Reynoldsburg comes back to beat Mason behind a symphony from Imarianah Russell: 'We’re the best team in the state — no doubt now'

By Ryan Isley | Photos by Ben Jackson

DAYTON, Ohio — Big-time players make big plays in big games. It’s an adage as old as time in sports.

Saturday night in the OHSAA girls basketball Division I state championship game, that player was Reynoldsburg’s Imarianah Russell.

The West Virginia commit scored eight of her game-high 28 points in overtime to lead Reynoldsburg to its first state title with a 63-56 win over Mason.

“I just wanted to make sure I didn’t let my team down,” Russell said. “When that four minutes hit (in overtime), it was all or nothing.”

Her run started with the game tied late in the fourth quarter, when her layup with 2:22 left in the fourth quarter gave the Raiders a two-point lead. 

After Mason tied it with free throws, Reynoldsburg held the ball for the final 2:03 of the game and never got a shot off.

There was a reason for stalling, however. Coach Jack Purtell was trying to get a shot for Russell.

“We held the ball at the end of regulation to try to get them to go man-to-man,” Purtell said. “We wanted to make sure we had the right person with the ball in her hands.”

While it didn’t work at the end of the fourth quarter, it did in overtime. Russell scored the first four points in OT to give the Raiders a 53-49 lead that they never gave up.

“He knows when the game is down and we need some good moments, he depends on his best players,” Russell said. “For him to go to me as his best player, that means everything to me.”

After Kyla Oldacre scored for Mason, Russell was at it again and hit a jumper to give her 2,000 points in her career.

“My freshman and sophomore year I was hurt, so I didn’t think I was going to hit it," Russell said. "It’s always been a dream of mine to hit it, and I’m excited.”

It didn’t always look like Reynoldsburg was headed to cut down the nets, however, as Mason led throughout most of the game.

Trailing by seven early in the fourth, Trinity Ramos hit back-to-back 3-pointers, and then Mya Perry followed two Mason free throws with a 3-pointer of her own to tie the game with 3:54 left for the first time since it was 15-15 early in the second quarter.

“We are seniors,” Russell said. “This is our last time playing with each other, and we weren’t going out without a fight.”

The Raiders fought to the end, and when it was over, the seniors and lifelong friends were hoisting a state championship trophy, claiming the top spot in the top division in the state of Ohio.

“We have been playing for 11 years together,” Russell said. “Yeah, we have won AAU tournaments and stuff together. But we ain’t never won the state together. We’re the best team in the state — no doubt now.”

In a game full of stars, including McDonald’s All-American Oldacre for Mason and Ohio State commit Mya Perry from Reynoldsburg, Russell outshined them all at the end.

“At the end of the day when the lights shine the brightest, I’m going to always rise to the occasion,” Russell said.