Center Grove became the 15th school in the 21-year history of the IHSAA Girls Basketball State Tourn

Center Grove became the 15th school in the 21-year history of the IHSAA Girls Basketball State Tournament to win the championship when it defeated Valparaiso 55-44 Feb. 24 at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. Coached by Joe Lentz, the Trojans finished

IHSAA Girls Basketball

1996-97 State Finals in Review

MARTINSVILLE CLAIMS FIRST GIRLS BASKETBALL STATE TITLE

Martinsville became the 16th different school to claim the state championship in the 22nd Annual Indiana High School Athletic Association Girls Basketball State Finals March 1, 1997 at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis.

Coached by Jan Conner, Martinsville defeated Crown Point 66-59 for its 24th consecutive victory and a 26-1 finish to its championship season. Crown Point, a two-time state champion making its first state finals appearance since 1985, finished 22-5 under the direction of coach Tom May.

With only one senior on its roster and none in the starting lineup, Martinsville's aggressive defense was outstanding. The Artesians forced 24 Crown Point turnovers resulting in 15 Martinsville points.

Junior forward April Traylor led Martinsville offensively with 17 points, while guards Natalie Rhoden and Kristen Bodine contributed 14 points each.

Junior Sarah Little came off the bench to lead Crown Point scoring with 14 points.

Martinsville, a first-time state finalist whose only loss was to 1996 state champion Center Grove in the third game of the season, entered tournament play ranked second in the state coaches association poll. Crown Point was ranked 19th.

Crown Point had advanced to the championship game with a 58-42 semifinals triumph over first-time state finalist NorthWood (25-1). Jennifer Peak led Crown Point with 12 points, while LoriDawn Klotz and Amy Zercher paced NorthWood with 11 points each.

Martinsville took a 31-17 halftime lead over Columbus East in the first semifinals game, but had to withstand the determined Olympians in the fourth quarter before posting a 55-51 victory. The game was tied 47-47 with 3:46 to play before Martinsville rallied to advance. Junior Bryn Gallagher contributed 14 points and 14 rebounds for Columbus East, while Leslie Deaton led Martinsville offensively with 14 points.

April Traylor was named the tournament's most valuable player by the Associated Press. Other members of the all-tourney team were Kristen Bodine and Natalie Rhoden of Martinsville, and Jennifer Peak and Sarah Little of Crown Point.

The IHSAA Executive Committee selected Amberly (A.J.) Whitehead of NorthWood as the 1997 recipient of the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award in Girls Basketball. Farm Bureau Insurance, corporate sponsor of all IHSAA tournaments, presented a $1,000 scholarship in Whitehead's name to NorthWood High School.

A total of 380 schools and 4,457 athletes began competition at the sectional level.

PERRY MERIDIAN'S AMY FREY WINS SECOND 3-POINT SHOOTOUT CROWN

Amy Frey of Perry Meridian won the Third Annual IHSAA-Farm Bureau Insurance 3-Point Shootout by hitting 16 of 25 shots in the final round of competition. It was the second title for Frey, who was the inaugural champion in 1995.

The 1997 runners-up were sophomore Jennifer Turner of Terre Haute North and senior Sheila Whitaker of Warsaw who hit 15 shots each. Senior Angie Watt of Princeton finished fourth with nine.

Frey was representing the Beech Grove Sectional and the Southport Semi-State area. She hit 14 shots in the semifinals to qualify for the championship round. Turner was the top shooter in the semifinals with 17 hits, followed by Watt with 14 and Whitaker with 12.

At every level of the competition, shooters had the opportunity to shoot five balls each at five different stations around the three-point arc within a 60-second period.

