Page 21 - 2011-12 Girls Basketball State Finals Program

Last Year’s State Finals in Review

Bishop Luers’ Second Half Surge Garners Sixth Girls State Championship

Brownstown Central came out of the gate strong following 2010’s state runner-up finish.
in the Class 2A state championship game, as the Following the game, members of the IHSAA
Lady Braves made six of their first eight shots from Executive Committee named Samantha (Sammie)
the floor, but Fort Wayne Bishop Luers’ Miracle Bane of Brownstown Central High School as the
Woods was too much to handle in the post, and winner of the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award in
Bishop Luers won their record sixth state basketball Class 2A Girls Basketball.
championship, 59-46, at Memorial Coliseum in Fort
Wayne.
Woods scored 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting,
and also pulled down 14 rebounds, to lead the Lady
Knights, who outscored Brownstown Central 29-16 in
the second half to seal the victory. Her 14 rebounds
tied the 3A state championship game record. Senior
guard Brierra Young, who struggled with foul trouble
throughout the game, scored 17 points, grabbed
eight rebounds, and collected seven steals for Luers.
Guards Maria Allen and Sammie Bane scored
10 points apiece for Brownstown Central, which
made its first appearance at the girls basketball state
finals. The Lady Braves came out strong and ran to
a 30-27 halftime lead, but were unable to withstand a
9-0, fourth quarter run as Bishop Luers pulled away.
Brownstown Central finishes the season with a 23-6
record for head coach Karla Rieckers.
For Bishop Luers, the state championship was
the first in girls basketball since 2006, when the
Lady Knights won the Class 3A title over Evansville
Memorial. Denny Renier’s team wraps up the season
on an 11-game winning streak, with a record of 24-2

Vincennes Rivet Captures School’s First State Championship in Any Sport

Mallory Niehaus scored 12 of her 17 points in the The Lady Warriors were making their first appear-
second half, and the Vincennes Rivet Lady Patriots ance in the girls basketball state finals, and finish
held off a furious charge from the Turkey Run Lady the season with a record of 24-3 for first-year head
Warriors to win the Class A state title, 49-40, at coach Jeff Thompson.
Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne. Following the game, members of the IHSAA Ex-
Niehaus, who had nine rebounds to go with her ecutive Committee named Shelby Davies of Turkey
game-high point total, was one of six Rivet seniors Run High School as the winner of the Patricia L. Roy
competing in their third consecutive state champion- Mental Attitude Award in Class A Girls Basketball.
ship game. Fellow senior Casandra Brocksmith was
the only other Lady Patriots player in double figures,
with 11 points.
The state championship is the first in school
history for Vincennes Rivet, and completes an
undefeated, 28-0 season for Tim Young’s team who
also became the first Class A team to finish a season
without a loss. The Lady Patriots, who also defeated
Turkey Run, 46-38, during the regular season, lost to
Fort Wayne Canterbury in the Class A state champi-
onship games in 2009 and 2010.
Despite trailing by as many as 11 points midway
through the third quarter, Turkey Run pulled within
one on three different occasions in the final period,
and even had a free throw to tie the game with 4:31
to play. Shelby Davies led the Lady Warriors with 14
points and six rebounds, and also held Rivet’s sharp-
shooting senior, Sara Young, to just two points in the
game. Chelsea Newnum also chipped in 11 points
for Turkey Run.

IHSAA - Pure Spirit. Pure Sport. Pure INDIANA! 21