Phone: 317-846-6601 Fax: 317-575-4244 Website: www.ihsaa.org
____________________________________________________________________
March 5, 2005
South Bend St. Joseph’s wins first
state championship
Top-ranked
South Bend St. Joseph’s (25-1) used a 24-10 edge in the fourth quarter to win
its first IHSAA girls’ basketball state title with a 70-57 triumph over Corydon
Central (24-3) in the 3A finale.
St. Joseph’s
trailed 47-46 heading into the final quarter before scoring a Class 3A-record
24 points in the final eight minutes. The
previous standard for points in a quarter was 22 by Indianapolis Cathedral vs.
NorthWood in 1999. Coach Mike Megyese’s
Indians also tied the 3A mark for points in a half with 37 in the second
half. That effort matches the 37 scored
by Indianapolis Cathedral in the first half vs. NorthWood and NorthWood in the
second half of the same 1999 final.
South Bend St. Joseph’s and Corydon Central also tied the 3A record for
most points in a quarter with 40 in the second stanza, with the Panthers
out-scoring the Indians, 21-19.
The two
teams shot an amazing .875 at the line, with Corydon Central breaking the Class
3A record (15-17, .882) and South Bend St. Joseph’s at 20-23 (.870). St. Joe broke the standard for most free
throws made by a team.
St. Joe
shattered Class 3A records with eight three-pointers made and .571 shooting
from three-point range (8-14). The two
teams set combined three-point records for treys made (12) and attempted (29)
in the contest.
St. Joseph’s
junior guard Melissa Lechlitner and senior forward Aimee Litka tied the record
for three-pointers made, with both of them hitting 3-4 from beyond the
arc. Lechlitner finished with 28 points
for the second-highest total in Class 3A final history, trailing only the 33
points by Beech Grove’s Katie Gearlds against St. Joseph’s in 2003. Lechlitner scored 14 points in each half, finishing
9-18 from the field and 7-9 at the line with three assists and three steals
while playing the entire 32 minutes.
Litka
scored 16 of her 21 points in the first half, going 7-12 from the field overall
with 4-4 at the line and seven rebounds.
Sophomore
guard Sydney Smallbone was the third Indian in double figures with 14 points.
Corydon
Central was led by senior center Dana Beaven with 20 points in 26 minutes
before fouling out. Beaven, the Class 3A
Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award winner, also grabbed eight rebounds and
had a game-high four steals. Junior
guard Megan Bates scored 16 points for the Panthers.
Corydon
Central led by eight points three times in the second quarter before taking a
35-33 halftime lead into the locker room.
South Bend St. Joseph’s opened the third quarter with a 9-2 surge to
take a 42-37 advantage, but Corydon Central clawed back to earn a 47-46 edge
going into the final eight minutes.
South Bend
St. Joseph’s took the lead for good at 52-49 on a three-pointer by Smallbone
with 6:48 to go. St. Joe led 58-55 with
2:32 remaining when Beaven was whistled for her fifth personal foul. The Indians out-scored Corydon Central 12-2
the rest of the way to account for the final margin.
Corydon Central’s Dana Beaven wins
the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award
Corydon
Central High School senior forward Dana Beaven is the 2004-05 recipient of the IHSAA’s
Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award for Class 3A. Beaven scored 20 points and added eight
rebounds and four steals in the championship game vs. South Bend St. Joseph’s.
Beaven led
the Panthers to their first-ever state finals berth, averaging 17.3 points and
7.0 rebounds this season. Beaven has
been selected to participate in the Reebok North/South All-Star Game and she is
a Hoosier Basketball Magazine first-team all-state and Top 40 Workout
participant. The Mid-Southern Conference
MVP and Indiana High School Guide “Tremendous 26” selection was a Junior
All-Star in 2004. She is a three-time
team MVP who helped her 2004 Corydon Central squad to the regional finals. Beaven is a McDonald’s All-America candidate
who is a two-time “Athlete of the Year” for the Panthers. She also helped her AAU team qualify for the
Nationals in 2004.
The
versatile Beaven also plays volleyball and softball for Corydon Central.
Beaven ranks 36th in her senior class with a 3.13 cumulative
grade point average. She is active in the Student Against Drunk Driving and she helps with “Biddy Ball” youth
basketball and a youth volleyball camp.
“Dana
demonstrates a dedication and total commitment to her school, not only through
sports and academics, but also her extra-curricular activities,” said Corydon
Central principal Carole Shields. “She
accepts responsibility and is a person I trust and admire. We are very fortunate to have her as a member
of our school family. She is intelligent
and hard-working and she carries a rigorous academic schedule.”
Award
recipients, nominated by their principals and coaches, must excel in mental attitude,
scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability in basketball.
A member of
the IHSAA Executive Staff beginning in 1972, Ms. Roy was responsible for girls basketball from the inception of the tournament series
in 1976 until her retirement in 1999. Regarded both statewide and nationally as a
pioneer in girls athletics, Roy served on the IHSAA Executive Staff longer than
anyone in the history of the Association.
Farm
Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA corporate partner, presented a $1,000.00
scholarship to Corydon Central High School in the name of Dana Beaven.
