By Brady Extin | The Times-Post
LAPEL — Winning postseason games is becoming second nature for head coach Zach Newby and the Lapel Bulldogs.
On Feb. 3, on their home floor they secured their second consecutive sectional title. On Saturday, on their home court once again, they won their second straight IHSAA regional title.
Just like last year’s historic run, the Bulldogs are following the same path.
After wins in last week’s sectional tournament over the same three opponents as the year before, Lapel knocked off another familiar opponent in the regional championship.
To win last year’s regional title, the Bulldogs (23-4) knocked off Eastbrook (23-3) 39-37 in a game that came down to the wire.
This time, Lapel pulled away late to defeat the Panthers 59-45.
Leading the way for the Bulldogs were two key players from last year’s state finals team — Laniah Wills and Madelyn Poynter.
Wills broke an individual milestone in the win, led the Bulldogs in scoring, and recorded her 10th double-double of the season. With a game-high 28 points, she eclipsed the 1,000 career point mark in only her sophomore season.
Wills got started early on the offensive end, scoring 10 of the 14 Lapel points in the opening quarter to keep the Bulldogs down just 16-14 after the opening eight minutes.
Eastbrook’s Mia Bustos scored eight points in the opening quarter.
Midway through the second quarter, Bustos helped push the Eastbrook lead to 23-18 with three more points. The deficit was the largest the Bulldogs had trailed by all postseason.
A Wills bucket at the buzzer cut into the lead and made it a one-point game, 27-26, in favor of the Panthers heading into the break.
Early third-quarter baskets by Poynter and Wills put Lapel back in front, 30-29, but a back-and-forth affair saw Eastbrook retake the lead 39-37.
Down 41-39 with just under five minutes to play, Poynter and Wills answered again for the Bulldogs. A Poynter 3-pointer and a Wills steal and layup put Lapel back ahead 44-41.
The baskets kickstarted a 13-0 Lapel run that allowed them to gain full control over the final minutes. By the two-minute mark, they led 52-43 and carried that into a 59-45 final score.
Poynter and Wills combined for 49 of the 59 Lapel points.
Along with her game-high 28 points, Wills pulled down 10 rebounds, while Poynter scored 21 points.
For the first time all postseason, the Bulldogs will see a new face at Saturday’s semistate.
At Logansport, they will take on Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (17-6) in the first semifinal game at 10 a.m.
The other semifinal, at 12 p.m., will pit Andrean (13-14), who Lapel beat 44-32 in last year’s semistate semifinal, against Lewis Cass (22-3).
The two winners will face each other in the championship game at 8 p.m.
On the southern side of the state bracket, Brownstown Central (18-9) will take on Linton-Stockton (21-6) in the first semifinal game at Shelbyville.
Game No. 2 will see the top remaining ranked team in the class, and a team the Bulldogs have faced this season, Eastern Hancock (24-1), face off against Sheridan (20-5).
