By E. Shawn Aylsworth
HA.com Managing Editor
|
Washington hero Luke Zeller raises his arms in victory after sinking the Class 3A title-winning 40-footer. Plymouth´s Korey Butcher, like every person in the building not named Zeller, can´t believe what just happened. Photo by Natalie Evans
|
INDIANAPOLIS ���?? I was right in telling anyone who would listen that there was no way they should miss watching the Indiana boys basketball championship Saturday night. What I was wrong about was that the once-in-a-generation clash of the titans would come in the Class 4A tilt.
That���?�s because 3A former state champions Plymouth and Washington entertained a sold-out Conseco Fieldhouse to perhaps the greatest game in Indiana state championship history and arguably the greatest tournament shot ever.
It came from Washington���?�s 6���?�11�� center Luke Zeller, and it was a jump shot. From the half-court line.
Zeller���?�s beautiful 40-foot swish enabled his top-ranked Hatchets to escape a 3-point crazed No. 7 Plymouth, 74-72, in overtime in an unbelievably well-played game that saw 21 state finals records tied or smashed.
TWENTY-ONE STATE RECORDS, for cryin���?� out loud!!!
Ultimately, though, it was high-scoring Plymouth guard Kyle Benge and his senior teammates ���?? with one very young exception ���?? who saw their dreams of a second state title dashed after mounting a furious fourth-quarter comeback from a 12-point deficit to send it to OT.
â�?��?It was a Christian Laettner-type play,â�?� said a jubilant Washington coach Dave Omer, who concluded a 40-year coaching career with a perfect ending. â�?��?He caught the ball, made a quick reverse dribble â�?�¦ right down the middle. Him making the basket doesnâ�?��?�t surprise me.â�?�
If there���?�s one person whom we shouldn���?�t be surprised could sink such a shot so effortlessly, it would appear to be Zeller, the Trester Award winner and an all-around nice guy from all reports.
���?It was a situation where I didn���?�t want anybody else on the team to have that shot on their shoulders,�� Zeller said. ���?I wanted to get the ball on the wing, but he threw it to me at half court.
���?I took a dribble, let go of it, and I was praying the whole way through and God took care of the rest.��
So about that shot â�?�¦ The in-bounds pass came from guard Justin Smith, yet it appeared Zeller wasnâ�?��?�t even the primary option after Smith found no one to throw to for the first three seconds.
Then, from right in front of press row, Zeller strode calmly toward the ball, snagging Smith���?�s long pass near the exact center of the floor. He turned to his right and took a dribble across the center jump circle, then shot what appeared to be a normal, smooth jumper ���?? just this time it was from 40 feet, and for the state championship.
Buzzer.
Swish.
Bedlam.
Plymouth coach Jack Edison, whom some may remember as the benefactor of a monster game-winning shot like this 23 years ago, knew his Pilgrims had nothing to hang their head about after Zeller���?�s fantastic finish.
���?He might have played his game of the year tonight, but what do champions do on championship night?�� Edison asked. ���?They rise to the occasion like that.
���?We were as concerned with his passing tonight as we were with his shooting.��
In the end, both were daggers ���?? in addition to Zeller���?�s rebounding prowess. The Notre Dame-bound 6���?�11�� gentleman finished one board shy of a triple-double as he posted game highs of 11 assists (an Indiana all-time championship game record, breaking the old mark of 10 by Class 3A Indianapolis Chatard���?�s Dan Cage in 2003) and nine rebounds to go along with his 27 points.
The only player on either team to never leave the floor during the incredible 36 minutes, Zeller connected on 8-of-13 shooting (including 2 of 4 from 3-point range) and was 9 of 10 on his free throws.
Think we may have seen the coronation of Mr. Basketball, 2005?
Zellerâ�?��?�s shot itself was enough to stun even the most mellow basketball fan. But coming on the heels of the heart-stopping antics of Plymouth freshman guard Randy Davis (see below) â�?�¦ well, it was just unbelievable.
At least that���?�s what everybody at Conseco was muttering well into the anti-climactic 4A final between Lawrence North and Muncie Central that had the unfortunate fate of having to play headliner Vanilla Fudge following opening act The Beatles.
