INDIANAPOLIS – Class 2A top-ranked Heritage Christian became the second school in Indiana girls basketball history to win four straight state titles March 7 at Lucas Oil Stadium, overcoming foul trouble by senior leader Kelly Faris to defeat second-ranked Oak Hill, 60-58, in overtime.
Senior guard Claire Freeman hit an improbable running shot facing away from the basket with 2.3 seconds left in the extra period to crush the upset hopes of Oak Hill, which turned in a much-improved performance over last year’s 22-point championship game loss to Heritage.
(TO CHECK OUT PICTURES BY MARK GRICIUS AND JEFF HEMMER AND JIM HUNT FROM THE OAK HILL-HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, CLICK HERE!!)
Oak Hill sent a message to the three-time defending champion early in the 2A final Saturday. The message was simple: These country girls aren’t afraid of you, so you had better prepare for war.
The champions did just that, and the result was one of the greatest games in Indiana girls basketball history. Fittingly, it was decided on a memorable shot that will take its rightful place in that history when Freeman hit an off-balance, twisting jumper from 15 feet in the closing seconds of overtime.
Heritage Christian coach Rick Risinger likes to use a press of some sort at the beginning of games in hopes the tactic will earn his squad a quick spurt at the outset. After some debate, he used the strategy Saturday, and it created a definite spurt.
The problem was that it wasn’t the one he was looking for. Oak Hill cut through the pressure like a knife through butter and set the tone for the rest of the game. Heritage Christian quickly abandoned the press and settled in for a grind-it-out affair.
The Golden Eagles used the quick start to gain a 14-9 lead late in the opening period, but a trey from senior Emily Anderson cut the lead back to two, and the quarter ended with Oak Hill leading 18-15. Those first eight minutes set a pattern that would last the entire day.
Oak Hill would gain several small advantages, only to see the champs respond. The Golden Eagles created several circumstances that could, and would, have felled a lesser team, only to see Heritage Christian figure a way to survive.
The biggest of those circumstances came early in the second quarter, when Heritage Christian’s Kelly Faris picked up her third foul at the 5:41 mark and headed to the bench with Oak Hill leading 21-19. This was a situation Heritage Christian had seldom, if ever, faced.
The Eagles were trailing in a game, and their heart and soul was not around to lead them. The challengers did their best to take advantage, but once more Heritage Christian responded.
The teams headed to intermission with Oak Hill leading by just one point, 28-27.
Having stayed in the game under the direst of circumstances, most in the huge throng at Lucas Oil Stadium thought Heritage Christian would come out in the second half and establish its dominance. After all, the 5’11” Faris had been held to just one field goal and a total of four first-half points.
That’s what they get for thinking.
After trading early points in the third quarter, the Golden Eagles once again took control and built a six-point margin at 37-31 late in the quarter. Heritage Christian again responded, closing the gap to 39-38 at the end of the quarter.
The drama of the final period could comprise a novel. The two teams both tightened their already smothering defenses, and then traded blows like heavyweight fighters. Oak Hill continued to shut down Faris from the field, while Heritage Christian put the clamps on Golden Eagles 6’4” junior center Ashley Pickering, who had torched them in the first half with 13 points.
Oak Hill responded by turning to Purdue recruit 5’7” junior guard Courtney Moses to lead the attack. Heritage Christian used a relentless attack into the post to take advantage of Oak Hill foul problems.
And so it went. Neither team could build more than a one-possession lead. Midway through the quarter, Heritage Christian finally took a 50-47 lead. Now it was Oak Hill’s turn to blink, and the Golden Eagles politely declined by regaining the advantage at 51-50 on a Moses jumper with 2:13 left in the period.
This epic battle led to a final minute that folks have seen more times than we can count. Oak Hill led 54-52 with less than 30 seconds to play when Faris was fouled in the post. The unflappable one stepped to the line and calmly sank both charity tosses to tie the game.
Then came the moment Oak Hill will regret for a lifetime. The Golden Eagles played for the last shot, but it never came. A Heritage Christian defender got just enough of the ball to create a scrum as the horn sounded, and the two exhausted combatants headed to overtime.
They traded single scores through the first three minutes of the extra session, and that set up a mirror image of the scenario at the end of regulation. This time, Oak Hill 6-foot sophomore Marissa Coolman stepped to the line and calmly drained two free throws to tie the game with less than a minute to play.
Heritage Christian chose to spread the court and play for the last shot. Risinger said after the game that the Eagles would have taken an earlier shot had one presented itself, but with the defense that was being played at both ends that was not going to happen.
As the clock ticked under 10 seconds, Risinger called timeout to set up a final play. It was designed to free Faris in the post or heading for the basket. Fittingly, Oak Hill would have none of that. The Golden Eagles forced a pass from Faris to Freeman on the right wing.
Freeman then tried to drive into the lane but could not completely turn the corner. She ended up taking a shot over her back shoulder while floating left near the foul stripe. It banked off the board and nestled into the net.
Oak Hill inbounded but could only throw a three-quarter court prayer that was not answered. The champions had survived, and the country girls had earned a lifetime of respect.
As I write this story, I have a stack of statistics from the contest. I am not going to use them. This game was not about who scored how many points or grabbed how many rebounds. It was about guts, pride, and tradition … things you just don’t keep track of on a scoreboard.
INDIANAPOLIS – In what was easily the least aesthetically pleasing contest out of four girls basketball state championship games March 7 at Lucas Oil Stadium, Class 3A fourth-ranked Fort Wayne Elmhurst and No. 10 Owen Valley still provided lots of late-game excitement before the former went on a 12-0 run late to seal a 62-59 victory.
Lecretia Smith had a fantastic final game for the Trojans, posting game highs of 23 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. Ohyeah, the 5’10” senior was also named 3A’s Mental Attitude Award winner, too.
