Bremen and Elkhart Christian Fall in Semistate, Michiana Misses Finals

Oak Hill’s balanced attack knocked Bremen out of the Class 2A race 66-57, and Fremont closed out Elkhart Christian 55-33 in the Class 1A final, ending both Bremen’s and Elkhart Christian’s postseason runs on semistate night. With those results, no Michiana girls programs advance to the Feb. 28 state finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Bremen reached the 2A title game after a semifinal turnaround, rallying from a 10-point first-quarter hole to beat Lapel 60-43. Senior Eliana Grubbs drilled three 3-pointers on her way to 20 points and Emma Kincaid added 18 as Bremen out-scored Lapel 32-6 through a stretch that turned a 25-3 run between the second and third quarters into a commanding lead. Lapel’s Laniah Wills scored 21 but was 5-of-21 from the floor; she finishes her high school career with 2,406 points, 13th on Indiana’s all-time scoring list, as Lapel closes at 22-5. Oak Hill reached the final by upsetting top-seeded Whitko 66-58 behind Brianna Dailey’s 19, Landri Hardman’s 17 and Morgan Cates’ 13; Whitko was paced by Jayma Stonebraker with 18 and Jocelyn Luecke with 15.

Elkhart Christian advanced to the Class 1A final with a 52-33 semifinal win over North Miami, while Fremont beat Monroe Central 63-47 to set the title matchup. Fremont’s 55-33 victory in the championship ended Elkhart Christian’s season at 22-4 and sent Fremont on toward Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Elkhart Christian’s program had risen quickly under coach Jason Goon, who is 73-63 in his sixth season and built a roster anchored by sophomores Lily Maxwell and Kyla Yordy along with freshman Mia Hibbard and senior Ivy Clapsaddle, the four players averaging in double figures this season. “Basketball is our area is in a really good spot,” Goon said. “It's very competitive. Northridge and Fairfield are both very good teams. Coach Springer has been a tremendous asset for me. He's been very gracious over the past few years with his time.”

Across other hosts, Parke Heritage rallied from a 31-25 deficit with a 21-point fourth quarter to claim its first semistate victory, beating Heritage Christian 46-37 and earning a championship date with Eastern (Pekin), which won 49-44 over North Knox. Greenwood Christian outlasted Tindley 53-50 as Myra Finnity posted 17 points and 14 rebounds and Molly Hunter chipped in a 14-and-14 double-double; Tindley mounted a late rally after trailing by 11 midway through the fourth. Borden topped Evansville Christian 56-38. In higher classes, Bellmont beat Culver Academy 57-46, Connersville edged Fairfield 50-36, and McCutcheon handled Northridge 76-59.

The IHSAA girls basketball state finals are scheduled Saturday, Feb. 28 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse with Class A at 10:30 a.m. ET, Class 2A at 12:45 p.m. ET, Class 3A at 6 p.m. ET and Class 4A at 8:15 p.m. ET. Oak Hill and Fremont carry their semistate momentum forward while Michiana schools regroup after semistate exits; notable individual legacies from the night include Laniah Wills’ 2,406 career points and Parke Heritage’s program-first semistate win.