By: Stephanie Walstrom <[email protected]>

It was a night that set four IHSAA records and defied all game predictions. But according to Danielle Havel, varsity basketball player and senior, Carmel’s 84-72 win over South Bend Washington on March 1 meant far more than that.

“We were predicted to lose by 22,” Havel, who put up 16 points in the game, said. “We were playing with nothing to lose, and that fueled us to an incredible win.”

The Hounds finished the season with a 25-2 record and won many tournament games convincingly, beating Columbus East in Semistate by 22 points. The State championship marked the 100th for Carmel and the first ever for Carmel women’s basketball. “It’s a trademark victory not only for Carmel, but for girl’s basketball. It shows girl’s basketball does belong,” Havel said.

“It’s very neat to finally take our name off the list of teams that haven’t won a State title,” Assistant Coach Joe Stuelpe said.

Going into the game, Havel said the team knew that they would have to play “team ball” to defeat the defending State champions. “We had a great team effort; there were three underclassmen with double digit points,” she said.

“From one end of the bench to the other, all the girls were cheering for the girls on the floor,” Stuelpe said. “They played as a team, and if they hadn’t done that, I don’t think they would have won.”

Five players contributed to Carmel’s point total. Chrissy Steffen, varsity basketball player and junior, led the game with a career-high 31 points to tie the IHSAA record for individual points in a State game. Lauren McRoberts, varsity basketball player and junior, and Ashlee Spearman, varsity basketball player and senior, each chipped in 14 points. Torrie Thornton, varsity basketball player and freshman, had nine.

Other records from the night were most combined points, most combined field goals made, most combined 3-point field goals attempted and most combined assists. Additionally, Carmel tied the record for most points scored by a team. Notably, Carmel closed the game with 77 percent free throw accuracy.

Following the game, the Conseco crowd of 11,030 watched as Havel received the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award. Every year, the two final teams nominate one player, and the recipient of the award, which endows the winning player’s school with $1,000, is announced after the closing buzzer. Havel became the first women’s basketball player ever to win the award for Carmel. “Winning that award was great, but honestly winning State would have been enough for me. Winning state was more than enough,” Havel said. She plans to attend and play basketball for DePaul University next fall on a full ride scholarship.

“These moments are precious because there’s no garuntee you’ll be able to do it agian,” Stuelpe said about the victory. “Each season is a different journey, and I look forward to building next year’s group into a team that can compete like this team did.” The team will graduate six seniors this spring.

“I’m taking so much away from the season. I love my seniors, and I wish the best to the underclassmen,” Havel said. “This win was so important not only to the school, but for each of us personally. It gives women’s basketball a spot in Carmel’s history.”