(TO CHECK OUT PICTURES BY MARK GRICIUS AND JIM HUNT FROM THE ELMHURST-OWEN VALLEY 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, CLICK HERE!!)
Here are results from the March 7 sectional round of the 37th Annual IHSAA Girls Gymnastics State Tournament plus the remainder of the tournament schedule, courtesy of ihsaa.org:
SECTIONALS Date: Saturday, March 7 Times: All times 12 p.m. local time unless noted Admission: $5
Advancement:
Individual
The top six placewinners (and any individual ties) in each event advance to the regional tournament, along with the top six placewinners in the all-around competition and all gymnasts who receive the score of the sixth-place gymnast at last year’s state finals (vault 9.70, uneven bars 9.50, balance beam 9.525, floor exercise 9.65, all-around 38.075).
Team
The three teams compiling the highest number of points at each sectional shall advance as a complete team to the regional tournament.
1. CHESTERTON SECTIONAL
Top-ranked Valparaiso comes out on top of the state’s premier sectional, with No. 3 host Chesterton and 10th-ranked Merrillville also advancing.
5. #13 Crown Point 26.500 24.375 25.975 28.100 104.950
6. Michigan City 26.250 24.550 23.800 28.050 102.650
7. Portage 26.600 23.000 26.025 26.825 102.450
8. Lake Central 25.975 20.425 21.325 26.575 94.300
9. Hobart 26.350 20.300 20.925 25.250 92.825
10. Lowell 25.050 19.825 22.900 24.550 92.325
Individual results:
Vault (9.70)
Finish, Name, Grade, School, Score
1. Kidd, Kellie 12 Valparaiso 9.750
2. Long, Steffanie 9 Valparaiso 9.650
3. *Farley, Ashley 11 Portage 9.600
4. Kuehl, Callie 11 Chesterton 9.550
5. Freeman, Kelley 11 Chesterton 9.500
5. Holmen, Emily 12 Valparaiso 9.500
Linsenmann, Renee 12 Chesterton 9.200
O’Brien, Alex 9 Chesterton 9.100
Ring, Kearya 11 Hobart 8.600
Westmoreland, Amber 11 Hobart 8.700
McCullough, Angela 9 Hobart 8.600
Brooks, Lindsey 11 Hobart 9.050
Halsted, Amanda 12 Crown Point 8.650
Sheffer, Holly 12 Crown Point 8.300
Cannon, Jacquelyn 11 Crown Point 8.950
Eberly, Trisha 12 Crown Point 8.900
Bartolomei, Haley 9 Lake Central 8.300
Zlotkowski, Erin 11 Lake Central 8.250
*Schymanski, Becky 12 Lake Central 8.200
*Ross, Lauren 12 Lake Central 9.425
Krauth, Elisha 9 LaPorte 9.150
Batten, Megan 12 LaPorte 9.200
Light, Abaigale 9 LaPorte 8.950
Myres, Corynn 10 LaPorte 9.200
Rothrock, Jordin 9 Lowell 8.250
Manchester, Allison 9 Lowell 8.200
Goeders, Rebecca 9 Lowell 8.500
Hendrick, Amanda 10 Lowell 8.300
Milenkovski, Diona 11 Merrillville 9.200
Hill, Chandler 10 Merrillville 9.050
Leicht, Tiffany 12 Merrillville 8.800
Taylor, Arien 12 Merrillville 9.300
Kraft, Allyson 9 Valparaiso 9.450
Wozniak, Emily 11 Michigan City 8.450
Mauk, Elizabeth 11 Michigan City 8.200
Schwanke, Katlynn 11 Michigan City 8.600
Stephens, Kayla 11 Michigan City 9.200
Carroll, Lisa 12 Portage 8.600
Janiga, Alex 9 Portage 8.050
Johnson, Ali 9 Portage 8.400
Bars (9.50)
Finish, Name, Grade, School, Score
1. Kidd, Kellie 12 Valparaiso 9.750
2. Kuehl, Callie 11 Chesterton 9.600
3. Holmen, Emily 12 Valparaiso 9.325
4. Freeman, Kelley 11 Chesterton 9.175
5. Batten, Megan 12 LaPorte 9.125
6. Long, Steffanie 9 Valparaiso 9.075
Scheibelhut, Debbie 10 Chesterton 8.900
Hendrix, Brianne 11 Chesterton 8.450
Dravet, Jana 10 Hobart 6.175
Owen, Courtnee 10 Hobart 6.150
Brooks, Lindsey 11 Hobart 6.550
McCullough, Angela 9 Hobart 7.575
Warga, Lindsey 11 Crown Point 7.850
Halsted, Amanda 12 Crown Point 7.950
Cannon, Jacquelyn 11 Crown Point 8.250
Eberly, Trisha 12 Crown Point 8.175
Bronson, Celina 11 Lake Central 4.900
*Schymanski, Becky 12 Lake Central 6.825
*Ross, Lauren 12 Lake Central 8.700
Myres, Corynn 10 LaPorte 8.625
Krauth, Elisha 9 LaPorte 7.900
Light, Abaigale 9 LaPorte 8.975
Gasparovic, Valarie 10 Lowell 5.100
Manchester, Allison 9 Lowell 5.700
Hendrick, Amanda 10 Lowell 6.425
Goeders, Rebecca 9 Lowell 7.700
Hill, Chandler 10 Merrillville 8.525
Taylor, Arien 12 Merrillville 8.525
Leicht, Tiffany 12 Merrillville 8.325
Pozniak, Lisa 11 Merrillville 8.825
Johnson, Jessica 12 Valparaiso 9.025
Stephens, Kayla 11 Michigan City 7.550
Pedzinski, Darci 10 Michigan City 7.800
Mauk, Elizabeth 11 Michigan City 8.325
