Host Cavemen, Wildcats survive scares to play again for 4A-3 Sectional title
MISHAWAKA — Host Mishawaka and South Bend Riley have some unfinished business to settle with one another on the basketball court, and they will get the chance to do that when they meet in the IHSAA Boys Basketball Class 4A-Sectional 3 championship game at The Cave Saturday at 7 p.m.
Coach Bodie Bender’s Cavemen, who won a share of the Northern Lakes Conference title this season, and coach Alex Daniel’s 11th-ranked Wildcats, who earned a share of the Northern Indiana Conference crown, both used big third quarters in Friday’s semifinals to gain the final.
With 6-foor-4 senior forward Brady Fisher leading the way with a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double, Mishawaka overcame an 18-13 deficit to pesky South Bend Adams early in the third quarter to take a 27-23 lead into the fourth quarter before pulling away for a 41-37 victory in Friday’s first game.
Opening games: Fourth-quarter surges help host Mishawaka, Michigan City advance in 4A sectional
Then in the nightcap, Wildcats senior Mancell Hill scored 22 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and held Michigan City’s Allen Briggs to just three second-half points while his team opened the second half on a 9-0 run on its way to a 58-50 victory.
The 21-4 Wildcats, who earlier this season had Mishawaka’s number in a 62-49 victory at the Phil Cox Memorial Holiday Tournament in Kokomo on Dec. 22, will be out to avenge their season-ending 71-58 loss to the Cavemen in last season’s 4A-3 sectional title game at LaPorte High School.
Mishawaka 41, South Bend Adams 37
Fisher, the bruising, hard-running quarterback for Keith Kinder’s Cavemen in the fall, scored a game-high 21 points, had 11 rebounds and dribbled away from coach Chad Johnston’s Eagles (9-15) when they tried to force turnovers late. Fisher, who says he will be attending Mississippi State as “Joe Student,” also had plenty of help from two other seniors, one of whom was his fall wide receiver — 6-foot-4 Trey Thomas, who scored 11 points. Meanwhile, 6-foot-3 senior Cooper Pritchett, a baseball standout, scored six points while grabbing a game-high 13 rebounds as the Cavemen improved to 18-7 with their third straight victory.
The latest: South Bend area IHSAA boys basketball sectional scores, pairings, tipoff times
“We just weren’t knocking down shots early,” Fisher said. “But that changed a little more in the second half, and the scoreboard reflected that. Trey is one of those guys who really came along this year. He’s one of those guys who can finish shots inside. We need more guys who can do that. We didn’t get the start we wanted, but we stuck with it and finished strong.”
Bender couldn’t say enough about the grit and determination of Fisher and his fellow seniors.
“I thought Trey played well defensively and (senior) Jack Troyer played well defensively and Cooper had his moments,” Bender said. “I just wish we’d do a better job finishing inside. We survived the free-throw line — we were not very good tonight. Holding them to 24 points (Adams scored one point in 7:41 in a stretch during the last two quarters) was key, too.”
Mishawaka trailed 10-6 after the first quarter and 16-13 at halftime before it outscored Adams 14-7 in the third quarter to take command of the game. The Cavemen’s biggest lead was 36-24 with 2:35 left to play thanks to a 9-1 run to start the fourth quarter, and it might have been more if Mishawaka had hit its free throws. The Cavemen, who shot 39 percent from the field, made just nine of 23 free throws. But their 44-20 dominance on the boards also helped.
Senior Amari Wesson, one of three seniors (Gerron Barr and KJ Johnston the other two) for the Eagles, finished with a team-high 15 points while sophomore Jarvis Tolbert added 11 points.
“I’m proud of our three seniors and sad for them,” said head coach Chad Johnston, whose Eagles gave Mishawaka all it could handle back on Feb. 13 in a 52-50 loss at Adams. “A couple of times we just got outmuscled. We just couldn’t get over that hump late.”
MISHAWAKA 41, SOUTH BEND ADAMS 37
At The Cave, Mishawaka High School
SOUTH BEND ADAMS (37): Jarvis Tolbert 11, Amari Wesson 15, Gerron Barr 2, KJ Johnston 0, David Hayo 4, Lemonz Jones 0, Terron Johnson 5, Mikey Barr Jr. 0, Carter Johnston 0, TOTALS 16 3-7 37.
