A rejuvenated Homestead boys basketball team bounced back in the second half to clinch the outright NHC title and remain undefeated with a 65-55 win against Columbia City on Tuesday.The Class 4A No.
Now back in the finals, the Leo girls basketball team is determined to make a better fate for itself.
The Lions advanced to their second straight ACAC championship game with an easy 66-33 win over Heritage on Wednesday at Memorial Coliseum.
Leo (12-3) now has its sights set on not coming up short as it did in last year’s 42-36 title game loss to Garrett.
“Making it to the championship game is a great honor, but we have made it there before, and we have lost,” said Leo senior Jill Peck, who had 13 points and seven rebounds. “We are very determined this year. For the three seniors (Peck, Alexis Meeks and Taylor Howe), that’s our main goal, and we are winning the ACAC championship this year. We are very focused on it right now.”
The Lions will face Garrett in the 10 a.m. championship Saturday.
It’s been a long time since the last title, at least for Leo standards. The Lions lead in girls titles with 12, but the last one was in 2004.
“I am thrilled we have the opportunity because we haven’t won it in a few years,” said fifth-year coach Carrie Shappell, a Leo graduate. “That’s really the only thing we haven’t done yet since we have taken over the program. We have shared the season (championship) with Garrett, and we have won two sectionals. They are really driven right now.”
Sophomore Hannah Field also scored 13 points for the Lions and didn’t miss a shot, making all six of her field goal attempts and 1 of 1 on free throws. Freshman Keanna Gary had 10 points, while Meeks and Howe each added nine.
Unlike its regular-season 41-21 win over the Patriots (2-13), the Lions took control early. In the previous matchup, Heritage led at halftime before Leo took over in the second half.
In the ACAC tournament semifinals, Leo used a 14-0 run late in the first quarter into the second to open up a 22-5 advantage, and the Lions would not be threatened again.
“We were very determined not to let that happen again and hit it hard in the very beginning,” Peck said. “We wanted to go straight for it, and no messing around.”
The Lions did it with defense, forcing eight turnovers in the first quarter.
“I told the girls that we needed to play with intensity and put together a full game because we really haven’t been able to do that for awhile,” Shappell said.
Sarah Knefelkamp had eight points for Heritage.
