SHARONVILLE, Ohio — The undefeated Winton Woods High School girls basketball team won its first regional championship in program history Saturday afternoon in a 54-16 victory over Toledo Start at Princeton.
Winton Woods (25-0) advances to a Division II state semifinal with the opponent, day and neutral location announced Sunday afternoon.
“I’m just really happy for the girls because it’s really a testament to the amount of work that they’ve put in to develop to get here,” Winton Woods coach Carlton Gray said. “I would’ve been very happy if they would’ve made the final four. That’s a goal achieved. Now, let’s just hope we can try to steal another game next week sometime.”
Winton Woods, ranked No. 1 in Ohio by MaxPreps,earned a 13-0 run to start Saturday's game after senior forward Daniah Trammell’s jumper with 3:42 remaining in the first quarter. Winton Woods led Toledo Start 19-2 at the end of the first quarter and 28-7 at halftime.
Winton Woods led 48-13 at the end of the third quarter and there was a running clock to conclude the game. It was yet an impressive effort on both ends of the floor.
Toledo Start concluded its season with a 20-5 record.
“Recently we’ve had some slow starts,” Gray said. “I think we showed a little bit of maturity today because once we got a lead we didn’t let them back in it.”
Trammell, a University at Buffalo signee, scored a game-high 11 points to go along with six rebounds and two blocks. Senior guard Ra’Khyia Prince, a Shawnee State signee, scored 10 points including two 3-pointers.
“We just get in the gym and just work,” Trammell said. “We try our best and try to play for each other. There’s more on the table but right now we’re just trying to enjoy this moment and take it one game at a time.”
Saturday marked the 12th consecutive game that Winton Woods has won by double digits. It’s yet another statistic in a storied season. Winton Woods earned its first regional title in Gray’s fourth season as the head coach after he was a longtime assistant coach in girls basketball, track and football at Lakota West.
Gray, the Winton Woods football defensive coordinator, is a former NFL player and Forest Park High School graduate. Forest Park and Greenhills merged in the early 1990s to form Winton Woods. Forest Park won the 1984 Class AAA girls basketball state championship.
This month, the Winton Woods program has an opportunity to create its own legacy in the school community.
“It’s been an amazing run for me here,” Gray said. “Coming back with football and the success that we’ve had with football and the girls program turning around — it couldn’t be anything better for me. That’s what I came back here for. I feel blessed that we’ve accomplished something.”
