State Finals Follow-Up: Class 3A

Many of us assumed the outcome of this game well before it began, and I'm talking about in February of 2018.  But there was a moment, however small it might have been, where we thought Benton Central was going to hang with Northwestern throughout.  About 3 1/2 minutes had elapsed, Northwestern was only up 4-2, and Benton Central was holding it's ground playing tough.  Then after a free throw it was 4-3.  Then Benton Central went to the charity stripe again...and missed both...and it was suddenly 10-3 Northwestern just a minute later.  Benton Central put up a great fight, and they exhausted themselves from beginning to end, but the size and talent of Northwestern was just too much for the Lady Bison. <strong>Kendall Bostic</strong> (2020) was outstanding in this one, especially early, as she had 12 points and 4 rebounds in the first quarter alone.  She finished with 25 points, 15 rebounds, 7 steals, and 6 blocked shots for the game.  Her talented partner, <strong>Madison Layden</strong> (2020), was steady throughout and finished with 19 points, 5 steals, 3 assists, and 2 blocked shots.  Benton Central got another solid outing from <strong>Audrey Strawsma</strong> (2020) in the way of 11 points and 6 rebounds.  Youngster <strong>Tressa Senesac</strong> (2022) added 9 points and a pair of steals, and wing <strong>Emma Fisher</strong> (2019) scored 7 points, to go along with 5 rebounds and 4 assists. &nbsp; <strong>Player of the Game:  Kendall Bostic, 2020, 6-1 F/C, Northwestern</strong> As we highlighted above, Kendall was dominant early and often for the Tigers.  She had three inches and a lot of strength on anyone from Benton Central's team, and it was obvious from the outset.  The Michigan State commit doesn't only have superb size and strength at the high school level, but she also plays with a tremendous motor and a lot more skill than I think people give her credit for.  Class 4A beware, as Kendall and Northwestern move up next season. &nbsp; <strong>On the Radar:  Audrey Strawsma, 2020, 5-10 F, Benton Central</strong> The Semi-State game between Benton Central and Salem was my first opportunity to see Audrey play.  She was great against Salem, probably a key reason why the Bison advanced, and she was again solid against Northwestern on Saturday.  She is a tough-nosed kid, she plays extremely hard, and she doesn't back down from anyone.  As she continues playing, it would benefit her to add a little more finesse and some sort of face-up game, but she is already a really nice, small college, scholarship-worthy kid right now. &nbsp; <strong>The Swiss Army Knife:  Madison Layden, 2020, 6-1 W, Northwestern</strong> Even though Madison didn't shoot it great on Saturday, she did still manage to get to the free throw line 12 times and come away with 19 total points in the game.  But it's her versatility and ability to affect the game in so many different ways that make her a top prospect.  Whether it's making a play at the defensive end, grabbing a big rebound, taking care of the basketball and running offense, or finding an open teammate for a score, the Purdue commit is seemingly always productive in one way or another. &nbsp; <em>Header photo of Northwestern celebrating their 2019 State Championship; photo courtesy of Kendall Bostic's Twitter account.</em>