Page 20 - 2016-17 Girls Basketball State Finals Program

Last Year’s State Finals in Review

Penn Turns Away Defending Champ Columbus North in 4A Title
The third time was After a Bulldog basket,
definitely the charm for Penn then ran off the next
Penn’s girls basketball 13 points, taking a 56-37
program. lead 24 seconds into the
fourth quarter. The Kings-
After Class 4A runner-up men hit six of eight free
finishes in 2011 and throws in the final quarter,
2014, the Kingsmen pushing the lead to as
won the school’s first many as 23 points and
girls basketball title in never allowing the Bulldogs
impressive fashion, any closer than 17.
downing No. 1 and
defending state champ Buhr led the Kingsmen
Columbus North. The with 24 points and seven
fourth-ranked Kingsmen rebounds, hitting 8-12 shots
finished a 28-2 season under Coach Kristi Ulrich by from the floor and all seven foul shots. Teammate
shooting 52 percent from the floor and 80 percent Kaitlyn Marenyi added 21 points on 7-10 shooting,
from the line. including a steal and foul-line jumper as the third-
quarter ended that gave her team a 17-point lead.
Penn bolted out to a 20-7 lead in the first quarter,
but by halftime the Bulldogs had closed within 30-28. Columbus North, which finished 27-2 under Coach
A Maliah Howard-Bass basket 49 seconds into the Pat McKee, got 13 points and 12 rebounds from
third quarter gave Columbus North its only lead of Imani Guy, and 11 points from Howard-Bass. But
the game, but the Kingsmen countered with a 13-4 after shooting 44.8 percent from the floor during the
run that gave them a 43-35 lead. Camryn Buhr, who season, but Bulldogs struggled to 32-percent shoot-
will play for Lehigh next season, scored eight straight ing against the Kingsmen.
points during the run.

Heritage Christian Edges North Harrison in 3A Championship
Finding itself in a close game for the first time
during the postseason, second-ranked Heritage
Christian wouldn’t be denied its place in Indiana high
school girls basketball history.
The Eagles (26-4) used a late flurry to pull away
from No. 7 North Harrison 51-45 in the 3A final for
their third-straight state championship. The win con-
tinued an amazing run for the Rick Risinger-coached
Eagles, who have won seven state titles – the
most ever in Indiana girls basketball – since 2006.
Heritage Christian is just the fourth program in state
history to win at least three straight state titles and
the first to do it twice; Heritage Christian won four
consecutive championships from 2006-2009.
The Eagles had been dominant in the postseason,
winning their six games by an average of 29.8
points. Four of those opponents were ranked eighth
or higher in 3A.
27 points. Harper added 10 points and, along with
But Heritage Christian didn’t get any breathing room Harris, tied a 3A title game record with seven steals.
against the Lady Cats until DaShawna Harper’s late
steal and layup capped an 8-0 run to give the Eagles Lilly Hatton had 11 points and Burson 10 for the Lady
a 47-39 lead. Star guard Tyasha Harris scored four Cats, who finished 28-3 under Coach Missy Voyles.
points during the run and finished with a game-high
20 IHSAA - Pure Spirit. Pure Sport. Pure INDIANA!