Page 20 - 2011-12 Girls Basketball State Finals Program

Last Year’s State Finals in Review

Jeffersonville Leads From Start to Finish To Win First Championship
Jeffersonville jumped out to a big lead early, then first half for Jeffersonville, who shot 58% from the
held off a late charge from Penn to win the Class 4A field over the first 16 minutes to build a 21-9 lead at
girls basketball state championship game, 43-29, at the break. Jalynn McClain picked up where Roland
Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne. left off, as McClain scored nine of her 13 points in
Lakin Roland led the way with nine points in the the second half. Brooke Valentine was the third
Red Devils player to finish in double figures with 14
points, and she also gathered eight rebounds.
The Red Devils never trailed in the game, but it
was not without drama, as Penn’s defensive intensity
got the Kingsmen within six points midway through
the fourth quarter. Tori Millner, who finished with 12
points, was the offensive catalyst for the Kingsmen,
but Penn shot just 25% in the contest. Leading
scorer Alexandria Morton was held in check through-
out the evening and scored just three points.
The state title is the first in girls basketball for
head coach Chad Gilbert and Jeffersonville, who
finish the season with a 28-2 record. Penn also made
its first appearance in the state title game, capping a
season in which head coach Kristi Kaniewski led the
Kingsmen to a record of 23-2.
Saturday’s morning session drew 4,341 while the
evening counted 3,678 for a four-game total of 8,019.
Following the game, members of the IHSAA Ex-
ecutive Committee named Ashley Lutz of Penn High
School as the winner of the Patricia L. Roy Mental
Attitude Award in Class 4A Girls Basketball.

Evansville Memorial Goes Overtime To Win First Girls Basketball Title

Evansville Memorial scored the first seven points Natalie Cohlmeyer, Evansville Memorial’s
of overtime, and never relinquished that advantage second-leading scorer during the season, was
on their way to a 58-50 victory over Benton Central held without a point during regulation, but scored
and the school’s first girls basketball state champion- six points in overtime to lead the Tigers. Memorial
ship at Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne. outscored Benton Central 17-9 in the extra period.
Mallory Ladd finished the game with 24 points
and 13 rebounds. She was one of three Memorial
players, along with Anna Hackert and Marie Hackert,
who pulled down double-digit rebounds. The Tigers’
size caused problems inside for Benton Central
throughout the game, as the Bison were unable to
score off of penetration.
Sophomore guard Caitlyn Tolen led Benton
Central with 16 points, while Hillary Moore earned
a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
David Baxter’s Bison team made the team’s first
state finals appearance since 1989, and the third
appearance in school history. The Bison, who came
into the game on a 20-game winning streak, finish
the season with a 24-1 record.
Evansville Memorial won their first title in the
school’s second trip to the state finals. The Tigers
wrap up their year with a 28-1 record for head coach
Bruce Dockery.
Following the game, members of the IHSAA
Executive Committee named Hillary Moore of Benton
Central High School as the winner of the Patricia
L. Roy Mental Attitude Award in Class 3A Girls
Basketball.
20 IHSAA - Pure Spirit. Pure Sport. Pure INDIANA!