Crown Point Ends Northridge's 20-Game Win Streak, Advances to State Finals

Northridge's season came to an end in the Class 4A north semistate final with a 66-40 loss to Crown Point Saturday night in Elkhart, a result that was as emphatic as any in the tournament. The No. 2-ranked Bulldogs didn't just beat the Raiders; they ended a 20-game win streak that had carried Northridge to within one game of Indianapolis.

The Raiders finished 26-2 on the season, having defeated Homestead 46-39 to reach Saturday night's title game. That run made Northridge one of the tournament's most compelling stories. Crown Point made quick work of ending it.

Key contributors on the court for the Bulldogs included Dikembe Shaw, who was active early and often, and Cooper Malaski, who got Crown Point on the board in the opening minutes. Mason Darrell also factored into the scoring, with the Bulldogs building a lead that Northridge, despite the efforts of Brady Scholl and Hayden Johnson, could never seriously challenge.

Crown Point secured a well-earned date at state at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where they will play Mt. Vernon. The Bulldogs (25-1) face Mount Vernon of Fortville (27-3) next Saturday, March 28.

The postgame emotion in the Crown Point locker room was palpable. "We just couldn't stop saying, 'We're going to state. We're going to state,'" Dikembe Shaw said. The sentiment was shared across the roster. "I was happy but what went through my mind first was that the job's not finished," one player said. "First thing that went through my mind was, let's cut these nets! But I also thought that the job's not finished. We're going down to Indy and cutting the nets next week!"

Crown Point had already captured the IHSAA Regional Championship for the third consecutive year before Saturday's semistate run, underscoring a program that has built sustained excellence at the highest level of Indiana Class 4A basketball. A state title at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 28 would be the program's ultimate payoff.