GBB 4A FINAL: #1 Ben Davis survives late #2 SB Washington rally, 71-69

Ben Davis (30-0), which became the first team in Indiana high school girls history to win 30 games en route to the school’s third state title (2000, 2001), led by 11 points with just under three minutes to play. But willed back into the fray by now-likely Miss Basketball Skylar Diggins, South Bend Washington (26-1) rallied all the way back to tie the game at 69 with 45 seconds to go.

Ben Davis drained the clock until 5’10” sophomore guard Bria Goss scored on what can only be deemed an unbelievable shot with 2.7 seconds on the clock (more on that later). Diggins’ half-court 3-pointer at the buzzer was about two feet off the mark, sending the Panthers to their heartbreaking third state runner-up finish in the last four seasons (Washington won in 2007).

This game was high-energy, maximum-intensity basketball heaven from the tip. But a phenomenal fourth quarter kicked it to the summit of 34 seasons of Indiana girls hoops.

In fact, the only way to begin to give this gem justice is to go through that last three minutes in play-by-play form. We’ll do just that, so stay tuned …

In becoming the first unbeaten state champ since 4A Kokomo went 26-0 in 2003, Ben Davis had to endure one hellacious comeback by South Bend – and not just from Diggins, a 5’10” senior guard. Bentley, who would become one of four players to foul out just 12 seconds later, made the most of her last shot attempt by successfully driving to the bucket and giving the Giants a 65-54 lead at 2:55.

That’s when things got nuts. Just read on (SBW = South Bend Washington, BD = Ben Davis, E = MC of the squared variety)!

• SBW 5’5” freshman guard Shareita Patton was called for a charge at 2:43, and at this point all seemed lost for the Panthers …

• … except that it wasn’t. On the ensuing in-bounds play, SBW 5’2” senior guard Karis Phillips pulled off a perfect flop as Bentley pushed off to gain space for a pass – a brilliant can’t-lose proposition as Phillips had only two fouls.

• Phillips cans both free throws – SBW had been in the double-bonus since :07.7 of the third period … seriously – to make it 65-56, still at the 2:43 mark.

• Goss turns the ball over on a Patton steal at half court.

• Patton drives, converting a magnificent scoop shot between double-team defenders and then the “and-one” foul shot to drag the Panthers within 65-59 at 2:31. And yes, that’s five plays in 12 seconds.

• BD 5’11” junior guard Dee Dee Williams commits another turnover as Phillips makes the steal

• Two seconds later, 6’3” senior center Jasmine Watson makes a layin off a Phillips pass to cut the gap to 65-61 at 2:15. That’s seven points in 28 seconds, folks.

• After some clock-chewin’, Diggins commits her fourth personal foul – but it does not go to waste as Williams misses BOTH free throws at 1:45.

• Diggins gets the rebound and goes coast-to-coast before being fouled five seconds later, hitting both free throws (no surprise as the Notre Dame-bound Diggins was 12 for 13 on the night) to make it 65-63 at 1:40.

• Ben Davis finally gets off the scoreless schneid as Goss takes a long outlet pass and lays it in three seconds later, making it 67-63 at 1:37.

• Diggins does the3drive/foul/free throw thang again, hitting both at 1:27 too get the Panthers within two again at 67-65.

• Ben Davis tries the long outlet again to beat full-court pressure, and the move works when Williams this time makes both free throws to bump the lead up to four again at 69-65 with 1:24 still to go.

• Diggins then approaches sublime mode by willing in a shot off a wild drive at 1:19, making it 69-67 and practically blowing the non-Teflon roof off the football stadium. 

• Ben Davis commits what could have been a fatal boo-boo when 5’7” junior guard Jordan Huber makes a bad pass to a wide-open Williams under the bucket. The ball sails out of bounds at :52.3 …

• … setting the stage for Diggins to drive and tie it up at 69 with 45 seconds to play. Holy popcorn to infinity, Batman.

• Ben Davis works the clock down before Goss drives then flies through the air, unloading the ball in a funky double-pump right before her feet hit the floor. The unorthodox shot – this thing trumped the heck out of Claire Freeman’s jumper that won for Heritage Christian earlier in the day – hits the backboard and rolls in at :02.7. Of course.

• The Panthers call timeout, setting up a 3-point shot for Diggins. Her uncontested, left-handed launch from just in front of the half-court line appears to be on line but comes up two feet short.

• I am speechless.

A quick review of the less-crazy earlier parts of the game …

South Bend Washington controls the first quarter as Ben Davis never finds the lead, but the Giants trail only 16-15 at the end of the opening eight minutes. The Giants overcome 1-of-5 shooting from the free throw line by going 7 of 12 from the field, whereas Diggins gets off to a slow start in hitting 2 of 6 shots for five points.

Ben Davis goes on a 10-2 run to take a 25-18 lead, and the advantage reaches a dozen points at 33-21 on a Bentley jumper 3:20 before the half. Diggins continues to struggle, entering halftime with just 3-of-11 shooting and only nine points. Bentley, meanwhile, is coasting along on 7-of-13 shooting and a game-high 14 points at the break with the Giants leading 35-25.

South Bend Washington opens with a 9-3 run to cut the gap to four at 38-34, but 5’8” senior forward Emily Huber nearly single-handedly wills the Giants back to a 10-point lead heading to the fourth. Huber tallies eight points in 2:48 by canning a 3-pointer from the left wing directly in front of the BD bench, another three from the same spot, and a jumper with 17.2 seconds left in the period.

The fourth quarter sees Ben Davis immediately increase the lead to 12 on a layin by 5’10” senior forward DeAirra Goss just five seconds into the period, and the Giants push their advantage from seven back to 11 points on a DeAirra Goss putback and Bentley’s final jumper. See above for finish.