Page 20 - 2009-10 Girls Basketball State Finals Program

Last Year’s State Finals in Review

NO. 1 BEN DAVIS TOPS NO. 2 SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON

Sophomore Bria Goss banked home a driving runner Washington in the 4A state championship game. The game-
in the lane with 1.4 seconds left on the clock to give top- winning shot turned away a furious fourth quarter rally by
ranked Ben Davis a 71-69 victory over No. 2 South Bend Washington that saw the Panthers overcome an 11 point
deficit over the last 2:56 before Goss’ shot.
It was Ben Davis’ third state championship to go along
with titles won in 2000 and 2001 allowing them to finish
a perfect 30-0 and become the first girls team to win 30
games in a season.
The Giants finished their season ranked No. 1 nation-
ally in USA Today. Washington, ranked fourth in that same
poll, settled for the runner-up spot for the third time in four
seasons. The Panthers were playing in the state title game
for the fourth straight year.
Senior guard Skylar Diggins scored eight of her game-
high 29 points in the last 1:40. Her layup with :45 seconds
left tied the game at 69-69. She finished her career with
2,790 points good for third best in state history.
Ben Davis head coach Stan Benge, ranked seventh
among active coaches in victories, picked up career victory
468. South Bend Washington was led by first year coach
Maurice Scott who guided them to a 26-1 finish.
The second session of the state finals drew 13,449 for
a state finals record since 1998. The four games also drew
a state finals record 21,522 during that same time.

ELMHURST WINS ITS FIRST STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
The Fort Wayne Elmhurst Trojans defeated the Owen the season. No. 10 Owen Valley, making its first trip to the
Valley Patriots, 62-59, in the Class 3A championship game girls basketball state finals, finished 24-3, under coach Tom
to claim the school’s first state title in any sport. It came in Anderson.
the school’s first ever appearance in the girl’s basketball
state finals. Elmhurst’s boys basketball team finished as
state runner-up in 2003.
Elmhurst came out strong in the first quarter taking a
quick 7-0 lead over the Patriots and ended the first quarter
with a 20-11 lead. The Trojans built their largest lead of the
game at 22-11 with 7:40 left before halftime. Owen Valley
rallied from that point pulling to within 28-24 heading to the
halftime lockerroom.
Owen Valley grabbed its first lead of the game with
6:20 left to go on Nickole Gonser’s layup to make it 47-45.
Twice the Patriots held three point leads before Elmhurst’s
Lecretia Smith hit a layup with 3:15 remaining and Rosie
Lewis’ jumper at 2:41 gave them the lead for good at 56-54.
Smith, who hit 11-of-15 from the field, led all scorers
with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Liza Clemons and Lewis
both added 10 for Elmhurst. Heather Gonser led Owen
Valley with 21 points and eight rebounds. Cooper chipped
in 10 and Nikole Gonser pulled down nine rebounds.
No. 4 Elmhurst, led by head coach Mark Redding,
finished the season 25-2, winning their last 11 games of

20 IHSAA - Pure Spirit. Pure Sport!

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