TERRE HAUTE, Ind.
Senior Brittani Rizzi scored 17 points, and junior Jenna Allen added a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds to lead Bedford North Lawrence to its second straight Class 4-A title as the Stars defeated the Penn Kingsmen, 51-41, on Saturday night.
Bedford North Lawrence (27-1) led from start to finish, with Penn (25-2) managing to reach a tie at 5-5, 3:30 into the first quarter. The game remained nip-and-tuck until Rizzi reeled off nine points in less than two minutes spanning the third and fourth quarters to stretch the Stars lead to 40-29. The lead went to 14 in the latter stages of the contest.
Before Rizzi’s run, neither team was able to string together a run or gain any momentum. Bedford North Lawrence committed 10 fouls and 10 turnovers in the first half, while Penn shot 1 of 17 to start the game and finished the half hitting 6 of 29.
* The Western players and their fans were rejoicing after the Panthers pulled off a victory over Evansville Mater Dei, the school’s first-ever state championship in girls basketball.Class 3-A — Western 38, Evansville Mater Dei 35:
And once they got their medals, the Western squad practically raced to be the first one to climb the ladder to cut down the net. They were in such a hurry, a second ladder was set up at the opposite basket so both nets could get down and Western’s excitement could be satisfied.
It was a game filled with drama, statistical anomalies, and surprises. Averaging 22.7 points per game and headed to play at Indiana University, Mater Dei senior Maura Muensterman was held to 12 points. Western senior forward Jessica Givens, normally a 30 percent 3-point shooter, went 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.
So how exactly did Western (23-3) prevent Mater Dei (26-2) from claiming a third straight state title?
They used their best defensive performance of the season to keep the 17th-best scoring team in the state in check. Mater Dei, averaging 64.2 points per game, was held to its season low. The Wildcats’ previous low was 50 points in a Jan. 4 contest against Vincennes-Rivet.
It was the 2-3 zone that did Mater Dei in.
* Heritage Christian (27-1) is known for its offense, yet it was defense that earned the Eagles their fifth state title.Class 2-A — Heritage Christian 64, Fort Wayne Canterbury 61:
The Eagles’ defense forced 13 turnovers, which they were able to convert into 18 points, and they limited third-ranked Fort Wayne Canterbury’s explosive offense to 33 percent shooting to win 64-61 in the state title and earn their first hoops championship since 2009.
Junior Sydney Hall led the Eagles’ balanced offensive attack with 17 point, 12 of which came during decisive second half, but it was younger sister Taylor Hall, a sophomore reserve who added 12 points, who put the Eagles ahead of Cavaliers (20-5) for good at 31-29 with a jumper with 4:32 to play in the third quarter.
“She made some big shots,” her older sister said.
Sydney Hall drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing early in the fourth quarter to stretch the lead to nine, largest of the game.
* Oregon-Davis senior Ashley Campbell scored a game-high 35 points and fellow senior Jessica Avarone added 16 to lead the Bobcats to a 69-64 win over Vincennes-Rivet in the Class A girls state championship game Saturday in Terre Haute.Class A — Oregon-Davis 69, Vincennes-Rivet 64:
Campbell saved her best performance for last and became the first player to score 30 points in a girls’ state final game since Carmel’s Chrissy Steffen had 31 in the 2008 title game.
The Bobcats (23-2) finished the season with a 10-game win streak and claimed their first state championship since 2007. Vincennes-Rivet (22-5) was led by sophomore guard Kelsey Ivers, who scored 23 for the Patriots.
