By the numbers: Get to know the 32 teams playing in IHSAA boys basketball semistate
There are 32 boys basketball teams remaining going into semistate Saturday. One number for each team:
1: Loss for Fishers, the lowest number for any of the remaining teams. The 4A No. 1 Tigers (25-1) avenged that eight-point loss to Carmel in the first round of Sectional 8 at Noblesville, 54-41, then took out rival Hamilton Southeastern (54-44) and No. 2 Noblesville (49-47) to win the program’s first sectional title since the school reopened and became sectional eligible 17 years ago. Fishers then took out Kokomo 66-52 in the regional at New Castle as Taden Metzger drilled six 3-pointers and finished with 18 points in front of 8,500 fans.
10 regional takeaways: No. 1 Fishers has every answer, and much more.
2: Regional championships for Center Grove under coach Zach Hahn, who is in his 10th year with the Trojans. That doubles the previous number. Before the Trayce Jackson-Davis-led team made a run to semistate in 2019, Center Grove’s only regional title came in 1972 when Guy Ogden’s last-second shot pushed the Trojans to a 62-61 upset win over Richmond in the first game of the Indianapolis semistate at Hinkle Fieldhouse (Center Grove lost to Connersville that night). This Center Grove team, one of the best outside-shooting squads remaining (47% 3-point shooting), will play Ben Davis in the 4A regional at New Castle.
3: Longest winning streak during the season for Peru (16-10), which has eclipsed that number by one with three sectional wins and a 62-46 victory over West Lafayette in the regional at Logansport. Senior Matthew Roettger, who had 24 points and 15 rebounds in the win over West Lafayette, averages 18.2 points and 9.4 rebounds. The Tigers play South Bend St. Joseph (18-9) in the Class 3A semistate at Logansport.
4: Seconds remaining (actually 3.9) when Elkhart Christian got the ball in Saturday’s Class A regional championship, trailing by one point against Tri-County. After a timeout, Aiden Hibbard caught a pass in full stride at midcourt and drove for the game-winning layup and a 58-57 victory for Elkhart Christian. It is the first regional championship for the Eagles, who will play Fort Wayne Canterbury (16-9) in the semistate at Michigan City.
5: Three-pointers for Greenwood Christian junior Evan McIntire in his team’s 49-46 win last week over defending Class A state champion Lutheran in the sectional championship. McIntire returned after missing 17 games with a severe ankle injury to give the Cougars (18-7) a boost. Senior Max Booher, who scored 26 points in Greenwood Christian’s 49-42 win over Oldenburg Academy in the regional, is averaging 19.6 points and shooting 47% from the 3-point line. The Cougars will play Bethesda Christian (21-7) in the semistate at Washington.
6: Three-pointers for Forest Park senior Reid Howard in his team’s 58-53 win over Switzerland County in the Class 2A regional at Seymour. Howard finished with 34 points to lead the Rangers (18-9), who are a regional champion for the first time in six years. Forest Park will play in the 2A semistate against Parke Heritage (23-5) at Southport.
7: Consecutive sectional championships for Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian, which is the defending state champion in Class 2A. The Braves (20-6) won the state title in Matt Roth’s first season as coach. Sixth-ranked Blackhawk Christian, which defeated No. 5 Fort Wayne Bishop Luers 58-50 in the sectional championship, is led by 6-9 junior Kellen Pickett (20.4 ppg, 12.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 4.0 blocked shots). The Braves rolled to a 64-48 win over Lafayette Central Catholic as Pickett went for 20 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and five blocked shots.
8: Regional championships for Lawrence North (25-3), which won its first by a coach other than Jack Keefer when second-year coach Chris Giffin, a former assistant under Keefer and state championship winning girls coach (2020), led the Wildcats to a 69-50 win over Avon in the regional championship at Greenfield-Central as Kobi Bowles scored 22 points. Lawrence North will play Jeffersonville (19-7) in the Class 4A semistate at New Castle with the winner facing either Ben Davis or Center Grove.
