By Mike Beas, Special to IHSAA.org
INDIANAPOLIS – Eric Thornton signed on as the head coach at Norwell the season Indiana introduced a four-tiered post-season format.
Long enough for him to have witnessed the various highs and lows of February. Long enough to never take any shred of the journey such as the one the Knights completed Saturday night inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse for granted.
Norwell’s third State Finals appearance proved the charm, as its 53-44 defeat of Greensburg in the Class 3A state championship game means the larger of the two Indiana-shaped trophies made the trip back to Wells County for the first time.
Motivated, in part, by last season’s 63-60 loss to Gibson Southern on this same stage, the Knights implemented their airtight 1-3-1 zone defense, riding it all the way to the mountaintop.
“It’s hard to put into words,” said Thornton, who took over the Knights’ program prior to the 1997-1998 campaign. “We have a complete program, and that’s what I think about. Obviously, our players did a great job. I’m so proud of them tonight.”
Few persons outside of the Norwell school district would have predicted this sort of conclusion prior to the start of the season. Seven of the eight players from the runner-up squad of a year ago graduated, leaving multifaceted 5-11 junior guard Vanessa Rosswurm and a whole lot of question marks.
And yet, the Knights continued to improve, and, yes, believe.
Norwell’s final loss of the season, a 47-44 defeat at Bellmont in January, refocused players and coaches alike. They banded together to win their final 11 games.
“It feels amazing. I couldn’t do it with a better group of girls,” said Rosswurm, who finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals while utilizing her wingspan at the top of the aforementioned zone.
“We really left it all on the court and just played as hard as we could. It’s all amazing, especially after last year when we lost.”
Thornton, who emphasizes the value of a good 12-2 scoring run (two per game, if possible), saw the Knights break free from a 30-30 deadlock with 3:42 remaining in the third quarter – the game’s ninth and final tie – with a 14-3 burst to take control.
The 11-point cushion would, in time, be trimmed to six on a pair of occasions in the final stanza at 47-41 and 48-42 – the latter with 1:08 remaining. Norwell put the outcome on ice by making five of six free throws in the final 56.3 seconds.
Norwell’s last three charities were from junior guard Addie Norris, who would finish with 16 points and seven boards. Junior guard Macie Saalfrank added 13 points for the Knights (23-6).
Greensburg, which took the court with a spotless 27-0 mark, converted only 19 of 61 field goal attempts (.311) and turned the ball over 19 times. The team’s 44 points was a season-low, eclipsing the 50-point total the Pirates put forth in their regional win over Washington.
Senior forward Leah West, who’ll be playing next season at Belmont University, led Greensburg with 17 points and 17 rebounds. Sophomore guard Claire Larrison finished with 13 points, and senior guard Mylie Wilkison nine.
The opening half concluded in a 24-24 tie, which proved fitting in that the first two periods alone served up 13 different occasions in which the teams were separated by two points or less.
Norwell did hold a pair of seven-point cushions midway through the second – 20-13 and 22-15 – before the Pirates responded with a 9-0 scoring flurry that put them back on top.
Guard Mary Harmon started things with a 3-pointer, which eventually gave way to a trio of buckets in close courtesy of Aly Powers, Wilkison and West. A pair of Rosswurm free throws with 34.2 seconds remaining before halftime made for the sixth and final tie of the half.
Afterward, Pirates’ coach Jason Simpson, whose 2018 squad also secured a 3A runner-up trophy, couldn’t praise his players, coaches, and community enough.
“The thing you’ll never question about this group, they fought until the very end,” said Simpson. “What was so impressive was even when things weren’t going our way, you still heard them coaching each other up. You still heard them encouraging each other and not hanging their head. All of those things that we preach.
“But all credit goes to Norwell. They just happened to be the better team tonight, but I couldn’t be prouder of our kids, and what they’ve done all season. It’s nothing but pride as I sit up here and know that I have the honor of being the coach of these girls.”
Class 3A State Championship Records
Most Combined 3FG Made: 17 by Warsaw (9) and Lawrence North (8)