Fort Wayne Bishop Luers Knights | Archive | March, 2010

Executive Director

FORT WAYNE – Sometimes a team gains momentum during a contest. Sometimes the entire game gains momentum as it goes along. 

That was certainly the case in second-ranked Austin’s 70-65 overtime victory over No. 12 Fort Wayne Luers for the Class 2A girls basketball state title March 6 at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.

The clubs took the floor a short 30 minutes after a tremendous exhibition of basketball in the 1A final, and the comparison was not favorable through the first eight minutes of this one. The two teams combined in the first quarter to shoot 11 of 29 from the field and commit seven turnovers. 

It didn’t help that the shot selection was questionable, especially true on the Eagles’ side of the ledger. The quarter ended with Luers holding a 14-10 advantage and all but those with a rooting interest quickly losing that interest.

The shooting heated up in the second quarter, but the quality of play was still less than scintillating. Luers’ size gave Austin trouble on the boards throughout the period, but the Knights were incapable of shaking the Eagles early in the period. 

Then senior leader Chelsea Jones hit back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the quarter, and suddenly Austin (26-2) had a lead it did not relinquish before intermission. The two teams headed to the locker rooms with Austin up 29-26 and most people believing neither club could have kept pace with their 1A predecessors. 

That was about to change dramatically. The game resembled a large locomotive leaving the station as the third stanza progressed – it just kept picking up more and more momentum. 

It started with a vastly improved defensive effort from Austin at the outset of the half. The Eagles combined that effort with tremendously improved shot selection to put some tremendous pressure on Luers (18-8). Two early threes by Luers guard Brierra Young kept the Knights close early, but when Austin’s Jesse Davidson buried a trey at the 2:05 mark, the Eagles had built a nine-point cushion at 45-36. 

The Knights’ response was to spend the rest of the period attacking in the paint, where they enjoyed a significant size advantage. It succeeded, but it could not keep Austin off the board at the other end, and at the end of three quarters the Eagles led 49-40. 

It was a 20-point period for the Southern Indiana entrant and was reminiscent of the type of play that had gotten the Austin to the finals. The quality of play had improved, and the drama was close behind. 

“These four seniors have been here before, and I trust them,” said fifth-year Austin coach Jared Petersen. “They have the green light. I don’t tell kids not to shoot because that’s when you mess with a kid’s confidence.”

Luers opened the fourth quarter on a quick 6-0 run, and suddenly the safe nine-point lead was down to three. Jones countered with a 3-pointer for Austin to make it 52-46, but the Knights smelled blood and the charge was on. The squads traded buckets to bring the score to 54-48. 

That was followed by the key sequence of the second half. After scoring to regain that six-point advantage, Austin drew a charge at the other end of the floor. It appeared the Eagles had a chance to re-establish true control down the stretch. 

Instead, they hoisted a quick 3-pointer at the other end, perhaps the only poor shot that Austin took the entire second half. Luers grabbed the rebound and capitalized with an old-fashioned three-point play at the other end, and it was 54-51. 

Over the next two minutes, Luers’ Hillary Watts did her best Larry Bird imitation, sandwiching two 3-pointers around a pair of Austin free throws. The second trey gave Luers a 57-56 lead with 1:39 to play. Young added two free throws in the final minute, and suddenly the Knights were on the brink of a championship.

“In the first half, McIntosh (13 points) and Jones (11 points) hurt us a lot,” said first-year Luers coach Denny Renier, whose club lost for just the second time in seven state finals appearances. “We played pretty well even though we are not a high-powered offense.

“We got inside to Miracle (Woods) a lot in the second half, and they had trouble defending her. But we missed some easy shots.”

Enter Austin’s Katy McIntosh. She is to steady what teammate Jones is to spectacular. She is also the toast of Austin these days. McIntosh penetrated and finished, drawing a foul and adding the free throw to tie the game at 59 with less than 30 seconds to play. 

Luers called a timeout with 13.7 seconds to play but failed to get a good look at the basket in the closing seconds. The Knights settled for a 27-foot desperation heave from Young, and the game headed to overtime.

If the early play in this game was less than inspiring, the overtime was spectacular. Austin scored on its first five possessions, the Eagles receiving points from four different players during that span. Luers post player Miracle Woods did her best to counter the tide, draining two free throws on the Knights’ first possession and scoring on their second. 