9: Wins in its past 10 games for Fort Wayne Canterbury (16-9), which has come on after a 2-7 start. The Cavaliers won their first sectional title in six years and first regional championship in eight years, winning three tournament games to date by an average of 17 points. Canterbury, which is led by seniors Devon Lewis (15.0 ppg, 2.8 assists), Tucker Day (11.5 ppg, 5.8 rebounds) and John Parent (10.2 ppg, 4.4 rebounds), plays Elkhart Christian in the Class A semistate at Michigan City.
10: Winning streak for top-ranked Barr-Reeve, which needed five overtimes to defeat No. 3 Orleans 75-67 in the sectional championship at Loogootee. The Vikings (24-2) took out Christian Academy 50-43 on Saturday in the Class A regional at Loogootee. Barr-Reeve is a balanced team with seniors Donnie Miller (11.5 ppg, 3.7 rebounds) and Braydon Knepp (11.2 ppg, 3.3 assists) and junior Seth Wagler (11.4 ppg, 2.8 assists) as its top scorers. The Vikings play Evansville Christian (24-2) in the Class A semistate Washington.
11: Consecutive tournament wins for defending Class 4A state champion Ben Davis (20-5), which won all three of its Sectional 11 games (Pike, Southport and Roncalli) by at least 18 points. The Giants had a tougher challenge in the regional against New Palestine, pulling away in the final few minutes for a 70-59 win. Seniors K.J. Windham (16.3 ppg, 2.4 assists) and Mark White (8.5 ppg, 2.8 rebounds) and junior Mark Zackery (10.3 ppg, 3.8 assists) played key roles on last year’s title team. The Giants will play Center Grove (21-4) in the semistate at New Castle.
12: Regional championships in the single-class era for Evansville Bosse, which now has seven class-basketball regional titles. Bosse, which won state championships in 1944, ’45 and ’62, reached the 3A state finals in 2007, ’16 and ’18, the latter two years under coach Shane Burkhart. The Bulldogs knocked off Southridge 56-45 on its home court in the regional and will play Scottsburg (22-5) in the 3A semistate at Seymour.
13: Times Wabash has made double digit 3-pointers in a game this season. The Apaches (21-5) make the deep shot a significant part of the offense, connecting on 40.2% from the arc on the season. A shade more than half (50.4%) of Wabash’s made field-goal attempts this season are from beyond the 3-point line. The Apaches hit a season-high 17 3-pointers in a win over Eastern (Greentown) in January. In a 50-46 win over Westview last week in the regional, Wabash was 8-for-12 from the arc. Seniors Izaak Wright (15.5 ppg, 5.1 rebounds), Trevor Daughtry (14.1 ppg, 3.4 assists), Grant Ford (13.2 ppg, 3.7 rebounds) and Alex Dinkins (5.2) are all over 40% from the 3-point line. Wabash plays Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian (21-6) in the Class 2A semistate at Lafayette Jeff.
14: Double doubles this season for Danville 6-6 senior and Indiana football recruit Evan Lawrence, who is averaging 13.1 points and 11.0 rebounds per game for the Warriors (22-3). Lawrence had 19 points and 11 rebounds in a 57-49 win over Tri-West in the sectional championship and 16 points and 12 rebounds as the Warriors defeated Northview 61-39 in the regional game. Danville (22-3), which lost to Guerin Catholic last year in the regional, will play Guerin (21-7) in the semistate at Seymour.
15: Losses for Marquette Catholic (12-15), the highest number of any team remaining. The Blazers, who are 10-2 against another Class A opponents, are the only team with a losing record. Five of the team’s top six scorers are freshmen or sophomores. Marquette Catholic, in the Class A semistate for the second consecutive year, will play Liberty Christian (17-9) at Michigan City.
