SOUTH BEND — For the first time in 31 years, a South Bend high school won an IHSAA boys basketball state championship. Saint Joseph brought the big trophy back to the city, winning a 56-52 thriller over Indianapolis Crispus Attucks on Saturday to reign as Class 3A state champions.
It was just the fourth boys basketball title in South Bend history. Central High School won in 1953 and 1957. Clay was the champions in 1994 all in the one-class era. Saint Joseph is the only active school of the three.
The Huskies finished 27-3. They set a semi-state record with a single-game best 115 points in the semifinal win over Maconaquah, then added 84 points in the final against East Chicago Central to give them a one-day total record of 199 points.
It’s no surprise then that Saint Joseph leads the way for the 2024-25 South Bend Tribune Boys Basketball All-Area Team. Senior standout Chase Konieczny is our selection for Player of the Year, while head coach Eric Gaff is our Coach of the Year.
Konieczny’s 2,138 career points are the most in school history, fourth in Saint Joseph County history, boys or girls, and 44th amongst in boys basketball state history. He produced an iconic “Hoosier Hysteria” moment in the state finals against Attucks, scoring on a putback dunk with 53 seconds remaining to break a 50-50 tie.
