Photo by Ryan Tincher
INDIANAPOLIS – The tank was finally empty.
Battling injuries, fourth-ranked Winchester came up just short in the girls basketball Class 2A state championship contest on Saturday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse as the Golden Falcons fell 46-42 to ninth-ranked Central Noble.
“They played their hearts out,” Winchester Head Coach Holly Gutierrez said. “It’s a great group of kids.”
Perhaps the most critial moment of the contest for the Golden Falcons came midway though the third period when Maddie Lawrence suffered a right knee injury driving to the basket.
Winchester was leading 25-22 and the sophomore, who scored a game-high 20 points, never left the floor despite not being able to run.
“Maddie was down and played through it,” Gutierrez said.
After the media timeout, Winchester’s Shelby Miller blocked a shot and grabbed the rebound the Golden Falcons seemed to be ready to respond to the challenge.
Miller was playing her first game since injuring her right knee in the sectional finale.
Lawrence was able to find a way to hit a 3-pointer on Winchester’s next possession with 2:49 left to increase the margin to 28-22.
However, the Cougars found some life and third period ended with the score tied 30-30 as they held Winchester to five points in the frame.
“Our defense is the main thing that got us here,” said Central Noble’s Sydney Freeman, who led the Cougars with 14 points.
The game was tied 32-32 early in the final quarter before the Cougars took the lead for good on a basket by Bridgette Gray to make it 34-32.
Although the Golden Falcons would stay close, they couldn’t find enough offense the rest of the way as they finished the season at 26-3.
“Offense was our problem,” Gutierrez said. “Maddie is the center of pretty much everything we do.”
In addition to Freeman, Central Noble had a double-double from Meleah Leatherman, who had 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Freeman and Leatherman scored the majority of their points in the second half. Lawrence’s injury caused defensive issues for the Golden Falcons as they played a triangle and two against the Cougars.
Hannah Graft and Becca Chamberlin chased the Central Noble duo of Freeman and Leatherman most of the contest, who combined for just seven points in the first half.
“For the most part, the two that chased did an excellent job trying to take those two out of the game,” Gutierrez said.
In the final moments, Freeman was responsible for ending Winchester’s hopes as she scored to give the Cougars a four-point advantage after Graft nearly stole the ball from her.
“When she made that shot, it kind of brought us all down,” Graft said.
Chamberlin and Miller had eight points each.
Kira Robinson tossed in four points to go with a team-high nine rebounds and six blocks.
Central Noble ends the year at 23-5.
Cougar senior Calista Rice was selected as the winner of the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award.