Schwanke, Katlynn 11 Michigan City 8.425
Mischke, Kayla 9 Portage 7.000
Carroll, Lisa 12 Portage 7.275
Bomba, Paige 10 Portage 7.825
Beam (9.525)
Finish, Name, Grade, School, Score
1. Freeman, Kelley 11 Chesterton 9.600
2. Kidd, Kellie 12 Valparaiso 9.525
3. Light, Abaigale 9 LaPorte 9.450
4. Johnson, Jessica 12 Valparaiso 9.425
5. Holmen, Emily 12 Valparaiso 9.400
6. Kozak, Elizabeth 10 Chesterton 9.325
Samantha Wilburn 12 Chesterton 9.075
Kuehl, Callie 11 Chesterton 9.075
Earle, Ashley 9 Hobart 6.100
Westmoreland, Amber 11 Hobart 6.725
Brooks, Lindsey 11 Hobart 8.100
McCullough, Angela 9 Hobart 6.050
Warga, Lindsey 11 Crown Point 8.400
Halsted, Amanda 12 Crown Point 8.800
Cannon, Jacquelyn 11 Crown Point 8.400
Eberly, Trisha 12 Crown Point 8.775
Zlotkowski, Erin 11 Lake Central 6.100
*Schymanski, Becky 12 Lake Central 6.400
Bartolomei, Haley 9 Lake Central 6.700
*Ross, Lauren 12 Lake Central 8.225
Severs, Brittany 10 LaPorte 6.750
Batten, Megan 12 LaPorte 8.588
Myres, Corynn 10 LaPorte 7.700
Manchester, Allison 9 Lowell 7.000
Hendrick, Amanda 10 Lowell 7.950
Haddon, Brittany 10 Lowell 7.950
Goeders, Rebecca 9 Lowell 6.950
Hill, Chandler 10 Merrillville 8.425
Milenkovski, Diona 11 Merrillville 9.225
Leicht, Tiffany 12 Merrillville 9.175
Woods, Taryn 12 Merrillville 8.650
Long, Steffanie 9 Valparaiso 8.850
Stephens, Kayla 11 Michigan City 7.500
Pedzinski, Darci 10 Michigan City 7.975
Schwanke, Katlynn 11 Michigan City 7.850
Mauk, Elizabeth 11 Michigan City 7.975
Johnson, Ali 9 Portage 7.750
Alaniz, Sabrina 10 Portage 8.150
Bomba, Paige 10 Portage 8.975
Floor (9.65)
Finish, Name, Grade, School, Score
1. Kidd, Kellie 12 Valparaiso 9.975
2. Freeman, Kelley 11 Chesterton 9.950
2. Light, Abaigale 9 LaPorte 9.950
4. Kuehl, Callie 11 Chesterton 9.900
5. Holmen, Emily 12 Valparaiso 9.850
5. Long, Steffanie 9 Valparaiso 9.850
7. Eberly, Trisha 12 Crown Point 9.725
Kozak, Elizabeth 10 Chesterton 9.775
Wilburn, Samantha 10 Chesterton 9.800
Owen, Courtnee 10 Hobart 7.800
Westmoreland, Amber 11 Hobart 7.675
McCullough, Angela 9 Hobart 8.425
Brooks, Lindsey 11 Hobart 9.025
Sheffer, Holly 12 Crown Point 8.400
Halsted, Amanda 12 Crown Point 8.950
Cannon, Jacquelyn 11 Crown Point 9.425
*Schymanski, Becky 12 Lake Central 7.900
Bartolomei, Haley 9 Lake Central 8.200
Zlotkowski, Erin 11 Lake Central 8.775
*Ross, Lauren 12 Lake Central 9.600
Krauth, Elisha 9 LaPorte 8.450
Batten, Megan 12 LaPorte 9.625
Myres, Corynn 10 LaPorte 9.250
Ulanowski, Brittany 9 Lowell 8.050
Ulanowski, Ashley 9 Lowell 8.350
Manchester, Allison 9 Lowell 8.150
Hendrick, Amanda 10 Lowell 8.000
Leicht, Tiffany 12 Merrillville 9.500
Milenkovski, Diona 11 Merrillville 9.650
Hill, Chandler 10 Merrillville 9.475
Pozniak, Lisa 11 Merrillville 9.475
Neis, Kaitlyn 10 Valparaiso 9.325
Pedzinski, Darci 10 Michigan City 9.163
Stephens, Kayla 11 Michigan City 8.900
Mauk, Elizabeth 11 Michigan City 9.425
Schwanke, Katlynn 11 Michigan City 9.450
Alaniz, Sabrina 10 Portage 8.200
Mischke, Kayla 9 Portage 8.600
Bomba, Paige 10 Portage 8.800
All-Around (38.075)
Finish, Name, Grade, School, Score
1. Kidd, Kellie 12 Valparaiso 39.000
2. Freeman, Kelley 11 Chesterton 38.225
3. Kuehl, Callie 11 Chesterton 38.125
4. Holmen, Emily 12 Valparaiso 38.075
5. Long, Steffanie 9 Valparaiso 37.475
6. Light, Abaigale 9 LaPorte 37.325
Batten, Megan 12 LaPorte 36.525 7
*Ross, Lauren 12 Lake Central 35.950 8
*Farley, Ashley 11 Portage 35.825 9
Eberly, Trisha 12 Crown Point 35.575 10
Hill, Chandler 10 Merrillville 35.450 11
Cannon, Jacquelyn 11 Crown Point 35.025 12
Myres, Corynn 10 LaPorte 34.775 13
Halsted, Amanda 12 Crown Point 34.350 14
Schwanke, Katlynn 11 Michigan City 34.325 15
Mauk, Elizabeth 11 Michigan City 33.925 16
Stephens, Kayla 11 Michigan City 33.125 17
Brooks, Lindsey 11 Hobart 32.725 18
Pedzinski, Darci 10 Michigan City 32.600 19
Hendrick, Amanda 10 Lowell 30.675 20
McCullough, Angela 9 Hobart 30.650 21
*Schymanski, Becky 12 Lake Central 29.325 22
Manchester, Allison 9 Lowell 29.050 23
2. COLUMBUS EAST SECTIONAL
Fourth-ranked Columbus North rolls to the team victory at Indiana’s second-biggest sectional, with 18th-ranked host Columbus East and No. 19 Bloomington South also advancing.
