Page 20 - 2010-11 Girls Basketball State Finals Program

Last Year’s State Finals in Review

BEN DAVIS WINS SECOND STRAIGHT 4A TITLE IN RECORD SETTING FASHION
Dominating offense and overwhelming defense were second consecutive state title and set seven individual
the recipe for success for Stan Benge and the No. 1 Ben game state finals records in the process, to win going away
Davis Lady Giants in the Class 4A state championship against No. 5 Merrillville, 99-52.
game on Saturday night. The Lady Giants earned their Ben Davis’ 99 points are a new state finals record for
any class, topping the 90 points scored by Class A Bloom-
field in 1998 against Morgan Township, while their 22 steals
are the most in any state finals game, topping their own
2001 record set against Fort Wayne Snider.
The teams also combined to set a new state finals
record for most combined points in a quarter in a Class 4A
game. Ben Davis poured in 35 points in the third quarter,
while Merrillville added 18; the combined total of 54 topped
the 2007 4A third quarter total of 53 by South Bend Wash-
ington and Columbus East.
Junior Bria Goss, who had 22 points, and senior Deme-
tria Nunley-Lash, who added 20, led the way for the Lady
Giants, and 10 players got in the scorebook for Ben Davis
on the night.
With the win, Ben Davis also established a new state
record for consecutive victories with 58, dating back to the
2008-09 season, when they went 30-0 and defeated South
Bend Washington, 71-69, in a thrilling state title game. Fort
Wayne Northrop won 57 consecutive games from 1985-87.
The Lady Giants finish the 2009-10 season with a perfect
28-0 record. The Giants also became the first Indiana
basketball team (boys or girls) to complete two consecutive
undefeated seasons.
FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA LUTHERAN WINS FIRST STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

The No. 8 Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran Cadets Alexa Bess, whose two fourth-quarter three-pointers kept
opened Saturday’s Class 3A state championship game hope alive for the Lady Lions, and guard Morgan Herbert,
with a scorching 10-0 run, fueled by six early points from who dropped in 10 points. The Cadets, under head coach
senior center Erynn Meiklejohn, and that proved to be the Dave Miller, finish the year with a record of 24-3.
difference. The Cadets held off multiple comeback attempts
by No. 1 Rushville to win, 59-48, and earn the school’s first
girls basketball state title.
Meiklejohn, who finished as the Cadets’ leading scorer
with 16 points, was a dominant presence inside early, while
senior guard Angela Doerffler was nearly her equal on the
perimeter, and Concordia led 14-13 after one period.
Rushville, however, was unwilling to yield their No.
1 ranking without a fight. Senior forward Shelbie Justice
scored 10 of her game-high 18 points in the first half, and
her 6-of-6 free throw shooting pushed the Lady Lions to a
one-point advantage at the break.
The second half was dominated by the Cadets, under
the leadership of guard Andrea Newbauer, who filled the
stat sheet with 11 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 2
steals. Newbauer’s steal, coast-to-coast drive for a layup,
and free throw after a foul on the shot extended Concor-
dia’s game-changing run to 9-0 and a 46-37 lead after
three. Junior Anna Goeglein also contributed 10 of her 12
points in the second half.
Melissa Marlow’s Rushville Lady Lions, who drop to
25-3 on the season, also received contributions from senior
20 IHSAA - Pure Spirit. Pure Sport. Pure INDIANA!