Here's how Badin, Purcell Marian won their Division II regional semifinal games

The Purcell Marian Cavaliers and Badin Rams are once again on a postseason collision course, set to meet in the Division II regional championship game.

Both took the Springfield High School court on Tuesday night, looking to keep their seasons alive for at least a few more days.

Here's how the Cavaliers and Rams got it done in the regional semifinals.

Purcell Marian keeps rolling

It didn't take the Cavaliers long to establish their dominance in a 77-43 win over Bloom-Carroll. Thanks to 10 points each from Dee Alexander and Samaya Wilkins, they had a 24-13 lead after eight minutes and never looked back.

"I've gotten a lot more confident towards the end of the season. Just working hard at practice, finishing around the rim and just controlling myself," Wilkins said.

Alexander and Wilkins combined for 39 points, many of them coming in the paint. Each Cavalier had a height advantage over the Bulldogs. That combined with their speed led to efficient ball movement on offense (22 assists on 31 field goals) and a defense that turned Bloom-Carroll over 23 times and held the Bulldogs to 13 made field goals.

"Our girls just did a great job of just flying around. Our goal was just to cause havoc and I think we just did a great job. We talk about turning people and our girls showing their hands," head coach Jamar Mosley said.

Purcell's performance was slightly down from the 83.5 points they had been scoring in the postseason and their 52-point margin of victory in that span. Nonetheless, Mosley was happy with his team's performance.

"Offensively, I think we did a really good job of getting the ball where it needed to go. Dee did a great job of finishing around the rim, and today, we just took advantage of our size on the inside," Mosley said.

The performance extends to players like Layla Claxton, TaRajah Byrd and Jaylah Winters, who came off the bench in the fourth quarter when the game was in hand. They helped the Cavaliers end the game on a 10-5 run while gaining valuable postseason experience.

"Our goal is just to get better every single day. If we're getting better every single day, then more times than not, we should be playing in that (state championship) game," Mosley said.

Key Players

Dee Alexander. Purcell Marian: She scored 13 of her 18 points in the first half. The junior also had six rebounds, six assists and six steals.

Emily Bratton, Bloom-Carroll: In her final high school game, she scored a game-high 26 points and made five 3-pointers.

Samaya Wilkins, Purcell Marian: She led the Cavaliers with 10 field goals and 21 points. She completed her double-double with 10 rebounds.

Purcell Marian 77, Bloom-Carroll 43

Purcell Marian (26-1): Wilkins 10 1 21, Alexander 7 3 18, K. Miller 6 1 15, Mosley 4 0 10, Claxton 1 2 4, Small 1 0 3, Jones 1 1 3, Winters 1 0 3. Totals: 31 8 77

Bloom-Carroll (20-6): Bratton 8 5 26, Sorrell 4 3 11, Miller 1 0 2, Brooks 0 2 2, Conrad 0 1 1, Luke 0 1 1. Totals: 13 12 43.

Halftime: PM 44-19. 3-pointers: PM 5 (Mosley 2, K Miller 2, Alexander, Small, Winters); BC 5 (Bratton 5).

Badin sweeps Carroll with 51-41 victory

The Rams have now beaten the Patriots three times this season and in eight straight meetings over the past three years. Badin's two previous victories were by 15 and 19 points, but everything changes when they meet in the postseason.

"The more we play each other, obviously the more we know each other. So I feel like that was kind of affecting us," Braelyn Even said.

The two teams scored 4 total points in the first four minutes of action. Badin eventually led 12-11 after one quarter and used a 16-3 run to open up a 30-16 halftime lead. The Rams kept their composure in the first half, then again in the third quarter when the Patriots threatened.

"Our tournament experience helps, and I think we've got confidence when we got the ball in our hands," Badin head coach Tom Sunderman said.

The other key to Badin's win was their interior defense. Carroll made 12 2-point field goals but missed just as many from close range. The Rams can thank Brooke Sebastian, Shelby Mulcare and Ashley Pate for their disruptive play in the paint.

"They help us out a lot inside, especially Ashley with her rebounding," Gracie Cosgrove said.

Badin may not have won if not for the efforts of Even. Her 14 points certainly helped, but her nose for the ball won extra possessions for the Rams. Two separate times, she ripped offensive rebounds out of Carroll's hands for layups. She also created second-chance points by deflecting loose balls to her teammates.

"She's got very quick hands," Sunderman said. "She's incredible. Some of those plays, we're sitting on the bench going, 'How does she get that ball?'"

Key players

Gracie Cosgrove, Badin: She led all scorers with 18 points and made three 3-pointers.

Kiera Healy, Carroll: The sophomore scored 10 of her team-high 13 points in the second half. With the Patriots facing a 16-point halftime deficit, her efforts helped cut the lead to single digits.

Braelyn Even, Badin: She was the Rams' best all-around player and finished with 14 points. Her impact was felt on both ends of the floor as she created multiple turnovers and wrestled several rebounds away from the Patriots.

Badin 51, Carroll 41

Badin (20-7): Cosgrove 6 3 18, Even 6 1 14, Sebastian 4 0 9, Pate 1 2 4, Weber 1 0 3, Mulcare 1 0 3. Totals: 19 6 51.

Carroll (19-8): Healy 5 2 13, Snyder 3 5 11, Petrovic 2 0 4, Morris 2 0 4, Parlette 1 0 3, Seltsam 0 3 3, Oliver 1 0 2, Barron 0 1 1. Totals: 14 11 41.

Halftime: B 30-16. 3 pointers: B 7 (Cosgrove 3, Even, Mulcare, Sebastian, Weber); C 2 (Healy, Parlette)

What's next?

Badin and Purcell will meet in the regional championship game at 7 p.m. on March 8 at Springfield. The Cavaliers beat the Rams 64-54 in the 2023 regional final. Both schools are appearing in their fourth consecutive regional championship. All four of Badin's have been in DII, while Purcell has split its appearances between DII and DIII.

"They're really well coached, a really well all-around team. We just have to play with our energy. We have nothing to lose," Cosgrove said.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: OHSAA basketball: Purcell Marian, Badin girls advance to region final