Team scores
Place, School, Vault, Bars, Beam, Floor, Total
1. #4 Columbus North 28.300 28.575 26.925 27.950 111.750
2. #18 Columbus East 27.250 26.700 24.425 26.975 105.350
3. #19 Bloomington South 27.200 26.175 24.925 25.150 103.450
4. #17 Center Grove 27.050 24.975 24.575 25.225 101.825
INDIANAPOLIS – In a fitting conclusion to a largely spectacular 34th Annual IHSAA Girls Basketball State Finals at Lucas Oil Stadium March 7, Class 4A top-ranked Ben Davis barely escaped a monster comeback by No. 2 South Bend Washington to come out on top of the dream matchup of undefeated schools, 71-69.
(TO CHECK OUT PICTURES BY MARK GRICIUS AND JIM HUNT FROM THE SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON-BEN DAVIS 4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, CLICK HERE!!)
Ben Davis (30-0), which became the first team in Indiana high school girls history to win 30 games en route to the school’s third state title (2000, 2001), led by 11 points with just under three minutes to play. But willed back into the fray by now-likely Miss Basketball Skylar Diggins, South Bend Washington (26-1) rallied all the way back to tie the game at 69 with 45 seconds to go.
Ben Davis drained the clock until 5’10” sophomore guard Bria Goss scored on what can only be deemed an unbelievable shot with 2.7 seconds on the clock (more on that later). Diggins’ half-court 3-pointer at the buzzer was about two feet off the mark, sending the Panthers to their heartbreaking third state runner-up finish in the last four seasons (Washington won in 2007).
This game was high-energy, maximum-intensity basketball heaven from the tip. But a phenomenal fourth quarter kicked it to the summit of 34 seasons of Indiana girls hoops.
In fact, the only way to begin to give this gem justice is to go through that last three minutes in play-by-play form. We’ll do just that, so stay tuned …
In becoming the first unbeaten state champ since 4A Kokomo went 26-0 in 2003, Ben Davis had to endure one hellacious comeback by South Bend – and not just from Diggins, a 5’10” senior guard. Bentley, who would become one of four players to foul out just 12 seconds later, made the most of her last shot attempt by successfully driving to the bucket and giving the Giants a 65-54 lead at 2:55.
That’s when things got nuts. Just read on (SBW = South Bend Washington, BD = Ben Davis, E = MC of the squared variety)!
•SBW 5’5” freshman guard Shareita Patton was called for a charge at 2:43, and at this point all seemed lost for the Panthers …
•… except that it wasn’t. On the ensuing in-bounds play, SBW 5’2” senior guard Karis Phillips pulled off a perfect flop as Bentley pushed off to gain space for a pass – a brilliant can’t-lose proposition as Phillips had only two fouls.
•Phillips cans both free throws – SBW had been in the double-bonus since :07.7 of the third period … seriously – to make it 65-56, still at the 2:43 mark.
•Goss turns the ball over on a Patton steal at half court.
•Patton drives, converting a magnificent scoop shot between double-team defenders and then the “and-one” foul shot to drag the Panthers within 65-59 at 2:31. And yes, that’s five plays in 12 seconds.
•BD 5’11” junior guard Dee Dee Williams commits another turnover as Phillips makes the steal
•Two seconds later, 6’3” senior center Jasmine Watson makes a layin off a Phillips pass to cut the gap to 65-61 at 2:15. That’s seven points in 28 seconds, folks.
•After some clock-chewin’, Diggins commits her fourth personal foul – but it does not go to waste as Williams misses BOTH free throws at 1:45.
•Diggins gets the rebound and goes coast-to-coast before being fouled five seconds later, hitting both free throws (no surprise as the Notre Dame-bound Diggins was 12 for 13 on the night) to make it 65-63 at 1:40.
•Ben Davis finally gets off the scoreless schneid as Goss takes a long outlet pass and lays it in three seconds later, making it 67-63 at 1:37.
•Diggins does the3drive/foul/free throw thang again, hitting both at 1:27 too get the Panthers within two again at 67-65.
•Ben Davis tries the long outlet again to beat full-court pressure, and the move works when Williams this time makes both free throws to bump the lead up to four again at 69-65 with 1:24 still to go.
•Diggins then approaches sublime mode by willing in a shot off a wild drive at 1:19, making it 69-67 and practically blowing the non-Teflon roof off the football stadium.
•Ben Davis commits what could have been a fatal boo-boo when 5’7” junior guard Jordan Huber makes a bad pass to a wide-open Williams under the bucket. The ball sails out of bounds at :52.3 …
•… setting the stage for Diggins to drive and tie it up at 69 with 45 seconds to play. Holy popcorn to infinity, Batman.
•Ben Davis works the clock down before Goss drives then flies through the air, unloading the ball in a funky double-pump right before her feet hit the floor. The unorthodox shot – this thing trumped the heck out of Claire Freeman’s jumper that won for Heritage Christian earlier in the day – hits the backboard and rolls in at :02.7. Of course.
•The Panthers call timeout, setting up a 3-point shot for Diggins. Her uncontested, left-handed launch from just in front of the half-court line appears to be on line but comes up two feet short.
•I am speechless.
A quick review of the less-crazy earlier parts of the game …
South Bend Washington controls the first quarter as Ben Davis never finds the lead, but the Giants trail only 16-15 at the end of the opening eight minutes. The Giants overcome 1-of-5 shooting from the free throw line by going 7 of 12 from the field, whereas Diggins gets off to a slow start in hitting 2 of 6 shots for five points.
