Mishawaka Marian runs away from South Bend Washington in 3A top-5 boys basketball matchup

MISHAWAKA — The difference between Class 3A No. 2 Mishawaka Marian and No. 4 South Bend Washington were their responses.

One team, the Knights, are a seasoned group that has been here before, playing in a marquee matchup with a lot on the line (tonight being Northern Indiana Confernece standings ramifications), knew who to lean on when they fell down 10-4 early to the Panthers. The Knights quickly responded with an 11-2 run to take the lead.

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Washington, however, had no response to a deathly 17-0 second half Marian run, that ballooned a one-point lead and led to a 69-49 high school boys basketball win.

"I thought we played really well especially in the second half," Marian head coach Robb Berger. "That's an outstanding well-coached team and I think in the second half we made them earn their points. We did a better job containing the dribble, using hand pressure and a really good job rebounding."

Marian's Dareon Thornton (2) celebrates during the Washington vs. Marian boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 27, 2023 at Marian High School.
Marian's Dareon Thornton (2) celebrates during the Washington vs. Marian boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 27, 2023 at Marian High School.

It was those same players, seniors Dareon Thornton and Deaglan Sullivan, who led Marian back in the early minutes, that had it looking dominant in the second half.

The duo scored 15 in the Knights' 17-point run and 46 of the teams' 69 total. Thornton finished with 27 and Sullivan, on his birthday, added 19.

"We've been playing together for the past couple of years," Thornton said. "Tonight it clicked."

Marian's Deaglan Sullivan (1) puts up a shot that went in as Washington's Terrence Reid (0) defends him during the Washington vs. Marian boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 27, 2023 at Marian High School.
Marian's Deaglan Sullivan (1) puts up a shot that went in as Washington's Terrence Reid (0) defends him during the Washington vs. Marian boys basketball game Friday, Jan. 27, 2023 at Marian High School.

Washington's quick start came without its top player in senior guard Markus Northern, who picked up two fouls within in the first minute and sat the rest of the first half. On top of that, Steven Reynolds III, a rising star in the area, looked every bit as a freshman in a hostile environment. And with its top-two scorers out of rhythm, the Panthers had no answer to Marian's second-half run.

"I thought we beat ourselves in a lot of aspects of the game," Washington head coach Ryan Varga said. Rebounding, missing rotations. I thought we did a good job containing Sullivan and (Jackson) Price (nine points), but we let Thornton do what he wanted to and that goes against what we were trying to do. Just didn't execute."

Friday was a learning experience for the Panthers (13-3, 6-2 NIC), who have shot up the 3A rankings, and are learning what it takes to be considered a contender — that there is never a night to fall apart.

"That was just part of the battle," Varga said. "The war is not over. We know we will see them again and the nerves will be gone."

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That could come if these two teams meet again in 3A sectional play at Jimtown. The expectation is they will, with Washington looking for its first title since 2010 and Marian its third in four years.

"We know we are going to see these guys again in the sectional because they are that good," Berger said. "They will be ready and we know we gotta be ready to face these guys again."

Mishawaka Marian 69, South Bend Washington 49

Mishawaka Marian 69: Dar'e'on Thornton 27, Deaglan Sullian 19, Zion Rhoades 10, Jackson Price 9, Paxan Sullivan 3, Deuce Owens 1.

South Bend Washington 49: Terrance Reid 14, Marcus Northern 11, Steven Reynolds III 8, Eric Nocentelli 8, Devin Devries 4, Tyshaun Grundy 4,

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: H.S. basketball: Thornton's 27 leads Marian by Washington in NIC action