Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
BOURBON - The answer rolled off 16-year-old Amber Feldman's lips about as smooth as her game-winning three-pointer rolled off her fingers in last year's Class A state championship game against No. 4 Rising Sun.
Asked if Saturday's state title game were to come down to the wire would she want the ball in her hands, Feldman responded, "Sure, I'll take it."
A year ago, and then just a sophomore, Feldman put her name alongside Hoosier greats, nailing a three-pointer as time ran out in overtime to lift unranked Triton over fourth-ranked Rising Sun 57-54.
The state title was the first for the Trojans in any sport, and immediatley the young Feldman's name was used in the same sentence as Bobby Plump, whose shot in 1954 shocked the state when tiny Milan's boys team upended power Muncie Central for the state title.
Plump's shot inspired the motion picture Hoosiers; Feldman's shot of 2000 was on the same floor as (Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse) and near the same spot where Plump's shot was released.
Some 360 days afterwards, Triton coach Mark Heeter says it still hasn't sunk in that one of his players' names was and is being used in the same sentence with Plump.
A year ago, Feldman was the shy girl that came off the bench to hit that shot, and even at that, the ring finger on her shooting hand was taped to her middle finger. She had injured it earlier in the week and then had surgery the week after the game.
As a junior, she's still the same shy girl, only she's a starter.
"This year she's a little more outspoken," Heeter said of the shy, reserved Feldman, "but not nearly as outspoken as Betsy (Salyer) or Rachel (Speicher). She's a leader more by actions than words. She's an emotional leader, that's what we wanted to get out of her last year. She's been a major factor this year."
Entering Saturday's 10:30 a.m. date with No. 2 White River Valley (22-5) in the state championship at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Feldman is averaging 8.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
At Triton's media day Tuesday, she was the same shy girl she was last year. She sat in a circle with her teammates as assistant coach Gayle Perry talked with the team, which will practice in Indianapolis tonight, about a grocery list for their trip.
Feldman spoke, but said very little. And then Feldman was asked for an interview, where she spoke but said very little.
It's nothing against Feldman, it's like Heeter said, she's a leader by her actions on the court. She made eye contact as if she was staring down a would-be defender or looking for an open player to dish the ball to.
Next year Feldman will be a senior, and it will be up to her to be a leader. Triton lost but one player from last year's state championship team, Missy Nifong, who now plays for Manchester College. The Trojans will graduate eight players from this year's team, including starters Salyer, Speicher, and Brandie Ganshorn. The fifth starter, Ashli Senff, is a sophomore.
Asked the difference between her spot as a role player last year and being a starter this year, Feldman said, "there's more pressure to get things done."
Pressure is hitting the game-winner in overtime of the state championship with an injured shooting hand.
