DAYTON, Ohio (WLIO) — The Russia Raiders were looking to capture their first-ever state title but came up short against the Strasburg-Franklin Tigers in the Division VII state championship at the University of Dayton Arena.

Strasburg-Franklin jumped out to an early lead, putting Russia in a hole in the first quarter. Aryanna Cordonnier helped spark the Raiders with an and-one finish, but Russia trailed 11-5 after the opening period.

The Raiders continued battling in the second quarter. Celeste Borchers scored on a strong finish at the rim, but Russia still went into halftime trailing 17-8.

In the second half, Borchers added another tough basket plus the foul. She finished with a team-high seven points as the Raiders kept fighting to stay within reach.

However, Strasburg-Franklin maintained control throughout the game and went on to secure the championship.

Russia’s historic postseason run ends with a 38-17 loss, marking the program’s first-ever state runner-up finish.

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