The thing is, it wasn���?�t just the ending of this game that featured nine senior starters that kept fans in a tizzy. The whole game was fabulous, and with the exception of a short-lived 12-point lead opened up by Washington right at the start of the fourth quarter, it was nip-and-tuck the whole way.
The Here Comes a Great Game siren was sounded early on as a frenzied first half of 3-point bombing from both sides set an absurd tone of â�?�¦ FUN!
Benge, the 6���?�1�� Plymouth senior and state���?�s second-leading scorer at 27.0 points a game, got things rolling with one of his patented almost-set shot 3-pointers. Smith answered for Washington with a layup on a nice dish from Zeller.
Plymouth forward Matt Houin���?�s bucket made it 5-2, Plymouth. Following an air-ball 3 attempt from Benge, Washington center Bryan Bouchie drew the Hatchets within one on a putback slam.
And so it went throughout the remainder of a tight half, Washington scoring on a variety of fundamentally sound plays in response to Plymouth���?�s setting a blazing pace with its outside wizardry. In fact, Plymouth followed Bouchie���?�s slam with seven 3-pointers ���?? in a row.
That���?�s right. At the official���?�s timeout with 3:49 to go in the half and the score fittingly tied at 29, all but two of Plymouth���?�s points had come from behind the arc.
One scoring sequence (there may have been a coupla misses mixed in here somewhere; no one remembers) went as follows:
|
Plymouth coach Jack Edison probably says something like "KEEP SHOOTING!" to guard Geoff Scheetz. Scheetz nailed five first-half 3s to keep the Pilgrims even with much-bigger Washington. Photo by Natalie Evans
|
�?· Plymouth: Benge 3
�?· Washington: Zeller 3
�?· Plymouth: guard Geoff Scheetz 3
�?· Plymouth: Benge 3
�?· Washington: Zeller slam
�?· Washington forward Isaac Stoll slam (end 1Q, tied at 17)
�?· (beginning 2Q, still tied at 17) Plymouth: Scheetz 3
�?· Washington: Smith layin on assist from Zeller
�?· Plymouth sophomore guard Chad Clinton 3
�?· Washington: Smith 3
�?· Plymouth: Scheetz 3
�?· Washington: Zeller fouled, 2 of 2 free throws
�?· Washington: Smith 3
�?· Plymouth: Scheetz 3
Yowza!
Most, if not all, of the diminutive 5���?�8�� Scheetz���?�s 3-pointers came from the left corner. Had Washington not won the game, Omer may very well have spent all his entire retirement days having nightmares about the mop-haired sharpshooter.
Indeed, Scheetz and Benge went nuts in the first half, canning 8 of 18 from downtown in thrilling the crowd with their long-distance daggers. And Washington was shooting the same torrid percentage on 4-of-9 accuracy from outside.
Amazingly, however, neither Pilgrim guard nailed a one in the second half and overtime, going oh no for 10. Benge was able to score Plymouth���?�s first nine points of the third quarter on a variety of two-pointers and a free throw to push the Pilgrims ahead, 45-43, but that trifecta rejecta turned into a crisis late in the third.
After Benge���?�s tying three-point play at 4:04, Plymouth managed only one field goal the rest of the period. Washington, meanwhile, got busy mounting a 14-2 run (Bouchie from the paint, Zeller turnaround jumper, guard Joel McDonald baseline jumper, Stoll 3, Stoll 3, guard Brett Matteson steal-and-drive scoop shot) to seemingly take control.
Washington���?�s fans certainly sensed the impending opening of flood gates, and when the formerly en fuego Scheetz bricked a 3-point effort off the side of the backboard and Stoll drained a 3 from the left corner to make it 62-51, it looked like all she wrote.
Nuh-UHHHHHHHHHH! A Washington scoreless streak of 3:15 and six Plymouth points cut the lead to five, but Stoll���?�s layin (on another assist from Zeller) made it 64-57 with just under two minutes to play.
A quick 3 from Plymouth junior forward Rick Davis cut it to four, though, and Benge���?�s two foul shots following a gorgeous 20-foot bounce pass inside from Scheetz made it 64-62 at 1:01. Then Matteson missed the front end of the one-and-bonus with 36.3 seconds left, setting the stage for a kamikaze drive to the bucket by Plymouth guard Kyle Plumlee.
