End of the line for Wildkats
Kokomo falls to Ben Davis in basketball state title game; Spear wins Trester Mental Attitude award
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The Kokomo Wildkats dreamed of a state title all year. So did the fans. With a line-up stronger than anything seen in Howard County boys basketball perhaps since 1961, the team was on the cusp of immortality.
But it was not to be.
The Wildkats were felled by the Giants of Ben Davis, 54-41, in the IHSAA Class 4A state title game on March 25. They ended the season with a 24-5 record, with two of those losses coming at the hands of Ben Davis.
As in the regular season, the Kats were led by 6-10 junior center Flory Bidunga in the big game. He scored 19 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and blocked five shots. Senior Zavion Bellamy added nine points and eight boards.
Ultimately, cold shooting got the best of the Wildkats. The boys shot 44 percent from the field, but 15 percent from the free-throw line and just 10 percent from three-point range. Those missed opportunities were too much to overcome. Had the team made those shots at their average rate, the outcome easily could have been much different.
There was a bit of a silver lining on that storm cloud, however. Senior Shayne Spear was selected as the Trester Mental Attitude Award winner for the tournament. He scored 14.5 points per game during the postseason and was a leader on and off the court.
This was the first time the Wildkats had played in the state title game since 1989 and only the sixth time to make the final four in school history. The 1961 state championship remains the only time Kokomo took home the title.
Visit the Kokomo Lantern’s Facebook page and group for additional photos from the state title game.