Girls basketball: Live updates from Fairmont-Pickerington Central in D-I state semifinals

The winner will play Cincinnati Princeton at 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Princeton beat Wadsworth 53-43 earlier in the evening.

Check back for more coverage, including photos and video, from tonight’s game.

Fourth quarter

Fairmont will play for a state championship.

The Firebirds beat Pickerington Central 45-41. Fairmont got its paint defense back in order for most of the final eight minutes. They held the Tigers without a point for more than five minutes to begin the quarter before PC closed the gap again to five.

Cornett opened the final period with a three to put Fairmont back up by six. Thornton got a layup three minutes later, and Peyton Adams extended the lead back to double figures with just under three minutes to play. That was the last basket of the game for the Firebirds.

PC had a chance to get the game back to one possession with 14.5 seconds to play, but only made one of two free throws. Fairmont also was unable to put away the game at the line at the other end on multiple trips, but a last effort for the Tigers came up short.

Pickerington Central never solved its struggles shooting from three. The Tigers were 0-for-8 in the second half shot 11 percent for the game.

Nico Cornett led Fairmont with 15 points on 6 of 10 shooting. London Johnson had 13 for Pickerington Central.

Third quarter

Fairmont is clinging to a 36-33 lead.

PC is attacking the rim with more regularity. London Johnson carried the Tigers for most of the quarter and had nine points.

A 4-0 run in the opening minute gave PC some early life before Cornett got a steal and dished to Lena Buskard to put the Firebirds back ahead by 10.

The Tigers spent most of the quarter trying to get its deficit under eight points and succeeded on free throws by London Johnson to trail 35-28.

PC only made three field goals but got seven free throws to go with them.

Fairmont scored one point over the final 5:16 of the quarter.

Second quarter

A 29-17 lead for Fairmont at halftime.

Fairmont’s pressure defense is having the same success as it has against many opponents this season. The Tigers are sending the Firebirds to the line often to make them earn points and Fairmont hasn’t responded well, shooting 3-for-8.

Cornett opened the period with another layup to elevate Fairmont’s lead back into double digits. Nifty passing led to a wide open layup for Janiyah Hargrave and a 21-7 advantage for the Firebirds.

PC found some offense midway through the period and made four of five shot attempts at one point, culminating with a three by Gabby Plair to cut its deficit back to eight.

Two free throws by Fairmont during the final three minutes of the quarter were the only points during the final stretch until Hargrave scored at the buzzer.

PC is struggling from the outside, shooting 2 of 11 from three. Fairmont has all but two points of its points from three players — Hargrave (10), Thornton (9) and Cornett (8).

First quarter

Fairmont led Pickerington Central 15-7 after a strong start.

Nico Cornett got the scoring started with a three from near the elbow in the opening minute. Kaylah Thornton hit one of her own a little more than a minute later. Cornett’s steal and score made it 8-2 Firebirds.

Thornton on a fast break again scored with an acrobatic layup to make it a 13-5 lead. Pickerington Central called a timeout and caused the large Fairmont contingent in attendance to roar.

Fairmont forced seven turnovers in the opening quarter. The Firebirds shot 67 percent from the field, compared to 13 percent by PC.