Fouled with :21.6 showing, the 73-percent free throw shooter made the first one. Knowing he can complete a tantalizing dozen-point comeback if he makes the second, Plumlee â�?�¦ rattled it in.
Then Washington turned the ball over as Benge got a steal with five seconds left and fed Plumlee, who drove the length of the floor and missed a shot, got his own rebound, then missed again as the buzzer sounded.
WEâ�?��?�RE GOINâ�?��?� TO OOOOOOOOOOVERTIME â�?�¦
Zeller may have led everybody in the three main offensive categories, but there were eight scorers all told that reached double figures in this balanced contest. Joining the big fella for Washington were Stoll (16 points), Bouchie (11), and Smith (10).
Benge ended up five points below his average, finishing with 22 points on only 8-of-25 shooting. Scheetz (5 of 13, all from 3-point land) scored 15 points, while Plumlee had 11 and super frosh Randy Davis had 10.
Washington, which finished at 27-2, captures it fourth state title to go with the ones way back in 1930, 1941, and again in ���?�42. Crown No. 4 puts the Hatchets in elite company along with Frankfort; those schools trail only Muncie Central (eight) and Marion (seven) in Indiana boys basketball lore.
Plymouth, which won its only other state finals visit in 1982 behind another high scorer (Scott Skiles), ends its season at 22-4.
Slew of 3-point records set in this baby
At last count ���?? and we have our crack HA.com basketball research staff (picture a hamster rolling around the floor in one of those clear balls) working overtime on this as we speak ���?? some fifteen (15) 3-point shooting records were set or tied in this epic contest.
The 10 long-range team records:
�?· Most 3-point field goals made: Plymouth (11), breaking the 3A mark of 8 set by Muncie South vs. Evansville Mater Dei in 2001
�?· Most 3-point field goals made: Plymouth (11), breaking the all-time mark of 10 set by three teams â�?��?? 4A Bloomington North vs. Marion in 2000, 2A Westview vs. Winchester in 2000, and Valparaiso vs. South Bend Clay in 1994
�?· Most 3-point field goals made: Washington (8), tying the 3A mark of 8 set by Muncie South vs. Evansville Mater Dei in 2001
�?· Most combined 3-point field goals made: Plymouth vs. Washington (19), breaking the 3A mark of 10 set by two teams â�?��?? Muncie South (8) vs. Evansville Mater Dei (2) in 2001 and Fort Wayne Elmhurst (5) vs. Indianapolis Chatard (5) in 2003
�?· Most combined 3-point field goals made: Plymouth vs. Washington (19), tying the all-time mark of 19 set by Valparaiso (10) vs. South Bend Clay (9) in 1994
�?· Most 3-point field goals attempted: Plymouth (32), breaking the 3A mark of 27 set Fort Wayne Elmhurst vs. Indianapolis Chatard in 2003
�?· Most 3-point field goals attempted: Plymouth (32), breaking the all-time mark of 30 set by Valparaiso vs. South Bend Clay in 1994
�?· Most combined 3-point field goals attempted: Plymouth vs. Washington (46), breaking the 3A mark of 38 set by Fort Wayne Elmhurst (27) vs. Indianapolis Chatard (11) in 2003 (it simply must be noted here that the all-time mark is an insane 49 set by Valparaiso (30) vs. South Bend Clay (19) in â�?��?�94)
�?· Highest 3-point field goal percentage (minimum 10 attempts): Washington (8 of 14 for .571), breaking the 3A mark of .462 set by Evansville Mater Dei (6 of 13) vs. Bellmont in 2004
�?· Highest combined 3-point field goal percentage (minimum 15 attempts): Plymouth (11 of 32) vs. Washington (8 of 14) for .413, breaking the 3A mark of .357 set by Muncie South (8 of 20) vs. Evansville Mater Dei (2 of 8) in 2001
The five long-range individual records:
�?· Most 3-point field goals made: Geoff Scheetz, Plymouth (5), breaking the 3A mark of 4 set by Muncieâ�?��?�s South Brian Bell vs. Evansville Mater Dei in 2001
