Page 20 - 2017-18 Girls Basketball State Finals Program

Last Year’s State Finals in Review

Homestead Takes Control, Wins First Girls Basketball Title in 4A

Madisen Parker scored the go ahead basket midway
through the third quarter and No. 2 Homestead never trailed
again on its way to a 61-54 victory over No. 4 Pike to win
the Class 4A girls basketball state title.
The Spartans couldn’t find a way to pull away and the Red
Devils struggled to hold a lead in a game that never had a
deficit larger than eight points.
Pike’s Angel Baker made a 3-pointer in the third quarter to
put the Red Devils ahead 38-37 before Parker’s basket to
give Homestead the lead for good. The Spartans scored six
straight to take a five-point lead in the third and led by as
much as eight when Jazmyne Geist made a lay-up to make
it 56-48 with 2:01 to play.

Homestead made it to the finals for the second time in three
seasons after finishing runner-up in their first state finals
appearance in 2015. The win was the first girls basketball
state championship for the Spartans, and the first for head Pike won its first regional and semi-state titles to make its
coach Rod Parker, who has spent all 16 years of his head first appearance in the finals. The Red Devils finished 24-4
coaching career at Homestead. in Bob Anglea’s sixth season as Pike’s head coach.

Karissa McLaughlin led the Spartans with 29 points, includ- Jada Roberson led the Red Devils with 18 points and five
ing 11-of-14 free throw shooting, along with six assists. rebounds. Baker had 14 points and six rebounds while
Parker made five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points Michaela White finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.
while Geist had eight points and 12 rebounds.

South Bend St. Joseph Takes the 3A Title in a No. 1 vs. No 2 Match Up
South Bend St. Joseph The Indians finished 26-2 in
closed out the first half on Sydney Smallbone’s first year as
a 13-2 run and the No. 2 head coach. Smallbone, along
ranked Indians went on with assistants Melissa Lechlitner
to beat the No. 1 North and Kristin Dockery, played in
Harrison Lady Cats 57-49 the South Bend St. Joseph 2005
to win the Class 3A girls state championship team – the
basketball state title. only other year the Indians won a
state title in girls basketball.
After Lilly Hatton’s three-
point play gave the Lady The victory also made Smallbone
Cats a 16-15 lead early in the first to win a girls basketball
the second quarter, South state championship as both a
Bend St. Joseph scored player and a coach.
eight straight points,
including a 3-pointer by Daly Sullivan to put the Indians Sullivan scored 21 points to lead the Indians while Nicole
ahead 23-16 with 3:46 to go in the first half. Konieczny scored nine points and Abby O’Connor finished
with eight points, eight rebounds and five assists.
The Indians outscored the Lady Cats 18-7 in the second
quarter, and it was Grace Quinn’s three-point play with 11 North Harrison finished 27-3 while the Lady Cats finished
seconds remaining in the second that gave South Bend St. runner-up in the finals for the second straight season with
Joseph a 28-18 halftime lead. Missy Voyles as head coach.
Cali Nolot had 27 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Lady
Sullivan made a lay-up and a 3-pointer early in third quarter Cats and Hatton finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
to put the Indians ahead 33-20 – their largest lead of the
game.
20 IHSAA - Pure Spirit. Pure Sport. Pure INDIANA!