Contributed

McDonald’s of Greater Ohio and Purcell Marian High School hosted a special jersey presentation ceremony honoring Darianna “Dee” Alexander, who was recently named a 2025 McDonald’s All American.    Before she embarks on her college career as a Cincinnati Bearcat, Alexander was celebrated alongside her teammates and coaches during the jersey presentation on March 4 at Purcell Marian High School, at 2935 Hackberry Street, Cincinnati. The ceremony was during a school-wide assembly in the gymnasium.

Alexander, the No. 8 ranked girls’ basketball player in the nation according to ESPN and the first Purcell Marian Cavalier to earn this honor, will compete alongside the country’s top high school basketball players in the 2025 McDonald’s All American Games on April 1 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Being named a McDonald’s All American adds to a growing list of accolades for Alexander. Her high school career includes back-to-back Ohio Ms. Basketball awards as a sophomore and junior, along with being named the 2024 Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year. She has led Purcell Marian to three OHSAA State Championships and was named to the 2025 Naismith Girls High School Player of the Year Midseason Team. Alexander will also represent the U.S. in the USA Basketball Nike Hoop Summit in April in Portland, Oregon.

The ceremony also featured remarks from McDonald’s Owner/Operator Brian Kilroy, who owns several restaurants in the greater Cincinnati area.

For nearly five decades, the McDonald’s All American Games have been a premier platform for some of basketball’s most elite players. The final group of 24 girls and 24 boys are selected by top analysts, prep scouts, media, and coaches from hundreds of high school athletes. Get in the Game,

The Main Event: Tickets to the 2025 McDonald’s All American Games at Barclays Center on Tuesday, April 1, are now available through ticketmaster.com or by visiting mcdaag.com.

Tune In: Fans can tune in on ESPN and ESPN2. The Sprite Jam Fest will air Monday, March 31 at 7:15 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The 2025 McDonald’s All American Games will start with the Girls Game on Tuesday, April 1 at 6:30 p.m. 

The post McDonald’s awards Dee Alexander an All American jersey appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By Spencer Wheelock, wheelock@seyferthpr.com

The McDonald’s All American Games is headed to the basketball mecca of Brooklyn for the first time ever, descending on Barclays Center for a showdown featuring basketball’s future all-stars. McDonald’s announced the final rosters for the game, which includes Purcell Marian High School standout and University of Cincinnati commitment Darianna Alexander who will represent the Girls West Team in this year’s game. University of Cincinnati commit Shon Abaev of Calvary Christian Academy in Florida will join the Boys East Team.

For almost five decades, the McDonald’s All American Games have been a red thread connecting some of the game’s most elite players. The Selection Committee has revealed the next group of 48 athletes to hold the most prestigious honor in high school basketball.

The final group of 24 girls and 24 boys were hand selected by a collection of the game’s top analysts, prep scouts, media and coaches, from hundreds of potential high school players. This next generation of players represent communities from across the nation, each looking to make their own unique mark on the Games’ rich history, continuing a 48-year legacy of impact both on and off the court.

Community has remained a key fixture in the Games’ mission since its founding and this year is no different.       At the 2025 Games, McDonald’s is taking its commitment to community a step further with new and continued investments in neighborhood networks and local organizations, such as Ronald McDonald House. The Games will once again benefit RMHC through its network of local Chapters. There many ways to be part of the action:

Pre-Games Warm-Up: The Sprite Jam Fest, featuring a 3-Point Contest, dunk competition and a knockout game, will be held on Monday, March 31. Ticket information will be provided at a later date.

The Main Event: Tickets to the 2025 McDonald’s All American Games at Barclays Center on Tuesday, April 1 are now available through ticketmaster.com or by visiting mcdaag.com.

Tune In: Fans can tune in on ESPN and ESPN2. The Sprite Jam Fest will air Monday, March 31 at 7:15 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The 2025 McDonald’s All American Games will start with the Girls Game on Tuesday, April 1 at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and the Boys Game will immediately follow on ESPN at 9:00 p.m. ET.

