Lapel nearly has perfect ending to historic season: 'I really thought it was going to go in'

Maddy Poynter was on the verge of Indiana basketball immortality. A junior wing, she had the ball in her hands with Lapel trailing Forest Park by a point in the final seconds of Saturday's IHSAA Class 2A state championship game.

Time froze and you could feel the oxygen being sucked out of Gainbridge Fieldhouse as she arched her shot from in front of the Bulldogs' bench. Poynter's shot looked good upon release, but it clipped the back of the rim on its descent, and bounced harmlessly to the side as time expired. Poynter yelled in anguish and slapped the floor, then put her head in her hands as Forest Park celebrated its 38-37 victory and second consecutive state championship.

"I really thought it was going to go in, but it didn't," Poynter said, an observation echoed by her teammates and coach.

"I really thought it was going to go in," she repeated, "but not every shot goes in."

'They give us hope.'Bar was set high for Lapel community — and they still exceeded it.

IHSAA girls basketball state finals: Scores, updates, highlights and photos

The near-miss at the buzzer scripted a sour finish to yet another dramatic rally by Lapel and an electrifying performance by Poynter.

Focusing on the latter: No. 21 was sensational in her state finals debut.

A 5-8 wing, she matched Lydia Betz for the game-high with 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting (2-for-4 on 3s), plus five rebounds (three offensive) and two assists over 28 minutes.

Of equal importance, Poynter was a voice of positivity between quarters and during timeouts, her teammates agreed, and her play — particularly in the fourth quarter — was a source of energy and inspiration. "She always brings the passion, the fight," senior Kerith Renihan said.

Poynter was at her best in the fourth quarter, accounting for nine points and three offensive rebounds over the final eight minutes. She kickstarted the Bulldogs with a putback following a disastrous third quarter — 3-for-10 shooting with three turnovers left them with a 31-23 deficit — went 4-for-4 at the line to keep them in it, then drilled a go-ahead 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 17.5 seconds remaining.

The team's second-leading scorer coming in, she shined on the season's biggest stage, with each shot bigger than the last down the stretch.

"We get that intensity and that intensity from Maddy every single day. She will put the team on her back," coach Zach Newby said. "She's a vocal leader and she will lead with what she does on the floor. I know she's down on herself for missing that 3, but if she doesn't hit that 3 from the top of the key, we don't even have an opportunity."

But for the second straight season, Forest Park's Amber Tretter commanded the narrative in the 2A championship. The Miami of Ohio-bound senior logged 22 points, a game-record 17 rebounds and six blocks last year against Frankton; Saturday, she delivered the eventual game-winning basket on a brilliantly executed play with 6.9 seconds remaining.

Lydia Betz triggered the play, passing to cousin Kaitlyn Betz on the wing as Tretter gained position underneath the basket. Kaitlyn waited a split second before firing a chest pass to Gabey Gray near the free-throw line, then Gray immediately dumped it into Tretter, who took one dribble as she slid by Lapel freshman Laniah Wills and banked in the easy shot.

Tretter finished with 13 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and three steals. She tallied eight points in the first half, but was limited to five points on 2-of-4 shooting the rest of the way, with zero rebounds in the fourth quarter.

"When you have a 6-1 Division I girl and they're in the bonus, there's no way to guard that, really," Newby said of Tretter. "We knew they were going to try and go high-low and we were going to try and front, but she's a load in there. There's a reason she's going where she's going and has done what she's done the past two years."

Back to back:Forest Park girls basketball repeats as Class 2A state champion

After rallying from double-digit deficits in all three sectional games, then overcoming illness to hang on for a wild win over Eastbrook in regional, Lapel was wholly unfazed by Tretter's go-ahead bucket.

Newby used one timeout to get the ball in, then another once the Bulldogs got across midcourt.

With just three seconds remaining, they drew up a play designed to get Deannaya Haseman, their best 3-point shooter, a look at the game-winning shot. But when Forest Park swallowed her up along the sideline, the 5-8 senior passed back to an open Poynter, who launched the final shot from well-beyond the high school arc.

"I wasn't even in the plan in general," Poynter said. "I was thinking I'm going to give it to D and she's going to shoot it, but she didn't get the shot off. So when it came back to me, I shot it and missed, but... you know."

"Maddy cares. I know she's upset for herself, but she's more upset because she cares so much for all of us," senior Jaylee Hubble added. "She cares a lot about her seniors, she cares a lot about her teammates and coaches. She has so much care. She cares more than anyone I've ever met — especially with basketball, but even more about us as a family. She loves us all so much."

The shot bounced out and the celebration ensued for Forest Park.

In addition to Poynter's 15 points, Lapel also picked up nine points from Hubble, seven assists from Renihan and eight points from Wills.

It should go without saying, but that one shot at the end will not define Poynter's performance Saturday afternoon, and the loss does not overshadow what was a spectacular run by Lapel. The only finalist outside the ICGSA rankings, the Bulldogs claimed the school's first sectional and regional titles since 2007, then became the first girls team in school history to reach the state finals.

"They're still champions," Newby said. "They have to understand they may not be state champions, but they're Madison County champions, they're sectional champions, regional champions, semistate champions — they hung five banners this year and we haven't hung a banner since 2007. They're the greatest girls basketball team in Lapel history. There's no question."

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.

Forest Park 38, Lapel 37, final

FOREST PARK – Amber Tretter 5-13 3-4 13, Danielle Eckert 0-0 0-0 0, Gabey Gray 2-3 0-2 5, Lydia Betz 6-14 1-2 15, Carley Begle 1-3 3-5 5, Ali Gehlhausen 0-0 0-0 0, Katlyn Betz 0-3 0-0 0, Grace Sutherlin 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 14-36 7-13 38.

LAPEL – Kerith Renihan 0-4 0-0 0, Deannaya Haseman 1-7 0-0 3, Laniah Wills 4-7 0-0 8, Jaylee Hubble 3-8 0-0 9, Madelyn Poynter 4-7 5-6 15, Rosemary Likens 0-1 0-0 0, Annalee Stow 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 13-37 5-6 37.

3-pointers: Forest Park 3 (Betz 2, Gray), Lapel 6 (Hublee 3, Poynter 2, Haseman).

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana girls basketball: Lapel falls short to Forest Park in 2A final