Photo Courtesy of Phil Knight at thehhcsports.comAlexa Bailey, Bedford North Lawrence
If Saturday's state championship games in Terre Haute were any indication, Indiana girls basketball has a brilliant future.
Start with Class 4A champion
Bedford North Lawrence (Bedford, Ind.). The Stars defeated tenacious South (Fort Wayne) 54-51 before a crowd of 6.918 to complete a perfect 28-0 campaign and, perhaps, increase their No. 24 ranking in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25. It marked their third state title, but the other two were in a single-class system.
Most remarkably, they accomplished so much without a single senior starter.
Alexa Bailey, a 5-foot-7 sophomore point guard, is a tremendous leader, especially for one so young. She definitely is a chip off the old block, being the daughter of assistant coach Damon Bailey, Indiana's all-time boys scorer and a true Hoosier legend.
It was heartwarming to watch father and daughter embrace following the state-wide televised victory, because Damon Bailey was in an identical situation in 1990 after sparking the Stars to a boys championship.
Having been satisfied just to run the offense and coming into the game with a modest 6.8 scoring average, she broke loose for 19 points when all the chips were on the table. Two other sophomores also contributed mightily to the victory.
Dominique McBryde, a 6-2 forward, also scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds even though saddled with fouls. Six-foot-three center
Jenna Allen overcame a lot of defensive pressure to account for nine points and 11 rebounds.
*The Class 3A title game produced the high scorer from the four-game set and she's just a freshman.
Sydney Shelton, a 5-8 guard, lit up Indiana State University's Hulman Center with 29 points as
Mt. Vernon (Fortville, Ind.) defeated Hamilton Heights (Arcadia) 61-47 for its first 3A crown. The niece of head coach Julie Shelton, she drilled 8-of-14 shots, including five 3-point baskets. Junior forward Erica Moore added 14 points and a 3A-record 15 rebounds.
The victory was especially sweet for assistant coach Tom Kirby, who suffered a heart attack during Thursday's practice, but following surgery was able to attend Saturday's game and sit on the bench.
*One of Indiana's premier junior boys, 6-9
Trey Lyles of
Arsenal Tech (Indianapolis, Ind.), injured his left knee during the sectional semifinals and was unable to play in the championship game, which his team lost to
Indianapolis Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.). Doctors will take a hard look this week to determine the extent of the injury.
*Turning to Washington,
Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.) defeated Lakeside (Seattle) 62-59 in overtime in the Class 3A finals, enabling Mike Bethea to become the first coach in Washington history to notch six state championships.