1A: Three-peat! Canterbury wins state!

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - In a rematch of the 2009 class 1A state championship game, Canterbury was looking to make it three straight state titles battling top-ranked, unbeaten Vincennes Rivet at the Memorial Coliseum.

Vincennes Rivet used a hot-shooting first quarter to grab a five-point lead after eight minutes, 13-8.

Canterbury stepped up the defense in the second quarter cutting the Patriots lead to one on two occasions. Vincennes Rivet led at the half, 25-23. Tabitha Gerardot led Canterbury's offense after the first 16 minutes with eight points.

Cantebury opened the game up a bit in the third quarter.  The Cavaliers would lead by as many as five in the third stanza.  Canterbury took a four-point lead into the final quarter, 44-40.

In the fourth quarter, Vincennes Rivet would take the lead 49-48 with 4:30 left after a three-pointer, but Canterbury would respond with an old-fashioned three-point play from Tabitha Gerardot to reclaim the lead.  Another three by the Patriots put Rivet on top 56-55, but Paige Wells drained a huge three to again reclaim the lead for the Cavaliers, 58-56.

Gerardot and the Cavaliers would cash in at the free throw line down the stretch to seal the third straight class 1A state championship for Canterbury.  The Cavaliers were 23-38 from the charity stripe in the game.  Canterbury outscored Rivet 36-27 in the second and third quarters.  The Cavaliers are just the fourth school in state history to win three straight titles, only the second school to accomplish the feat in class 1A.

Final score:  (#2)Canterbury 69     (#1)Vincennes Rivet 65

Tabitha Gerardot was awarded the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award for class 1A.  The Cavaliers' senior had a game-high 27 points thanks to a 19-point effort in the second half alone.

Canterbury ends the season on an 18-game winning streak finishing the year 25-2.  Vincennes Rivet suffers its first loss of the season (26-1).