Team Posters And
Individual Action Photographs Available
Visit 20-20 Photographic, the IHSAA’s
photographer and the
For
t-shirts and other merchandise commemorating this year’s tournament or for any
of our events, visit our friends at Morris, Inc.
State Finals Programs Available
Couldn’t be
in Indy for the state finals? You can still purchase a copy of the official souvenir
program while supplies last! Programs are $3.00 if you purchase in person at
the IHSAA Office (
Class 3A Game Quotes
South Bend St. Joseph’s Coach Mike
Megyese
“(Dana)
Beaven had a great first half. I thought
we did a nice job in the second half and Aimee (Litka) did a nice job on
her. We switched defenses about three or
four times and I thought it confused them a little bit. In the fourth quarter, we controlled the
tempo a little bit better, got to the free throw line and did what we do best.”
“This is a lot nicer than two years ago. I think we took over in the fourth quarter
and thought (Dana) Beaven should have fouled out a little earlier. They are a totally different team without
her. We were able to start switching
around our defenses and that was the key down the stretch. I thought throughout the game we kept our
poise and in the fourth quarter I think our experience took over, but give a
lot of credit to Corydon Central, they played a great game.”
“You look
at this three-guard combo (Litka, Smallbone and Lechlitner) and I don’t think
there is any better in the state. They hit
some big threes and can really run the offense.”
On his seniors
“This is an
unbelievable group. They really laid the
foundation for our program since they were freshman. They said, ‘Coach we are going to win a state
championship,’ unfortunately we got beat by Beech Grove that year, but they
came back and look where we are now.
They are great leaders…enough said.”
# 23
Melissa Lechlitner
“In the
first half, my shots were just not falling.
Until about two minutes left in the second quarter, then they started to
feel it, so I just kept ripping away and they fell for me. I’m really excited we won. It feels so great to finally be rewarded for
all the hard work. This team never doubts
each other for a second. We were in the
locker room at halftime and knew we had not played well.”
#31 Aimee Litka
“I was
really trying to penetrate and drive to the basket. I knew if we played our game, whether it be driving or taking the open shot, everybody
contributed. I’ve been in kind of a
slump during the tournament. But in our
last practice I told some of the girls, I feel good and I think the slump is
gone. I knew I had to hit big shots in
this game and it really felt good when they went in.”
Corydon Central Coach Michael Uhl
“We played
well and hung in there, but at the end, we couldn’t handle their
penetration. They hit some big shots,
especially with (Melissa) Lechlitner on the perimeter.”
“We played
as well as we possibly could. Obviously,
there at the end, things didn’t quite go our way. St. Joe played well down the stretch.”
“I’m not
going to second-guess what we did defensively.
We wanted to keep them on the perimeter, but they hit their threes and
shot well from outside.”
“We got
into some foul trouble, but St. Joe is very talented offensively and that’s why
they lead the state in scoring. Down the
stretch, they got some balls to roll in and we didn’t.”
“We
executed on offense and shot the ball well, but give St. Joe all the
credit. They are an incredible ball
club. We hung for awhile, but we just
didn’t have enough at the end.”
Indiana High
School Athletic Association
Phone: 317-846-6601 Fax:
317-575-4244 Website: www.ihsaa.org
____________________________________________________________________
March 5, 2005
Corydon Central’s Dana Beaven wins Patricia
L. Roy Mental Attitude Award
Corydon
Central High School senior forward Dana Beaven is the 2004-05 recipient of the IHSAA’s
Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award for Class 3A.
Beaven led
the Panthers to their first-ever state finals berth, averaging 17.3 points and
7.0 rebounds this season. Beaven has
been selected to participate in the Reebok North/South All-Star Game and she is
a Hoosier Basketball Magazine first-team all-state and Top 40 Workout
participant. The Mid-Southern Conference
MVP and Indiana High School Guide “Tremendous 26” selection was a Junior
All-Star in 2004. She is a three-time
team MVP who helped her 2004 Corydon Central squad to the regional finals. Beaven is a McDonald’s All-America candidate
who is a two-time “Athlete of the Year” for the Panthers. She also helped her AAU team qualify for the
Nationals in 2004.
The
versatile Beaven also plays volleyball and softball for Corydon Central.
Beaven ranks 36th in her senior class with a 3.13 cumulative
grade point average. She is active in the Student Against Drunk Driving and she helps with “Biddy Ball” youth
basketball and a youth volleyball camp.
“Dana
demonstrates a dedication and total commitment to her school, not only through
sports and academics, but also her extra-curricular activities,” said Corydon
Central principal Carole Shields. “She
accepts responsibility and is a person I trust and admire. We are very fortunate to have her as a member
of our school family. She is intelligent
and hard-working and she carries a rigorous academic schedule.”
Award
recipients, nominated by their principals and coaches, must excel in mental attitude,
scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability in basketball.
A member of
the IHSAA Executive Staff beginning in 1972, Ms. Roy was responsible for girls basketball from the inception of the tournament series
in 1976 until her retirement in 1999. Regarded both statewide and nationally as a
pioneer in girls athletics, Roy served on the IHSAA Executive Staff longer than
anyone in the history of the Association.
Farm
Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA corporate partner, presented a $1,000.00
scholarship to Corydon Central High School in the name of Dana Beaven.