By E. Shawn Aylsworth
Managing Editor
INDIANAPOLIS â??? New Castle guard Zach Hahn was a pedestrian 3 of 7 from the field and had seven points as the Trojans trailed, 18-16, at halftime of the Class 3A state championship game March 25 against Jay County at Conseco Fieldhouse.
But after hitting five straight shots and outscoring the Patriots 14-6 by himself in a four-minute stretch of the third quarter, Hahn had assumed control of the game. The 6â??1â? junior maintained that momentum the rest of the way, adding eight more points en route to a game-high 29 as 10th-ranked New Castle won, 51-43.
The 43 points set a new 3A state finals record for fewest points allowed for New Castle, which captured its second state championship overall and first since 1932.
â??It was an incredible win and atmosphere,â? Hahn said. â??We showed poise all season, and poise won us the game tonight.â?
This one got off to a slow start as the only things that made much noise in the opening period were the aforementioned rabid fan sections of each squad. Both Jay County and New Castle easily boasted the loudest fans of the four state finals games, creating the most intense atmosphere of the day.
Fitting, in that this turned out to be the best game.
Cold shooting was the entree in the first quarter. New Castle missed five of its seven shots and did not make one till the 4:46 mark, while Jay County was not much better at 3 for 9. But the three buckets were all 3-pointers, two of them by senior guard Tyler Rigby, and that was good enough for a 9-6 Patriot lead at the break.
New Castle opened the second stanza with a 7-0 run on a three from Hahn, a jumper by sophomore forward Chase Stigall, and a layin by senior forward Ryan Freeburg as the Trojans nailed their first four attempts of the period. But Jay County, which missed eight of its first nine second-quarter shots, responded with a 9-3 run to take an 18-16 lead into the locker rooms.
The run was culminated by an improbable banked-in 3-pointer just ahead of the buzzer from the right angle by the 6â??1â? Rigby, whose 4-of-6 effort from behind the 3-point line translated into a 3A finals-record .667 percentage.
â??Our kids played a great game,â? said Jay County coach Craig Teagle. â??We donâ??t have any superstars; they just play well together.
â??We fought and battled, and every time we made a mistake, the Hahn kid made us pay.â?
Payment via Hahn solo began midway through the third quarter, after a 6-1 Jay County run gave the Patriots their biggest lead at 24-17.
Hahn missed a runner but converted on a putback and was fouled, converting the free throw to cut the lead to four. After a missed 3-pointer by Rigby, Hahn drilled his. A Hahn steal led to a Freeburg bucket in the paint, and the rapid-fire 8-0 run in only 48 seconds got New Castle the lead back at 25-24.
Junior forward Corey Comer hit a set-shot three and a putback to get Jay County back on top at 29-25, but then came Hahn Blitzkrieg #2:
- A layin to cut the deficit to 27-25
- A 3-pointer to make it a one-point game at 31-30
- Another three to put New Castle ahead, 33-31
- A 3-pointer from junior guard Bryant Hazelman â??? his only points of the game â??? on an assist from Hahn after he penetrated then kicked the ball back out
The whirlwind quarter ended with A) New Castle leading, and B) an eye-opening realization that the 13,483 in attendance may have just witnessed the 2007 Mr. Basketball.
â??The Hahn kid basically just took the game over in the third quarter,â? Teagle said. â??They set the high ball screens, staggered screens, double-ball screens and sometimes we didnâ??t get out far enough.
â??Any kid who plays basketball can learn something from (Hahn). He keeps his dribble alive, he never picks up his dribble, he backs up and creates space and comes back again. The kid is a great player.â?
Echoed coach Bennett: â??We pushed the ball down the court more, plus we told Zach to put us on his back. Zach gets himself loose well off the dribble for his shots.
â??Heâ??s so relentless and an unbelievable competitor.â?
Still, Jay County had drained five of its 10 third-quarter shots and found itself down only 36-33 following the Hahn highlight show. And the Patriots would keep it within three right down to the last two minutes.
The first six points of the fourth quarter were scored at the line, three by each side, and the margin remained three at 39-36 with 3:44 to go. Time for â??Hahn: Part III (3-D).â?
