The 3A #2 Greensburg Lady Pirates were defeated by #1 Northwestern Lady Tigers 63-42 in The Girls Basketball State Finals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Lady Pirates finish the season at 23-4 while The Lady Tigers wrap up at 29-1.
Northwestern’s expected run to a Class 3A state championship got off to a bit of a sluggish start, but coach Kathie Layden’s Tigers used a 16-1 run in the second quarter to take command and roll to a 63-42 win over Greensburg at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
The No. 2 Pirates led early and trailed only 15-13 early in the second quarter before Northwestern went on its decisive run. The Tigers eventually led by as many as 26 points in the fourth quarter before settling for the final margin.
The victory gives top-ranked Northwestern (29-1) its first state title in program history, although head coach Kathie Layden became the second coach to lead two different schools to a state championship joining Donna Cheatham. She guided Tri-Central to Class A titles in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
Stephanie Burns led the Tigers (who finish with a 22-game winning streak) with 17 points, while Kendal Bostic added 14 and Madison Layden (the coach’s daughter) with 13 points.
Misha Morrison led Greensburg (23-4) with 12 points.
Following the game, members of the IHSAA Executive Committee named Sarah Vas of Northwestern High School as the winner of the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award in Class 3A Girls Basketball.