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The Bedford North Lawrence Stars capped an undefeated season in stirring fashion, outlasting the Fort Wayne South Side Archers, 54-51, in a closely contested Class 4A girls basketball final.

In a game with five ties and 12 lead changes, the Stars went ahead for good when Sammy Dillman sank a 3-pointer from the corner with 1:20 remaining. That provided a 51-48 edge and BNL closed out its scoring by hitting three free throws.

A pair of sophomores, Alexa Bailey and Dominique McBryde, led the Stars with 19 points apiece. Bailey is the daughter of the state's all-time leading scorer and BNL assistant coach Damon Bailey. Jenna Allen collected 11 rebounds for the Stars.

BNL's girls were making their fifth appearance in a state championship game. The title was their third (1983 and 1991).

South Side's trip to the Hulman Center marked its first appearance in the girls state finals. The Archers' performance in the title game was dramatically different from their regular-season meeting against the Stars, who won by 24 points in a January game at Bedford.

Ariana Simmons led the Archers with 21 points and 11 rebounds in the title game.

Coach Kurt Godlevske's Stars, ranked No. 2 in the Class 4A ICGSA poll, completed the season at 28-0. Coach Juanita Goodwell's Archers, unranked in the ICGSA poll, finished 24-4.

 Listen: Bedford North Lawrence Coach Kurt Godlevske | Fort Wayne South Side Coach Juanita Goodwell

Carli Fields of Bedford North Lawrence named Roy Mental Attitude Award Winner
Following the game, members of the IHSAA Executive Committee named Carli Fields of Bedford North Lawrence High School as the winner of the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award in Class 4A Girls Basketball.

The award is presented annually to a senior participant in each classification who was nominated by her principal and coach and has demonstrated excellence in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability.

Fields has achieved an SAT score over 1500 this year, is an active member of her youth group at St. Vincent DePaul Church in Bedford, and is a cadet teacher at a local middle school assisting teachers and students. She has been a key reserve player for the Stars’ run to the state championship game this year.

Carli is the daughter of Raymond and Tracey Fields of Bedford. She is undecided on her college choice but is interested in studying Secondary Education.

Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA’s corporate partner, will present a $1,000 scholarship to Bedford North Lawrence High School in the name of Fields.

The award is named in honor of the former IHSAA assistant commissioner Patricia L. Roy, who oversaw the girls basketball state tournament from its inception in 1976 until her retirement in 1999.