However, the offensive perfection of the Eagles finally paid dividends when Luers could not connect on its third trip down the floor. The Eagles’ fourth basket of the session gave them a 67-63 lead, and they were never headed again en route to the 70-65 final.

“I knew the charge was coming,” Petersen said.” I told the kids they (Luers) are not gonna quit – they’re gonna come and make a run. After they took the lead, we were finally able to get some stops. 

“Stops are something we’ve preached on for years in that we gotta get some stops in the man-to-man defense. Tonight, we got the stops we needed to get into overtime.”

It marks the first state title for Austin and sent Luers home as the only loser out of three Fort Wayne entrants in the finals. Austin was led by the 23 points of Jones, while McIntosh had 19 and Michelle Goodin added 18. 

“I’m just trying to take it all in right now,” Petersen said. “I’m a little speechless – it’s a feeling I can’t describe. To be with these girls since they were freshmen … they were kind of thrown to the fire. And now as seniors, to get over that hump is an unbelievable feeling.

“We’ve had this goal since they were freshmen. Early on, we were blocked by Heritage Christian. This was our goal to achieve before they graduated. I **** to lose them, but what a way to go out.”

Luers was led by Woods’ 17 markers and dozen rebounds, while Brooke Ridley had 15 points and Young added 12 points while slogging through a 4-for-17 shooting effort.

“Austin is a very good ball club,” Renier said. “In overtime, they got the lead on us and made some plays, and we didn’t.

“I’m disappointed in the outcome, but I’ve never been around a bunch of players who fought like they do.”

Following the game, members of the IHSAA Executive Committee named Katy McIntosh of Austin as the winner of the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA’s corporate partner, will present a $1,000 scholarship to the school in her name.

The award is named in honor of former IHSAA Assistant Commissioner Patricia L. Roy, who oversaw the girls basketball state tournament from its inception in 1976 until her retirement in 1999. It’s presented annually to a senior participant in each classification who was nominated by her principal and coach and has demonstrated excellence in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability.

“Katy possesses a drive and determination that ‘seals the deal’ when it comes to basketball or anything that she is involved in,” said Austin Principal Sherman Smith. “She is focused on a particular goal and works tirelessly to achieve that goal.”

McIntosh is a four-year varsity basketball letterwinner for the Eagles and was nominated as a McDonald’s All-American for her accomplishments throughout the 2009-10 season. The multi-talented athlete has also been the top singles player for Austin’s tennis team for the past four years. 

She is a member of several organizations and clubs at Austin, including the National Honor Society and Student Council. She was part of the Austin Youth Volunteers group that performs numerous services within the community.

The daughter of Lanny and Belinda McIntosh of Austin is ranked second in her class. She will attend the University of Indianapolis this fall to pursue a degree in nursing. 

The box score:

Austin 10 19 20 10 11 – 70

Fort Wayne Luers 14 12 14 19 6 – 65

## Player FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA Off Def Tot PF TP A TO Blk Stl Min

31 GRAY, SHANTEL f 2-6 0-0 0-0 2 3 5 3 4 0 1 1 0 24

32 GOODIN, MICHELLE f 7-15 0-4 4-5 4 3 7 5 18 2 2 0 1 32

12 JONES, CHELSEA g 9-15 5-11 0-0 1 2 3 1 23 3 1 0 2 34

14 MCINTOSH, KATY g 8-13 0-0 3-6 4 4 8 4 19 4 5 1 1 36

41 DOWLING, ASHLEY g 0-5 0-4 1-2 0 7 7 2 1 5 3 0 0 33

10 HOLLAN, KELLY 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0+

24 STOLLINGS, BROOKE 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 12

25 DAVIDSON, JESSIE 1-2 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 9

Totals 28-59 6-20 8-13 12 20 32 16 70 14 12 2 4 180

## Player FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA Off Def Tot PF TP A TO Blk Stl Min

25 GERARDOT, KRISTY f 2-3 0-0 0-0 3 5 8 3 4 1 2 0 1 22

32 RIDLEY, BROOKE f 7-13 0-0 1-2 4 1 5 1 15 2 2 0 2 28

45 WOODS, MIRACLE c 7-16 0-0 3-6 9 3 12 4 17 2 3 0 1 32

21 YOUNG, BRIERRA g 4-17 2-5 2-3 2 0 2 4 12 3 2 0 4 33

22 OBERLEY, MELISSA g 0-7 0-5 0-0 1 1 2 1 0 2 0 0 0 25

12 MCNAMARA, ANNA 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0+

24 WATTS, HILARY 3-4 2-3 0-0 0 2 2 2 8 2 2 0 0 21

33 WYSS, MCKENZIE 4-7 0-0 1-1 2 4 6 2 9 0 2 0 0 14

42 STOUT, AVE 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 5

43 SKORDOS, MORGAN 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0+

Totals 27-67 4-13 7-12 21 22 43 17 65 12 13 2 8 180

Points …

• In Paint: Austin 24, Luers 34

• Off T/O: Austin 10, Luers 14

• 2nd Chance: Austin 13, Luers 21

• Fast Break: Austin 4, Luers 4

• Bench: Austin 5, Luers 17

Largest lead: Austin by 9 3rd-02:13, Luers 6 1st-06:59

Score ties: 6

Lead changes: 5

Officials: Grady Smith, Kim Yelich, Stu Casper

BLUFFTON – There was an intense sectional battle March 5 in Wells County. Unfortunately, it was not the showdown between Class 2A third-ranked host Bluffton and No. 8 two-time defending champion Fort Wayne Luers attended by myself and Managing Editor E. Shawn Aylsworth on the eve of the girls basketball state finals in Fort Wayne. 

No, the exciting game was eight miles north at the Norwell Sectional, where the host Knights upset 3A second-ranked Peru, 53-51. The much-ballyhooed contest at Bluffton between the host Tigers and the dynasty Deshaun Thomas built, meanwhile, was a one-sided affair from the opening tip that ended at 66-33 in the Knights’ favor.

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS AND INTERVIEWS FROM TAG-TEAM HOOSIER AUTHORITY BRAINTRUSTERS MIKE MCGRAW AND E. SHAWN AYLSWORTH AS WELL AS ACTION PHOTOS FROM JASON FIGERT!!

After surrendering the opening basket to Bluffton, Luers went on an 11-2 run and never looked back. When the 6’7” Thomas, a shoo-in for Mr. Basketball, canned a long 3-pointer at the buzzer, the first eight minutes ended at 16-6.

If Bluffton was going to make it a contest, the Tigers needed to stage a comeback in the second period. That is difficult to do in a stanza when you shoot 4 for 14 and commit five turnovers, and the result of that futility was predictable as Luers (13-9) expanded the advantage to 30-14 at intermission. 

If the Tigers had a difficult time finding the range in the first half, they were “the gang that couldn’t shoot straight” in the third period. Bluffton (21-2) connected on only one of its 13 field goal attempts in the quarter.

Thomas, meanwhile, began to take over the game on his way to a 28-point, 18-rebound performance. By the end of three quarters, the Knights’ lead had ballooned to 47-19. 

Obviously, the fourth quarter was little more than stat-padding time. To that end, the Tigers finally dropped some shots. However, they were incapable of stopping the spread offense employed by Luers coach James Blackmon, who finally took Thomas and his starting mates out with 1:19 left to play following a Thomas 3-pointer that made it a 30-point game.

Junior guard Evan Blackmon joined the Ohio State-bound Thomas in double figures with 19 points for the Knights, while senior forward Cody Cochran led Bluffton with 22 points.

The loss was only the sixth in three years for Bluffton, with three of them coming in the sectional against Luers. The Tigers’ other defeat this season came two weeks ago to Mississinewa, which ironically also got knocked out Friday night with a loss to Delta.

Luers cruises into a March 8 championship date with Adams Central (9-12), a 62-42 winner in the evening’s opener that was far closer than the final score indicates. In fact, for nearly three quarters this contest was an evenly played as humanly possible.

A surge by the Starfires evened the score midway through the third quarter at 30-30. From there, the youthful Flying Jets simply took off. 

They ended the quarter on a 13-0 run to enter the fourth with a double-digit lead. South Adams (1-19) helped to seal its own fate by committing five turnovers during that critical four-minute stretch.

Adams Central was led by a standout performance from 6’2” freshman forward Dalton Combs, who netted a team-high 15 points. South Adams was paced by the 19 markers of senior guard Nick Teeter.