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2026 Class 2A Girls Basketball State Championship Recap
INDIANAPOLIS - Whatever contributions Taylor Drury made to the first state championship trophy in the Eastern (Pekin) display case are now secondary to what transpired Saturday afternoon.
This, according to Drury herself.
Drury, who took over as head coach at her alma mater a little more than four years after graduating high school, finds herself at the summit again after her Musketeers defeated Oak Hill, 50-32, in the Class 2A final at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The program’s first 2A championship took place in 2017 with Drury, a senior forward, providing the Musketeers nine points and six rebounds in the win over – coincidentally enough – Oak Hill.
“This one’s a little sweeter,” said Drury, 26. “I’m just proud of the girls for executing because there were times throughout this week where I’m second-guessing, and I’m like, ‘Do we need to do this? Do we need to do that?’
“But at the end of the day, I just knew walking out of the locker room before warm-ups that they were going to take care of business.”
IHSAA Class 2A State Championship
Eastern (Pekin) 50, Oak Hill 32
And that the Musketeers did.
With steady 5-10 senior Sidney Burton double-doubling her way to game-highs of 16 points and 12 rebounds, and senior guard Addie Smith going for 13 points, six boards and four steals, Eastern (Pekin) started quick and finished even faster to punctuate its 21-7 season.
Eastern (Pekin), which started three seniors to none for the Golden Eagles, led the entire game, jumping to a 6-0 advantage at the start and settling in with a 26-15 halftime cushion.
Oak Hill looked as though it was directing shots at county fair rims early on, going 2 of 12 from the floor in the opening period and warming – slightly – to 5 of 20 by halftime. By game’s end the Golden Eagles had made good on only 11 of 40 tries (.275).
Defensively, Eastern (Pekin) was able to keep Oak Hill from locating any sort of groove despite the Golden Eagles starting 6-1 sophomore Brianna Dailey and 5-11 junior Morgan Cates along the front line.
Closing the regular season with losses against Class A state champion Borden and 3A power Silver Creek proved to be a benefit.
“We played Silver Creek, which has (6-3 senior Brooklyn) Renn. She’s super tall,” said Burton. “We’ve had to deal with a little bit of height, and we’re at a little disadvantage with that, but we’ve handled it really well.”
The Musketeers dominated the glass in Saturday’s triumph, 35-26, including a 15-8 advantage on the offensive boards. This and Eastern (Pekin)’s ability to take care of the basketball with only nine turnovers (Oak Hill had 16) were also major factors in the outcome.
Leading 12-7 after one quarter, Eastern (Pekin) saw the Golden Eagles pull to within three points on junior guard Erika Newhouse’s runner 13 seconds into the second stanza. It would be nearly 6 minutes of game clock before they converted another field goal.
All the while, the Musketeers went on a 12-1 scoring run started by a Burton mid-range jumper and followed by 3-pointers from Addie Smith from the right wing and Bailee Robbins from the left wing. Burton tacked on a pair of free throws and Katie Hauner scored in close at the 2:13 mark to pad the lead to 24-10.
It appeared as though Oak Hill might finally make its move early in the third after a Dailey hoop down low at the 5:07 mark trimmed made the score 29-22. But the Musketeers quickly hushed the opposing crown when Avery Smith scored on a runner and Robbins drained a 3-pointer.
Oak Hill scrapped back to within seven after the third period, but Eastern (Pekin) ended the suspense by outscoring the Golden Eagles, 16-5, over the final eight minutes. Mixed in was the Musketeers going 12 of 20 at the charity stripe.
Drury’s squad finished 18 of 31 at the foul line compared to 6 of 9 for Oak Hill.
The first time Eastern (Pekin) won state, the Golden Eagles followed with a 2A championship of their own two years later. This may again play out down the road considering Oak Hill’s youth. This, after all, was a group that lost two of its first three games, grew up a little ahead of schedule and finished with a 24-4 record.
Dailey finished with eight points and Cates seven to lead coach Kerri Barcomb’s team. Newhouse had nine rebounds to lead Oak Hill in that category.
They’ll all be back for the 2026-2027 season.
“It definitely didn’t turn out the way we hoped, but this group, they have made this season so much fun,” said Barcomb. “They are some of the most hard-working, multi-talented multi-sport athletes. We’ve got a group of girls that is extremely competitive.
“We just couldn’t get into any sort of flow offensively. We can chalk it up to nerves. We can chalk it up to being on a big stage. We always talk about teams getting runs on us and being able to stop them. Unfortunately, we ran up against somebody today that we just couldn’t get going.”
Class 2A State Championship Records
None
Eastern's Addison Smith named Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award
Addison Smith of Eastern (Pekin) High School (#20) is the winner of the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award in Class 2A Girls Basketball.
The award is presented annually to a senior participant in each classification who was nominated by her principal and coach and has demonstrated excellence in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability.
Smith maintains an impressive 4.79 weighted GPA while balancing her commitments as a member of the National Honor Society, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and competing as a three-sport athlete in basketball, volleyball, and track. In addition, she frequently volunteers at organized school events and serves actively within her church community.
She currently holds Eastern’s school record for most career steals and is tied for the record for most three-pointers made in a single game with seven. A 1,000-point career scorer, she also earned All-Conference and All-District honors in basketball this year.
She is the daughter of Sean and Amy Smith of Sellersburg, IN and the twin sister of teammate Avery Smith. Addison plans to pursue a degree in nursing following graduation.
The Indiana Fever and Indiana Pacers, the presenting sponsors of the IHSAA Girls Basketball State Tournament, presented a $1,000 scholarship to the general scholarship fund at Eastern (Pekin) High School in the name of Addison Smith.
The award is named in honor of the late former IHSAA assistant commissioner Patricia L. Roy, who oversaw the girls basketball state tournament from its inception in 1976 until her retirement in 1999.
IHSAA’s Champion of Education Award, presented by Ivy Tech Community College
This award recognizes teachers and faculty who go above and beyond to challenge students to reach their full potential. As an organization that emphasizes keeping education at the forefront of high school athletics, the IHSAA is proud to shine a light on two honorees in this year’s class. On behalf of Ivy Tech Community College, presenting sponsors of the IHSAA Champion of Education Award, the IHSAA will award $250 to the classroom of each recipient.
Presenters: Dr. Marty Pollio, President of Ivy Tech Community College, & Dr. Travis Haire, Chancellor of Ivy Tech Sellersburg
- Darin Farris serves as Principal of Eastern High School. Mr. Farris creates a true family atmosphere by building meaningful relationships with students and staff alike. A servant leader with the heart of an educator, he is someone everyone can count on—showing up daily to support, encourage, and connect one-on-one with students. His energy and commitment help make Eastern a fun, welcoming place for all!
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Anne Fagan is a longtime 4th grade teacher at Sweetser Elementary. Anne is a mainstay at all Oak Hill athletic events. Whether she is taking tickets, running the scoreboard, serving as PA announcer, helping in the concession stand, or simply cheering from the stands, she is always showing up for Oak Hill’s students. She is their biggest supporter in the classroom, on the sidelines, and through all life’s challenges and triumphs!