112th IHSAA Boys’ Class Basketball State Finals

By Nick Jenkinson, Excel High School Sports/South Central Indiana News Network

The crowd that showed up to Gainbridge Fieldhouse Saturday Morning were treated to eight additional minutes of basketball as North Daviess beat Lafayette Central Catholic 50-48 in 2 overtimes to win the Class 1A State Championship. It was the first time since 2009 that a state championship game went to two overtimes. North Daviess won its ever state championship in its first appearance and finishes with a record of (27-3). Lafayette Central Catholic finishes 20-10 and was making its 6th State Finals appearance but looking for its first title since 2003. The Knights won it all in 1998, 2000 and 2003 and were runners up in 1999 and 2017.

North Daviess is a team who does like to play a halfcourt game and work a lot of time of the clock to get the perfect shot. Lafayette Central Catholic knew that the needed to get the Cougars in up and down game. North Daviess led 12-11 after the first quarter. The Cougars outscored the Knights 11-6 in the second quarter to take a 23-17 lead into the locker room. The teams scored 7 points each to make it 30-24 after three quarters. The Knights outscored the Cougars 10-4 in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime tied 34-34. Both teams scored 4 points in the first overtime to make it 38-38. North Daviess outscored LCC 12-10 in the second overtime.  North Daviess fouled Clark Barrett on a three-point attempt with no time left with the Cougars leading 50-47. Barrett had to make all three free throws to send the game to a third overtime. Barrett hit the first then North Daviess called timeout to ice him, and it worked as Barrett missed the second free throw sending the North Daviess Bench and their fans into celebration mode.

Devin Collins led North Daviess with 15 Points and Jaylen Mullen added 13 points. Logan Wilson pulled down 11 rebounds along with 7 points. North Daviess played just six players the entire game with Markus Britton the lone Cougar not to score.

Clark Barrett and Clark Overmiller had 13 points each for Lafayette Central Catholic. Overmiller was named the Ray Craft Mental Attitude Award Winner after the game.

By Nick Jenkinson, Excel High School Sports

Beech Grove took down Mishawaka Marian 53-43 in the IHSAA Class 3A Boys Basketball State Championship Saturday evening at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Both Teams were making their first ever state finals appearance. Beech Grove finishes 22-6 and Mishawaka Marian ends the year at 24-4. Beech Grove dedicated this State Championship to former head coach Matt English who died of brain cancer in December of 2018. Mike Renfro who is Beech Grove’s all-time leading scorer took over the program and completed the vision that English had for this program which was win the state title that was a perfect Hollywood ending.

Beech Grove was down 20-12 in the second quarter then the Knights opened the 3rd quarter with a 6-2 run to lead 28-22 with 5:44 left in the third quarter. Beech Grove went on a 12-0 run and never lost the lead. Mishawaka Marian tied the game 36-36 early in the fourth quarter. The Hornets ended the game on a 17-6 run hitting there last six shots from the field.

The Hornets (22-6) were led by Anthony Ball with 17 points and 20 rebounds, Cameron Brown scored 13 points and started the third quarter run for the Hornets. Jeremiah Tate added 12 points and State Finals record 9 steals and the 43 points is fewest points allowed in Class 3A State Championship since the IHSAA went to multiple class in 1998.

The Knights (24-4) who led 22-20 at halftime were led in scoring by Richard Brooks with 13 points and was named the Ray Craft Mental Attitude Award Winner after the game. Deaglan Sullivan added 10 points The Knights opened the game leading 13-7 after the first quarter.

Beech Grove was 18-50 from the field for 26% But the Hornets outrebounded the Knights 37-23 and hit 12 free throws to just three for Mishawaka Marian to give them the school’s first state championship for the coach who is the school’s all-time leading scorer and to honor the previous coach who can smile down from up above knowing the mission was completed of winning the state championship.