Ben Davis goes on a 10-2 run to take a 25-18 lead, and the advantage reaches a dozen points at 33-21 on a Bentley jumper 3:20 before the half. Diggins continues to struggle, entering halftime with just 3-of-11 shooting and only nine points. Bentley, meanwhile, is coasting along on 7-of-13 shooting and a game-high 14 points at the break with the Giants leading 35-25.
South Bend Washington opens with a 9-3 run to cut the gap to four at 38-34, but 5’8” senior forward Emily Huber nearly single-handedly wills the Giants back to a 10-point lead heading to the fourth. Huber tallies eight points in 2:48 by canning a 3-pointer from the left wing directly in front of the BD bench, another three from the same spot, and a jumper with 17.2 seconds left in the period.
The fourth quarter sees Ben Davis immediately increase the lead to 12 on a layin by 5’10” senior forward DeAirra Goss just five seconds into the period, and the Giants push their advantage from seven back to 11 points on a DeAirra Goss putback and Bentley’s final jumper. See above for finish.
INDIANAPOLIS – The Class 4A Sectional 10 championship March 7 at Indianapolis Arlington was the third meeting of the season for third-ranked Lawrence North and No. 4 North Central (Indianapolis). North Central took the Marion County Tournament meeting, while LN took their regular-season showdown the next week.
Tonight’s winner would take the biggest victory of the three meetings and advance on toward a possible state championship. That turned out to be Lawrence North, which pulled way late for a 68-63 victory.
The Wildcats (24-2) will be the only ranked school competing March 14 in the Lawrence Central Regional at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Lawrence North will face Hamilton Southeastern (15-7) in Game 1, with the winner getting Franklin Central (19-5) or Pike (14-8) in the championship.
North Central, meanwhile, finishes undefeated against the rest of the state but at 23-2 for the season.
Lawrence North (24-2) jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead in the first 2:01 of the game, then extended the lead to 11-2 as North Central (23-2) was forced to take a timeout with 5:26 remaining in the first quarter. The Wildcats pushed the lead to 19-8 with 1:39 remaining in the quarter before the Panthers finished with a 9-3 run of their own to close out the quarter down 22-17.
Senior center Stephan Van Treese led the ’Cats with six first-quarter points but two fouls. North Central was led by freshman guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera.
North Central turned up the pressure and roared back to erase LN’s early lead to start the second quarter, going on a 6-1 run in the first 2:29 to tie the game at 23. Van Treese picked up his third foul with 3:17 remaining and headed to the bench, but the Panthers lost senior Justin Reid to similar foul trouble just eight seconds later.
Both teams were aggressive with the ball, driving to the basket and picking up fouls on each other.
LN shot an even 50 percent (13 of 26) from the field in the first half and made 9 of 14 free throws for a 37-36 lead at the break. The Wildcats were led by junior guard Dominique Ferguson’s 12 first-half points, while senior guard Alonzo Bass added eight.
North Central, meanwhile, struggled to 12-of-36 shooting in the first half, including an abysmal 2 of 17 from 3-point land, while hitting 10 of 14 free throws. Junior Terone Johnson led the Panthers with 13 points at the break, while Smith-Rivera added 12.
Johnson opened the third quarter with a three to give North Central a 39-37 lead before LN went on an 8-0 run over the next 1:27 to go back up 45-39. But Van Treese picked up his fourth foul with 4:23 remaining in the quarter, then Ferguson picked up his third with 3:56 to go.
North Central could have really taken advantage of the foul trouble, but the Panthers continued to settle for shots from the perimeter that aided the foul-plagued Wildcats.
With about 2:30 remaining in the third, a track meet broke out as the teams pushed the ball on every possession. LN went on another 5-0 run in the last 37 seconds of the quarter to take a 56-50 lead heading to the fourth.
This was the action we had all been waiting to see between the third- and fourth-ranked teams in the state.
North Central built the suspense further by rallying with a 10-4 run to tie the game at 60 culminated by sophomore Micah Smith’s 3-pointer with just under six minutes remaining. But the Wildcats responded with a 7-0 run to take a 67-60 lead.
Ferguson, however, picked up his fifth foul and had to go to the bench with just 3:31 to play. That allowed the Panthers cut the lead to 70-68 with under a minute left, and we appeared to be set for a fantastic finish.
It wasn’t to be. Lawrence North sophomore Ryan Taylor calmly sank two clutch free throws to push the Wildcats’ lead to 73-68 with only 13 seconds on the clock, and Smith-Rivera missed a desperation 3-pointer with under five seconds left in the game to seal the Panthers’ fate.
Ferguson paced LN with 21 points, while Taylor added 14. Smith-Rivera led North Central with 25 points, while Johnson added 21 in the defeat.
INDIANAPOLIS – Take all the talk about large facilities hurting shooting, all the talk about Class A games being boring, and all the talk about girls basketball not being entertaining, then throw them out the window. In the first of four girls basketball state championship games March 7 at Lucas Oil Stadium, top-ranked Vincennes Rivet and No. 7 Fort Wayne Canterbury blasted apart every myth about the state finals.
These two talented teams played what many people will say is the greatest game in 1A title history. Most of those people will be from Fort Wayne. That is because Canterbury emerged with a successful defense of its 2008 championship in a 72-66 overtime thriller.
(TO CHECK OUT PICTURES BY MARK GRICIUS AND JEFF HEMMER AND JIM HUNT FROM THE CANTERBURY-RIVET 1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, CLICK HERE!!)
These two squads were so evenly matched, played the game in such similar styles, and competed at such a high level that it was actually well into the second half before there was any real drama. Don’t get me wrong – the game was competitive and entertaining from the outset.
