Mark Morrow's My View/Your View: Giants, others inch closer to State Finals

Charlie Hall, the game director for the Indiana All-Stars this season, knows quite a bit about girls basketball, not to mention the game of basketball in general. He guided the Kokomo High School girls basketball team to a 26-0 record and the Class 4A state championship in the 2002-03 season, and he was an assistant coach for the Ball State women a year ago. Hall, who later took over the reins for Kokomo boys basketball coach Basil Mawbey, who was recovering from heart surgery, nearly took the Wildkats to the State Finals in the 1991-92 season. The Kats lost to Warsaw on a last-second shot in the Fort Wayne Semistate. The All-North Central Conference selection for the 'Kats in the early 1970s also beat out New Castle's Kent Benson for the conference scoring title his junior year. So when he offers an opinion, you've got to figure he knows what he's talking about. "I think they (Ben Davis) just might be the best girls team I've seen,'' Hall remarked last Saturday at Southport Fieldhouse while discussing a variety of topics on girls basketball. "I'd say certainly, at least, the best . . . in a long, long time.'' When told that, Ben Davis coach Stan Benge smiled, paused for a few seconds, then replied: "Well, I hope Charlie is right. We have two more games left to prove it, though.'' Yep, one at a time, much the way the Giants (28-0) have approached things all season long. Their first (next) challenge is Mooresville (23-1), a really big challenge, make no mistake. The Giants-Pioneers winner will play Plymouth Semistate winner South Bend Washington (25-0) or Pendleton Heights (23-2) in the State Finals at Lucas Oil Stadium in Downtown Indianapolis on March 7. South Bend Washington, led by the sensational Skylar Diggins, who has committed to Notre Dame, won state in 2007 and lost to Carmel last year. Pendleton Heights, of course, is making its first semistate trip ever. Mooresville's only loss came at the hands of Plainfield (57-53) on Jan. 23. The Pioneers avenged that loss in the Plainfield Sectional, edging the Quakers 54-52. Had Mooresville not beaten Plainfield, we may have seen a family affair on Saturday. You see, Curt Benge, the coach at Plainfield, is the younger brother of Ben Davis coach Stan Benge. "We had them (Mooresville) beat,'' said Curt Benge, nodding so slightly and displaying a touch of disappointment while congratulating his brother for the regional victory over Carmel. "We just didn't get it done.'' I'm guessing that big brother hopes another such loss doesn't run in the family this season. More facts: Heritage Christian, University seek return to state Two other Indianapolis-area schools seek to return to the State Finals. Class 2A No. 1 Heritage Christian (24-1), hoping for a shot at a fourth straight state title, takes on Austin (21-5) at Bedford North Lawrence. University (21-4), a runner-up in the State Finals last season, faces Class A No. 1 Vincennes Rivet (22-1) in the 1 p.m. opener at BNL. . . . Ben Davis seeks its fourth semistate title in school history, last winning in the 2000-01 season. Mooresville owns one semistate championship. The Pioneers won in the 1977-78 season, ironically at Ben Davis High School.