GAME ONE BOX SCORE
Martinsville (55)
PlayerMINFG3FGFTRAPFSTOTP
April Traylor166-90-01-33243113
Cortney Cooper282-31-12-2221137
Leslie Deaton316-112-50-03031314
Natalie Rhoden251-61-40-0022023
Kristen Bodine214-70-04-73520412
Leigh Anne Hardin222-31-11-13520412
Ashley Pierce10-00-00-0100000
Natalee Lewis90-10-00-0310020
Noelle Clark70-00-00-0201000
Totals16021-405-118-1320121581755

Team Rebounds: 4

Columbus East (51)
PlayerMINFG3FGFTRAPFSTTOTP
Candice Tarte241-20-01-3402013
Jennifer Wagner295-120-04-59152114
Bryn Gallagher326-140-02-214121114
Karen Force314-111-40-1632359
Erica Lear324-121-42-55331411
Emily Vincent110-30-00-0012210
Sara Eversole10-10-00-0000000
Totals16020-552-89-163891691351

Team Rebounds: 4

Score by Quarters:

Martinsville1021717-55
Columbus East7141614-51

Officials: Bryce Heller, Jay C. Smith, Kent Smith

Attendance: 12,759 (Two-game session)

GAME TWO BOX SCORE
NorthWood (42)
PlayerMINFG3FGFTRAPFSTOTP
LoriDawn Klotz311-70-09-106042111
Natalie Will281-70-10-0325272
Amberly J. Whitehead243-80-02-2214128
Amy Sloat312-81-51-2415356
Amy Zercher315-100-11-22115411
Jodi Walters20-00-00-0101000
Jamie Gill70-00-00-0000000
Joanna Bove10-10-00-0000000
Angela Callander20-00-00-0000000
Jessica Gunn10-00-00-0011000
Heidi Collins12-20-00-0100004
Erin Newcomer10-00-00-0000000
Totals16014-431-713-1619621131942

Team Rebounds: 5

Crown Point (58)
PlayerMINFG3FGFTRAPFSTTOTP
Melissa Gourley140-20-00-2202010
Jennifer Urbanski203-70-10-1420136
Jennifer Peak214-50-04-56012112
Katey Marsh222-71-35-83344310
Jennifer Sanders173-50-03-4114249
Kelly O'Brien100-20-02-2100012
Beth Tulley161-40-03-4620135
Angie Babjak104-52-20-03010210
Sarah Little171-30-02-4202124
Gail Weilbaker90-00-00-0101100
Amy Steinberg20-00-00-0000000
Danielle Tovson20-00-00-0000000
Totals16018-403-619-3029815122058

Team Rebounds: 12

Score by Quarters:

NorthWood1011714-42
Crown Point13141318-58

Officials: Norman Delph, Roger Holder, Kent Smith

Attendance: 12,759 (Two-game session)

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME BOX SCORE
Crown Point (59)
PlayerMINFG3FGFTRAPFSTOTP
Melissa Gourley150-10-00-0221030
Jennifer Urbanski210-40-00-0303030
Jennifer Peak185-70-02-25120112
Katey Marsh204-61-22-31151411
Jennifer Sanders143-60-01-2604027
Kelly O'Brien111-10-00-0010012
Beth Tulley181-50-20-0323332
Angie Babjak101-40-10-0312132
Sarah Little175-60-14-45240314
Gail Weilbaker142-30-05-6211019
Amy Steinberg10-00-00-0000000
Danielle Tovson10-00-00-0000000
Totals16022-431-614-1730112552459

Team Rebounds: 4

Martinsville (66)
PlayerMINFG3FGFTRAPFSTTOTP
April Traylor256-140-15-118233517
Cortney Cooper223-61-22-2204119
Leslie Deaton211-40-20-0913102
Natalie Rhoden254-94-92-20221014
Kristen Bodine273-112-66-102626714
Michelle Dransfield10-00-00-0000000
Leigh Anne Hardin202-40-24-6220408
Raendra Tow10-20-10-0000000
Ashley Pierce40-00-00-0000000
Natalee Lewis120-10-00-0102000
Andrea Hawkins10-00-00-0000000
Noelle Clark10-00-02-2100002
Totals16019-517-2321-33251316171366

Team Rebounds: 9

Score by Quarters:

Crown Point13191512-59
Martinsville16141917-66

Officials: Marvin Davis, Ed Scahill, Kent Smith

Attendance: 12,743

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