Bethany Christian falls to Lanesville 60-41 in 1A girls basketball state final
INDIANAPOLIS (WNDU) - Bethany Christian fell short of winning its first state championship in school history on Saturday, falling to Lanesville 60-41 in the IHSAA Class 1A Girls Basketball State Final at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
“You know, not the outcome we wanted, but the run here to the state finals has been quite remarkable for our team,” said head coach Krysten Parson after the game. “Obviously, you want to be wearing blue ribbons, but at the end of the day, these kids have been making history all year, and so they’re history makers.”
Bethany Christian fell behind early in the game, but never gave up, as a run in the second half gave them life until the final moments.
“I think that’s just the MO of our team,” Parson said. “We haven’t given up ever all season, and that’s why we’re here, and so I expect these guys to make runs. I expect them to find the right people and put them in good positions, and they did that.”
Despite the tough loss, the Bruins have plenty to be proud of this season. In addition to winning their first Semi-State and Regional titles in program history, they were undefeated in Hoosier Plains Conference play and finished the season with a 24-4 record.
“Our goal was to make a run in the tournament, and that’s what we did,” said Mariah Stoltzfus, junior guard. “So, not ever winning a regional, not ever winning semi-state, you know, we made history for our school, and we know we made our community proud. At the end of the day, that’s what we care about most.”
Her teammate, junior guard Zoe Willems, agreed.
“There were a ton of people, and we’re small, small school, so just seeing that many people means a ton to us,” she said. “It hypes us up. Our student section being that big, it’s great. So, we love our community. Bethany’s like a home to a lot of people, so I think it’s just a reflection of what Bethany is.”
The Bruins were led in scoring on Saturday by Willems and Stoltzfus, with 17 and 11 points, respectively. For the full box score, click here.
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