Memory of epic Ben Davis-Washington regional game still lives on

Hinkle Fieldhouse comfortably accommodates 11,043 spectators. Considering 14 years have passed since the epic Washington-Ben Davis boys basketball regional showdown, the number of people claiming they were there the morning of March 11, 1995, surely has grown drastically. We're talking Lucas Oil Stadium numbers here. Perhaps more. Bathed in purple, Hinkle's interior buzzed in anticipation as Steve Witty's Ben Davis Giants, 26-1, prepared to face Indianapolis Washington, which sported a 24-1 record under the guidance of coach Joe Pearson. Indianapolis Public Schools had already elected to shut down Washington as a high school following the 1994-95 school year due to declining enrollment, so the Continentals were playing with an unmatched sense of urgency. All these years later, it is still the best sporting event I have ever witnessed, prep, college or pro. Frankly, I have no No. 2 because Ben Davis-Washington didn't just live up to the hype, it sped past it, rocking Hinkle's old storm windows like few events before or since. "I still think about that game quite often. Not a week goes by that someone doesn't mention it to me," said Pearson, now in his sixth season as boys coach at Westfield. "One of the things I remember is how few mistakes were made down the stretch. Just a well-played game. Hard-fought and with a very noisy crowd." Four of the 10 players meeting on Hinkle's hallowed hardwood for pregame handshakes would go on to become members of the Indiana All-Star Team three months later, including the state's Mr. Basketball in smooth Ben Davis swingman Damon Frierson. Fellow Giants frontliners James Patterson and Courtney James also were All-Stars, as was Washington point guard Jack Owens. Three other Continentals starters, senior guard RJ Williams and junior forwards Adrian Floyd and Marcus Reedy, possessed All-Star game. Not mentioned is Ahmed Bellamy, a Ben Davis player known more for his tremendous athleticism than for his perimeter jumper. However, it was Bellamy's buzzer-beating 3-pointer from right in front of his team's bench that allowed Witty's ballclub to escape with a pulsating 79-77 victory after Owens' two free throws had put Washington ahead. The sound made after Bellamy's bomb dropped through remains eerily unforgettable - a collective gasp made up of equal parts joy, shock, disbelief, anger and relief. Best game I ever saw. Likely the best game I will ever see. "I felt really bad for my kids, but Ben Davis was a great team," remembers Pearson. "I basically felt the state tournament that year would come down to us, Ben Davis and Merrillville." And he was right. Two weeks later the Giants edged Merrillville, 58-57, in the RCA Dome to cap what would be the third-from-last single-class postseason tournament in Indiana. Closer score, yes. Higher stakes, yes. But not nearly the show as Ben Davis-Washington, which 14 years later remains in a league of its own.