Three first-time state finalists and a former champion will challenge the four defending state champions when the 26^th Annual IHSAA Girls Basketball Tournament hits its final stage Saturday (March 3) at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Conseco Fieldhouse will be playing host to the IHSAA Girls Basketball State Finals for the first time. It’s the third venue in tournament history, joining Hinkle Fieldhouse (1976-79, 2000) and Market Square Arena (1980-1999).

Fort Wayne Luers, undefeated and ranked No. 1 in Class 2A, is making its third consecutive appearance in the state finals and will attempt to win its third straight title. Only Noblesville (1987-88-89-90) has made more consecutive trips to the finals, and no school has ever won three straight championships.

The Class 2A battle of unbeatens between Shenandoah and Fort Wayne Luers marks the first time undefeated teams have played for a state title since 1998 when Martinsville bested Lake Central 71-65 for the first Class 4A state title. Both teams entered the game 26-0.

Also back after winning titles in 2000 are Triton in Class A, Indianapolis Cathedral in Class 3A and Ben Davis in Class 4A. They are joined by third-time state finalist and 1988 state champion Fort Wayne Snider. The first-time state finalists are White River Valley (Class A), Shenandoah (2A) and Plymouth (3A).

Defending state champion Triton (22-3) started the year ranked No. 1 and that’s how the Trojans finished the regular season despite three mid-January losses . . . The first of those setbacks, a 50-43 home loss, came to county rival and Class 3A state finalist Plymouth . . . Four starters return from the unranked 20-7 title team of 1999-2000 that had only one senior on its roster and defeated Rising Sun 57-54 in overtime for the school’s first IHSAA title in any sport . . . Current Trojans have won their five tournament games by an average of 22.2 points with no opponent coming closer than 14 points . . . Coach Mark Heeter has compiled a 161-77 (.676) record in 11 seasons at Triton . . . Trojans are led in scoring by sophomore Ashli Senff (16.8) and senior Elizabeth Salyer (12.1) . . . Located at Bourbon in Marshall County, Triton is a 38-year-old consolidation of Bourbon, Etna Green and Tippecanoe.

It’s the first IHSAA state finals appearance in any sport for the 11-year-old Greene County consolidation of L&M, Switz City Central and Worthington . . . Wolverines have been rugged in tournament play, winning five games by an average of 20.4 points . . . Two of their regular-season losses came in the Hall of Fame Classic to Class 4A power Center Grove (61-33) and to Class 3A state finalist Indianapolis Cathedral (61-50) . . . Wolverines are 16-0 against Class A competition this season . . . Veteran roster includes seven seniors, including top scorers Rachel Beach (14.0), Christy Herrington (10.9) and Ashlee Arthur (10.3) . . . Beach, a senior forward, has battled a stress fracture and a sprained ankle, but came off the bench to contribute 31 points and 14 rebounds in the two semi-state victories . . . Went 25-1 in 1999-2000 and won its first girls basketball sectional and regional crowns before falling to Rising Sun 50-42 in the semi-state championship game . . . Coach Joe Pigg has compiled a 63-13 (.828) record in three seasons as a head coach, all with the Wolverines.

Ranked No. 1 all season in Class 2A and seeking to become the first school to win three straight IHSAA girls basketball titles . . . Other back-to-back champs are Crown Point (1984, 1985), Kokomo (1992, 1993) and Martinsville (1997, 4A in 1998) . . . Two-year record of 52-1 and a current winning streak of 36 . . . Overall average victory margin this season is 30.0, with six tournament victories by an 18.8 edge . . . One of three teams from the Summit Athletic Conference to reach a semi-state championship game, Knights won the league title and its annual Christmas tournament with a 54-47 championship game triumph over Class 4A state finalist Fort Wayne Snider 54-47 . . . Led in scoring by seniors Rachel King (18.5) and Emily Loomis (15.9) . . . King is a four-year starter who is the school’s career leader in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals . . . King scored a game-high 22 points in the 2000 Class 2A state championship game as the Knights survived a 62-60 thriller with Forest Park . . . Loomis reached the 1,000-point mark for her career in the semi-state championship victory over Tipton . . . Coach Gary Andrews is 166-44 (.790) in nine seasons at Bishop Luers with six sectional, four regional and three semi-state titles.

