Princeton Wins Back-to-Back Regionals, First Since 1935, With 74-60 Victory

Quintyn Voltz dribbled toward the sideline, left his feet off one leg, and launched a buzzer three in front of the Bosse bench. The ball floated through the Memorial Gymnasium air in Huntingburg and dropped clean, stretching Princeton's halftime lead to 39-23 and effectively ending the competitive portion of the Class 3A regional championship before intermission.

Princeton went on to defeat Bosse 74-60 on Saturday, March 14, at Southridge, claiming back-to-back IHSAA regional titles for the first time since 1935 and earning a return trip to the semi-state round. The Tigers improved to 23-3 on the season.

The first half was the story. Princeton connected on nine of its first 10 three-point attempts, turning what might have been a tense rematch into an offensive clinic. Voltz, a sophomore point guard who transferred from Decatur Central last summer, poured in 19 of his 25 points before the break, burying five three-pointers total, two of them at the buzzer. "That first half probably shouldn't have gone any better," Princeton coach LaMar Brown said. "It's not easy being the favorites. To have that kind of weight on you, I'm proud of how they stood together."

Voltz was not a one-man act. He led four Princeton players in double figures, underscoring the balance that has defined the Tigers all season. "When we are playing defense, getting up and down, sharing the ball, I feel like that's when we are at our greatest," Voltz said.

The matchup carried a backstory beyond the bracket. Brown spent 10 seasons as an assistant under Bosse head coach Shane Burkhart before taking the Princeton job, and the two maintained a relationship that Brown described in unmistakably warm terms. "That's family man," Brown said. "My kids look at Coach Burk like family, and his kids look at me like family. Unfortunately, we have to figure it out and one of us has to go home." He also noted that Burkhart's text message frequency spiked in the days leading up to the game: "He's texted me everyday this week, a little bit more than he has all season. I don't understand why that is."

Burkhart had expressed confidence in his Bulldogs before tipoff, noting that Bosse had beaten Princeton 60-55 in the regular season. "I don't think there is anybody better than us if we are at our full potential," he said. "The question is, will we get there?" He also offered genuine praise for his former assistant: "LaMar is a phenomenal coach. He's going to have his kids ready."

Brown acknowledged the growth Princeton showed since that earlier loss. "I don't believe we are that group that we were then," he said. The final score confirmed it. Princeton never let Bosse back into the game after building its 16-point halftime cushion, and the Tigers now prepare for semistate with back-to-back regional hardware and a freshman-to-watch the rest of Indiana now knows by name.