16: Points in the first quarter for Brownstown Central senior Jack Benter in Saturday’s Class 2A regional game against Sullivan. The Purdue commit finished with 25 points as the top-ranked Braves cruised to a 67-41 win at the Hatchet House in Washington. Benter now ranks No. 13 on the all-time state scoring list with 2,474 points. Brownstown Central (25-4) will play Park Tudor (20-5) in a semistate game at Southport on Saturday.
17: Years since Fairfield won its only other regional championship. That 2007 title was in Class 2A, though. The Falcons (20-6) won their first 3A regional with a 41-39 victory over Hammond Bishop Noll at Triton. Fairfield, coached by former Columbia City standout Derek Hinen, had only won one previous 3A sectional championship before knocking off defending state champion NorthWood 50-39 at Lakeland.
18: The next spot on the state’s all-time scoring list for Evansville Christian senior Josiah Dunham, who is currently No. 19 with 2,340 points. Dunham should pass former Greenfield star Mike Edwards (2,343 points) for the No. 18 spot in Evansville Christian’s semistate game against Barr-Reeve (24-2) at Washington. This is the first sectional and regional championship for Evansville Christian. Dunham averages 23.8 points, 5.1 assists, 4.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game.
19: Points scored by Fort Wayne Wayne senior guard Jevon Lewis Jr. in his team’s 79-69 win over Fort Wayne North Side in the Class 4A regional at Logansport. Lewis became the school’s all-time leading scorer in an 84-59 win over New Haven in last week’s sectional semifinal, breaking the mark of 1,416 points set by Justin Mitchell in 2013. Lewis is averaging 19.6 points, 7.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game for the Generals (22-3), who won the program’s first regional championship last year since 1981. Wayne will play Mishawaka (20-7) in the semistate at Elkhart.
20: Jersey number of South Bend St. Joseph junior Chase Konieczny, who has Division I offers from Cal Poly and Toledo. Konieczny, who is averaging 20.3 points and 9.1 rebounds and shooting 38.8% from the 3-point line, leads St. Joseph into the Class 3A semistate at Logansport against Peru (16-10).
21: Victories for Bethesda Christian, which pulled away for a 68-50 win over Clay City in the Class A regional at Washington as Steven Tierney scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half. The Patriots (21-7) will play Greenwood Christian in the semistate at the Hatchet House in Washington. This is the first regional championship for Bethesda Christian.
More Bethesda Christian: Senior breaks scoring record of assistant coach... and brother.
22: Points scored by Liberty Christian freshman Kendrick Martin in his team’s 77-72 win over Seton Catholic in the Class A regional at New Castle. The young Lions have three freshmen in the starting lineup, including Martin, Tywaine Fuller (14 points on Saturday) and T.J. English (13 points). Liberty Christian is a regional champion for the first time since winning its only state championship in 2016.
23: Years Scottsburg went between regional championships. The Warriors ended that drought last year with a 48-46 win over Greensburg, then knocked off North Daviess by two points in the first game of the semistate before losing to Guerin Catholic with a berth in the Class 3A state finals on the line. The Warriors (22-5) had no trouble getting through the regional this year, blowing out Batesville 84-46 as senior Kody Clancy had 30 points, eight steals and six assists. Scottsburg will play Evansville Bosse (15-10) in the semistate at Seymour. Scottsburg has never reached the state finals.
Warriors turning up the heat. 'It’s an exciting time again for Scottsburg basketball.'
24: As in, 1924. As in, the year Mishawaka played its first game in “The Cave”, the oldest active gym in the state. The Cavemen (20-7) upset South Bend Riley 45-43 in overtime to win back-to-back sectional championships under Bodie Bender (the Cavemen had not won a sectional before last season since 1986). It was Mishawaka’s first sectional title won on its home floor since 1939. The Cavemen knocked off East Chicago Central 68-52 to win its first regional title since 1955.
25: Average points per game (actually 24.6) for Wapahani senior Isaac Andrews, who had 16 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two assists in the second-ranked Raiders’ 65-41 win over No. 3 Tipton in the regional. Wapahani (24-2) is a regional champion for the second time (the first was last year). The Raiders will play North Judson (16-9) in the 2A semistate at Lafayette Jeff. Andrews is No. 50 on the state’s all-time scoring list with 2,084 points.
