Page 22 - 2009-10 Boys Basketball State Finals Program

Last Year’s State Finals in Review

BISHOP LUERS CAPTURES SECOND STRAIGHT STATE TITLE
Fort Wayne Bishop Luers claimed points and five rebounds, Ken Mullen
its second consecutive 2A IHSAA added 10 points and four rebounds,
state title at Conseco Fieldhouse and Evan Blackmon chipped in nine
with a convincing 67-49 victory over points and six rebounds. Mullen also
Brownstown Central. The win capped broke the 2A championship game
a 23-4 season for Bishop Luers and record with four blocked shots.
fifth year head coach James Black- Brownstown Central’s Blaze Ayers
mon. Second-ranked Luers (23-4) led his team with 18 points, 12 from
led by only three points at halftime, the free throw line, and five rebounds,
but a 15-4 run to end the third quarter and Ryan Shoemaker added 10
helped seal the Knights’ title. Top points. The unranked Braves, coached
scorer Deshaun Thomas contributed by 11th year leader Dave Benter, fin-
nine points in the streak and led all ished their season 20-7. Brownstown
scorers with 34 points. He led the Central, the 2004 2A state runner-up,
state in scoring this season with a was playing in its third-ever state
30.3 average and now sits in 11th finals (1931).
place on the state’s all-time scoring Following the game, members
list with 2,254 points. of the IHSAA Executive Committee
Ranked second in the state in named Blaze Ayers of Brownstown
rebounding, Thomas pulled in 15 to Central High School as the winner of
finish the game with a double-double. the Arthur L. Trester Mental Attitude
Teammate Lawrence Barnett had 12 Award.

JAC-CEN-DEL CLAIMS FIRST-EVER CLASS A STATE TITLE

Jac-Cen-Del’s big second quarter propelled the Eagles
past defending state champion Triton, 66-55, to win the
school’s first-ever state championship in any sport in the
Class A state championship game at Conseco Fieldhouse.
The top-ranked Eagles (25-2) led 6-5 after the first
quarter but picked it up in the second hitting eight of nine field
goals including 10 points from Blake Sutton to take control of
the game. Jac-Cen-Del owned a 25-13 lead at halftime, was
never seriously threatened in the second half and went on to
post its 18th straight win to complete a 25-2 season.
Jac-Cen-Del led by as many as 20 at 44-24 after Matt
Gehl hit a layup, was fouled and converted the free throw with
1:40 left in the third quarter. Triton rallied in the fourth cutting
the lead to nine on two occasions but could never get any
closer. Gehl led all scorers with 26 points and 11 rebounds.
Sutton contributed 19 points and five rebounds, Trevor Arnett
had seven points and 11 rebounds, and Gerald Hardesty
added eight points and six rebounds to the mix.
Gryffin Carpenter led the Trojans in scoring with 14
points. Colton Keel had 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Joel
Meister chipped in 12 points.
Third-ranked Triton, which was attempting to become the
first school to win back-to-back Class A state championships,
finished the season 25-3 under fourth-year head coach Jason
Groves.
At the conclusion of the game, members of the IHSAA
Executive Committee named Gerald Hardesty of Jac-Cen-Del
High School as the winner of the Arthur L. Trester Mental
Attitude Award.
IHSAA - Celebrating 100 Years of Hoosier Hysteria 23