READING, Ohio — The Mount Notre Dame basketball team won its 60th consecutive game Thursday night in a 73-40 victory over visiting Mercy McAuley.
MND (16-0) moved into fourth place on the Ohio High School Athletic Association's girls basketball all-time consecutive wins listwhich includes postseason tournament games.
"It's pretty amazing," MND coach Dr. Scott Rogers said of the win streak this week.
"If you sit down and think about it which I try not to do - you need to win a couple games maybe you shouldn't win and you need to be lucky and we've had some of that. But, we've also had really good players that have played really well that have been part of a successful run."
MND led 42-11 at halftime and 67-25 at the end of the third quarter Thursday night.
Senior guard Laila Phelia (Michigan signee) and junior guard KK Bransford each scored 18 points for the Cougars.
MND, ranked No. 6 nationally by MaxPreps, is two wins away from tying Lima Bath (1972-1976) for third all-time in state history.
That state record list requires a minimum of 50 consecutive wins and the postseason is included for that particular category. (There is also a state record list for consecutive regular-season wins).
RELATED: Sign up for our new high school sports newsletter
Join the Cincinnati area high school sports Facebook group
MND had been tied with Kalida (1988-90) with 59 consecutive wins entering Thursday.
MND started its current win streak Jan. 17, 2019 when it defeated host Mercy McAuley 60-58. MND's most recent loss was to Centerville (70-56) Jan. 14, 2019.
Millersburg West Holmes holds the top spot in the OHSAA record book for most consecutive wins overall. West Holmes won 108 consecutive games from 1983-87.
Pickerington High School, which split into Pickerington Central and Pickerington North in the early 2000s, is second with 74 consecutive wins from 1991-94.
MND is tied with Pickerington Central (including old Pickerington High School) and Columbus Africentric Early College as the only Ohio schools to win seven state girls basketball titles.
MND completed its 2019-20 season with a 28-0 record and was a Division I state semifinalist after the state Final Four was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"They've been very motivated," Rogers said this week. "They just kind of take one game at a time. Last year is very clear in their mind how it was just kind of taken from them. I think they're appreciating every game - I really do."
MND was the 2019 Division I state champion, the program's seventh state basketball title.
Rogers has led the Cougars to four state titles under his head coaching direction including 2004, 2006, 2017 and 2019.
Rogers has a 294-44 coaching record at MND and is 371-61 overall, according to MND assistant athletic director Keith Schenkel.
The Cougars also won state titles in 2007, 2008 and 2009 under head coach Dante Harlan.
