Bloomington South, Princeton cap perfect seasons with state titles

Perfection and persistence were both rewarded this weekend at Conseco Fieldhouse. Entering Saturday's 99th Annual IHSAA Boys Basketball State Finals with flawless records, Class 4A Bloomington South and Class 3A Princeton added one more victory to their win totals, becoming the 11th and 12th undefeated state champions in tournament history. Princeton (29-0) cleared the hurdle first, surviving a double-overtime thriller in the evening session's first game against Rochester 81-79 to become the first unbeaten state champion since Class 4A Lawrence North in 2006, who also finished its state run at 29-0. In the evening's final game, Bloomington South (26-0)defeated Fort Wayne Snider 69-62 to win its first boys basketball state title since 1919. For Princeton and Class A champion Jac-Cen-Del (25-2), the titles were their school's first in any sport. Class 2A Fort Wayne Luers (23-4)added its second straight championship after beating Brownstown Central 67-49. Class A Recap No. 1 Jac-Cen-Del 66, No. 3 Triton 55 Top-ranked Jac-Cen-Del got it right on the first try, knocking off defending state champion Triton to win the school's first-ever state championship. In their first state finals appearance, the Eagles built a 25-13 halftime lead and never looked back, going on a 13-4 run in the third quarter to keep the Trojans at bay. Jac-Cen-Del dominated the boards, hauling in 42 rebounds compared to Triton's 29 and shot a blazing 52.2 percent from the field to win its 18th consecutive game. The loss snapped Triton's 23-game win streak against Class A opponents. "I couldn't be happier," said Jac-Cen-Del coach David Bradshaw. "This is 25 years of teaching and coaching and it's kind of a dream come true. I guess you could call it a great silver anniversary present, not only to me but the entire community of Jac-Cen-Del." Jac-Cen-Del senior Matt Gehl finished with a game-high 26 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Blake Sutton supplied 19 points and five rebounds. Triton was led by sophomore Griffyn Carpenter's 14 points. Seniors Joel Meister and Colton Keel each added 12. The Trojans ended the season with a 25-3 record. Jac-Cen-Del's Gerald Hardesty was named the Arthur L. Trester Mental Attitude Award recipient. Class 2A Recap No. 2 Fort Wayne Bishop Luers 67, Brownstown Central 49 All eyes were on Fort Wayne Bishop Luers' talented junior Deshaun Thomas, and the 6-foot-7 guard didn't disappoint. Thomas scored a game-high 34 points to go with 15 rebounds and Luers rolled to capture its second straight Class 2A state title. Thomas, who has verbally committed to Ohio State, finished the season as the state's leading scorer and moved into 11th place on Indiana's all-time scoring list with 2,254 career points. He surpassed Carmel's Dave Shepherd (2,226 points, 1970). Damon Bailey set the all-time career scoring mark with Bedford North Lawrence in 1990, reaching 3,134 points. "Spectacular. There are records breaking on a daily basis," Fort Wayne Bishop Luers coach James Blackmon remarked on Thomas' achievement. "Each game, we talk about another milestone as far as a record. (Damon Bailey) is reachable." After a 15-4 run in the third quarter, Luers (23-4) scored 24 points in the fourth to seal the victory over unranked Brownstown Central (20-7). Lawrence Barnett scored 12 points for Luers. Ken Mullen added 10 and set a new record for blocked shots in a Class 2A championship with four. Evan Blackmon finished with nine points and six rebounds. Brownstown Central's Blaze Ayers was named the Arthur L. Trester Mental Attitude Award winner and also led his team with 18 points. Ryan Shoemaker supplied 10 points. Class 3A Recap No. 1 Princeton 81, No. 7 Rochester 79, 2 OT Records fell at a frantic pace and so did shots from long range as Princeton needed two bonus periods to extinguish a red-hot Bruce Grimm Jr. and the Rochester Zebras. With his team trailing in the waning minute of regulation 54-50, Grimm connected with three heroic 3-pointers and buried two clutch foul shots to force overtime. His final 3-pointer in regulation occurred with seconds remaining. Facing a double-team on the left wing, Grimm beat the buzzer to deadlock the score at 61. The tug-of-war ended in the second overtime when Princeton's Dontray Chavis, who hit a clutch basket in the first overtime to extend the game, buried two free throws with three seconds remaining. Overall, there were 16 lead changes and nine ties in the game. "What a game to be part of," Princeton coach Tom Weeks said. "Indiana high school basketball, this is what it's all about. We're fortunate enough to be on the winning side of a great ball game with tremendous heart from both teams." Grimm finished with a game-high 40 points on 14-of-29 shooting, which was three points shy of the Class 3A championship record for scoring. Washington's Tyler Zeller set the mark in 2008 behind a 43-point performance. Grimm's eight 3-pointers, however, set an IHSAA state finals record. The senior convert on 8-of-15 shots from beyond the arc. Princeton and Rochester combined to set a 3A championship-game record with 160 points. The old mark stood at 159, established in 2001 between Muncie Southside and Evansville Mater Dei, 81-78. The two teams also combined for a state finals record with 19 3-pointers. The Zebras converted 15 attempts. The victory for Princeton (29-0) sealed its perfect season and its place as the 11th undefeated champion all-time. It also signified the school's first state title in any sport. Rontray Chavis posted a team-high 25 points and 14 rebounds for Princeton. Trevor George added 20 points while Dontray Chavis had 14. Rochester's Brody Schoen was named the Arthur L. Trester Mental Attitude award recipient. Class 4A Recap No. 1 Bloomington South 69, No. 6 Fort Wayne Snider 62 For the first time in 90 years, Bloomington South hoisted a boys basketball state championship trophy. But it wasn't easy. On eight occasions in the game, the lead changed hands. In the fourth quarter alone, the lead switched four times. Darwin Davis provided Bloomington South (26-0) with a 59-58 lead late in the fourth, which would hold as the Panthers became the 12th team in state history to cap a championship season unbeaten. "It's an honor to say you won the state championship," Bloomington South coach J.R. Holmes said. "Our kids have played a year where they deserve to win. It was a fantastic year." Ranked third nationally, Bloomington South competed it the state finals for the first time in 49 years, winning its 20th consecutive game. Four Panthers reached double-figures with Davis posting a team-high 17 points. Both Eric Fromm and Indiana University recruit Aaron Hulls each scored 14. Spencer Turner added 10. Fort Wayne Snider's Bradley Sneary supplied a game-high 22 points and 14 rebounds. Reggie Hearn, who was named the Arthur L. Trester Mental Attitude winner, contributed 15 points. Jonathan Sims had 11 and six rebounds. Fort Wayne Snider, who was ranked 23rd nationally, concluded the season with a record of 25-2.