A Cinderella season that capped off with the Salem Lady Lions playing for the school’s first state final appearance in sports in 70 years ended at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse with the Northwood Panthers edging out the Class 3A state girls basketball championship with a 37-29 victory.
This was the lowest-scoring game in Class 3A Girls State Final history. In fact, it took Northwood almost six minutes before they scored a basket in the first quarter.
The seventh-ranked Panthers capped their 28-3 season by making nine of 10 free throws in the game’s final 1:47 to pull away.
Through the first three quarters, there had been five lead changes, three ties and 14 occasions in which the point spread was three or fewer points.
It was a low-scoring game and was only 13-12 at the half, with Salem leading.
The Lady Lions were only down by one (21-20) with less than five minutes in the game.
Salem’s biggest lead was 11 and the Panther’s led by 11 with:21 left in the game until Salem’s Macie Tomlinson hit a 3 with:10 left and cut the lead back down to 8. Before that 3-pointer, the Lions had only scored 6 points in the final stanza.
Forward Maddy Payne, a 6-1 senior, scored 13 of her game-high 19 points in the second half to lead Northwood to its second state title, following the 1999 squad that cut the nets inside what was the final girl’s finals played at Market Square Arena.
Salem, which took the hardwood ranked No. 1, finished its season with a 25-4 record after making the state finals for the first time in program history.
They were the first Salem team to compete in an IHSAA state finals event since the 1930 boys’ basketball team.
Leading 21-20 after three quarters, NorthWood provided itself with some much-needed breathing room by scoring the first five points of the final stanza before Salem signaled timeout at the 4:14 mark.
The Lions responded with a drive to the hoop and layup by Karly Sweeney, but a Payne basket in close pushed the lead back to six.
Salem managed to stay within four points on two more occasions thanks to baskets by sophomore backup forward Abigail Ratts, but it was here the Panthers began capitalizing at the free-throw line. Ratts led the Lions with 10 points.
Two records were set during Saturday’s game; fewest points allowed – 29 by Northwood and fewest combined points scored –
66 by Northwood (37) and Salem (29).
Following the game, members of the IHSAA Executive Committee named Maddy Payne of NorthWood High School as the winner of the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award in Class 3A Girls Basketball.
The award is presented annually to a senior participant in each classification who was nominated by her principal and coach and has demonstrated excellence in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability.
Maddy is a four-year varsity letter winner for the Lady Panthers and a three-time First Team All-Northern Lakes Conference selection. She was awarded the Black Swish Mental Attitude Award in 2018 and 2019 and was also selected as the 2020 Inkfree News Girls Basketball Player of the Year this season. Payne is also a member of the Northwood volleyball and track and field teams.
Salem scored, by quarter – 7, 6, 7, 9 for 29 points.
Northwood scored, by quarter – 7, 5, 9 and 16 for 37 points.
FULL BOX SCORE AND STATS – 2019-20 Class 3A Box Score
Salem (25-4) — Backherms 1-3 0-0 3, Noel 0-7 0-0 0, H. Tomlinson 2-9 0-0 6, Sweeney 2-8 1-2 5, Nice 1-2 0-2 2, Ratts 5-11 0-2 10, M. Tomlinson 1-1 0-0 3, Weber 0-2 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Ezzell 0-0 0-0 0, Hypes 0-0 0-0 0, Klinglesmith 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 12-43 1-6 29.
NorthWood (28-3) — Miller 2-5 3-4 7, Minnich 0-2 2-2 2, Fielstra 1-5 0-1 3, Payne 5-16 9-10 19, Rulli 1-2 0-0 2, Hartman 1-1 0-0 3, Wise 0-1 1-2 1, Martz 0-0 0-0 0, Harner 0-0 0-0 0, Martin 0-0 0-0 0, Kitson 0-0 0-0 0, Bonner 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 10-32 15-18 37.
3-pointers — Salem 4-15 (H. Tomlinson 2-6, Backherms 1-3, M. Tomlinson 1-1, Noel 0-4, Sweeney 0-1), NorthWood 2-8 (Fielstra 1-4, Hartman 1-1, Miller 0-2, Minnich 0-1); Rebounds — Salem 20 (Noel 7), NorthWood: 36 (Payne 10, Rulli 10); Assists — Salem 5 (Noel 3), NorthWood 7 (Miller 2, Fielstra 2, Wise 2); Total fouls — Salem 18, NorthWood 10. Fouled out — H. Tomlinson.
