Over 15,000 people filled Gainbridge Fieldhouse Saturday night to witness No. 10
Ben Davis (Indianapolis) defeat
Kokomo 53-41 to capture the Indiana Class 4A state title and become the 14th team in state history to finish the season as unbeaten state champions.
The Giants of Ben Davis (33-0) were led by a game-high 20 points from Valparaiso signee
Zane Doughty while sophomore
Mark Zackery tallied 16 points.
In the first half it appeared the Giants were going to run away with a lopsided victory after surging ahead 18-10 at the end of the first quarter and 28-17 at halftime.
Five-star junior
Flory Bidunga sparked a Kokomo run in the third quarter as the 6-foot-9 center accounted for 11 points and six rebounds in the period to help the Wildkats close the third quarter on a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to 36-33.
Ben Davis responded with an 8-0 run to open the final quarter to extend its lead back to 44-33 before cruising to the double-digit title game victory.
The win marked the 29th double-digit victory on the season for Ben Davis, which outscored opponents by an average of 18.3 points per contest en route to their unbeaten state title run.
Ben Davis also won their previous meeting against Kokomo this season, defeating the Wildkats 58-51 back on Dec. 3 at the Sneakers for Santa Shootout.
Ben Davis has now captured four state titles in program history after previously wining championships in 1995, 1996 and 2013. The Giants became the first team to finish unbeaten in the Hoosier State since 2017.
Kokomo (24-5) made its first state championship game appearance since 1989 and fell shy of capturing the school's first state championship since 1961. Bidunga finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks in the defeat.
Valparaiso signee Zane Doughty helps lead Ben Davis to its first unbeaten season in school history. (Photo: Tyler Hart)
