Brothers Justin Stutzman (45) and Evan Stutzman (44)celebrate with family after the semifinal win.
Senior Jesse Yoder cuts down his piece of net.----
After Taylor Bradbury's field goal in the first quarter, the Lions (26-7) had cut the Couriers' lead to 7-5. The Couriers responded to score the next 6 points for a 13-5 lead at the first break. By halftime, the Couriers were up 26-12.
In the second half, the Couriers added to their advantage and took their biggest lead at 52-29 late in the fourth quarter. The Lions' Jones, who had 17 points in a semifinal win, hit a three-pointer for his only points of the game for the final 52-32 count.
T.J. Baldonado scored 11 points and Bradbury 10 for the repeat state runner-up Lions from Indianapolis.
Evan Stutzman led the Couriers with 15 points in his final game while juniors Jordan Bontrager and Dustin Yoder added 13 and 12 points. The Couriers, who won the 2006 ICST title, finished 17-12 and avenged a 61-51 loss at Horizon Christian December 6.
In an early-afternoon semifinal the Couriers raced out to a 17-8 lead against the Heritage Christian Defenders but barely escaped with a 54-51 victory.
The Defenders charged back to tie the game at 42 through three periods. In the fourth a three by burly forward Case DeJong and field goals by Zach Kooiker and Jake Andringa put the Defenders on top 49-44. But the Couriers were not done. Evan Stutzman nailed two three-pointers sandwiched around a '2' from Dustin Yoder and the Couriers had scored 8 straight and reclaimed the lead at 52-49. Two missed free throws by the Couriers in the final minute gave the Defenders a chance to tie but a late trey was off the mark.
Jake Andringa's 18 points paced the Defenders (17-7) in their first trip to the state finals. DeJong contributed 11 points off the bench.
Stutzman recorded his second-straight 18 point game and Yoder pumped in 18 as well. The Couriers advanced to the ICST championship game for the third time.
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