Two years after finishing as the state runner-up, Muncie Southside returned and won the Class 3A state championship in thrilling fashion -- an 81-78 overtime victory over Evansville Mater Dei on Saturday (March 24) at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

It was the third state championship in the school’s history (Wrestling, 1974-75, 1989-90) but its first in boys basketball. They also became the first Muncie school to win a state title since Muncie Central in 1988.

The (Class 3A) second-ranked Rebels (23-3) finished with a 17-game winning streak upending the top-ranked Wildcats by hitting its free throws in the late-going of the overtime.

Muncie Southside led at the first stop, 11-8, but Mater Dei took a 29-28 halftime lead on a Patrick Mallory layup with :04 to go. Muncie Southside held the lead after three at 51-48 before the two teams finished deadlocked at 63-63 at the end of regulation.

With 1:55 left in regulation, Mater Dei took a 62-58 lead on Jared Schiff’s jumper, but Southside scored on its next two trips down the court. Brice Jones hit two free throws and rebounded a Mater Dei miss at the other end before Ryan Baumgartner hit a three-pointer to put Muncie back on top, 63-62. Travis Welch of Mater Dei hit the first of two free throws with 1:16 left to knot the score at 63-63.

In the overtime, Muncie Southside never trailed. Baumgartner started things off with a three-pointer with 3:19 to go and the Rebels hit seven of eight free throws down the stretch to salt the game away. Baumgartner, son of coach Rick Baumgartner, hit all four of his attempts and David Vance hit three of four in the final minute of play.

Muncie Southside had four players in double figures but Jones seemed to be everywhere for the Rebels. He finished with a double-double with 26 points on 7-of-16 shooting including a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line. He also hauled in 13 rebounds before fouling out with 2:37 remaining in overtime.

Dustin Furney and Brian Bell hit for 14 points each and Baumgartner tallied 13.

Evansville Mater Dei (26-2) was led in scoring by 6-9 junior center Matt Kiefer’s 23 points. He finished 10-of-14 from the field. Jared Schiff knocked down 20 points and Welch 11.

Muncie Southside, with a decided size disadvantage, actually outrebounded the taller Wildcats, 43-36.

Mater Dei, coached by Roger Sills, was making its first appearance in the state finals and was trying to become the second school to win football and basketball state championships in the same year (Lafayette Central Catholic, Class A, 1999-00). The Wildcats won the Class 2A football title last November with a 56-10 win over Fort Wayne Bishop Luers. The loss snapped a 15-game winning streak.

Brian Bell of Muncie Southside High School was selected as the recipient of the Arthur L. Trester Award for Mental Attitude in Class 3A Boys Basketball by the IHSAA Executive Committee.

A starting guard for the Rebels, Bell is third on the team at 10.8 points per game and also has participated in football and baseball at Muncie Southside. He was an All-State Honorable Mention selection in football this year.

Academically, Bell ranks in the top 10 percent of his senior class with a 3.5 grade point average. He is also active in the National Honor Society, student council and serves as commanding officer of the ROTC Drill Team at the school.

Bell becomes the first winner of a mental attitude award in any sport in his school’s history.

He plans to study Physical Therapy at either Anderson University or Wabash College.

Farm Bureau Insurance, the corporate partner of the Indiana High School Athletic Association, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Muncie Southside High School in the name of Bell.

"It was definitely a number one vs. number two game (rankings). They had the quickness advantage from the get-go, but we fought hard the whole game. They were able to come out on top in the end."

(On last shot of regulation) "We had an opportunity to control our own destiny with the last shot at the end of regulation, but we didn’t. In the overtime, they were able to hit their free throws and we weren’t able to get ours."

(On in-bounds pass in regulation when Matt Kiefer called timeout) "We wanted to set up on the side because that’s how we won the game in the semi-state against Brebeuf."

"I think we were in as good of shape as they were in going into the overtime. They got ahead at the beginning and we just couldn’t catch up with them."

"In the second half, I wasn’t in foul trouble. The guards did a good job in getting the ball to me underneath."

"They were probably the quickest team we played all year and they were able to break our press pretty much."

"Great win. I told the people going into this game they would get their money’s worth. I think the fans certainly had to enjoy this one."

"We did this the hard way. If ever there was a game where we were having adversity, and I’m talking about the foul situation. It seemed like we had everybody in foul trouble. The entire starting five had two fouls a piece. We were contemplating that first half on pulling them. And it was good thing we didn’t because they went ahead and had a run to take the lead. There’s no telling, the lead could have been even greater if we had gone ahead and subbed."

"We really had to find different ways to win this basketball game. We had different people step up at different times. My hats off to Evansville Mater Dei, they are a great team with a lot of weapons. The two teams really battled."

"I’m really happy for the south side of Muncie. You’d have to be part of Muncie to understand what I’m talking about. There is a lot of feeling here, a lot of joy on people’s faces. The tradition and success of Muncie Central has a lot to do with it. It’s about time they get a little red in the Muncie Fieldhouse, it’s kind of drab color in there, purple, and you need a little red to brighten things up. This is a long time coming. You kind of live in the shadow of Muncie Central. The south side kind of searches for its own identity, we talked for three years about the state of Indiana finding out who we are. They know who we are tonight."

"We started the game a little stiff offensively and weren’t attacking like we should. We weren’t moving the ball quick enough, we weren’t penetrating, which was one of our strengths, and a lot of it had to do with the style. A quicker offense with not as many passes, that’s the way we like to play. We have played some really nice half-court games throughout the tournament, but we knew this was going to be up-tempo and we like to play that way."

(When Bell fouled out and Baumgartner stepped up) "We switched what we were doing, and did a little thing on the baseline to free him (Ryan Baumgartner) up and the kids did a nice job of moving the ball around to get it to him. I’ll tell you, the little son-of-a-gun came through."

(On his shooting struggles) "I didn’t lose any confidence. I just went out and kept shooting the ball and finally my shots went down."

Team Rebounds: 6

Team Rebounds: 8

Officials: Larry Nixon, James Robinson.