It simply took awhile for a storyline to emerge. Consider the following statistics …
In the first half, Canterbury (23-4) shot 13 of 28 from the field, Rivet was 12 of 27. Rivet hit 3 of 8 attempts from 3-point land, Canterbury was 2 of 7. Both teams went 6 of 7 at the free throw stripe. The biggest lead in the first half was four points, and both teams enjoyed that margin. There were more lead changes than you could count. The score after one quarter was 17-16 in favor of Rivet (23-2). The score at half was 34-33 in favor of Canterbury.
The simple fact is that for two-and-a-half periods, the two teams simply ran up and down the court settling nothing but giving a tremendous show to the fans in attendance.
When the drama finally arrived, it did so in unforgettable fashion. The Rivet Patriots began to control play more frequently as the third quarter ticked away. Twice in the period they extended the lead to five points, including a quarter-ending flurry that put them ahead 49-44.
When Rivet scored the first four points of the fourth period it was suddenly 53-44, and for the first time all day the pressure was squarely on the Cavaliers. Canterbury’s Tabitha Gerardot responded immediately with a three from the top of the key, and the chase was on.
The 5’11” junior center’s shot launched a seven-point run that pulled Canterbury within two at 53-51. From that point to the end of regulation, this became a possession-by-possession war that saw players from both sides shine in the glare of the biggest stage.
Yet Rivet kept the Cavaliers at bay with the lead alternating between two and four points over the final six minutes.
When Rivet sophomore Mallory Niehaus drained two free throws with 30 seconds left, giving the Patriots a 61-57 advantage, it looked as if the tiny Vincennes school (92 students total) might force the Cavaliers to come up short. Gerardot had fouled out moments before, taking her 18 points and 17 rebounds to the bench with her.
Canterbury needed a hero, and Becky Pedro answered the call. The sophomore guard drilled a 3-pointer to cut the lead back to one at 61-60. Then, after Rivet hit one of two free throws in the final seconds, Pedro hit a short jumper to tie the game just before the buzzer.
Four quarters of beautifully played basketball had decided nothing. It had simply led two tired but valiant teams to an extra four minutes of battle. In the overtime, the story was much the same as the intense fourth quarter had been.
Only this time around, it was Canterbury that grabbed the early advantage and fought to stave off Rivet.
The Cavaliers opened the scoring, and Rivet responded with two free throws to tie it again. Canterbury’s other Pedro, senior forward Megan, hit a trey for a 67-64 advantage, only to see the Patriots cut it back to one. Finally, junior guard Paige Wells canned two charity tosses for Canterbury, and that was one more time than Rivet could answer.
Canterbury, which played just seven girls, put four of them in double figures. They were led by the 18 points of Gerardot and junior forward Cassie Kreiger. Rivet had three players in double figures, led by 18 points from sophomore forward Erin Wherheim.
Here are a couple of other facts that might interest you: Four years ago, Vincennes Rivet had lost 43 straight games. Canterbury loses only one significant senior, while Rivet loses none.
Holy free throw shooting/overtime/close finish extravaganzas, Batman! Stay tuned for ridiculously thorough IHSAA Girls Basketball State Finals coverage from your Indiana high school sports authority.
Till then, here are results from a fantastic final four games March 7 at the 34th annual event held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis:
STATE FINALS
Date: Saturday, March 7
Site: Lucas Oil Stadium, 500 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis
Admission: Session $15, season $25
Tickets: Reserved tickets can be purchased at the participating schools the week of the state finals (contact schools for ticket distribution hours).
Home team: In each state championship game, the winner of the south semistate is the designated home team.
SESSION I
Class A State Championship: #7 Fort Wayne Canterbury 72, #1 Vincennes Rivet 66 (OT)
Class 2A State Championship: #1 Heritage Christian 60, #2 Oak Hill 58 (OT)
SESSION II
Class 3A State Championship: #4 Fort Wayne Elmhurst 62, #10 Owen Valley 59
Class 4A State Championship: #1 Ben Davis 71, #2 South Bend Washington 69
LAPEL – Defending Class 2A state runner-up Winchester shrugged off early foul trouble to standout senior Tyler Koch as the fourth-ranked Golden Falcons thumped No. 8 Wapahani, 63-42, in a Sectional 41 semifinal March 6 at Lapel.
Winchester (18-3) built a 23-point lead late in the third quarter and held on for the victory, its 14th consecutive win and seventh straight by 20 points or more. The Golden Falcons – also the 2A runner-up in 2007 – will face sixth-ranked host Lapel, a 60-48 winner over Elwood in the evening’s other semi, in Saturday night’s championship game.
(TO CHECK OUT PICTURES FROM THE WINCHESTER-WAPAHANI
GAME BY OUR OWN MARK GRICIUS, CLICK HERE!! FOR PICS FROM THE LAPEL-ELWOOD GAME, CLICK HERE!!)
2A #4 Winchester 63, 2A #8 Wapahani 42
Koch picked up two quick fouls – the only ones the Golden Falcons would make in the first quarter – in the game’s first four minutes. Koch, who scored 37 points in last season’s 69-67 2A championship loss to Fort Wayne Luers and 24 in Winchester’s 78-74 double-overtime defeat by Northwestern the year before – ended the first period with zero points and a nice warm spot on the bench.
But he certainly made his presence felt in the second stanza. Koch scored the first five points of the period on a putback and way-long 3-pointer, extending a 10-4 Winchester run that had ended the first quarter to make it 21-10. After a three from Wapahani senior Tyler Hensley stopped the bleeding, Koch charged to the bucket and converted a drive that ended with him sprawled on the floor out-of-bounds.
Wapahani (17-4), which broke a streak of 11 consecutive losing seasons with a breakout year, got within eight just over a minute later on a basket by sophomore Brandon Estep. But Winchester would end up with points on seven of its first nine possessions of the period on 7-of-9 shooting, and the Golden Falcons entered halftime up a dozen at 35-23 on senior guard Andrew Haney’s jumper at :02.5.
