2001 IHSAA Girls Basketball State Finals

Class 3A Championship Results

INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL REPEATS AS CLASS 3A CHAMP

Indianapolis Cathedral jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in a 54-39 victory over Plymouth in the Class 3A championship game of the IHSAA State Finals on Saturday (March 3) at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

With the win, Cathedral collected its second straight state championship in Class 3A in its third consecutive trip to the state finals. The Irish (29-1) fell to NorthWood, 72-71, in 1999 but returned a year ago to down Columbia City, 58-44. Cathedral’s three-year record is 83-3, including 56-2 in its two championship years.

Fourteenth-year coach Linda Bamrick guided the (Class 3A) top-ranked Irish, who were led in scoring by junior Jessica Wright’s 16 points. Classmate Sharika Webb tallied 12 points and senior Asjah Zinnerman added 10.

Cathedral led throughout holding leads of 13-3 after one period, 29-13 at halftime and 39-22 at the end of three.

Cathedral shot an uncharacteristic 34 percent (18-53) from the field, but held Plymouth to just 20.3 percent on 12-59 shooting. The Pilgrims turned the ball over 18 times, which resulted in 16 fast-break points for the Irish.

(Class 3A) Seventh-ranked Plymouth (22-6), making its first-ever appearance in the girls state finals, was led by senior center Brandy Swihart’s 14 points. Swihart also gathered a Class 3A record 14 rebounds (eight offensive).

 

CARIN BENGE NAMED ROY MENTAL ATTITUDE AWARD RECIPIENT

Carin Benge of Plymouth High School was selected as the recipient of the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award in Class 3A Girls Basketball by the IHSAA Executive Committee.

A 5-10 starting point guard for the Pilgrims, Benge ranks No. 2 on Plymouth’s career three-point field goal list and helped her squad to its first appearance in the girls basketball state finals. She has been an Academic All-State selection in basketball and cross country and will finish her high school career with 11 varsity letters (basketball, cross country and track and field).

Ranking second in her senior class of 254 students, Benge currently serves as student council vice president and class secretary among numerous other extracurricular activities.

Benge has received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where she intends to study biology/pre-medicine. She plans to participate in either basketball or track and field while at the academy.

Farm Bureau Insurance, the corporate partner of the Indiana High School Athletic Association, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Plymouth High School in the name of Benge.

CLASS 3A POST-GAME QUOTES

PLymouth Coach Dave cox

"Cathedral is a good ball club and we knew that coming in. Defensively, we played a good game, but you don’t win a lot of games scoring 39 points. I’m proud as heck of my team and I’ll take them any day."

(On Plymouth’s shooting woes) "It was just one of those nights. We had never played in Conseco (Fieldhouse). And the big background is going to change the shooting style a little bit but Cathedral had to shoot at the same baskets."

"They’re (Cathedral) awfully athletic and don’t have to pass the ball a lot to get high-quality shots. They’ve been in a lot of big games the last few years and they just came out and got us tonight."

PLymouth’S CARIN BENGE

"It’s a great feeling (to win the Mental Attitude Award), but it’s weird because I’m out there crying when I’m supposed to be happy. When I look back at this day I’ll be proud of the award but it would have been better if we had won the game."

INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL COACH LINDA BAMRICK

"I’m extremely proud of this team and for all their hard work and effort throughout the season. It’s a coaches dream. Our good start made the difference in the game. We knew that by watching them (Plymouth) throughout the tournament that they were a strong-starting team. They looked to jump up on teams early just in terms of their style of play. We really talked about making it more suited to our style and trying to force the tempo early by getting into a press."

(On repeating as state champions) "It’s even better, it’s even sweeter. We really battled through some adversity. It was tough for us. When Jill (Corbett) went down with her injury (in the early part of the season) and bouncing back. I’m just so proud of the rest of the team and everybody putting forth their effort just a little bit higher and responding to the challenge.

 

CLASS 3A CHAMPIONSHIP BOX SCORE

Plymouth (22-6)

Name

Min.

FG

3FG

FT

R

A

F

S

TO

TP

Lindsay Houin

24

2-13

0-2

2-4

6

0

5

1

3

6

Nicole Cox

28

1-5

1-3

2-2

2

2

2

2

4

5

Brandy Swihart

31

4-14

0-1

6-8

14

1

3

1

2

14

Carin Benge

24

0-6

0-3

0-0

6

3

3

2

5

0

Leslie Blackburn

25

2-13

0-3

2-4

6

1

0

1

0

6

Kristina Relos

1

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Andrea Bunton

12

2-4

1-2

1-2

1

0

1

1

0

6

Laurie Rubesha

1

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Jenny VanVactor

1

1-1

0-0

0-0

0

0

0

0

0

2

Jenelle Palmer

9

0-1

0-0

0-0

1

0

4

0

2

0

Sarah Lynch

1

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Sarah Craig

3

0-2

0-0

0-0

2

0

1

0

2

0

Team Total

160

12-59

2-14

13-20

38

7

19

8

18

39

Percentages

 

20.3

14.3

65.0

           

Team Rebounds: 7

Indianapolis Cathedral (29-1)

Name

Min.

FG

3FG

FT

R

A

F

S

TO

TP

Jessica Wright

30

5-14

1-5

5-8

8

1

3

3

2

16

Rachel Brockman

29

1-6

0-0

3-4

9

1

3

0

3

5

Ellen Rehme

19

4-11

0-0

1-3

10

2

4

1

2

9

Asjah Zinnerman

31

4-12

2-4

0-0

3

6

1

3

6

10

Sharika Webb

31

4-9

2-5

2-4

8

0

1

4

6

12

Lauren Werner

1

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Laura Cheesman

1

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Kathleen Roesinger

1

0-0

0-0

2-2

0

0

0

0

0

2

Jill Corbett

1

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Kara Allen

11

0-1

0-0

0-0

4

1

4

1

1

0

Kaitlin Vogtner

3

0-0

0-0

0-0

2

0

0

0

0

0

Sarah Triller

2

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Team Totals

160

18-53

5-14

13-21

44

11

16

12

20

54

Percentages

 

34.0

35.7

61.9

           

Team Rebounds: 8

Score by Quarters:

Plymouth

3

10

9

17

--

39

Indpls. Cathedral

13

16

10

15

--

54

Officials: Phil Vidito, Lance Grubbs.