Jamal Harris’ Late Putback Wins Attucks State Title
One of the most storied programs in Indiana high school basketball added another chapter in thrilling fashion. Jamal Harris’ rebound basket from the left baseline with just 0.9 seconds left gave Crispus Attucks the Class 3A state championship with a 73-71 win over Twin Lakes.
Attucks had three state titles on its résumé but hadn’t won a championship since 1959. It won its fourth in exciting fashion and did so in front of a man who played a huge part in two of those state titles: NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson, who graduated from Attucks in 1956 after leading the school to back-to-back state titles.
Attucks (25-4) had trailed by seven points early in the fourth quarter but fought back to take a 71-70 lead with 1:29 left on a basket by Teyon Scanlan. Bryce Bennington hit a foul shot with 36.9 seconds left to tie the game, setting up Harris’ heroics.
A back-and-forth first half saw both teams go on scoring runs to appear to take control of the game. Twin Lakes jumped on top 11-6 early, but Attucks would eventually surge in front 25-19 on Teyon Scanlan’s 3-pointer just before the end of the first quarter.
A 10-0 run to start the second quarter put Twin Lakes back on top by four, but the Tigers again battled back, using a 20-7 stretch – including nine straight points during a three-minute span – to take a 39-32 lead with 1:10 left in the half.
But Bennington hit a trey just before the half ended, and the Indians then opened the third with nine straight points to take a 45-39 lead. The Indians would push the margin to 59-50, but a 3-pointer and then four-point play by Nike Sibande brought Attucks to within 61-57 after three.
Scanlan led the Tigers, who made the final under first-year head coach Chris Hawkins, with 24 points, while Sibande added 23 points and eight rebounds.
Bennington scored a game-high 32 points for the Indians, who were making their first state finals appearance under longtime coach Kent Adams.
Highest Combined 3-Point Field Goal Percentage (Min. 15 Attempts): .545 by Crispus Attucks (11-18) and Twin Lakes (7-15), 2017. ** highest all classes
Highest Combined 3-Point Field Goal Percentage (min. 5 attempts): .800 Teyon Scanlan (4-5) and Nike Sibande (4-5), Crispus Attucks vs Twin Lakes, 2017.Twin Lakes’ Justin Crabb named Trester Mental Attitude Award Recipient
Following the game, members of the IHSAA Executive Committee named Justin Crabb of Twin Lakes High School as the winner of the Arthur L. Trester Mental Attitude Award in Class 3A Boys Basketball.
The award is annually presented to a senior participant in the state finals who best demonstrates mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability and is nominated by his principal and coach.
Justin has maintained a GPA of 10 (A-) while taking AP and Honors courses. He is a member of the National Honor Society and various other school clubs. His involvement with NHS and junior sports programs has afforded him the opportunity to provide volunteer service hours to the community.
He is the son of Casey and Christine Crabb of Monticello, Indiana. Justin will be attending Indiana University in Bloomington, where he plans to study Business Finance.
The 4A, 3A and 2A awards are named in honor of the late Arthur L. Trester who served as first commissioner of the Association from 1929 to 1944. Trester helped Indiana high school sports and the IHSAA emerge from the Great Depression in a position of preeminence unmatched by perhaps any other state in the nation.
The Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever, the presenting sponsor of the IHSAA Boys Basketball State Tournament, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Twin Lakes High School in the name of Justin Crabb. Since 1989, more than $840,000 in college scholarships have been presented to deserving high school athletes in Indiana.