Haney was key in the first half, stemming Koch’s absence with 14 points over the first 16 minutes. And he was a part of a most unusual sequence in the third period that put the game out of reach – almost.
Four three-point plays – two from Koch, one by Haney, and the first of the series from senior Levi Cross – jacked the lead to 23 at 51-28 with 1:36 to go in the quarter. But Wapahani rallied with the last seven points of the period to make it 51-35 after three.
The Raider run reached 13-0 when senior Kyle Thompson’s drive to the bucket was successful, and suddenly we had us a ball game at 51-41 and 6:07 still to play. But Hensley missed threes on the next two Wapahani possessions, and Cross finally ended a Winchester scoreless streak of 4:55 by canning a 3-pointer from the left wing.
After a Wapahani free throw, junior Dustin Durham missed two free throws at the other end following a foul that saved a breakaway layup. But Durham hustled after the second miss and grabbed the rebound, maintaining control of the ball for Winchester.
Cross made the Raiders pay dearly by draining another trifecta from the same spot, making it 57-42 with 4:04 to go. When Wapahani missed on four shots at the bucket the next trip down, it was on to the Lapel-Elwood survivor for the Golden Falcons.
2A #6 Lapel 60, Elwood 48
Despite a sloppy offensive performance, host Lapel (18-4) never let Elwood get within striking distance after the Panthers committed 17 first-half turnovers, including a paralyzing 10 in the first quarter.
Lapel only shot 41 percent on the night (22 of 54). And the Bulldogs – the 2005 Class A state champs – turned the ball over 17 times themselves.
Yet Lapel still managed to hold leads of 14-10 and 28-19 at the first two stops because error-prone Elwood (8-15) simply couldn’t generate an offense. The Panthers were outshot 17-8 in the opening period and 16-11 in the second, and their 3-of-8 and 3-of 11 efforts only registered 32-percent accuracy.
Lapel didn’t fare much better early on, hitting only 6 of 17 and 6 of 16 for 36 percent. But the Bulldogs took advantage of an extended Elwood second-quarter drought to extend the lead to a dozen at 24-13 before heading to intermission up nine.
Sophomore guard Chandler Guion had a particularly troublesome first half, hitting just 2 of 12 shots from the field.
The lead stayed between seven and 12 points the rest of the way till a Guion layup off a long outlet to beat full-court pressure plus six straight free throws built the Bulldogs’ advantage to 57-43 with 1:32 left.
Senior guard Michael Pritchett led Lapel in scoring with 15 points, while Guion (4-for-6 shooting in the second half) added 14.
Elwood was led by the 17 points of senior guard Jake Dunnichay, while senior center Travis Abner had 11.
MUNCIE – You don’t often get second chances when you play a team as good as Delta, but that is just what Mississinewa received March 6 in the first semifinal of Class 3A Sectional 24 at Muncie South. A spirited second-half rally sent the Indians home with the respect of the nearly 4,000 in attendance as well as that of the 13th-ranked Eagles.
It did not, however, earn the Indians a return ticket for Saturday night’s championship game. Delta survived, 62-57, and advanced to a date with No. 12 Muncie South, a 55-52 winner over Yorktown in the other semi, for the title.
3A #13 Delta 62, Mississinewa 57
Mississinewa needed the late rally because of a spectacular first half of play by Delta (19-4). The Eagles were quick, solid on defense, shooting well, and completely in control during the first two quarters.
The Eagles jumped to a 13-3 lead in the first three minutes and never looked back. By the end of the first quarter, the margin was 23-11. The rout continued in the second period, largely on the deadly shooting of junior Logan Young.
The Eagles led at intermission, 39-24, and there appeared to be little Mississinewa could do to slow the offensive display. But Indian coach Chance Young and his troops had different ideas. That is especially true for junior guard Chris Birky.
Mississinewa (13-8) came out in the second half with renewed defensive pressure and offensive purpose. The Indians combined to spark an 18-6 third-quarter outburst that closed the margin to 45-42 late in the period.
Mississinewa actually had a chance to tie in the final minute of the period but failed to convert. But Delta’s Skyler Case converted an old-fashioned three-point play before the horn to give the Eagles some breathing room after three stanzas, 48-42.
Good teams are able to regain lost composure and momentum. That is exactly what Delta did in the fourth quarter. The Eagles were precise and deadly from the field as well as free throw line.
Unfortunately for them, they had let a quality team back into the game, and the Indians were not going anywhere. Behind stellar play from Birky, Mississinewa stayed within striking distance down to the wire as Birky scored 13 of his team-high 20 points in the second half.
Twice the Indians closed within one possession, but both times Delta’s Greg Heban nailed huge 3- pointers to keep them at bay. Mississinewa had only one chance to tie, and that was in the final minute trailing 60-57,
But Birky was unable to connect or draw a foul driving the lane. Delta hit two free throws on the subsequent trip and iced the verdict.
3A #12 Muncie South 55, Yorktown 52
Muncie South (16-6) both applied and survived the pressure in its sectional semifinal victory over Yorktown. The Rebels used a variety of pressure defenses to build a comfortable lead, then survived the pressure of seeing that lead totally evaporate.
The result was a thrilling 55-52 triumph and a date with Delta in the championship game.
Muncie South used more defense than a supermodel has changes of clothes in an effort to keep the Tigers off-balance. The Rebels employed a 1-3-1, a trapping 2-3, a 2-2-1 half-court trap, and a few possessions of man-to-man. At times the pressure paid dividends, at others Yorktown handled it with ease.
The Rebels used a 1-3-1 trapping zone at the outset of the game and forced Yorktown (10-12) into three early turnovers. The Rebels, however, were less than efficient on the offensive end, and when Yorktown finally got comfortable the Tigers rallied to a 12-10 lead after one quarter.
