2A State Championship: 5 Takeaways

Linton-Stockton got off to a fast start in the 2A State Title game and they never looked back as they easily took down Frankton for a state championship. Over a 6:57 span throughout the first and second quarters, Linton-Stockton went on a 23-1 run to extend the lead to 39-11 midway through the second quarter. At the half it was 47-16 in favor of Linton-Stockton and they showed no signs of slowing down. In that first half Linton-Stockton shot the ball at a 65 percent clip as they were 20-of-31 from the floor and they were 6-of-9 from behind the arc. Linton-Stockton turned the ball over just two times in that first half and forced eight turnovers for Frankton. Linton-Stockton didn't need much else in the second half as they cruised to a 2A state championship by beating Frankton 70-28. I take a look at five takeaways from the game below. <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Shafford was a force on offense</strong></span></p> <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/vanessa-shafford/">Vanessa Shafford</a> was hot from the opening tip. She nailed 8-of-11 shots in the first half and went to the half already having scored 19 points. She finished the game with 26 points, nine rebounds, and five assists and played very good defense in the zone that Linton-Stockton was running. Shafford was able to get her shot off with ease as well as get to the lane and score easily. She dished off five assists as well showcasing her ability to get others involved in the offense. It was a dominant performance for Shafford. <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Burgess and Rose were tremendous secondary scorers and distributors</strong></span></p> <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/aubrey-burgess/">Aubrey Burgess</a> and <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/haley-rose/">Haley Rose</a> were also big factors in the win as they too had little trouble doing whatever they wanted on the floor. Burgess finished the game with 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting along with seven rebounds and seven assists. Burgess also added in five steals while turning the ball over twice in 31 minutes. She was a tone-setter with the ball in her hands. Rose was very solid under the basket scoring 13 points and grabbing six rebounds. She didn't turn it over in the game and had three assists and three steals as well. These two players were an integral part to the win. <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/chloee-thomas/">Chloee Thomas</a> had a nice game</strong></span></p> Frankton's bright spot was junior Thomas who finished the game with 11 points and 11 rebounds. She was looked to a lot by the offense of Frankton to score the ball and she was able to get into double digits. She was a great rebounder in the game pulling down six offensive rebounds to help Frankton get a couple of second chance points. She is just a junior so with her returning next season I look for her to become one of the better post players in her area. <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Frankton crashed the offensive glass</strong></span></p> Frankton had 14 offensive rebounds in the game as they were continually flying to the glass once one of their shots went up. Thomas had six of those while <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/bailey-tucker/">Bailey Tucker</a> had two and Shae Simon had two. Frankton was only able to convert those offensive rebounds into four points but by grabbing them they still had a chance to score to cut into the lead. Their motor around the glass was excellent and that was shown in the second half on the rebounding margin. <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Linton-Stockton loses no one</strong></span></p> The scary part for Class 2A after watching Linton-Stockton run through the 2A tournament to a title is that they don't lose anyone off of this team. They had no seniors on the roster which makes things bright for a repeat of the title next season. Linton-Stockton is going to be a team that improves over the summer and has a real chance to make noise next season in the state tournament once again. I would look for them to be the favorites heading into the season and very likely making it back to Indianapolis.