Will make its first appearance in the girls basketball state finals, but it’s the fifth IHSAA state finals trip overall for the 34-year-old consolidation of Cadiz, Middletown and Sulphur Springs in Henry County . . . Shenandoah also reached the state finals in boys basketball (1981) and softball (1985-89-95) . . . Reached semi-state finals last year before falling to Forest Park 67-56 . . . Two-year record of 44-6 . . . Senior Kelly Troxel (18.2) leads team in scoring and became the school’s career scoring leader in the sectional semifinals . . . Troxel missed the first half of her sophomore season while recovering from a broken back suffered in an automobile crash . . . Seniors Tracie Hancock and Kaycie Keesling complement with 12 points a game . . . Coach Todd Salkoski is 79-35 (.692) in five seasons at Shenandoah where he also has served as the head coach in baseball, football and boys golf.

No. 7-ranked Pilgrims have caught fire in tournament play after finishing fourth in the Northern Lakes Conference race at 4-3 . . . All but one of its losses came to a league rival . . . It’s the sixth IHSAA state finals appearance for Plymouth, but the first in girls basketball and the first in a girls sport since the 1985 volleyball team finished as the state runner-up . . . Has won six tournament games by an average margin of 22.3 with no final margin closer than 11 points . . . Balanced scoring attack led by frontliners Lesley Blackburn (11.6), Lindsay Houin (11.6) and Brandy Swihart (10.8) . . . Pilgrims held state scoring leader Shanna Zolman to a season-low 17 points in a 47-44 conference tourney loss to Wawasee . . . Coach Dave Cox is 124-71 (.635) with six sectional titles in nine seasons, all at Plymouth.

It’s the third straight state finals appearance in three different buildings for the top-ranked Irish . . . They defeated Columbia City 58-44 in the 2000 finale after falling 72-71 to NorthWood in 1999 . . . Senior Asjah Zinnerman and junior Sharika Webb were championship game starters in 1999 and 2000, while senior center Ellen Rehme started and scored a team-high 15 points in the 2000 championship . . . Four players average in double figures, led by Webb’s 16.2 along with 4.2 assists . . . Rehme also was a key performer for Cathedral’s volleyball team that was the 3A state champion in 1999 and the state runner-up in 2000 . . . Irish lost two-year starter and Vanderbilt recruit Jill Corbett to a broken leg late in the regular season . . . Irish are 82-3 during the past three seasons . . . This season’s only blemish came 18 games ago to Class 4A semi-state participant Highland in the opening round of the Hall of Fame Classic . . . Coach Linda Bamrick is 236-86 (.732) in 14 seasons at Cathedral.

Panthers making their second state finals trip in three years and third overall . . . Coach Lamar Kilmer has announced his retirement after 21 varsity seasons, all at Snider where he directed the 1988 Panthers to a 27-1 record and the IHSAA state title . . . Kilmer has compiled a 365-105 (.776) record at Snider with eight sectional, six regional and four semi-state titles . . . Panthers are 75-7 over the past three seasons . . . Only losses this season were to Class 2A state finalist Fort Wayne Luers, 54-47 and 56-32. . . Senior guard Suzanne Hayden started and contributed four points and three assists in the 1999 Class 4A championship game won 46-41 by New Albany . . . Seniors Lydia Harris and Erin Heffner also played in the 1999 title game . . . Heffner (13.5) leads a balanced scoring attack, followed by Hayden (11.0), Harris (10.5) and junior Amy Hayden (10.1) . . . Heffner has signed a volleyball letter of intent with the University of Alabama.

Seeking title repeat and a victorious conclusion to a glorious era with senior stars Shyra Ely and Ashley Allen . . . Anchored by those four-year starters, the Giants are 105-6 over the past four seasons . . . The 6-foot-2 Ely (16.8 points, 10.4 rebounds) is the inside force, while the 5-9 Allen (15.1 points, 3.2 assists) is the outside threat . . . Ely has signed to play collegiately at Tennessee, Allen with Ohio State . . . Ely is one of 10 national finalists for the 2001 Naismith Prep Player of the Year award . . . Kristin VanValin, a 6-3 senior center, complements Ely on the inside . . . Coach Stan Benge is 308-83 (.787) in 16 years of guiding the Giants with 14 sectional, eight regional and three semi-state titles.

All practices will be conducted at Conseco Fieldhouse

Sessions are open to the media, closed to the public

11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. – White River Valley.

1-2 p.m. – Indianapolis Cathedral.

2:15-3:15 p.m. – Shenandoah.

3:30-4:30 p.m. – Ben Davis.

6-7 p.m. – Triton.

7:15-8:15 p.m. – Plymouth.

2-3 p.m. – Fort Wayne Luers.

3:15-4:15 p.m. – Fort Wayne Snider.