Matt Arnold was given quite a gift for his wedding today. A national championship trophy.

His team, Indiana's Finest Black Cats, won the AAU 14-under championship 63-56 over the Dayton Lady Hoopstars at Salem Civic Center. The Indianapolis-based team was coached by Tim Davidson, the team's substitute for this week's tournament.

"When the final buzzer went off, I finally had a chance to relax," he said as the team went to cut down the nets. "We lost our first game here in town by one point. We were a little slow on defense in that first game. Ever since that loss, the girls won each game."

The teams traded leads throughout the game, with Dayton on top at halftime. Down the stretch, the Cats controlled the ball and forced tough shots. They sealed the game with free-throw shooting from leading scorers Maggie Boyer and Courtney Osborne.

"We cut down on our turnovers at the end of the game, which was the key," Davidson said. "We missed a few free throws early, but they kept us in the game at the end."

Osborne had the only double-double of the game with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

"This is a great team," she said. "I'm just happy to do my part to make them even better. I have an awesome time playing with them."

Her play has garnered the attention of several universities including Kansas, headed by former Virginia Tech coach Bonnie Henrickson.

"Courtney is an outstanding ball player, one of the best I have seen at this age," Davidson said. "She is only going to be a freshman in high school next year, and she will be heavily recruited for college."

After finishing seventh last year in the national tournament, the Cats added Osborne and Rachel Steinbarger in hopes of reaching the championship.

"They helped us get over the top," Davidson said. "All of these girls gel on and off the court. Whether we are up or down, we are having fun."

Indiana's Finest won nine tournaments on their road to Salem. They won each tournament except one, losing to the same Dayton team they beat for the championship.

Seeing their name as national champions may be the most fun of all, even without their head coach.

"With Coach Arnold being gone, Coach Davidson did an awesome job," Osborne said. "Seeing the clock hit zero was the best feeling. Being national champions is a dream come true."

The celebration in Salem was short. The team left soon after the game -- trophy in hand -- to attend Arnold's wedding.