Courtesy OHSAA (portions of story)
Junior has led MND to 72-consecutive wins and two state championships
COLUMBUS, Ohio (3-31-21) – Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame High School junior KK Bransford was announced as Ohio’s Ms. Basketball Wednesday by a statewide media panel.
Now in its 34th year, the prestigious award was first given by the Associated Press in 1988. It has been voted by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association since 2017.
This past season, Bransford led the Cincinnati Girls Greater Catholic League in scoring (21.4), assists (5.1), field goal percentage (51.5) and steals (3 per game) and she was third in the league in rebounding (6.4). The 5-foot-10 all-purpose has now played in an incredible 72 consecutive winning basketball games for Mount Notre Dame, which includes two state championships. Had it not been for the coronavirus pandemic cancellation of the 2020 state tournament, it may have been three state titles as MND was also 28-0 a year ago.
In the 2021 state tournament, Bransford nearly delivered back-to-back triple-doubles. In the semifinal against Toledo Notre Dame Academy she had 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. She followed that up with 21 points 10 assists and eight boards against Newark in the championship game. To make her accolades even more notable, Bransford has played three seasons alongside Laila Phelia, a Michigan signee and McDonald’s All-American nominee.
Newark senior Emma Shumate was the Ohio Ms. Basketball runner-up. Other finalists were Laurel senior Taylor Thierry, Berlin Hiland senior Zoe Miller, Toledo Notre Dame Academy junior Grace Van Slooten and Aurora senior Shyanne Sellers. Only finalist Zoe Miller from Berlin Hiland…was not from a D I school, she was the D III Player of the Year.
Two All-Ohio players of the Year were not finalist for the award: Taylor Strock, Napoleon (D II) and Emma Hess, Legacy Christian (D IV)
Since the award first started winners have mostly come from metropolitan areas, D I schools and private schools.
Past Ohio Ms. Basketball Ohio winners
2021 – KK Bransford, Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame, junior
2020 – Madeline Westbeld, Kettering Fairmont, senior
2019 – Kierstan Bell, Canton McKinley, senior
2018 – Kierstan Bell, Canton McKinley, junior
2017 – Kierstan Bell, Canton McKinley, sophomore
2016 – Jensen Caretti, Hannibal River, senior
2015 – Hallie Thome, Chagrin Falls, senior
2014 – Kelsey Mitchell, Cin. Princeton, senior
2013 – Ashley Morrissette, Twinsburg, senior
2012 – Ameryst Alston, Canton McKinley, senior
2011 – Ameryst Alston, Canton McKinley, junior
2010 – Natasha Howard, Toledo Waite, senior
2009 – Kendall Hackney, Cin. Mount Notre Dame, senior
2008 – Amber Gray, West Chester Lakota West, senior
2007 – Jantel Lavender, Cleveland Central Catholic, senior
2006 – Tyra Grant, Youngstown Ursuline, senior
2005 – Maria Getty, Dayton Chaminade-Julienne, senior
2004 – Mel Thomas, Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame, senior
2003 – Brittany Hunter, Columbus Brookhaven, senior
2002 – Barbara Turner, Cleveland East Tech, senior
2001 – Michelle Munoz, Mason, senior
2000 – Michelle Munoz, Mason, junior
1999 – (TIE) Kaayla Chones, Eastlake North, senior; LaToya Turner, Pickerington, senior
1998 – Tamika Williams, Dayton Chaminade-Julienne, senior
1997 – Semeka Randall, Garfield Hts. Trinity, senior
1996 – Semeka Randall, Garfield Hts. Trinity, junior
1995 – Beth Ostendorf, Pickerington, senior
1994 – Na’Sheema Hillmon, Garfield Hts. Trinity, senior
1993 – Marlene Stollings, Beaver Eastern, senior
1992 – Katie Smith, Logan, senior
1991 – Vonda Ward, Garfield Hts. Trinity, senior
1990 – Vonda Ward, Garfield Hts. Trinity, junior
1989 – Carol Madsen, Reading, senior
1988 – Janet Haneberg, Cincinnati Seton, senior
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