Ben Davis closed the upset-laden 1996 IHSAA Boys Basketball State Tournament by outlasting New Albany 57-54 in double overtime March 23, 1996 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis to become the first repeat state champion since Marion in 1987. Senior Jeff Poisel capped a record-setting performance with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give Ben Davis the victory before a crowd of 21,748.
It was the sixth trey of the game for Poisel, breaking the state championship game record set in 1995 when Merrillville's Joe Stavitzke ripped five three-pointers in a 58-57 loss to Ben Davis.
Poisel's heroic shot also allowed him to break the two-game state finals record for three-pointers, with seven. The previous record was six, shared by Stavitzke, Damon Frierson of Ben Davis in 1995 and Todd Leary of Lawrence North in 1989.
Ben Davis, appearing in the IHSAA Final Four for a record-setting fourth consecutive year, was the first team since Carmel in 1977 to go all the way in the state tournament after finishing the regular season unranked. Other teams to do it since the inception of the Associated Press poll in 1935 were Marion in 1976, Gary Roosevelt in 1968, Milan in 1954, Jasper in 1949 and Shelbyville in 1947. Ben Davis had opened the season ranked seventh by Associated Press and 15th by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association poll. The Giants were not ranked in the top 20 of either poll after the week of Dec. 11. New Albany had finished the season ranked 12th by AP and 15th by the IBCA.
Ben Davis became the eighth different school to win two consecutive championships, joining Wingate (1913, 1914), Lebanon (1917, 1918), Washington (1941, 1942), Evansville Bosse (1944, 1945), Muncie Central (1951, 1952 and 1978, 1979), Indianapolis Attucks (1955, 1956) and Marion (1975, 1976). Franklin (1920-21-22) and Marion (1985-86-87) are the only schools with three consecutive titles.
Besides the records for three-pointers by Poisel, Ben Davis became the first team to win the state championship game without hitting a free throw. The Giants were 0-4 at the line. The only other team to play in the state championship game and not make a free throw was Muncie Burris in a 24-18 loss to Washington in 1942.
FG 3FG FT R A F S TO TP
Hunter 1-4 0-0 0-0 3 0 0 0 2 2
Wheeler 5-12 0-0 2-3 8 0 1 4 2 12
Barron 3-5 0-0 0-0 3 1 4 3 2 6
Roland 10-23 2-7 5-8 10 2 4 5 9 27
Pipes 2-11 0-6 1-2 3 4 5 1 2 5
Wright 0-2 0-0 2-3 5 1 0 0 2 2
Team 7
Totals 21-57 2-13 10-16 39 8 14 13 19 54
FG 3FG FT R A F S TO TP
Carlisle 1-3 0-0 0-1 7 0 0 3 3 2
Poisel 7-18 6-14 0-0 3 2 1 2 1 20
Frye 4-8 0-0 0-2 11 3 2 2 2 8
Patterson 2-4 0-0 0-1 1 4 3 4 3 4
Price 5-10 2-6 0-0 5 2 5 0 7 12
Washington 3-5 0-0 0-0 0 7 4 0 3 6
Graham 1-1 1-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 3
Williams 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Carpenter 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Akers 1-2 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 2
Team 6
Totals 24-51 9-21 0-4 34 19 17 11 21 57
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q OT OT Final
New Albany 12 11 10 12 4 5 54
Ben Davis 6 12 13 14 4 8 57
Officials -- Bill Nimnicht and Jay Taylor
Attendance -- 21,748 (paid, championship game); 43,221 (paid, two sessions).
Nickolas Tribby of Pioneer and Chris White of Indianapolis Northwest captured titles in the fourth annual IHSAA-Farm Bureau Insurance 3-Point and Slam Dunk Shootout March 23, 1996 during the IHSAA Boys Basketball State Finals at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.
Tribby, a sophomore, won a shootoff against senior Brian Bickel of Jay County in the 3-Point finals. Both hit 12 of their 25 shots during the one minute of competition, but Tribby took home the title by hitting three of five shots in the extra session while Bickel bagged two. Third place went to senior Andy Bost of Evansville Harrison, who hit 11 shots. Fourth place went to senior Ken Stillings of Clinton Prairie with seven treys.
White, senior, took home the Slam Dunk championship with a score of 59.5 points out of a possible 60. He scored a perfect 30 on his first dunk, followed by a 29.5 and a 29. Second place went to DeKalb junior Luke Recker. Junior Desmond Jones of Michigan City took third and junior Kenny Routh of Charlestown was fourth.