North was an underdog all season. It defied the odds to win the Class 4A sectional title

EVANSVILLE — This might resonate for some time within the North basketball program.

Tyler Choate has coached the Huskies for eight seasons. He’s already won more games than any coach in program history. Yet, he’s speechless. Choate is sitting on the bench by himself, his gaze fixed on the scene unfolding in front of him.

The Huskies are sectional champions. Imagine if you read that sentence in October or even last week.

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North defeated Central 52-46 on Saturday to win the Class 4A sectional title. It’s only the fifth in program history but the second in Choate's eight seasons (2020). The Huskies played their best at the most opportune time.

“This one is very special to me and to the kids,” said Choate. “Jim Boeheim once said, ‘The craziest things happen when you don’t expect them.’ I can attest to that now. This is what coaching and playing Indiana basketball is about.”

How much of a surprise was it? There were questions in the offseason with considerable production lost to graduation after a 17-win season. Those only compounded when Evie Sale, described as the heart and soul of the team, collapsed to the ground in an October practice with an ACL tear.

The doubts turned to intrigue with nine straight victories, highlighted by winning the Lebanon Holiday Tournament, in the middle of the season. The goodwill earned nearly dwindled with seven losses to finish the regular season.

The Huskies had to reverse two previous defeats (Reitz and Central). It trailed by nine at halftime in the championship game. Every potential pitfall avoided. Each critical moment turned up in their favor on the first weekend of February.

“The girls just kept believing and fighting,” said Choate. “You traditionally don’t lose seven in a row and then win a sectional. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve said, ‘Three nights in February.’”

The final hurdle was arguably the toughest. Central, a 20-game winner with arguably the best player in the field, was the defending sectional champion. It surged ahead by double digits in the second quarter. The Bears’ lineup is stacked with defenders and shooters.

North (16-10) went to work the only one it knew how: together. Azaria Finn gave the Huskies the lead late in the third quarter. It expanded to eight in the fourth and never got within two possessions. Credit a defensive effort that limited Central star Maddy Shirley to only 13 points and 11 rebounds (zero after halftime). The Bears also committed 15 turnovers.

“It took so much work to get here,” said senior Aliah Epps. “We had to play for each other. We had nothing to lose. There was no pressure in our locker room. (But) if there’s no change, it’s not going to end the way we want to.”

Not one performance stands out in a box score. Perhaps, that’s ideal for an inexperienced North team forced to learn on the fly all season. Blythe scored all 11 of her points in the second half. Maddy Knies, a junior forced into a bigger role when Sale got hurt, totaled nine points and nine boards. Epps registered a career-high 10 points.

Or maybe the moment belonged to Finn. The freshman had 11 points and a trio of critical threes in the Huskies’ second-half momentum shift. Give credit to the entire lineup for this victory.

“Their response to adversity is why they’re here,” said Choate. “I say this respectfully, I’m not sure Aliah has scored 10 points the whole year. That’s what seniors do. (Azaria) grew up tonight. I can’t to see what she does next week.”

Avery Kelley led Central (20-6) with 14 points. The Bears return three starters and four of their top five scorers.

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The attention for the Huskies shifts to No. 8 Franklin (23-3) at a location still to be determined. They’ll be the underdog once again in the regional. It won’t be anything new though. North wasn’t the favorite in October. It certainly wasn’t going into February after its month-long slide.

The only results that ultimately mattered told a different story. One showing what happens when talent, belief and opportunity connect at once.

“This whole season we knew we would be the underdog,” said Blythe. “These last two nights we knew nobody was on our side except for maybe our parents and a couple of students. We came here to win three. That’s what we did.”

Follow Courier & Press sports reporter Kyle Sokeland on X (formerly Twitter) @kylesokeland.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: IHSAA girls basketball: North wins Class 4A sectional championship