Bloomington South, No. 7 in MaxPreps’ Xcellent 25 national boys basketball rankings, completed a 26-0 campaign Saturday night by edging Fort Wayne Snider, 69-62, to win Indiana’s Class 4A state title before a sell-out crowd of 17,681 at Canseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Sophomore guard Dee Davis made a pair of free throws and a layup in the closing seconds to help put an end to Snider’s 21-game winning streak. Davis led the Panthers, who drilled 17-of-20 free throw attempts, with 17 points. Senior Mr. Basketball favorite Jordan Hulls and 6-8 junior Erik Fromm each scored 14 points.
With Fromm and 6-5 senior Chaz Cooper sitting out crucial minutes in foul trouble, senior reserves Jacob Mulinix and David Blackwell each swished two clutch free throws under intense pressure late in the game.
Snider’s 6-foot-6 senior Bradley Sneary was outstanding with 22 points and 14 rebounds.
Individually, however, Indiana’s show was stolen by Rochester senior guard Bruce Grimm, Jr., who exploded for 40 points in an 81-79 double-overtime loss to first-time Class 3A champion Princeton, which finished with a perfect 29-0 record. The East Tennessee State recruit drilled 14-of-29 shots – including a state-record 8-of-15 3-pointers.
Grimm, whose father, Bruce Sr., was an Indiana All-Star at neighboring Plymouth, made a shot that places him among the Hoosier legends by drilling a 3-pointer on an in-bounds play (with two defenders draped over him) as time expired to send the game into its first overtime. It was quite reminiscent of one Plymouth star Scott Skiles made in the 1982 state-title game against Gary Roosevelt.
The score was tied nine times and the lead changed hands 16 times. They key was Princeton’s size and strength, however, which resulted in 23 second-chance points off 20 offensive rebounds.
Princeton not only went unbeaten, but its future looks quite bright with three starters coming back. A loaded sophomore class is led by 6-foot-4 twins Rontray and Dontray Chavis. Rontray dominated with 25 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and four steals while Dontray scored 14 points off the bench.
Fort Wayne Bishop Lurers repeated as Indiana’s Class 2A champ with a 67-49 victory over Brownstown Central. Superstar DeShaun Thomas, a 6-foot-7 junior, dominated with 34 points and 15 rebounds despite facing a box-and-one defense.
“It’s an every-day thing,” Thomas told the media of the constant defensive attention he receives. “They push and shove on me, but I let the game come to me.”
For the losers, 6-foot-6 senior Blaze Ayers scored 18 points, including 12-of-13 at the free throw line.
Jac-Cen-Del (25-2) captured the Class A crown with a 66-55 victory over Triton (24-3) as 6-foot-2 senior guard Matt Gehl scored 26 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