26: Seasons coached by Delta’s Mark Detweiler, who is 370-238 overall and is 135-45 in seven years leading the Eagles. Delta (22-6) reached the Class 3A semistate championship game last year, losing to eventual state champion NorthWood by 15 points. The Eagles edged Fort Wayne Concordia 39-37 to win the regional on two free throws by Jackson Wors with 0.6 seconds remaining. Seniors D’Amare Hood (16.9 ppg, 5.0) and Wors (13.4 ppg) are Delta’s top scorers. The Eagles play Fairfield (20-6) in the 3A semistate at Logansport.
27: Average margin of victory for Park Tudor in its three tournament victories. The Panthers rolled to a 68-34 win over Covenant Christian, then won a tough sectional championship 63-56 over University. The Panthers won by a running clock 83-44 score in the Class 2A regional at Lebanon. Coach Tim Adams has Park Tudor into the semistate for the first time since the 2015 team won the state championship. The Panthers (20-5) play Brownstown Central (25-4) in the semistate at Southport.
28: Combined points per game (almost) for Parke Heritage sophomore Treigh Schelsky (15.1 ppg, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists) and junior Renn Harper (12.6 ppg, 3.9 rebounds). Junior Brayden Luce (11.1 ppg) and freshman Carter Crum (9.5 ppg, 6.8 rebounds) are other top players for the Wolves (23-5), who are Class 2A regional champions for the third time in four years. Parke Heritage will play Forest Park (18-9) in the semistate at Southport.
29: Season coached by North Judson’s Kent Chezum, who is a regional champion for the first time. Chezum, in his fourth season at North Judson, coached at Clinton Prairie for a decade before leading Covington to three sectional titles over an 11-year period and Loogootee to one during a four-year stretch. North Judson won back-to-back sectional titles before breaking through with a regional championship this year with a 47-43 win over Gary 21st Century on Saturday in Class 2A. North Judson (16-9), which lost eight of its last 13 in the regular season, will play Wapahani (24-2) in the semistate at Lafayette Jeff.
30: Combined average points (actually 29.5) for Guerin Catholic’s Robert Sorensen (16.7 ppg) and Bryson Cardinal (12.8 ppg). The Golden Eagles have a third player averaging in double figures in Army commit Dylan Murans (10.1 ppg, 3.1 rebounds). Guerin Catholic (21-7) won a wild 75-74 double-overtime game over Brebeuf Jesuit in the sectional championship before taking out Indianapolis Washington 56-39 in the regional. The Golden Eagles, last year’s state runner-up, will play Danville in the semistate at Seymour.
31: Years since Jeffersonville won its only state championship. Sherron Wilkerson starred on that team and is now in his second season as coach of the Red Devils (19-7), who defeated Evansville Harrison 70-65 in the Class 4A regional at Southridge. Jeffersonville is led by juniors Michael Cooper (16.4 ppg, 4.6 rebounds), P.J. Douglas (13.9 ppg, 5.8 rebounds) and Tre Singleton (14.0 ppg, 6.8 rebounds). The Red Devils, who defeated Seymour, Floyd Central and New Albany by an average of 24.3 points in the sectional, will play Lawrence North (25-3) in the semistate at New Castle.
32: Margin of victory in Crown Point’s 68-36 win over Chesterton in the Class 4A Sectional 2 championship at Chesterton. It is the Bulldogs’ first sectional title since 2016 and fourth overall under coach Clint Swan. Jack Svetich scored 28 points in Crown Point’s win over Chesterton. The Bulldogs outscored Warsaw 13-0 in overtime to win 55-42 in the regional at Michigan City. Crown Point (20-5) will play Fishers (26-1) in the semistate at Elkhart.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: What to know about teams playing in Indiana boys basketball semistate
