By Jeff Hodge
Contributing Writer

INDIANAPOLIS – Would Decatur Central’s third time playing Ben Davis this season be a good luck charm, or would the Class 4A Sectional 12 championship Feb. 14 at BD just be the springboard for the host Giants to lay claim to a state title?

Ben Davis had struggled, relatively speaking, with the Hawks (winning 60-44 Dec. 13 in the Marion County Tournament semifinals and again 52-38 Jan. 15 at Decatur) in two previous meetings. But this night was all about the Giants capturing the 21st sectional championship in the storied career of 24th-year coach Stan Benge with an easy 59-27 victory.
 
Ben Davis (26-0 and ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today) connected on several 3-pointers and countless layups as the Giants raced out to a 25-13 lead after one by forcing Decatur Central into repeated turnovers using a full-court pressure defense that just took all the rhythm away from Decatur Central.
 
The second quarter was all BD as well as the Giants outscored Decatur 13-2 to take a commanding 38-15 halftime lead. Decatur Central battled all night long but just could not match the strength and intensity of the Giants, struggling to score even from point-blank range.
 
Ben Davis was led by the game-high 22 points of senior guard Alex Bentley, who indeed played like a young woman on a mission.

“We came out to play and win,” Bentley said. “We are on a mission to win a championship.”
 
The only seeming setback in the game for BD came late in the first half when Brionna Arnold appeared to have been KO’d by a teammate. Arnold, who collided with another player on a rebound and dropped like a rock, sat out the second half as a precautionary move since the outcome was well in hand.

Next up for the Indy westside missionaries is a Southport Regional semifinal date Feb. 21 with Lawrence North (15-8), a team the Giants waxed 92-55 on the road back on Dec. 4. The winner will face either 4A No. 9 defending state champion Carmel (18-4) or 4A No. 11 Perry Meridian (21-4) in the championship Saturday night.

Ben Davis already owns victories over Carmel (72-57 Jan. 30) and Perry (64-35 Nov. 26). A showdown with Carmel would give the Giants a shot at erasing last year’s shocking 56-45 regional championship upset

Decatur Central (17-7) was led by 5’11” junior Diana Jovanovic's 10 points.