�?· Most 3-point field goals made: Isaac Stoll, Washington (4), tying the 3A mark of 4 set by Muncieâ�?��?�s South Brian Bell vs. Evansville Mater Dei in 2001
�?· Most 3-point field goals attempted: Geoff Scheetz, Plymouth (15), breaking the 3A mark of 11 set by Fort Wayne Elmhurstâ�?��?�s Joseph Poindexter vs. Indianapolis Chatard in 2003
|
Plymouth guard Kyle Benge, the state´s second-leading scorer, banks home this shot and gets fouled by Washington´s Justin Smith. Benge´s 3-point play gave Plymouth its last lead till overtime. Photo by Natalie Evans
|
�?· Most 3-point field goals attempted: Kyle Benge, Plymouth (13), breaking the 3A mark of 11 set by Fort Wayne Elmhurstâ�?��?�s Joseph Poindexter vs. Indianapolis Chatard in 2003
�?· Highest 3-point field goal percentage (minimum 5 attempts): Isaac Stoll, Washington (4 of 8 for .500), breaking the 3A mark of .444 set by Muncieâ�?��?�s South Brice Jones (4 of 9) vs. Evansville Mater Dei in 2001
I, myself, was 15 when I saw a Plymouth team do this the last time ���?? the 1982 state finals when the Skiles-led Pilgrims outlasted Gary Roosevelt, 75-74, in double overtime. As memory serves, it was Skiles���?� 30-footer that sent the game into overtime, and his 39 points sealed the victory.
Up till Saturday night, I was sure that was the best game in any sport I would ever see. Now I���?�m not sure what to think.
BTW, we may have missed one or seven records above (turns out it was seven!!), so please be compassionate 😉
We have seen the future, and his nameâ�?��?�s â�?�¦ Randy
Speaking of compassion, Plymouth���?�s off-the-bench-late freshman Randy Davis was showing none of it as his machine-like offensive effort late in the game defied his youthful age and slight build. The space above, in fact, should be devoted to his perfect performance down the stretch ���?? 2 of 2 from the floor (both on improbable gutsy drives deep into the paint) and 4 of 4 from the line ���?? were it not for Zeller���?�s miraculous game-winner.
Inserted in the lineup midway through the fourth quarter with Plymouth���?�s Plumlee in foul trouble, the 5���?�9�� young���?�un calmly sank two free throws with 3:48 to go to cut Washington���?�s lead to seven. Then after Plumlee fouled out with 2:26 left in overtime, Davis re-entered before serenely swishing the front end and the bonus 28 seconds later to put Plymouth up, 68-67.
But that was nothing compared with how Plymouth���?�s next two possessions ended.
|
Washington guard Joel McDonald drives on Plymouth guard Kyle Plumlee during the Class 3A final. Plumlee´s two free throws with 21 seconds left sent this classic contest into overtime. Photo by Natalie Evans
|
After getting beat on the dribble by Washington guard Joel McDonald for a layin to trail 69-68 at the 1:46 mark, Davis grabbed a missed Benge 3-pointer, then flew along the right baseline toward the trees: Zeller and Bouchie, a 6���?�8�� sophomore and son of former Mr. Basketball, Steve.
Davis juked Tree 1 under the rim, leaning in mid-air across to the left side and scooping the ball up off the glass for a gorgeous reverse layup and a 70-69 lead with 1:22 to go. But Zeller answered 18 seconds later with a pair of free throws at the other end to make it 71-70, Washington.
Plymouth then drove the Conseco crowd nuts by running the clock down in haphazard fashion, nearly losing possession twice to Washington���?�s defensive pressure before calling timeout with :09.8 left. The entire building waited for what surely would be an isolation play for Benge or Scheetz, right?
Uh, no. From under the basket, Plymouth lobbed the in-bounds pass some 55 feet to the backcourt, and Benge did indeed get possession of the ball at the top of key, setting the table for the inevitable 3-point shot. But Benge must have instinctively known his part in what may well be the best 9.8 in the history of the state, for he dished to The Freshman.
