Highlights from Winchester's game in the Class 2A state championship against Central Noble. Ryan O'Gara/The Star Press
This story will be updated.
INDIANAPOLIS – Winchester’s magical season came to an end Saturday, as the Falcons fell to Central Noble 46-42 in the IHSAA Class 2A state championship game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
The Falcons finish the season with a record of 26-3, a Tri-Eastern Conference title, plus sectional and regional championships, and the first semistate title in program history.
Winchester held a 25-19 lead at halftime, but a slow start to the third quarter allowed Central Noble to tie the game at 28, before taking a 30-28 lead. Shelby Miller scored to tie the game at 30 at the end of the third, and it was a back-and-forth battle the rest of the way.
The Falcons trailed 12-4 in the first quarter, before using a 7-0 run to cut the deficit within 12-11 at the first stop.
Maddie Lawrence hit a basket early in the second to give the Falcons the 13-12 lead, before Becca Chamberlin made it 16-12 with a 3-pointer.
Winchester led 22-15, before Central Noble got within 22-19, and Chamberlin hit another 3 to bring the score to 25-19.
Shelby Miller, who hadn't played since tearing her ACL during the sectional championship game, entered the game with 3:11 left in the first quarter, and hit a 3-pointer less than a minute later.
Lawrence led the Falcons with 20 points, three assists and two steals and also had eight rebounds, while Kira Robinson led with nine rebounds and six blocked shots.
Chamberlin and Miller each scored eight points, while Robinson finished with four points and Hannah Graft had two, and Miller had three assists.
Sydney Freeman led Central Noble with 14 points, while Meleah Leatherman had a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Jesus Jimenez is a sports reporter for the Palladium-Item. Contact him at (765) 973-4465, [email protected], or http://Twitter.com/JesusFJimenezPI