Hahn followed up his own missed runner with another successful putback for a 41-36 lead before senior guard Zac Green answered for Jay County with a baseline runner. But after a Hahn missed jumper, Greenâ??s solid penetration resulted in a costly turnover when he made a bad pass on the kick-out.
Hahn, of course, made him pay by converting on a drive to the hoop. Rigby, however, made a similar drive and was fouled, and his pair of free throws made it 43-40 with 1:48 left.
The next two plays determined the outcome.
With New Castle in the double-bonus, Hahn chewed up a sizeable chunk of clock with some virtuoso dribbling before being fouled by Green at 1:11. Oops â??? Hahn is an 86 percent free throw shooter. He made the first but surprisingly missed the second, providing Jay County with the opening it didnâ??t deserve after fouling the wrong player.
But Comer inexplicably hoisted up a quick three from the top of the key that missed, and when junior forward Drew Tower rebounded for New Castle, the clock was under a minute and Jay Countyâ??s hopes were under the bus.
Junior guard Luke Bennett hit a pair of free throws for a 46-40 lead at :37.2. Rigby, an 82 percent free thrower, was fouled away from the ball, but he only made one of two. Bennett sank two more shots at :30 to push the lead to 48-41, and there simply wasnâ??t enough time left for the Patriots to revive themselves.
â??We had some shots inside, but we just couldnâ??t get them to go down,â? Teagle said.
Jay County, which was appearing in its first-ever boys basketball state finals, was led by Rigbyâ??s 16 points. No other Patriot reached double figures.
New Castle, meanwhile, had a pair of double-digit scorers: Bennett with 10, and some kid named Hahn. The star of the game had seven rebounds and four assists to go with those 29 points, which came on 10-of-19 shooting (4 of 7 from downtown).
Trojans endured mid-season rough patch
If you has asked Bennett on Valentineâ??s Day if he thought his Trojans would be state champions six weeks later, the ninth-year coach probably would have asked if you were nuts. New Castle had just lost, 60-56, at home to Pendleton Heights â??? the Trojansâ?? third straight defeat and sixth loss in their last eight games, four of them at vaunted New Castle Fieldhouse.
Aside from that last defeat, though, the teams they had fallen to were Marion, Logansport, Muncie Central, Huntington North, and Anderson. All ranked at some point in the season, and all 4A schools that double as North Central Conference foes (New Castle is the only 3A school in the basketball tradition-rich NCC).
Call it strength of schedule.
â??When you coach at New Castle, it is really special,â? Bennett said. â??Iâ??m just proud to be a part of it.â?
Jay Countyâ??s Rigby wins Trester Award
Jay County senior guard Tyler Rigby is the 2005-06 Boys Basketball Class 3A recipient of the Arthur L. Trester Mental Attitude Award as selected by members of the IHSAA Board of Directors.
Rigby, who leads his team in scoring with an 11.7 average, is a two-time team captain for coach Craig Teagleâ??s Patriots, helping them to their first-ever state finals appearance. Rigby also excelled in tennis for Jay County, combining with senior basketball teammate Randy Evans to reach the quarterfinals of the IHSAA Individual Doubles Tournament last fall with a 22-4 record.
In the classroom, Rigby is pursuing an Academic Honors Diploma with a 3.67 cumulative grade point average. The National Honor Society student is active in his church youth group and as a volunteer at the West Jay Community Center Camp.
â??Tyler has demonstrated time and time again that he is a good communicator, citizen, student, and athlete,â? said Jay County Principal Dr. Wood Barwick. â??He is a highly dedicated athlete who knows how to sacrifice for perfection and motivate fellow teammates to strive for excellence.
â??Tyler recognizes his great potential for the future, yet he is a humble and approachable person who loves to share his extensive knowledge about basketball with others, his fellow students in particular.â?
The recipient, nominated by his principals and coaches, must excel in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability in boys basketball. The award is named in honor of Trester, the IHSAAâ??s first commissioner who served from 1929-44. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, IHSAAâ??s corporate partner, presented a $1,000 check to Jay County High School in the name of Tyler Rigby.
Rigby, the son of Brad and Connie Aker, plans to major in computer science in college next fall.
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