Tigers’ run comes to a close against defending state champs

Division IV State Semifinal
Bellevue 46, Circleville 43

DAYTON — It was the closest anyone had come to them all season, but when it was all said and done defending state champion Bellevue managed to advance past Circleville 46-43 to end the Tigers’ first visit to the state final four. 

“Obviously, proud of this group. I don’t think anyone, to begin the season, expected us to ever be right here, right now. And I don’t think anyone probably expected us to be in that game like we were either, so I’m just extremely proud of this group,” Circleville coach Josh Blakeman said. “They fought all year. They came together as a team. They love each other. I mean, it’s just amazing the locker room is so close — that’s what makes this pretty special.”

Prior to Thursday, Bellevue’s closest game this season was a seven-point win over perennial small-school power Berlin Hiland at the Classic in the Country. 

Turnovers were a major problem for Circleville Thursday. 

After committing a dozen in the first half, the Tigers had 11 more in the second, including having an inbounds pass intercepted with 22 seconds left and down two. 

“Too many turnovers today,” Blakeman said. “I think we had 12 at halftime and I told them we need to cut that in half. I think we had 11 more in the second half there. So that made it rough. If we would have cut it in half, I think we would have been right there.”

Despite the turnovers, Circleville led most of the first half and went in up 21-18.

Even with Bellevue taking the lead a couple of times in the third, Circleville finished the period up 33-32. 

After a three from Maddie Blakeman gave Circleville a four-point edge a minute into the fourth, neither team had a lead of more than two points until the very end.

“Honestly, we’ve had quite a few close games with teams that probably people thought we shouldn’t have had close games with, and I thought that would come in handy down the stretchy and it really has,” coach Blakeman said of handling most of the Redmen’s comeback efforts.

Despite the late turnover that ended up with Bellevue’s Kaitlyn Turinsky hitting one of two free throws for a three-point lead, the Tigers still got off a good look at tying the game when Blakeman shot a three that hit the back of the rim only to roll off the front right before time expired. 

Blakeman, the lone senior on Circleville’s squad, closed out her career as Circleville’s leading scorer Thursday with 16 points. Junior Addison Edgington finished with 13.

Circleville had control of the boards most of the night as the Tigers outrebounded the Redmen 33-19. Blakeman led CHS with nine and Mallory McConnell grabbed eight. Ava Jakubcin-Theis and Turinsky led Bellevue with six each. 

Turinsky led Bellevue with 15 points with Jakubcin-Theis scoring 11 and Ellie Freitag 10. 

While disappointed in the loss, Maddie Blakeman said the experience over the last week since winning the regional has been memorable. 

“This is just such a great experience. This is our first time in school history, and just to see the support we had today, I mean our student section was amazing. Our fans were amazing. They were so loud,” she said. “To me, it looked like our student section might have doubled or tripled the other teams, and that’s just what I love about being from Circleville, everyone came out and supported us, and I’m just so thankful and grateful for this opportunity.”

In looking at what pushed this year’s squad to make it further than the last two district runners-up, Blakeman said that this team might have had a little more heart

“I would just say the heart of this team. We work really hard, and we just want the success for each other,” she said “I think we just pushed each other all season to get where we are today. And I’m just so proud to be a part of this team.”

The Tigers wrap up their season with a 23-5 record having won the school’s first-ever regional title. 

“Obviously, as a dad, I got to do this with my baby girl, so I don’t know if there’s anything more special than that,” coach Blakeman said. “Just blessed that God allowed that to happen. It’s just been a fun run, and I love all these knuckleheads.”

Bellevue (29-0) will take its 45-game winning streak (dating back to Jan. 8 of 2025) into Friday’s state championship game against Laurel (21-4), a team it beat in last year’s state semifinal. Laurel advanced with a 56-54 overtime win against Purcell-Marian.

That game tips at 12:30.

Bellevue 46, Circleville 43
Bellevue — Ellie Freitag 4-0-10, Ava Jakubcin-Theis 4-2-11, Kaitlyn Turinsky 6-2-15, Mazie Gracemyer 4-1-9 Lexie Eastenwood 0-1-1.  Three-point goals — Freitag (2), Jakubcin-Theis, Turinsky. Totals — 18-45 6-10 46.
Circleville — Brooklyn Cramer 2-3-7, Maddie Blakeman 6-1-16, Addison Edgington 4-5-13, Mallory McConnell 2-0-5, Kaylee West 1-0-2. Three-point goals — Blakeman (3), McConnell. Totals — 15-36 9-14 43.
Quarter scores              1               2               3               4               F
Bellevue                          7               11            14            14            46
Circleville                        11            10            12            10            43