TERRE HAUTE – The Penn girls basketball team found its path to a state championship blocked by Bedford North Lawrence Saturday night.

Literally.

The No. 2 Stars used its shot-blocking prowess to deny the No. 4 Kingsmen 51-41 in the Class 4-A state title tilt in the Hulman Center.

BNL, coached by Indiana legend Damon Bailey, swatted away a total of eight Penn shots in the win.

Brittani Rizzi hit a Class 4-A state title game record five treys in leading the Stars with 17 points.  Dominique McBryde had six blocked shots as BNL limited Penn to a 13-55 shooting effort in the contest.

BNL finishes the season 27-1 to capture its second straight state title. The Stars are 55-1 over the past two seasons.

The Stars never trailed in the game, which was tied just once at 5-5. Rizzi proved to be the difference with her handful of treys, including three late in the third quarter and early into the fourth stanza that gave her team a 42-29 lead.

BNL led 10-6 after the opening period and 24-21 at halftime. Penn made just 1-17 shots to open the contest, but stayed close with its offensive rebounding and by forcing the Stars into turnovers.

Penn, which finishes at 25-2, was 13-55 overall from the field, including 2-12 on 3-pointers. The Kingsmen were 13-20 from the free throw line.

Jessi Alexander paced Penn with 11 points to go with seven rebounds. Camryn Buhr had eight points and seven rebounds and Lauren Ellenberger seven points. Caroline Buhr had six points and 11 rebounds and Claire Carlton five points for coach Kristi Kaniewski’s squad.

BNL shot 17-35 overall from the field, including 6-9 from distance. Rizzi hit 5-6 on 3-point tries to lead the champions. The Stars were 11-20 from the line.

Rizzi canned 17 points, while 6-3 inside presence Jenna Allen had 12 points and 14 rebounds and the 6-2 McBryde had 11 points and 12 rebounds to go with her six blocked shots.

Bailey, who has two daughters playing on the team, is in his first season as head coach after previously serving as an assistant for the Stars. He led BNL to a state championship in 1990 with a 63-60 win over Concord in the state championship game and is the state’s all-time leading scorer with 3,134 points.