COLUMBUS, Ohio — Holgate looked to have the momentum. Turns out it was Jackson Center that was just getting started.

        Keesha Smith scored 20 points and Jackson Center overcame another Holgate buzzer beater to win the Division IV state championship 53-47 Saturday.

        Christen Halberstadt added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Tigers (27-1), who also won a state title in their only other tournament appearance in 1995.

        It was never easy this time around because Holgate (24-3) has a knack for comebacks, something it did time and again in the semifinals.

        Right after Jackson Center had taken its largest lead of the first half, Holgate's Jenny Fruth buried a 35-foot 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer, making the score 26-21.

        The shot was eerily similar to one the Lady Tigers (24-3) made just a day earlier. Trailing by three in the closing seconds of its semifinal with Worthington Christian, Alissa Gill hit a 40-footer at the buzzer to force overtime. The Lady Tigers won 70-65, overcoming 13- and 11-point second-half deficits along the way.

        Smith and Halberstadt couldn't have cared less.

        “How many of those can they shoot,” Smith said.

        “You can't win the game on those shots,” Halberstadt said.

        She was right.

        Jackson Center turned up the defensive pressure in the fourth quarter and got the victory.

        “My man was on me really tight,” Fruth said. “It was hard to get a shot off. It was hard to get the offense started.”

        Holgate started the third quarter hot. Fruth opened the period with a 3 and scored on a drive to tie the game at 26. The teams traded baskets for most of the rest of the quarter, with Smith scoring six points to give Jackson Center a 37-36 lead.

        Halberstadt's drive to start the fourth made it 39-36, and two crucial foul calls helped end Holgate's run for its first state title.

        Holgate point guard Vanessa Rothman, the offensive sparkplug who scored 29 points in the semifinals, picked up her third foul on a charge with 6:40 to play. She had to leave the game 33 seconds later when she fouled Holgate's Emily Byrd.

        Byrd made both free throws, and moments later scored inside to give Jackson Center a 43-38 lead. Rothman returned with 3:42 remaining, but Jackson Center built a 10-point lead in the final minutes.

        “It was the defense, and we got a couple of easy shots,” said Jackson Center coach Gregg Gooding. “When we went into the huddle, we said we're the best the team in the fourth quarter. Let's got out and do it.”

        Jackson Center's frontcourt spent most of the first half in foul trouble, but Holgate failed to take advantage.

        Halberstadt, who had three fouls, and Division IV co-player of the year Meghan Zorn, who had two fouls, spent most of second quarter on bench.

        But Holgate, which led 11-10 after the first quarter, lost ground in the second. Only Fruth's long 3-pointer at the buzzer saved the Lady Tigers from an eight-point halftime deficit.

        Fruth scored 17 points, Rothman added 12 points and Serena Urdiales had 12 rebounds for Holgate. The Lady Tigers shot just 29 percent (15-of-51) from the floor, including 20 percent (4-of-20) from 3-point range.

        “I thought the Jackson Center kids came out and did a great job defensively,” Holgate coach Bruce Schlosser.

        Halberstadt and Smith combined to shoot 17-of-31 for Jackson Center, with the rest of the Tigers going 4-for-15. Zorn was held to four points, 13 below her average. Byrd scored nine points.

        HOLGATE (24-3) - Fruth 4-11 7-8 17, Urdiales 2-10 1-2 5, Wilhelm 3-4 0-0 6, Gill 0-5 0-0 0, Rothman 3-14 5-5 12, Westrick 0-0 0-0 0, Suman 0-1 0-0 0, Keeterle 2-4 0-0 5, Burkhart 0-0 0-0 0, Thomas 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 15-51 13-15 47.

        JACKSON CENTER (27-1) - Wildermuth 0-4 2-2 2, Zorn 2-8 0-0 4, Halberstadt 8-15 1-2 17, Smith 9-16 2-6 20, Byrd 2-3 5-6 9, Bruns 0-0 0-0 0, E. Platfoot 0-0 0-0 0, Greve 0-0 0-0 0, Rostorfer 0-0 1-2 1, Elliott 0-0 0-0 0, M. Platfoot 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-46 11-18 53.

        Holgate 11 10 15 11—56

        Jackson Center 10 16 11 16—36

        3-Point Goals—Holgate 4-20 (Fruth 2-5, Keeterle 1-2, Rothman 1-7, Urdiales 0-2, Gill 0-4), Jackson Center 0-4 (Wildermuth 0-2, Zorn 0-2). Fouled out—None. Rebounds—Holgate 32 (Urdiales 12), Jackson Center 32 (Halberstadt 12). Assists—Holgate 6 (Gill 3), Jackson Center 4 (Smith 2). Total fouls—Holgate 17, Jackson Center 12. A—6,448.

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