Said Plymouth coach Jack Edison: ���?Just so you don���?�t think Randy went off on his own, I did kind of grab him before he went out of the huddle to try to keep the third option primary in his mind. Benge and Scheetz were the first two options.��
With the clock ticking and two strikes against the Pilgrims, Davis took Benge���?�s pass and headed inside, driving from the right side deep into the lane and under Tree 2 before scooping the ball up off the glass and watching it fall down gently through the cords.
The clock read :01.8, and the Fieldhouse was in hysteria. Timeout, Washington â�?�¦ and the beginning of the end of â�?��?The Randy Davis Story.â�?�
���?The up-and-under shot was very impressive,�� Zeller said after the game. ���?They are a great team.
���?After they hit that shot there was 1.8 seconds, and I knew what I was going to have to do.��
EVIDENTLY!!
A combined 72 years of coaching experience on those sidelines â�?�¦
Even Omer, with 1.8 seconds left in his coaching career, realized that he had no say here.
���?After they saw our (in-bounds) set and called timeout, Luke said, ���?Get me the ball and I���?�ll score,���?� ���? said Omer. ���?I said, ���?OK.���?�
���?It���?�s the perfect ending. I told someone that it���?�s like the amen on a great season. It���?�s a great way to go out.��
Omer puts a wrap to career that saw him finish 471-353. He made coaching stops at New Harmony, Waldron, Whiteland, Boonville, and Barr-Reeve before coming to Daviess County. So he knows his Southern Indiana basketball.
���?We are as good of a team, maybe not the best individuals, but we are as good of a team as there is in Southern Indiana,�� said Omer, who managed many kind words for his Northern Indiana counterpart during his final press briefing as a coach.
���?Plymouth is a great basketball team,�� Omer said. Plymouth is as quick, well-coached, and as hard to guard as any team we have ever played.��
Edison, meanwhile, was shooting for his 500th win in a career that has spanned 32 seasons.
Wait, there���?�s more records ���?? LOTS more!!!
The hamster just called in on the cell phone. In addition to Zeller���?�s assist record, there are no less than five others that were set in this ridiculously great game:
�?· Washington and Plymouthâ�?��?�s 31 assists combined breaks the 3A record of 30 set by Muncie South and Evansville Mater Dei in 2001.
�?· Washingtonâ�?��?�s .692 shooting from the field (27 of 39, with 13-20 in the first half, 12-16 in the second, and 2-3 in OT) ties the 3A record set by Indianapolis Cathedral against Yorktown in 1998.
�?· Plymouthâ�?��?�s perfection at the line (11 of 11 on free throws) breaks the .955 mark (21 of 22) shot by Delta vs. Harding in 2002.
�?· Plymouthâ�?��?�s 15 steals ties the 3A record set by Brebeuf against Andrean in 2000.
�?· Benge, who broke Skilesâ�?��?� school scoring record with 1,979 career points (42nd on Indianaâ�?��?�s all-time list), set a new 3A record for field goal attempts with 25, besting the old mark of 23 set by Andreanâ�?��?�s Shane Power vs. Brebeuf in 2000.
Zeller named Trester Award winner
Washington senior center Luke Zeller was named the Class 3A 2005 recipient of the Arthur L. Trester Mental Attitude.
A 2005 McDonald���?�s All-American, Zeller is a finalist based on scholarship, character, and community leadership/involvement for the Morgan Wooten Award as the McDonald���?�s National High School Player of the Year. The 2004 Street & Smith���?�s All-American is a four-time Hoosier Basketball Magazine all-state, all-conference, and all-sectional selection in addition to being named all-state three times.
Valedictorian of his senior class of 164 with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average, the All-American Scholar is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as well as being a volunteer for the Camp Illiana Habitat for Humanity. And Zeller annually participates in the Dr. Suess ���?Read Across America�� in elementary schools.
Said Washington principal Gary Puckett: ���?Luke truly embodies the values of being a student-athlete by his mental attitude, scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability. In four years of watching Luke competing on the court and working in the classroom, I have never seen him act or behave in a negative manner.
���?His mental attitude on and off the court is exemplary. On the court, Luke respects and responds positively to his coaches and treats his teammates, opponents, and officials with the utmost class and respect.��
Processing your request, Please wait....