The post Purcell Marian’s Darianna Alexander to play in McDonald’s All American Games appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By: Mike Dyer

CINCINNATI — Purcell Marian High School 2025 wing Dee Alexander is staying home! The five-star player, ranked No. 6 nationally in the 2025 class by ESPN, picked the University of Cincinnati over Ohio State and Illinois on Wednesday.

Alexander, the two-time Ohio Ms. Basketball recipient, led Purcell Marian (29-1) to a third consecutive state title in March. Purcell Marian is No. 15 nationally in the season’s final MaxPreps Top 25 rankings.

She had one of the most accomplished seasons in Ohio high school girls basketball history this past winter.

Alexander was named Tuesday afternoon to the MaxPreps Junior All-America Team. Last week, she was named to the MaxPreps All-America Second Team. She was also the Gatorade Ohio high school player of the year and the Ohio MaxPreps player of the year.

Scoring 1,896 points in her high school career, Alexander had been considering 15 programs publicly since announcing the finalists on Instagram in November 2023.

Those scholarship offers include the University of Connecticut, South Carolina, Iowa, Louisiana State (LSU), Ohio State, University of Southern California, Texas, Notre Dame, Illinois, Georgia, Virginia Tech and others.

Alexander became the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s all-time girls basketball state tournament scoring leader during the first half of this year’s state final. She scored 134 career points in the state tournament from 2022 to 2024 — with all those games at UD Arena.

Purcell Marian has an 83-4 record for the past three seasons.

The NCAA’s early signing period for basketball starts Nov. 13, 2024.

Reposted with permission from WCPO 9 Cincinnati.

The post Dee Alexander commits to University of Cincinnati appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By: Mike Dyer | WCPO 9

DAYTON, Ohio — Purcell Marian High School has its three-peat.

The Cavaliers defeated Shaker Heights Laurel School 79-52 Saturday night in the Division II girls basketball state final at University of Dayton Arena. It is the third consecutive state championship for Purcell Marian (29-1).

“I just got done telling people I got to let this one sink in,” Purcell Marian coach Jamar Mosley said. “Well, I got to let all three of them sink in. I look ahead too much. What can we do better next year? That was my mindset in the past. I got to let these three sink in.”

Purcell Marian, winners of 27 consecutive games, is the sixth girls basketball team in state history to win three consecutive state titles.

Purcell Marian won the 2023 Division II state title, 2022 Division III state title and was a 2021 Division III state semifinalist.

Only three Ohio high school girls basketball programs have won four consecutive state titles or more including Mount Notre Dame (2006-09).

Purcell Marian junior wing Dee Alexander, a two-time Ohio Ms. Basketball recipient, is already thinking about next year.

“Our job is not completed yet,” said Alexander. “Once we get a state title next year my job will be completed in high school.”

Alexander scored 18 points and had six rebounds. She became the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s all-time girls basketball state tournament scoring leader Saturday night. She has scored 134 career points in the state tournament from 2022-2024.

“It means a lot because I’m just now finding this out so it’s something very special to me,” Alexander said.

Junior Ky’Aira Miller scored 18 points and had five rebounds and three assists. Freshman center Samaya Wilkins scored 17 points and had 13 rebounds.

It’s been a significant week for Purcell Marian, which is a reigning two-time state champion and ranked No. 15 nationally by MaxPreps. Alexander was named Ohio Ms. Basketball for a second straight season Wednesday. Alexander won the Gatorade Ohio player of the year award on Thursday morning.

Purcell Marian joined some very elite company in girls basketball state history this weekend.

Purcell Marian is the 16th team in state history with four consecutive trips to a state Final Four. Entering this year’s state tournament, 20 schools had won at least three girls basketball state titles overall.

Purcell Marian dominated Copley Friday in a state semifinal. It never trailed on Saturday. After two early ties, the Cavaliers led 20-10 at the end of the first quarter and 38-20 at halftime.

The outcome was never in doubt.

Purcell Marian went ahead 60-35 at the end of the third quarter. The Cavaliers won 23 consecutive games by double digits. The most recent game Purcell Marian won by single digits was a 56-51 win at Cooper Dec. 12.

Laurel School was led by sophomore Saniyah Hall who scored 21 points and had 14 rebounds. Laurel School completed its season with a 19-11 record.

Reposted with permission from WCPO 9 Cincinnati.

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