COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Bishop Hartley Hawks used a 9-0 run to start the second half to propel themselves to a 69-49 win over a tough Heath squad to win the program its first Division II district title since 2015.

Seniors Kami Kortokrax and Shelby Flynn kicked things off offensively for Hartley and Heath, respectively. Soon after, sophomore Eloise Brandewie started her dominant first quarter stretch, scoring ten for the Hawks.

When Brandewie exited the game with a couple minutes left in the quarter, Heath started to put things together offensively. The Dogs ended the quarter on a 5-0 run and cut the Hartley lead to two thanks to a three by Adrienne Collier and a bucket by Caroline Robertson. The Hawks went into the second with a 16-14 lead.

The second quarter turned into a high efficiency three point shooting contest on both ends of the floor, making eight combined threes. Kiarra McElrath connected twice for the Hawks while Taliyah Holmes hit two, and Robertson and Cassidy Dupps sank one a piece for the Dogs.

After a tie at 26, Bella Parker drained two threes to give Bishop Hartley a six point lead headed into halftime by a score of 32-26.

To start the third, the Hawks went on a 9-0 run including five points from McElrath. After a timeout by Heath, Holmes connected from three for a fourth time, ending the run and giving the Dogs a sliver of hope.

The Hawks stretched their lead over the course of the third but it was cut to just twelve at the end of the frame thanks to two baskets by Carli Ault. The Dogs trailed 48-36 with one quarter to play.

Bishop Hartley continued to extend their lead over the final frame by thanks to the offensive rebounding efforts of Brandewie and consistent free throw shooting by Kortokrax and senior Milayna Williams. The Hawks outscored Heath 21-13 in the fourth en route to a 20 point victory.

The Hawks saw four players in double figures led by Brandewie with 20, followed by McElrath with 17, Kortokrax with 16 and Parker with 12 (four three pointers). Holmes was the leading scorer for Heath with 18, including five three pointers.

Bishop Hartley moves on to the regional semifinal to face the winner of Hamilton Badin and Roger Bacon on Tues., March 2 at 5:30 pm at Springfield High School.