 3-pointer in front of her own bench and Brooke Clear made a triple of similar length from the top of the key with three minutes and 40 seconds left that increased the lead to 37-31.

What was Martin thinking when Clear let the shot go? "Let's go! That's going in! That's game."

Daniah Trammell led Winton Woods with 17 points and 11 rebounds. While she was the only Warrior in double figures, Leigha Acoff contributed nine points and four rebounds.

The Warriors last advanced to the regional finals in 2022 but will have a good chance to do so in 2025. Senior Brittany Campbell is one of just two seniors, and the only one that played significant minutes.

The Panthers advance to the regional semifinals for the first time since 2020. That year, they lost to Mount Notre Dame, which eventually won the region.

Regional semifinals

• Princeton vs. Mount Notre Dame, 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5, at Lakota West

• Mason vs. Springboro, 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6, at Lakota West

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: OHSAA basketball: Southwest District championships decided on March 2