On Saturday, February 29, Warsaw and Lawrence North will meet in the Class 4A state title game. The game will be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis with a planned start time of 8:15 pm.
So now, lets meet the teams:
PREVIEWING THE GAME
Lawrence North enters the game at 18-8 overall and seeking their second state championship with their first since 2020. Warsaw has just one blemish on their 26-1 record this season, coming to Homestead on January 21.
Lawrence North suffered four straight losses in January before winning their final three games to end the regular season. They lost to Noblesville, Lawrence Central, Center Grove and Big Walnut (Ohio) but finished big in those last three wins of the regular season including a massive overtime win against Fishers.
While Warsaw searches for their third state title in girls basketball, they did finish this regular season ranked fifth in Class 4A while Lawrence North was not ranked in the final class poll of the season. The Tigers last won the state title in 1978, with a 1976 title also in their history books.
Both teams come into this game as winners of the last eight each including their five wins in the tournament. Warsaw beat three top 10 teams this tournament – #9 Northridge to win its first sectional in 10 years, #3 South Bend Washington in regionals and#1 Hamilton Southeastern to win the semi state crown. Lawrence North, who finished second in the MIC, beat defending 3A state champion Gibson Southern by 23 points in the semi state morning game before beating Pike for the second time this season in the night game.
Warsaw is 3-0 against common foes this season, while Lawrence North is just 1-2. The losses for Lawrence North against common foes are to South Bend Washington and Hamilton Southeastern, two teams that Warsaw has beaten during their tournament run by 10 and 6 points respectively. Lawrence Central fell to South Bend Washington by 19 in November and to HSE in by 10 in the very first game of the season.
HOW WARSAW WINS
Intense defense creating instant offense will be a key for the Tigers. They finished second in the state in both offensive average (72.04) and defensive average (33.3) this season. That is a large gap to maintain throughout an entire season, so something that is of significant note for this Warsaw program.
Five different Warsaw players average a steal or more to make up the team’s 11.7 steals per contest average. Brooke Zartman leads the way with three per game, followed by Joslyn Bricker (2.6), Alexis Neely (1.7), Brooke Winchester (1.3) and Abbey Peterson (1). But as much as people want to look at steals and blocks and even defensive rebounds as what makes a successful defense tick, what Warsaw does you can’t really describe in just words.
This group smothers opposing offenses. From that core five to Kyra Kiser and Braylie Chastain, Warsaw has been a menace all season long and opposing shooting percentages suffer just as much as turnover woes for teams that face Warsaw.
Warsaw wins this game by setting that pace on the defensive end, where Lawrence North doesn’t have adequate time to set up an offense or feel like they are getting off a good shot.
HOW LAWRENCE NORTH WINS
The reality is that the Wildcats are going to have to be near mistake free, but don’t count them out of this game.
Like Warsaw, Lawrence North is built with depth and no focus on a single player. While they don’t put the ball in the hoop at the rate that Warsaw does (57.3 ppg to Warsaw’s 72.04), having a next player up ability is huge for the Wildcats if someone struggles on Saturday in the title game. Keadriah Butler (13.7 ppg), Kya Hurt (13) and Jamaya Thomas (12.3) all average double digits in scoring with Butler scoring in double figures 22 times including two 20 point games in Lawrence North’s last three outings.
But that is where it gets good for the Wildcats as Hurt has scored in double figures 18 times and Thomas has done so 17 times while also posting a team season high 27 points in a November win over Avon. Naya Winston has a season high of 14 points, Kalea Bentley has scored 15 in a game, and Brooklyn Roberts has a season high of 12 points. So there are plenty of options to put the ball in the basket for Lawrence Central.
Their best bet on Saturday is to make sure they use that scoring depth to their advantage when trying to break down this Warsaw defense.
In addition, head coach Stephen Thomas has been in some tense moments in his coaching and playing careers. He was a player on the Dayton team that upset West Virginia in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament and has two two Sectional titles in his three years as the head coach of Lawrence North.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Brooke Zartman of Warsaw leads the state in three point shooting as she has become Warsaw’s top long range shooter ever. Zartman has hit 106 three pointers during the 2024-25 season, at a clip of 3.9 makes per game, while shooting 46 percent from deep. Nobody else in any of the four state finals is ranked in the top 10 of the following categories: scoring, three points, free throws, rebounds, steals and assists other than Zartman’s three point ranking.
Kya Hurt of Lawrence North really makes this team go. She is one of the more valuable scorers, but also leads the Wildcats offense with 3.6 assists per game. Hurt has 10 games with five or more assists, including a season best nine against Hammond Central. Defensively, Hurt averages 3.5 steals per contest, more than 1/3 of Lawrence North’s steals per game as a team. She has six or more steals on four occasions, including eight in a win over Brebeuf Jesuit.
Alexis Neely of Warsaw probably doesn’t get enough attention for all of the things she does to make Warsaw go. The junior guard has really good court vision and leads Warsaw at 3.8 assists per game as someone who sparks this high octane offense. Neely also averages 9.6 points per game on 42 percent shooting.
BOUNCE’S PREDICTION
This is a game that is completely about pace and tempo. Lawrence North cannot afford to let Warsaw speed them up at all. The Tigers have dictated pace in almost every game they have played this season.
Lawrence North is a very capable team and when all things are coming up in your opponents’ favor, you can either rise to the occasion or you can fold. This doesn’t seem like the type of team that when you watch them, you can’t think they are every going to fold.
Warsaw however is so powerful, that things are pointing in their direction on purpose. Coach Lenny Krebs and his staff have things dialed in right now. Warsaw is what you want to reach to be if you are a team with generational talent: someone who lives up to expectations and thrives. We haven’t always seen that with loaded area teams in the past. BOUNCE PICKS WARSAW 68-52
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