Behind the scenes: What led to South Bend Washington's state title. 'We got the job done.'

They were smiling, giggling and taking pictures into their locker room’s bathroom mirror.

At halftime. In the middle of a state championship game. That’s how good things were going. That’s how good this team is.

"Since the end of last year we have been ranked No. 1 in 3A,” said South Bend Washington girls basketball junior guard Amiyah Reynolds. “A lot of people have been telling us we were going to state this year."

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And by halftime of Saturday’s IHSAA 3A state championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis, that year-long premonition had morphed into a forgone conclusion.

The Panthers, ranked 22nd nationally, had just exploded for perhaps the most dominating half of state title game history, leading Silver Creek 51-16. At one point Washington scored 27 unanswered points.

That was enough to prompt a halftime party.

Amongst the laughing, senior forward Mila Reynolds — one of three sisters on the team along with Amiyah and freshman, Kira Reynolds — asked her parents, head coach Steve Reynolds and assistant Marcy, if the team could do a "halftime check-in.” The entire team then crammed into the bathroom, coaching staff included, for the impromptu photo shoot.

But as the girls emerged for the second half it was back to business, laser focus beaming from their eyes.

“They didn’t think it was going to be like this,” one of the Panther players said of their opponent. “Did they?”

Washington would go one to finish off the defending state champion Dragons, 93-35, winning its first state title since 2007 and extracting revenge for last year’s loss in the same building to the same school. It was the widest margin of victory in finals history.

It was a title a year in the making. But it was a performance that seemed destined once the rematch was set a week earlier. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how Washington arrived in Indianapolis determined to make history.

Monday: ‘Not going to get easier in that big, ole’ building’

At 4 p.m. inside the Great Western Forum — aka Washington High School’s gymnasium — it’s silent before the Panthers’ first state championship game practice.

Before drills began Steve Reynolds, now in his eighth year as head coach, gathered his team to reiterate how proud he is of them.

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Then the team began its "family time" session, a reflection Reynolds brings from his time as a youth pastor following an overseas basketball career. It’s a chance to air grievances, talk about whatever is on one’s mind. Sometimes it's five minutes, other times 30.

"Having a great mental mindset helps," Mila Reynolds said. "Not everything in basketball is physical. You got to have a great mental mindset coming into a game, especially in a game like this."

After 10 minutes it was time for basketball.

After a while Steve Reynolds called his team to a mid-court huddle.

"First one to hit three transition 3-pointers wins," he yelled. "Ready, go!"

The girls sprinted to both 3-point lines to get a head start. Roughly 30 seconds later, senior forward Mila Reynolds proclaimed her victory, letting her teammates know about it.

Next, it was three mid-range transition jump shots. This time junior guard Rashunda Jones got the job done.

Then the coach wanted a shot made from the bleachers. This time freshman forward Kira Reynolds obliged.

"I feel like that's the fun part," he said. "You get to compete. You get to measure up. Those things are fun because this is a very competitive group."

The Panthers went back to work with free-throw drills, an area they have struggled, hitting just 58%. Those woes kept Washington from its goal of being the highest-scoring team in the state by 0.4 points, and were direct causes to losses against North Central (62-56) and La Lumiere (55-54).

"Y'all got to focus," Reynolds blurted. "It is not going to get easier in that big, ole' building with people yelling and you got a state championship on the line."

Tuesday: ‘That’s lunch meat right there’

In the middle of Tuesday's practice, Steve Reynolds apologized to his team, shouldering the blame for last year’s state title game loss.

The Dragons face-guarded Mila Reynolds from half court and used the Panthers' interior size against them, clogging up lanes to cut to the basket. Steve Reynolds was caught wide-eyed, wishing he made more adjustments when looking back.

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"It was the first time I had seen anything like the defense they were playing," the coach said. "It's one of those, ‘if I knew then what I know now.’ There were just so many things looking back like, ‘how did I not see that.’”

It wouldn’t happen again. The adjustment for Saturday's rematch was to turn the tables by using Washington's speed and athleticism in the backcourt to leverage Silver Creek's defense against them.

The Panthers focused on cutting to the basket. Reynolds expected defenders to sag off of his team’s average shooters when they went in a five-wide (outside of the arc) offensive set. When that happens players, like 6-foot-3 Kira Reynolds, senior Shamarah Allen and freshman Ryiah Wilson immediately flash to the basket for an open layup. They called it "UCLA".

Washington worked on that for a good 30 minutes during practice. Drive into the paint, see where the help defense is coming from then find the backdoor cutter.

Sure enough, when Steve Reynolds turned on Silver Creek's film in its regional semifinal vs. Rushville, the Lions were doing the same thing.

This was Washington's Silver Creek crash course. After an hour on the court, the team moved to a classroom, with carrots, PB&J sandwiches and waters waiting. Reynolds went over the Dragons' strengths and weaknesses.

They didn't rebound well and were turnover prone. Offensively, they depended on senior Kynidi Mason-Striverson, who led the team in every statistical category.

He also made a point to force Mason-Striverson left, something Washington struggled to do in last year and have Ryiah Wilson, Washington's best on-ball defender, pick her up full-court to disrupt.

Defensively, Reynolds picked Silver Creek's Meridith Wilkinson's as a target. Playing in the paint, film often showed her slow to react to cutters, something Kira Reynolds could exploit.

"You are one spin move and drive from scoring," assistant coach Marcy Reynolds told Kira. "That's lunch meat right there."

Finishing up, Steve Reynolds told his team that it is better in almost every facet of the game (size, speed and all). But in a title game, effort for a full 32 minutes could determine the winner.

