Page 20 - 2012-13 Girls Basketball State Finals Program

Last Year’s State Finals in Review

Taylor Powers North Central’s OT Win Over Columbus North
When a high-intensity defensive game turned three quarters, and the game was tied at 25-all with
offensive-minded, the North Central Panthers turned 6:15 left in the fourth quarter.
to 6-foot-5 Nariah Taylor for some big-time scoring That’s when things turned frenetic. There were
in their 50-48 overtime victory over Columbus North 10 ties and lead changes in the final 10:15 of play.
in the Class 4A girls state Taylor totaled 18 points, 12
basketball final. rebounds and five blocked shots for
Taylor scored 10 of the Coach DeeAnn Ramey’s unranked
last 12 points for her team in Panthers, who finished their season
regulation time, including a at 23-5. Celeste Edwards had 10
rebound bucket at the buzzer points and five assists.
to tie the game at 42-all. In North Central had five
overtime, her two free throws tournament victories over top-10
with 0.8 seconds on the clock teams, including 10th-ranked
provided the winning margin. Columbus North. It was North
Columbus North freshman Central’s third appearance in the
Ali Patberg’s shot from just state final game. The Panthers
past midcourt bounced off the won back-to-back titles in 2004 and
rim as the overtime buzzer 2005.
sounded. Patberg scored Coach Pat McKee’s Bull Dogs
12 points in the final 5:22 of finished 23-4 after starting the
regulation to help her Bull Dogs season 4-3. It was Columbus
keep pace with North Central. North’s first appearance in the girls
Columbus North struggled final after the team won its first
mightily in the first quarter, regional and semi-state.
hitting just 1-of-13 shots, Patberg led the Bull Dogs with
and trailed 13-4 at the first 19 points and added eight rebounds
break. North Central took its and six assists. Taylor Goodall
turn struggling in the second scored 17 points with a team-high
quarter, getting outscored 15-3. 10 rebounds.
Neither team could muster much offense through
Clutch Scoring Fuels Concordia past Mt. Vernon in Class 3A
The Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran Cadets Marinko scored the final eight points for the sev-
won their second Class 3A girls basketball state enth-ranked Cadets in a tight game that featured 18
championship in three years with a 42-39 victory ties and lead changes. Six of her points came at the
over Mt. Vernon. free throw line. Marinko collected the other two on a
Lauren Marinko made sure of it. slashing drive down the lane that gave Concordia the
lead for good at 38-36 with 33 seconds remaining.
At the two-minute mark, Mt. Vernon’s Jessica
Brown hit a 12-footer to knot the game at 34-all. It set
up a frenetic ending, but the No. 2-ranked Marauders
couldn’t prevent Marinko’s clutch scoring.
Coach Dave Miller’s Cadets won their final nine
games and finished 21-5. In 2010, their only other
state finals appearance, the Cadets defeated Rush-
ville.
Marinko led Concordia with 17 points. Courtney
Smith added nine points and had a team-high seven
rebounds.
Coach Julie Shelton’s Mt. Vernon team was
playing in its first state title game in 35 years. Also,
the Marauders are the only Hancock County team
to advance to the finals. They concluded with a 23-6
record after outscoring opponents by a margin of
20.5 points before the championship game.
Brown led the Marauders with 17 points. Erica
Moore added nine. Anna Olson had a game-high
eight rebounds.
20 IHSAA - Pure Spirit. Pure Sport. Pure INDIANA!