INDIANAPOLIS — Eric Thornton was named Norwell girls basketball coach in 1997. Twenty seven years and 472 wins later, he's preparing to coach in his first state championship game.

Thornton has certainly earned his title shot, and so too have the Knights.

A team that looked "terrified" during last year's regional vs. Hamilton Heights, they used the past three months to steel themselves against a schedule that included wins over Columbia City and Valparaiso, narrow losses against Northridge, Homestead and Lawrence North, and a 15-point setback — their lone double-digit loss this season — to Fort Wayne Snider.

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The players maintained their composure the entire way, Thornton said, calling it a "big step" for them.

The biggest step came at semistate last weekend. Staring down the same Hamilton Heights team that cut last year's state tournament run short, the Knights stayed with what worked and executed at a high-level, utilizing their 1-3-1 to disrupt passing lanes and pressure the Huskies and Evansville-bound star Camryn Runner.

"We've been playing together since we were in third grade and to be able to make it to this point is just an amazing accomplishment," senior Makenzie Fuess said. "We've worked hard every game and played for each other."

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Fuess and fellow senior Kennedy Fuelling form a powerful 1-2 punch atop the Norwell lineup, accounting for nearly 60% of their team's scoring. Both players shoot the ball at a high-clip, and are bolstered by sophomore Vanessa Rosswurm, who's averaging nearly 12 points and six rebounds (team-high).

Norwell has been building toward this moment, but Gibson Southern has, too.

The Titans only have two seniors on their roster — Chloey Graham and Ally Malone (both 3-4-year starters) — but they are still a veteran group with another three-year starter in Gabby Spink, the team's leading scorer, leading a deep junior class.

That experience enabled coach Kyle Brasher to beef up his team's schedule, following the season opener at Castle with a trip to Bishop Chatard four days later, followed by games against Lawrence North, Evansville Memorial, Roncalli, Silver Creek and Evansville North later in the season.

"They knew what the end game was," Brasher said. "If we lost a game or two, they knew ultimately we were going to learn from it and get better. I think the fact we were a more mature team and had some experience together, it made it easier on us as a coaching staff. I'm not going to say we enjoyed losing, but we saw the end goal of being here."

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Graham and Spink stand out immediately on Gibson Southern's MaxPreps page, but the emergence of 6-1 freshman center Paige Schnaus cannot be overlooked. She was "thrown to the wolves" at the beginning of the year, Brasher said, but after an adjustment period — not always being the tallest player on the floor was the big one — she began building confidence and finding her way.

"You could tell she was a freshman at the beginning of the season," Graham said. "Then halfway, you could see her getting more confident in herself and each game from there she's done really well. She doesn't look like a freshman anymore. She's really taking big shots and knows that she's going to do well in those games."

No. 3 Gibson Southern (25-4) vs. No. 2 Norwell (23-4)

WHEN: Saturday, 6 p.m.

HOW TO WATCH: IHSAA.tv ($15 per game or $20 for all four)

COACHES: Gibson Southern — Kyle Brasher (6th year, 123-31); Norwell — Eric Thornton (27th year, 452-191)

SERIES: First meeting

STATE FINALS: Gibson Southern — 2 (2002*, 2024); Norwell — 2 (1977, 2024)

TEAM STATS: Gibson Southern — 65.5 ppg (43% FG / 32% 3FG / 67% FT), 45.5 ppg allowed, 31.5 rpg, 14.9 apg; Norwell — 65 ppg (39% FG / 38% 3FG / 63% FT), 42.2 ppg allowed, 29 rpg, 11 apg

TOP PERFORMERS: Gibson Southern — G Gabby Spink (19.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 5.9 apg), G Chloey Graham (17.2 ppg, 4 rpg, 1.8 apg), C Paige Schnaus (9.7 ppg, 6 rpg, 0.4 apg); Norwell — G Kennedy Fuelling (21.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.8 apg), G Mackenzie Fuess (16.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.7 apg), G Vanessa Rosswurm (11.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.5 apg)

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana girls basketball 3A final preview: Gibson Southern vs. Norwell