2006 IHSAA Class 4A State Championship: Lawrence North 80, Muncie Central 56

A sellout crowd of 18,345 at Conseco Fieldhouse witnessed Indiana high school basketball history tonight as Lawrence North became only the third team to ever win three consecutive state titles in boys basketball defeating Muncie Central, 80-56. The game was a rematch of last year’s final contest, the first time that has occurred since 1928 (the Class 2A game was also a rematch). The top-ranked Wildcats raced to an early lead and never looked back. Senior Mike Conley scored 11 points in the opening quarter as Lawrence North built the lead to 17 and finished the night with 21 points and 6 rebounds. Fellow senior Greg Oden led all scorers with 26 points on 11 of 17 shooting from the field and pulled down 11 rebounds. Oden was the recipient of the Naismith Award earlier in the week, which is given to the top high school player in the country. The duo has won 103 games in their Lawrence North careers. Juniors Damian Windham and Qadr Owen added 10 points each. Lawrence North out-rebounded the Bearcats 40-25. With the victory, Lawrence North won its 45th straight game tying Indianapolis Crispus Attucks’ state record streak spanning the 1954-55 and 1955-56 seasons. The Wildcats’ last loss came in January of 2005. They now join Franklin (1920-22) and Marion (1985-87) as the only teams to win three consecutive state championships. The team also became the 10th team in state history to finish undefeated (29-0). Muncie Central was making its record 15th appearance in the title game finishing as a runner-up for the seventh time. The Bearcats, coached by Matt Fine, finished the season at 20-6. Fine has only been at the helm for two varsity seasons, both of which culminated with appearances in the title game. The Bearcats, who graduated all five starters from last year’s runner-up squad, were led by juniors Ben Botts and Tom Freeman with 22 points and 12 points, respectively. Senior Terry Jenkins added 11. With his fourth state title, Lawrence North coach Jack Keefer joins Bill Green (6), Marion Crawley (4), Glenn Curtis (4) and Everett Case (4) as the only coaches to win four or more state titles. Keefer has been the coach at Lawrence North for 30 years, the only coach in the school’s history. Class 4A championship game records were set by Lawrence North for points scored in a game (80), in a half (50) and a quarter (26 in the 2nd). The Wildcats are also the top ranked team in the country according to the USA Today. Lawrence North senior center Greg Oden is the 2005-06 Boys Basketball Class 4A recipient of the Arthur L. Trester Mental Attitude Award as selected by members of the IHSAA Board of Directors. Oden is the 2006 Naismith Award winner as the best high school player in the nation after leading coach Jack Keefer’s team to its third consecutive state championship and 45 straight wins. The two-time National Player of the Year helped the Wildcats to a perfect 29-0 season and they should become the first team from the state to be ranked first nationally. In the classroom, Oden has a 3.62 cumulative grade point average. “Greg is simply the best student leader we have in our building,” said Lawrence North principal Lynn L. Lupold. “The commitment to excellence that Greg demonstrates on the court is mirrored in the classroom. Greg is consistently an ambassador for our school, our state, and our country.” The recipient, nominated by his principals and coaches, must excel in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability in boys basketball. The award is named in honor of Trester, the IHSAA’s first commissioner who served from 1929-44. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, IHSAA corporate partner, presented a $1,000 check to Lawrence North High School in the name of Greg Oden. Oden, the son of Zoe Oden, plans to attend Ohio State University next fall.