2002 IHSAA Class 3A
New Coach, Same
Result – Four Straight For Bishop Luers
Even with a new coach at the
reins, the outcome was still the same as Fort Wayne Bishop Luers
defeated Gibson Southern, 51-37, to win the Class 3A state championship at Conseco Fieldhouse in
It was the fourth consecutive
state championship for the Knights and the first in Class 3A. In the five years
of class basketball, Bishop Luers becomes the first
school to win titles in two different classes. The three previous championships
came in Class 2A.
First year coach
Teri Rosinski, who succeeded Gary Andrews after nine
years, led the unranked Knights back to the top winning their ninth straight game
to finish the season at 21-5.
Rosinski became the third woman to play and coach in the state
finals joining Judi Warren and Leah Wooldridge. Rosinski
was the 1977 Mental Attitude Award winner from Norwell and went on to be named
Miss Basketball that year.
Bishop Luers’
defense took Gibson Southern out of its game holding the Titans to a Class 3A
record low scoring output. The Titans committed 28 turnovers in the game and
Bishop Luers took advantage scoring 29 points off
those miscues, 14 on fast-breaks. Luers committed 23
turnovers, but Gibson Southern only managed eight points from them.
After a tightly-played first
quarter that saw Luers holding two-point lead at the
break, the Knights began the second period with a 10-2 run and Gibson never got
closer than six points the rest of the game. Luers
enjoyed a pair of 20 point leads midway through the fourth period.
Michelle Hamlin led the way
for Luers with 14 points and six rebounds. Megan Dossen added 13 points. Ashley Nelson of Gibson Southern tallied
16 points and 10 rebounds to take game honors.
Gibson Southern,
also unranked and making its first appearance in the state finals, completed a
24-5 year under eighth year coach Jason Blackard. Blackard also led the Gibson Southern softball team to a
state runner-up finish in Class 2A last June.
Click for Final Box Score
Game Notes
Gibson Southern’s Jamie Elpers Tabbed For Roy Mental Attitude Award
Jamie Elpers
of Gibson Southern High School was named as the recipient of the Patricia L.
Roy Mental Attitude Award in Class 3A Girls Basketball by members of the IHSAA
Executive Committee.
A 5-6 senior guard for the
Titans, Elpers was the third leading scorer for her
state runner-up team at 7.6 points per game and shot 51% from three point range
this year. She also played soccer and softball all four years of her high
school career.
Academically, Elpers ranks in the top 20 percent of her senior class with
a 3.7 grade point average, earning her way onto the Distinguished Honor Roll
all four years of high school. She is a member of the Student Council and a
four-year participant in her school’s Sunshine Society. She plans to attend
Farm Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA’s corporate partner, presented a $1,000 scholarship
to Gibson Southern High School in the name of Elpers.
First In Two
Different Classes (Sort Of)
Since the inception of class
sports, now in its fifth year, Luers became the first
school to win titles in two different classes. The previous three years, the
Knights won the 2A title.
Four Records Set In
Contest
Fewest Points Allowed – 37 by Fort Wayne Bishop Luers.
Most Steals –
19 by Fort Wayne Bishop Luers
Most Combined Steals – 29 by Fort Wayne Bishop Luers
(19) and Gibson Southern (10).
Most Steals by an Individual (Tied) – 5 by Jessica Hathaway, Fort Wayne Bishop Luers.
State Finals
Photographs and Team Posters
Visit the website of 20-20 Photographic, the IHSAA’s official photographer for its state championship
events. The company will display action photographs from this year’s Girls
Basketball State Finals during the week following the state finals that you may
purchase. Also for sale will be team posters commemorating your school’s path
to the state finals.
State Finals Programs
Available
Couldn’t be there for the
girls basketball state finals? You can still purchase a copy of the official
state finals program while supplies last! Programs are $3.00 if you purchase in person at the
IHSAA Office (
Quotes
Gibson Southern Head Coach Jason Blackard
“It’s been a tremendous honor
to coach this group. They’ve been
wonderful all season long. Our team has
been led by four great seniors this year and they are one of the main reasons
why we made it this far.”
“It was a physical game and
it was hard to play through, but we did the best we could and got through
it. We weren’t able to use some of the
gimmicks that we’ve been able to this season.”
“We tried to reverse the ball
(on numerous occasions), but they defended us with more numbers (of players) on
that side, so it was difficult for us to get a lot accomplished.”
“Our team has been all about
effort the entire season. They have a
lot of heart, desire and willingness to lay it all on the line. These are
memories that the kids will never forget as long as they live.”
Gibson Southern’s
Mental Attitude Award Winner Jamie Elpers
“The award was really
unexpected. Our team is disappointed
with the outcome of the game. It was
still great being here. It’s a great
atmosphere (at Conseco Fieldhouse). The crowd is something that you can’t
explain. They have been great and really
supported us all season long.”
“This really is a case of a
dream coming true.”
“I was just telling Megan (Dossen) that a year ago I was sitting up in the stands
watching the Fort Wayne Luers dynasty. I sat there and wished that I could coach
these girls because they play with so much passion and conviction.”
“We are a pretty physical
team. There were a few body slams in the
paint on both ends that were let go and that led to some of the turnovers, but
we managed to rise above that and come up with some loose balls.”
“I thought our defense was
very, very solid tonight. This is the
defense that we’ve been running for the past three weeks and the girls executed
the game plan. We knew who their
shooters were and we knew what we had to do to stop them. We had some girls on the perimeter that had
to run and we did an excellent job of that.”
“I’m going to enjoy this for
a while. It’s been a desire to be a champion and I’ve been blessed with girls
that have helped me accomplish my goals, as well as, theirs.”
Fort Wayne Luers
Forward Megan Dossen
(On winning four state
championships) “It’s a lot better than
the other three because it’s my senior year.
I wanted to go out with a win.
I’m just so proud of all of my teammates (for what we’ve accomplished).”