Many people felt it simply couldn’t happen again, but when Jamal Harris’ rebound putback fell through the net with just under 1 second to play, the Crispus Attucks Tigers defeated the Twin Lakes Indians 73-71, turning back the clock to their storied tradition and, more importantly, placing them back in the spotlight in our fair city and across the nation.
The game was highly contested throughout, with both teams shooting the ball well. The lead changed hands back and forth by virtue of both teams going on scoring runs, with the Tigers heading to the locker room at halftime up by just 3. The second half saw the Indians get it into high gear and go up by 9, before Attucks came storming back to cut the margin to just 4 at the end of the third quarter. The final stanza would be more nip and tuck, and as the horn sounded, the Attucks faithful began to celebrate, much to the dismay of the enthusiastic and disappointed Twin Lakes fans.
Amongst the Attucks contingency in attendance was the legendary Oscar Robertson, the key cog in the 1955 and ’56 Attucks state championship teams. As he walked onto the court and raised his hands in celebration, he smiled and looked into the crowd before participating in the awards ceremony, where he presented the winners their title medals.
“This game is about these young men, not me,” the jubilant Robertson said to the assembled media afterward. “I’m just thrilled for them. It’s their day.”
First year Attucks coach Chris Hawkins summed it up eloquently afterward when he told the media, “This is bigger than basketball.”
That short statement clearly sums up the trek of a team and a program that many had considered an afterthought at best, and not one that could recapture the sacred glory of the powerful 1950s champions. In the end, Crispus Attucks did much more than hang another title banner, as they connected the past with the present, setting the bar for those in the future even higher, which also was not lost on some of the other legendary figures from the previous title teams. Hallie Bryant and Bill Hampton both smiled widely as they visited with the players in the locker room after the game. You have to wonder what was going through their minds as they thought back to the days in which they played through the significant racial divide of that era, and despite such, captured championships with dignity and grace. No doubt they saw a lot of themselves in the Tigers of today, and that’s a reunion far more important than the game of basketball could ever be.
While the Attucks story rightfully took center stage, there were two additional teams from Indianapolis who captured championships, as well. In the Class A division, Tindley defeated Lafayette Central Catholic 51-49, by virtue of Hunter White’s basket with just 5 seconds left in the game. Chris Murff led Tindley with 13, while Sincere McMahon added 10. Avery Denhart paced Central Catholic with 17, while Carson Barrett dropped in 11 while pulling down a game-high 13 boards.
In the Class 4A tilt, unranked Ben Davis capped off a splendid tournament run when they defeated fourth-ranked Fort Wayne North, 55-52. The Giants trailed by as many by 9 in the first half, but rallied in the second half to upset the Legends. Jalen Windham led Ben Davis with 15 points and had good support from Datrion Harper and Aaron Henry, who hit for 14 and 12, respectively. Jaylen Butz and Juan Quarles each connected for 11 points to pace Fort Wayne North. Robert Turner of Ben Davis received the Trester Mental Attitude Award.
Danny Bridges, who thinks the State Finals were about as good as they could be, can be reached at (317) 370-8447 or at Bridgeshd@aol.com.
