State Finals Follow-Up: Class 2A

The Class 2A game brought an interesting subplot, as both Oak Hill (2017) and Winchester (2018) were the two most recent Class 2A Runners-Up.  Both were hungry for a championship, and both played like it from beginning to end.  Winchester came out in a triangle-and-2 defense, trying to limit Oak Hill's top scorers in post <strong>Taylor Westgate</strong> (2020) and forward <strong>Adrianna Trexler</strong> (2019).  It stumped Oak Hill for a little while, as they were just 6-30 from the field in the first half and found themselves trailing 23-15 at halftime.  It also didn't help that Winchester's star forward, <strong>Maddie Lawrence</strong> (2020), got going right away in the first half, having her way with undersized defenders around the paint. The second half was a much different story though, as Oak Hill adjusted and saw two other players step up in a big way.  Point guard <strong>Brittany McCorkle</strong> (2019) stole the show with 14 third quarter points on her way to an 18-point afternoon.  Forward <strong>Kaela Robey</strong> (2019) somehow managed to have the quietest 20 points I've ever seen, including a 12-point fourth quarter, and Oak Hill outscored Winchester 39-19 in the second half to win 54-42.  <strong>Taylor Westgate</strong> (2020) added 8 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals, and 2 blocked shots, despite being hounded all game.  <strong>Maddie Lawrence</strong> (2020) led Winchester with 20 points and 10 rebounds, and <strong>Hannah Graft</strong> (2019) hit three 3s for nine points on the afternoon. &nbsp; <strong>Player of the Game:  Brittany McCorkle, 2019, 5-3 PG, Oak Hill</strong> When you look back over the years this team has been together, it has typically been <strong>Westgate</strong> or <strong>Trexler</strong>, <strong>Robey</strong> or <strong>Jenessa Hasty</strong> (2019) who has saved them in tight games.  But on THIS day it was the diminutive and unassuming McCorkle who played her heart out in the third quarter.  She entered the game averaging right around five points per game, but in the quarter of her life, she was 6-8 from the field and 2-4 from downtown, as she hit shot after shot to score a necessary 14 points and bring a ton of energy to the team.  She has good speed and quickness, length, and obviously grit, and I think she could make for a nice small college guard, if she's interested in playing beyond high school. &nbsp; <strong>Welcome Back:</strong><strong>  Maddie Lawrence, 2020, 6-0 F, Winchester</strong> While Lawrence's team may not have gotten the desired outcome they were looking for, the fact that they returned to Bankers Life Fieldhouse just one year after Lawrence and <strong>Shelby Miller</strong> (2019) suffered ACL injuries is impressive.  Additionally, 6-3 post <strong>Kira Robinson</strong> (2019) was trying to play through a suspected ACL tear this year, but looked noticeably hobbled.  Lawrence was a monster inside at times though.  She used her strong, physical frame and scored around the basket or drew fouls and got to the free throw line.  I don't think she fully looks like herself yet, so a couple of months of rest before the "live" periods come in April should do her some good. &nbsp; <strong>Can't Hold Me Down:  Taylor Westgate, 2020, 6-1 F/C, Oak Hill</strong> Despite seeing a ton of attention throughout the first three quarters of the game, Taylor did a really nice job of staying composed and picking her spots.  She had a couple of really nice post moves and counters that led to finishes, she stayed aggressive on the boards, and she was strong defensively, battling the 6-3 Robinson most of the time.  She has already drawn some Division-I attention this year, and I think she'll draw more this Spring. &nbsp; <em>Header photo of Oak Hill celebrating their 2019 State Championship; photo courtesy of the Indy Star's Twitter account.</em>