MISHAWAKA (41): Brady Fisher 21, Cooper Pritchett 6, Anthony Nelson 1, Trey Thomas 11, Jackson Snyder 2, Jack Troyer 0, Landon Johns 0, TOTALS 16 9-23 41.
South Bend Adams | 10 | 16 | 23 | 37
Mishawaka | 6 | 13 | 27 | 41
3-point goals: Adams 2 (Johnson 1, Wesson 1), Mishawaka none. Shooting: Adams 16 of 44 for 36.3 percent; Mishawaka 16 of 41 for 39.0 percent. Rebounds: Adams 20 (Tolbert 5), Mishawaka 44 (Pritchett 13, Fisher 11). Turnovers: Adams 11, Mishawaka 10.Total fouls (fouled out): Adams 21 (Tolbert), Mishawaka 8 (none). Records: Mishawaka 18-7, South Bend Adams 9-15.
South Bend Riley 58, Michigan City 50
Hill, a 6-foot-1 senior wingman, hit all six of his first-half shots — four of them from beyond the 3-point arch — for 16 points that helped to offset the 18 first-half points of Michigan City’s 6-foot-2 Briggs. Then Hill shut down Briggs in the second half, limiting him to three points, all in the third quarter, as the Wildcats pulled away. Hill got help from his fellow starters as senior Payton Baird and junior point guard Marvin Schindler scored 14 points each in the victory.
“(Briggs) is tough to guard,” Hill said. “I just tried to shade him to his right and stay in front of him. He’s tough to guard for sure because of his length and speed. I thought we played well. We competed just the way we wanted to, and now we just have to get some rest for tomorrow.”
Daniel liked the defensive effort of his squad, and he was especially happy with the way his substitutes off the bench, especially 5-foot-6 guard Kishawn Wright handled the pressure supplied by coach Tom Wells’ athletic Wolves. Riley trailed after the first quarter 13-10 but led 29-27 at the break before increasing their lead to 45-38 after three quarters. Riley’s ability to handle the ball never allowed Michigan City to get closer than four points the rest of the way.
“(Ayden) Kent had three fouls at halftime, so we started the second half without him on the floor,” Daniel said. “We brought in B.J. Willliams (on Briggs before going to Hill) and made it tough on him. Hill is going to compete, no matter what. He’s a guy who’s going to stick his nose in there. He’s not afraid of anyone we put him on. And Kishawn is great in getting the ball where we need it to be.”
The Wildcats’ 9-0 run to start the second half was the difference.
“That was a spurt we didn’t have an answer for, and it ended up being the difference in the game,” said Wells, whose team was hoping to avenge a 66-64 home loss to the Wildcats on Jan. 9. “They beat us to a lot of 50-50 balls in the second half, and they rebounded a little bit better. Their energy was a little bit better than ours.”
Adrian Holley, a 6-foot-5 junior, finished with 11 points and six rebounds for the Wolves.
SOUTH BEND RILEY 58, MICHIGAN CITY 50
At The Cave, Mishawaka High School
SOUTH BEND RILEY (58): Marvin Schindler 14, Mancell Hill 22, Ayden Kent 0, Payton Baird 14, Jaylen Barbara 7, Brandon Williams 1, Jaiden Stamps 0, Kishawn Wright 0, TOTALS 20 10-22 58.
MICHIGAN CITY (50): Allen Briggs 21, Anthony Murphy 7, Adrian Holley 11, Andrew Vicari 0, Keegan Cowgill 3, Isaiah Smoot 1, Nicholas Stewart 0, Terrance McCray 7, TOTALS 21 5-8 50.
South Bend Riley | 10 | 29 | 45 | 58
Michigan City | 13 | 27 | 38 | 50
3-point goals: Riley 8 (Hill 4, Schindler 2, Baird 1, Barbara 1), Michigan City. Shooting: Riley 20 of 42 for 47.6 percent; Michigan City 21 of 48 for 43.8 percent. Rebounds: Riley 31 (Hill 10, Baird 10), Michigan City 28 (Holley 6, Murphy 4). Turnovers: Riley 10, Michigan City 12. Total fouls (fouled out): Riley 12 (none), Michigan City 17 (McCray). Records: South Bend Riley 21-4, Michigan City 12-12.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: IHSAA 4A high school boys basketball sectional semifinals at Mishawaka
