Class 4A State Final: Ben Davis vs. Fort Wayne North
In a heavyweight fight, Ben Davis was the team left standing in the middle of the ring against Fort Wayne North Side for the class 4A state title.
With Ben Davis leading 49-46, RJ Turner was sent to the line for two free throws. After making the first, Turner missed the second. Despite Ben Davis not having any other players on the lane, Turner grabbed his own rebound then finished over Jaylen Butz. That play increased the Ben Davis lead to six with under 90 seconds left.
Ben Davis captured the 4A state title when Davontae Kinnie’s three-pointer was off the mark at the buzzer. It is the third state title for Ben Davis. Mark James, one of the most respected coaches in the state, won his first championship in his 35th year as a head coach.
There were a number of plays where the ball bounced in the favor of Ben Davis down the stretch. One of the other big plays was when Aaron Henry threw an ill-advised pass down court against North Side’s pressure. The pass looked destined for the hands of Jaylen Butz. The ball slid through his hands and right to Datrion Harper. Harper took the ball in for a layup.
Moments later, Butz came up with a steal then passed the ball off to Davontae Kinnie. While Kinnie gathered the ball to attack the paint, he stepped on the sideline. It was a close call, but replays appeared to show Kinnie stepping out of bounds.
Early in the game, Ben Davis fought foul trouble as Aaron Henry picked up two fouls. Josh Brewer had three by the middle of the second quarter. Henry came back into the game when Brewer picked up his third foul. Henry produced at a high level while playing with two fouls. Brewer played 28 minutes in the game, which was key because he did a good job defending Keion Brooks.
On the North Side end, Jaylen Butz and Juan Quarles were providing most of the production to start the game. The duo scored 14 of the first 22 points for North Side. Butz had success inside, but Ben Davis made him work for it. The Giants were physical with the DePaul signee.
Sophomore Jalen Windham gave Ben Davis a boost off the bench in the second quarter. He scored 10 points in the first half. Late in the game, Windham knocked down a triple off of a kick out from Aaron Henry. The three broke a 46-46 tie. Windham led Ben Davis with 15 points.
Sophomore sensation Keion Brooks had a quiet game for North Side. He never found his shooting rhythm against Ben Davis. He hit a crucial three-pointer early in the fourth quarter. Brooks finished with eight points.
Aaron Henry made some big plays in the fourth quarter. His dunk gave the Ben Davis extra energy. Ben Davis didn’t trail the rest of the way. Henry finished with 12 points.
North Side was only 7-20 from the free throw line and 5-16 from behind the arc in the loss.
North Side – Jaylen Butz 11 points (4-5 FG, 3-5 FT), 11 rebounds; Elijah Holmes 0-1 FG; Brandan Johnson 9 points (3-9 FG, 1-3 3FG, 2-9 FT), seven rebounds, 3 turnovers; Keion Brooks 8 points (3-10 FG, 1-5 3FG, 1-2 FT), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 block, 1 steal; Juan Quarles 11 points (5-8 FG, 1-4 3FG), 5 rebounds, 1 turnover, 1 steal; Davontae Kinnie 10 points (4-6 FG, 1-2 3FG, 1-3 FT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover; Alijah Long 3 points
Ben Davis – Datrion Harper 14 points (5-10 FG, 1-3 3FG, 3-5 FT), 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover; Josh Brewer 11 points (4-9 FG, 2-2 3FG, 1-3 FT), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 1 block; Jalen Newsom 2 rebounds; Aaron Henry 12 points (6-11 FG, 0-2 FT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers; Kyle Finch 4 rebounds; RJ Turner 3 points (1-4 FG, 0-2 3FG, 1-4 FT), 4 rebounds, 2 steals; Jalen Windham 15 points (4-7 FG, 3-5 3FG, 4-4 FT), 3 rebounds, 1 steal