Brownsburg’s win delivered the school’s first-ever basketball state title

By Brent Glasgow
Hendricks County Flyer (Avon, Ind.)

INDIANAPOLIS Sat, May 17 2008

— On the same court that Reggie Miller made a habit of sending daggers through opponents’ hearts, Gordon Hayward and the Brownsburg Bulldogs drove one through the Marion Giants Saturday night.
After Marion’s Scott Wood made a three-pointer with 2.1 seconds remaining that gave the Giants a one-point lead, and after four straight timeouts, Hayward scooped up a deflected inbounds pass from Austin Fish and laid it in at the buzzer to give Brownsburg a 40-39 victory and the Class 4A state championship in one of the most thrilling finishes in finals history.
“It left my fingers and I thought it had a chance, then it fell through ... it’s just amazing,” said Hayward, who capped the night by also taking home the prestigious Arthur L. Trester Mental Attitude Award.
Fish’s pass was intended for Julian Mavunga, but it was tipped by Marion’s Jay Edwards Jr. Mavunga was able to nudge the ball in Hayward’s direction, and the senior gathered it and hit the biggest shot ever for the Brownsburg program.
“Gordon Hayward was just in the right place at the right time,” Brownsburg coach Joshua Kendrick said. “These kids should be rated now, I think. All season they haven’t been rated in the polls. I think these kids have a huge heart, and you’ve gotta rate that.”
Brownsburg (22-5) fell behind 9-2 early, with the Bulldogs’ only points coming on a highlight-reel dunk by Mavunga, but another Mavunga basket and a Bubba Watson free throw cut the deficit to four points going into the second quarter.
Mitch Jankowski hit a three-pointer less than a minute into the second for the only points in the period for any Bulldog other than Mavunga, who scored eight points and had five rebounds. Still, Brownsburg trailed by just three at 19-16 at the half.
Outside of Mavunga, Brownsburg shot 1-of-15 from the floor in the first half, with Hayward scoring no points on 0-for-5 shooting.
Back-to-back threes by Fish and Mavunga gave Brownsburg its first lead at 22-19 just over a minute into the third quarter. Hayward scored his first points of the game with a basket at the 3:57 mark, and his layup with eight seconds left in the period tied it at 28-28 with a quarter to play.
J.D. Cosby opened the fourth with a basket to put Brownsburg back on top and Fish nailed a three with 4:17 remaining to give the Bulldogs a 35-29 lead. Marion closed the gap, but Cosby’s 1-of-2 at the foul line made it 38-36 with 24.5 seconds left.
With time running out, Wood hit nothing but net from long range to give Marion a 39-38 lead, and tears started falling from some of the Brownsburg fans and cheerleaders. But during the final timeout, Watson provided a steadying presence.
“I thought our kids had had a chance to follow the leadership of (Watson),” Kendrick said. “He’s kind of our spiritual leader, and in the huddle he said, ‘Fellas, believe.’”
Watson said Wood's make was devastating, but only for a moment, as the team focused on what it had to do.
“When he made that shot, it felt like something just hit me in my heart, and I got down in my spirit,” Watson said. “But God blessed us with another opportunity.”
Edwards leaped to deflect Fish’s long but accurate pass, and Mavunga fought to get it back as Hayward slid by in the lane to pick it up, let it go, and win the title.
For Brownsburg and its legion of fans, the waning moments seemed like an eternity.
“That was definitely the longest two seconds of my life, that’s for sure,” senior Blake Hall said.
The Bulldogs all said they never gave up hope, even when victory seemed all but lost.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be a miracle, we knew it was going to be how hard we worked on that play,” Mavunga said.
Mavunga led Brownsburg with 17 points and 14 rebounds. After being held scoreless through the first 20 minutes, Hayward finished with 10 points and five rebounds. Fish had six points, followed by Cosby and Jankowski with three each, and Watson with one.
Julius Mays led Marion (22-5) with 21 points, the only Giant to score more than six.
Still wide-eyed and appearing almost in a state of shock after all of the trophies and medals had been handed out, Hayward glanced to the stands filled with what seemed like the entire town of Brownsburg for a moment of reflection.
“It’s unreal, I can’t even believe this is happening,” Hayward said. “It’s just been a dream. This whole thing has been a dream. It’s a great feeling.”

Brenrt Glasgow writes for the Hendricks County Flyer in Avon, Ind.

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