VANDALIA, Ohio — The Winton Woods High School girls basketball team will play this week for its first state championship in program history.
Winton Woods rallied to defeat Sunbury Big Walnut 58-55 in a Division II state semifinal Sunday afternoon at Vandalia Butler.
“They will remember this forever,” Winton Woods coach Carlton Gray said. “It’s the best feeling I’ve had in a long time.”
Winton Woods (26-0) plays Whitehouse Anthony Wayne (24-2) in a Division II state final at 7:30 p.m. March 14 at University of Dayton Arena.
Winton Woods, ranked No. 1 in the MaxPreps Ohio girls basketball rankings (regardless of division), took its first lead of the game in overtime on Sunday.
Gray said the team prepared for the challenge through a tough-minded approach in practice. That effort paid off Sunday.
Senior forward Daniah Trammell scored a team-high 23 points to lead Winton Woods.
Senior guard Ra’Kyhia Prince scored nine points on three 3-pointers. Senior guard Niyala Harmon added eight points. Freshman guard Strawberry Blankumsee added seven points and junior guard Whitley Davis had six points.
"This group of kids lost their best two players to graduation after their freshman year," Gray wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "They were 13-11 as sophomores and had to battle to find a way to stand on their own. Now, they are undefeated and playing for a state championship. Win or lose, they have developed so much."
Gray said the Winton Woods fans were a significant factor in Sunday’s state semifinal. The crowd definitely helped the team late in the game.
This week, Winton Woods has an opportunity to add to its legacy in the school community.
“It’s special,” Gray said. “I couldn’t be more proud of this team.”
This week could become the second state title within the high school community.
Forest Park and Greenhills merged in the early 1990s to form Winton Woods. Forest Park won the 1984 Class AAA girls basketball state championship with a 28-0 record.
