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The Homestead Spartans were making their school's first-ever appearance in the boys basketball state finals, but they played like tested veterans of pressure games in squeaking out a 91-90 overtime victory over Evansville Reitz in the Class 4A championship game.

Homestead's Jordan Geist hit a pair of free throws with 9.2 seconds left in the OT. The second one proved to be the winning margin when Reitz's Jaelan Sanford buried a 3-pointer in the final few seconds.

Tahj Curry's late-game performance for Homestead won't soon be forgotten. He scored his team's final two buckets in regulation time off of in-bounds steals by the Spartans, tying it at 73-all. He added seven more points in the extra session and wound up leading the Spartans with 23.

Homestead totaled five players in double-figure scoring. Caleb Swanigan had 20, Geist contributed 18, Dana Batt had 17 and Teddy Ray added 11. Homestead shot 57.4 percent from the field.

The Spartans also outrebounded Reitz by a 44-24 margin. Swanigan led Homestead rebounders with 14 while Batt had 11.       

Coach Chris Johnson's Spartans, ranked 4th in the AP Poll, finished 29-2.

Reitz, ranked second, came into the game as the state's highest-scoring team with a 92.2 average. The Panthers' total in the championship game combined with Homestead's to set a new record for scoring in a state final. Coach Michael Adams' Panthers finished 29-2.

Alex Stein led Reitz with 26 points. Sanford had 24 while Dru Smith scored 13 and Jacob Norman added 10.

Class 4A Championship Game Records

Most Combined Points: 181 by Homestead (91) vs. Evansville Reitz (90).

Most Points In A Half: 54 by Homestead (2nd half) vs. Evansville Reitz; 54 by Evansville Reitz (2nd half) vs. Homestead, 2015.

Most Combined Points In A Half: 108 by Homestead (54) and Evansville Reitz (54), 2015.    

Most 3-Point Field Goals Made: 12 by Evansville Reitz vs. Homestead, 2015.

Most Combined 3-Point Field Goals Made: (Tied) 15 by Evansville Reitz (12) and Homestead (3), 2015.

Most 3-Point Field Goals Attempted: 30 by Evansville Reitz vs. Homestead, 2015.

Most Combined 3-Point Field Goals Attempted: 42 by Evansville Reitz (30) and Homestead (12), 2015.

Highest Free Throw Percentage: .826 by Evansville Reitz (20-22) vs. Homestead (18-24), 2015.

Most Rebounds: (Tied) 44 by Homestead vs. Evansville Reitz, 2015.

Most Combined Assists (since 1972): 38 by Homestead (20) vs. Evansville Reitz (18), 2015.

Most 3-Point Field Goals Made: 6 by Jaelan Sanford, Evansville Reitz vs. Homestead, 2015.

Most 3-Point Field Goals Attempted: 13 by Jaelan Sanford, Evansville Reitz vs. Homestead, 2015.

High Free Throw Percentage (min. 10 attempts): .900 (9-10) by Tahj Curry, Homestead vs. Evansville Reitz, 2015.

 Listen: Homestead Post-Game | Evansville Reitz Post-Game

Dana Batt of Homestead High School wins Trester Mental Attitude Award
Following the game, members of the IHSAA Executive Committee named Dana Batt of Homestead High School as the winner of the Arthur L. Trester Mental Attitude Award in Class 4A Boys Basketball.

The award is annually presented to a senior participant in the state finals who best demonstrates mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability and is named after the IHSAA’s first commissioner who served the Association from 1929 to 1944.

Not only does Dana excel on the basketball court, he shines in the classroom.  Dana is ranked 30th in his class of 508 with a 4.11 GPA.  Additionally, he has participated in such organizations as the National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Euchre Club.  Dana is an active member in his church and has assisted with the Toys for Tots effort as well.

Dana is the son of Daniel and Erin Batt of Fort Wayne.  He will attend Colgate University in Hamilton, New York where he will continue his basketball career and study pre-med.

The Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever, the presenting sponsor of the IHSAA Boys Basketball State Tournament, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Homestead High School in the name of Dana Batt. Since 1989, more than $840,000 in college scholarships have been presented to deserving high school athletes in Indiana.