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MONROE — The 2007-2008 season will go down as perhaps the most successful in program history for the Cincinnati Christian girls basketball team, regardless of the outcome Saturday Feb. 16.

CCS (14-7), playing in its first-ever Division IV sectional championship game, lost 63-30 to Seven Hills (19-4) at Monroe High School, closing the book on the Cougars' first winning season in five years.

Their three seniors — Lindsay Bradds, Bethany Lammers and Kirstie Runion — have helped resurrect the program from a three-win season in 2005.

"We've improved immensely," Bradds said. "(Reaching the sectional final) was our goal at the start of the season."

CCS overcame a spate of preseason injuries to win the Miami Valley Conference Gray Division title.

"We started the season with three players (Runion, Lammers and freshman Naomi Byrd) rehabbing from injury," CCS coach Ken Bashford said. "Just to see them finish the season is amazing. That's the highlight of the season for me."

The top-seeded Stingers, boasting six players over 5-foot-10, scored the game's first six points and led the entire of the way.

Junior Olivia Carey scored a career-high 29 points for Seven Hills, which led 20-7 after one quarter and 38-15 at halftime.

Junior Taylor Fleming (14 points) and sophomore Sarah Carroll (12 points) led the fifth-seeded Cougars, who return 11 players next season.

But the departure of their three seniors, especially Runion (11.5 ppg), leaves a big void to fill.

"(Runion) will be tough to replace," Bashford said. "She's so quick, and is a great defender. She makes everyone better."

Runion hopes to play basketball for a non-Division I college.

"I'll be taking college visits, quite a few, over the next three weeks," Runion said.

The Stingers advance to the district tournament, where they will play Monroe on Saturday, Feb. 23, at Vandalia Butler High School.

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5128 or edawisha@coxohio.com.