That pattern continued through the second stanza. South began switching the pressure defenses and gave Yorktown trouble, but the Rebels could not take advantage – mostly due to being unable to get anything going inside.
The two teams sputtered to intermission with Yorktown still clinging to a 23-22 lead.
Rebels coach Rick Baumgartner found a solution at halftime. He had his troops extend the pressure full court and told them to crash the offensive boards, and that combination worked nearly to perfection.
Muncie South forced the Tigers into six third-quarter turnovers and scored numerous points on offensive rebounds and putbacks. When Jamill Smith hit a three to start the fourth quarter, it pushed South’s lead to 45-32 and appeared to put the final nail in Yorktown’s coffin.
Appearances can be deceiving.
The Tigers used a switch in defensive strategy of their own. They changed from a sagging, switching, man-to-man into a 1-3-1 half-court zone. If South’s strategy had been nearly perfect, Yorktown’s went all the way.
The Rebels began to be very passive on the offensive end of the floor, and that was all the opportunity Yorktown needed. The Tigers went on an 11-0 run to cut the lead to 45-43 with 3:30 to play.
It appeared Smith might have stemmed the tide for South when he drained a long trey to take the lead back to five at 48-43. Yorktown, though, wasn’t done. The Tigers rattled off seven more unanswered points to actually take the lead at 50-48 with under two minutes left in the game.
Muncie South was in need of a hero, and once again Smith delivered. The diminutive guard hit another long bomb to put the Rebels back in front 51-50, and they would never trail again.
In all, Smith scored 11 of Muncie South’s 13 fourth-quarter points – also 11 of the 13 points he scored for the evening. Scoring honors for the Rebels went to Rondell Wolfe, who tallied a game-high 25 points.
Yorktown’s balanced attack was led by the 13 points of Wes Winkle.
24. Muncie South Sectional
Game 1: Delta 67, Eastbrook 26
Game 2: Muncie South 69, Blackford 38
Game 3: Delta 62, Mississinewa 57
Game 4: Muncie South 55, Yorktown 52
Championship: Delta vs. Muncie South. Sat 7:30p ET
Uncle Mike started the night with 61 of his 64 predicted sectional winners still in action. He was in a good mood. He was passing out candy to small children.
After tonight, he now has 52 of 64 left in contention. At this rate, he might say something nice about class basketball. Nah, let’s not get carried away.
Here are his observations on Friday’s semifinals …
Class 4A
Munster 51, Highland 34
The real test comes tomorrow night against Gary West. The time for nice-guy basketball is over.
Valparaiso 48, Merrillville 43
If this kind of thing happens about 10 more times, I am going to lose faith in Jim East.
Elkhart Memorial 58, Warsaw 41
The bonfires are starting in Warsaw, and they are not in celebration. The word effigy comes to mind.
Kokomo 63, Lafayette Jefferson 59
I picked Kokomo in this matchup, but I sure didn’t want to see injury play a part in the outcome. Jeff was without a major weapon this evening.
Anderson 49, Anderson Highland 42
Highland was ahead in this game at halftime. With all the debate about changes in the Anderson school system, it would have made things easy if the Scots had actually won – Highland would have been a junior high by Monday.
Ben Davis 49, Avon 47
I don’t want to say I told you so … but I told you so.
Columbus North Sectional
Both Bloomington South and East Central won. If East Central pulls it off again this year, they will have to carry J.R. out in a straight jacket.
Seymour Sectional
Both Jeffersonville and New Albany won. The National Guard has been notified.
Class 3A
Plymouth 45, Glenn 44
I have to quit making fun of the Pilgrims. They score about as much as I would at a super-model convention, but they sure keep winning.
Lakeland 56, NorthWood 50
My boys!!
Peru 58, Norwell 47
If the Tigers win tomorrow night, that town will go bonkers.
North Montgomery 55, Danville 51
Byrd, Byrd, Byrd is the word.
Hamilton Heights 61, Mt. Vernon (Fortville) 58
Bottom line: Chad Ballinger is a heck of a basketball coach.
Greensburg 62, Batesville 54
The National Guard is going to stop on its way to Seymour.
Salem 69, Corydon 64 (OT)
These guys make it really hard to stay on the bandwagon. This shouldn’t have been that close.
Class 2A
Westview 54, Bremen 51
I went officially insane the moment I picked against Westview.
Carroll (Flora) 59, Delphi 42
The Cougars are one win away from one of the real feel-good stories of the sectional round.
Tipton 72, Eastern (Greentown) 14
Geez guys, just because you are mad about how you played against Oak Hill doesn’t mean you have to take it out on poor Eastern. They were just happy to be there.
Lapel Sectional
Both Winchester and Lapel won. Mehaffey versus Howell. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Bloomfield 40, South Knox 39 (OT)
All together now: You just got “Greene Countied”!
Providence Sectional
Both Brownstown and Providence won. Now seriously, New Albany and Jeffersonville are playing each other on the same night Brownstown and Providence are going to play each other. This is too delicious for words. There is going to be so much pure hatred in the air that Southern Indiana may spontaneously combust.
Class A
Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian Sectional
Everybody who thought they would live to see a Lakewood Park versus Bethany Christian sectional final raise your hand.
Pioneer 42, North White 41
I picked Pioneer to win this sectional, and if I had had one of my picks ousted by North White, I would have spontaneously combusted.
Lafayette Central Catholic 50, Clinton Prairie 29
Well, it was closer than the football game. Then again, Dave Barrett has some class.
Turkey Run 39, Riverton Parke 37
I think the Warriors may have been looking ahead to Rockville a little bit.
North Daviess 51, Barr-Reeve 49
There would have been no better place on Earth to be tonight than at this game. If anybody was searching for what is so special about Indiana basketball, this was the answer.
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