By Mike McGraw
Executive Director
INDIANAPOLIS – When two good teams meet, you expect changes in momentum during the game. Class 4A No. 7 Plainfield and 4A 12th-ranked host Decatur Central took that to extremes Jan. 30 during their Mid-State Conference showdown.
This game took swings that most fans have never seen, and few will ever see again. Still, in the end it came down to one play as Plainfield held on for a 49-48 victory that clinched the conference crown for the Quakers.
Plainfield (15-1 overall, 6-0 Mid-State) spent the first four minutes of the contest building a 9-2 lead on the strength of a penetrating offense and with the help of Decatur Central (13-6, 4-2) missing its initial five shots. It looked as though the powerful Quakers were going to add another easy victim to their long list of conquests.
That picture soon changed in a big, big way.
Late in the first quarter, Decatur Central leading scorer Anna Munn (17 points in this clash) returned to the floor after a brief stint on the bench. She brought lightning with her as she scored seven points in the waning moments of the period, and they were part of an 11-0 Hawks run that saw them lead 13-9 after the first stanza.
That momentum continued into a second quarter, which became a clinic in half-court motion offense delivered by Decatur Central. The hosts outscored Plainfield 20-8 in the second period to grab a commanding 33-17 lead at intermission.
In case you didn’t do the math, that means Decatur Central outscored the Quakers 31-8 over the last 12 minutes of the first half. Game, set, and match, right?
Wrong.
Believe it or not, what occurred during the first 12 minutes of the second half made the first edition look mild. Plainfield returned to the court with renewed purpose on defense. Actually, that might be an understatement.
After causing just two Hawk turnovers in the first half, Plainfield forced Decatur Central into nine miscues in the third quarter alone. The Quakers made sure they took advantage of most of them, and the onslaught continued into the fourth period as, with 4:15 remaining in the game, Plainfield held a 43-36 lead!
It is math time again. Over the first 12 minutes of the second half, Decatur Central scored just three points after tallying 33 in the first two quarters. The Quaker run over that time span was 26-3, and Decatur looked confused, dazed, and completely out of gas.
Wrong again.
With the score 45-38, DC coach David Cupp called a timeout. On their ensuing possession, the Hawks ran the best offense they had mustered in the entire second half, scoring on an easy shot inside the lane.
The success seemed to reincarnate their defense, which had died much earlier in the half, as the Hawks did not allow Plainfield to score from the field for the remainder of the contest. Decatur, meanwhile, went on a quick 6-0 run to cut the lead to 45-44.
Plainfield hit one of two charity tosses to stretch the lead back to two, and the Hawks missed a 3-point attempt that would have given them the lead. That set the stage for Plainfield sophomore Julia Henson to be a hero in the most unlikely of ways.
On Plainfield’s next trip, Henson hit one of two free throws to make it 47-44. Decatur Central quickly answered as the clock went under 30 seconds to play, closing to 47-46 and then sending Henson to the stripe again with slightly over 20 seconds left. The strategy almost worked as Henson missed both free tosses, the second short and barely grazing the front of the iron.
The blockout by Decatur Central was not what it should have been, however, and Plainfield got a hand on the rebound, setting off a mad scramble for the ball that ended in a jump ball. The possession arrow favored Plainfield, giving the Quakers the ball on the sideline near midcourt.
On the inbound, Decatur went to the well again, fouling Henson with 15 seconds to play. This time she calmly sank both charity efforts to put Plainfield on top 49-46.
Decatur Central ran a play designed to create an open 3-pointer from the left wing, but Plainfield defended it well and the shot fell short. The Hawks garnered the offensive rebound but were left with only enough time to immediately put back a two-point effort, and the clock ran out.
When the zeroes flashed, Plainfield claimed the Mid-State Conference championship in a game more than befitting such a prize. And by claiming close victories over their nearest league competitors in the last week (Plainfield downed rival 4A No. 8 Mooresville 57-53 on Jan. 23), the Quakers certainly earned it.
Plainfield was led by the 16 points of post player Rachel Turk, while Henson added 13.
For the host Hawks, the loss spoiled a dream night for Decatur Central’s Olivia Yaryan. She scored a game-high 19 points, including back-to-back-to-back threes during the Hawks’ second-quarter offensive display, and also was named the winter homecoming queen at Decatur Central in ceremonies before the game.
Processing your request, Please wait....
