Tecumseh, Forest Park, South Bend Washington, and Noblesville Pick Up State Titles: Championship Recap

Class A State Championship:

Lafayette Central Catholic v. Tecumseh

Tecumseh took the role of the Cinderella team in state championships. With the worst overall record of any team that played Saturday, the odds were stacked against the Braves. Despite that, the heavy underdogs played an impressive game to overcome Lafayette Central Catholic. Tecumseh held the lead by 2+ points for nearly the entirety of the match. This is largely due to the dangerous duo of Kaybree Oxley and Jenna Donohoo who combined for 48 of the 60 points the Braves put up.

Central Catholic undoubtedly had bright belts of play. Caitlin Dineen, playing in her final game, put up multiple threes for the Knights. Carley Barrett played spectacular defense laying down multiple blocks inside the paint. Kendal Rider held an aggressive attitude throughout the matchup that undeniably played a great role in LCC’s rally to stay in the contest. Nonetheless, the trio was unable to hold off a punishing Tecumseh offense.

Tecumseh went on to win their first girl’s high school basketball state championship in school history!

Final Score:

Tecumseh- 60

Lafayette Central Catholic- 53

Leading Scorers:

Jenna Donohoo / 29 pts. / Tecumseh

Carley Barrett / 17 pts. / Lafayette Central Catholic

Class 2A State Championship:

Forest Park v. Frankton

Ranger Nation showed up big at Gainbridge Fieldhouse; on the court and in the crowd! With an intense atmosphere, Forest Park prospered in the spotlight. FP led the game for almost every possession leading the Rangers to their first-ever girl’s basketball state championship. The Rangers began the game with a 7-0 run. Shortly later, Addie Brobston knocked down a three which tied up the matchup for Frankton. Yet Carley Begle led the charge that gave Forest Park the 22-20 lead at halftime. Quarter three was slow for both squads though FP still led 33-27 heading into the fourth. With 3:43 left in the game, Frankton’s Lauryn Bates hit a three-pointer which gave Frankton their first and last lead of the second half. Ali Welp hit a crucial three-pointer from the corner to put FP up by four.

Frankton never recovered from the deficit, and Forest Park became the second school of the day to win their first-ever girls basketball state championship!

Final Score:

Forest Park- 52

Frankton- 44

Leading Scorers:

Amber Tretter / 22 pts. / Forest Park

Amaya Collins / 15 pts. / Frankton

Class 3A State Championship:

Silver Creek v. South Bend Washington

When Silver Creek and South Bend Washington both landed in the state championship round for the second year in a row, excitement grew across Indiana. Silver Creek looks to defend their state title against a hungry South Bend Washington team who still suffered hard feelings from last year’s devastating loss. Rashunda Jones helped the Panthers expand to a double-digit lead with just under a minute left in the first quarter. At the end of the quarter, South Bend Washington led 19-10. What happened next was the complete breakdown of a championship roster. South Bend Washington scored 22 straight points in the second… Silver Creek did not score a single point in that time.

The Dragons finally scored their first points of the quarter with 1:38 when Freshman Alleigh Leeper hit a short jumper from near the free-throw line. Going into the half, Washington held a 51-16 lead in large part to Maryland Commits Amiyah and Mila Reynolds. By the end of the third quarter, the Panthers led 72-22. With just a minute left in the game, backup Sophomore Kinsey Ryland sparked one of the loudest cheers from Silver Creek’s crowd with a three-pointer. The outcome would be less than optimal for the Dragons to cheer for with a devastating 93-35 loss. As for South Bend Washington, they sealed up a perfect redemption story that ended with a dominating win over Silver Creek to become state champs.

Final Score:

South Bend Washington- 93

Silver Creek- 35

Leading Scorers:

Mila Reynolds / 21 pts. / South Bend Washington

Kynidi Striverson / 10 pts. / Silver Creek

Class 4A State Championship:

Franklin Community v. Noblesville

Capping off a long day of championship basketball, the night ends with Indiana’s top teams in the top class competing for a place in history. Franklin held a small lead over Noblesville for the majority of the first quarter with the help of Scarlett Kimbrell’s impressive three-pointer. Franklin fell apart from that moment on as they let up a 9-2 run in Noblesville’s favor at the end of the quarter. Ava Shoemaker hit a three early in the second putting Noblesville up by double digits. The Millers continued their dominance throughout the half and made their way to the locker rooms with a 47-28 lead. Quarter three was filled with aggressive offense from Franklin’s Ashlyn Traylor. The Grizzly Cubs managed to narrow the game to just 10-points. That is when UConn commit Ashlynn Shade retook control of the contest with multiple contested jumpers falling through. Before long, Kaitlyn Shoemaker hit a hook shot under the rim giving Noblesville a 23-point lead with 3:33 left. The Millers came in clutch in the fourth sealing their legacies as 2022 girls basketball state champions! Noblesville piled up on IHSAA’s “State-Final” logo after putting up an impressive 76-52 win over previously one-loss Franklin Community.