"That could be the difference," he said. "That worries me because we can get too unfocused when things don't go our way."

FRIDAY: Pride of the West Side heading south

As the Washington student body filtered out of the school's gym following a pep rally, Steve Reynolds bent over to grab a handful of confetti and stuffed it into his goodie bag.

Over the past couple years, Reynolds has saved confetti, name plates and pieces of cut-down nets. He’s learned to soak in these moments.

In the middle of Friday's school day, the Panthers were paraded around the building as clapping students and faculty lined the halls, many holding hand-made signs.

These are the moments Marcy Reynolds enjoys most.

"It was just really awesome to see,” she said. “... To have the support of the community, it has been awesome.”

After their walk-through the Panthers visited a local retirement home where they met 95-year-old, Valerie Maelicki, a 1945 graduate of Washington. Maelicki reached out to the team following its semistate win over Garrett, showing her admiration for the team.

The Panthers paid that respect back. It made Maelicki's day, as she sang the high school fight song word-for-word. Before Steve Reynolds left, he promised to let Maelicki touch the trophy when, not if, the Panthers brought it back.   "It was a great moment to see her so excited to see us," Mila Reynolds said. "It's great to see, not just today's community support us, but past years are still supporting us and still interested."

The team was given a police escort down to Indianapolis. Team meals were donated by the Hour Generation Foundation, founded by Detroit Pistons forward, Jerami Grant, a connection through the family of assistant coach, and former player, Karis Phillips.

Sitting at Friday night's dinner at Buca di Beppo in downtown Indianapolis the mood was more business-like. A year ago, Steve Reynolds said Washington was just excited to be there. This year there was broader expectation.

"I fully expect," Reynolds told his players at the team hotel,  "to have a big, (expletive) trophy somewhere in this vicinity."

Saturday (game-day): ‘I just want to finish this’

By 9:15 a.m., pajama-wearing Washington players are trickling down for breakfast. It was too early for some, leaving plates filled with uneaten eggs, potatoes and blueberries before heading back to their rooms to change for the day.

Steve Reynolds had been up since 5:30 a.m., watching film and killing time. No nerves. Just confidence. "Let's just get to the game mode," he said. The Panthers still had roughly eight hours before their 6 p.m. tip-off.

At 11 a.m., they headed to a local middle school for an hour-long shootaround. There, Reynolds installed a play for the initial tip.

The plan was for Mila Reynolds to send the ball back to Amiyah Reynolds, who would immediately lob it to the basket for Kira Reynolds. Steve Reynolds named the play "Touchdown."

Throughout the week Steve Reynolds, a self-described crybaby, kept his emotions even-keeled. But in the locker room two hours before tip and his players sitting in a circle, he broke down.

"I just want to finish it," Reynolds told his team through tears. Players began to cry. "We have to finish this. We are not going home without that trophy."

At the tip, Washington went into "Touchdown." It didn't work, leading to a turnover. It was about the only thing that went haywire for the Panthers. Everything else went according to plan.

Kira Reynolds dominated the boards, securing a 3A title game record, 24. Wilson frustrated Mason-Striverson — who finished with just 10 points on 2 of 14 shooting — all night.

The Panthers unleashed an offensive onslaught, shooting 53% from the floor and scoring the most points in 3A championship game history.

At halftime the message from Marcy and Steve Reynolds was to enjoy, but stay focused.

"You guys just couldn't have played any better," Steve Reynolds told his players. "That was amazing. It just turned me into a fan."

The second half was a coronation.

Less than two minutes to go, the emotions got to Steve Reynolds again. Mila, his eldest daughter, checked out of the game for the final time in her high school career. The two embraced, tears rolling down their faces.

"Reality set in that this was my last game," Mila Reynolds said. "That I finished, winning this last game means everything, doing it with my family."

The final buzzer sounded and Steve Reynolds threw his suit jacket down in celebration as his players rushed the court.

After receiving medals, Mila walked up a ladder to one of the rims, senior guard Shamarah Allen went to other. They both cut down the nets, wrapping them around their necks where they stayed until they were back on the bus.

Inside the locker room, Washington's giant state championship trophy was passed around for pictures headed straight to players' Snapchat and Instagram accounts.

By the end the trophy was back in the hands of Steve Reynolds, destined for a night in his bed before heading back to South Bend.

Forever: Promises kept

It was another restless night for Steve Reynolds. The adrenaline kept him up until 2:30 a.m. on Sunday. He slept until 6, when he began reminiscing about what just happened. Did that just happen?

Saturday wasn't a dream.

His players had the same feeling on the ride home. They felt free. Mentally exhausted. Relaxed. Just 12 hours ago they became state champions.

"It was quiet. We were very tired," Rashunda Jones said. "We got the job done."

Waiting outside the front door of Washington High, supporters celebrated the Panthers' return. Among them was Maelicki, sitting in her wheel-chair and wearing a Washington facemask.

Jones was the first off the bus and immediately ran to give Maelicki a hug. Her teammates followed, and so did Steve, trophy in his arms.

"I told you,” he exclaimed, “we were going to bring it home."

In the Great Western Forum, where this week began, the celebration was on. Some of the girls were asked to sign basketballs, shirts and programs. Eventually, Reynolds spoke to the crowd, becoming emotional again in his appreciation.

"I wanted to give back," he said choked up. "I wanted to give back to this group and to this community."

By the end of the day the trophy was in a case outside the gym, amongst the other accolades the Panthers had achieved.

Forever it will sit there as a reminder of what was earned.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: IHSAA 3A girls basketball: South Bend Washington state championship