Upset alert: What we learned from the opening night of boys basketball sectionals
EVANSVILLE — Tuesday night marked the start of the IHSAA boys basketball tournament. Let's run through some takeaways from what we learned to open an unpredictable week of upsets and thrillers.
Class 4A: Jasper upsets SIAC champion Harrison
Everything was pointing in favor of one team.
The win streak. The conference championship. This was meant to be the year for Harrison in many ways. It had the look of the best team around over the past two months.
Jasper took note. It once again gave a reminder of what this program does: It plays tough in the tournament.
The Wildcats eliminated the Warriors 51-48 to open the Class 4A sectional at North. One of the bigger results on a night full of upsets and close finishes throughout Southwestern Indiana.
“(Harrison) had all of the expectations going their way,” said Jasper coach John Goebel. “Our kids recognized we’re a pretty good basketball team that hasn’t always played like a good basketball team. They were determined to show that tonight.”
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The Wildcats graduated a large senior class last season and the results showed. Of their 10 losses this season, six came by five points or fewer. What was the difference this time?
Jasper was locked in defensively. It held Harrison to one 3-pointer through three quarters, then leading by 13 with four minutes remaining. This was peak Jasper basketball. Tough defense and a patient offense.
“We were really locked in defensively the entire game but especially in that third quarter,” said Goebel. “We made it tough for Harrison to get open looks. We didn’t shut them out, but they had to work for everything they got.”
Of course, it didn’t stay that way. Harrison cut the deficit to a single possession in the final minute. It missed a pair of game-tying threes including at the buzzer. Give the Warriors credit for making plays and increasing the pressure.
Jasper (13-10) also hurt itself at the free-throw line. The Wildcats were 9 of 10 going into the fourth quarter. They went 6 of 15 over the final eight minutes. This team wasn’t winning many games like this previously. Doing it now is a positive sign.
“We had to learn to get those wins,” said senior Carter Mundy, who netted a game-high 14 points. “Really getting our offense going and not turning the ball over is really the key. We did a better job of that tonight.”
Reitz's stout defense outlasted Castle
Austin Brooks made a confession. He didn’t realize the potential in Ke’Arieon Pace back in November.
The 6-foot-3 junior was undersized to play inside and hardly scored. The coaching staff didn’t know if he could play junior varsity. Yet, what he did Tuesday epitomized this Reitz performance. A defensive showing worthy of an A-plus in a 53-41 victory over Castle — a season-low in points from the Knights.
“Our defense was phenomenal,” said Brooks. “We were prepared for this. This is our moment and our time. They’ve believed that since day one.”
Most of what Pace did won’t show up in the box score. Castle had a height advantage with 6-foot-9 Dylan Watson and 6-8 Ayden McAtee in the post. Those two players combined for 10 points. Pace only scored two, double his season average, but grabbed nine rebounds.
It was his toughness that defined this performance. He made deflections and hustle plays. Pace busted his nose in the first half and immediately came back in. Same later with a taped ankle.
His teammates took notice and responded in kind. Castle only attempted four free throws and missed multiple close looks due to pressure. Wes Aigner, the SIAC’s leading scorer, was held to single digits until the fourth. A 10 out of 10 performance from Pace. A 10-of-10 from the Panthers’ defense.
“He is our rock,” said Brooks. “He doesn’t get enough credit because he doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. That guy right there is unbelievable. He set the tone. That guy is tough as nails.”
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An effort like this was needed with Castle nearly matching the effort with its 1-2-2 zone. Reitz finally pulled away in the second half. Isaac Higgs had a game-high 20 points and Will Kirkland totaled 15 with an important fourth quarter.
The Panthers (17-6) haven’t always played the sharpest. Yet, the wins keep piling up. They’re doing it with defense and seniors. That’s a great combo to have in March.
“You have to bring your best,” said Kirkland. “We were all over the place. Ke’ Pace plays like he’s 6-10. We hit big free throws and stopped turning the ball over. It was a good team win.”
Aigner finished with 13 and became the eighth in program history to score 1,000 career points.
3A: Upsets continue in Boonville with Mater Dei over Bosse
BOONVILLE — Drew Lannert admits he isn’t the best free-throw shooter.
The Mater Dei senior was nervous when he was fouled by a Bosse defender toward the end of their Class 3A Sectional 32 opener. The nerves kicked in even more when he missed the first attempt. But the second was the biggest basket of the game.
Lannert dribbled twice and sank the shot as the Wildcat faithful jumped to their feet with defeating cheers. Bosse’s ensuing layup attempt fell short, and Mater Dei secured the 58-57 victory.
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Mater Dei players were screaming and chest-bumping each other in the air. They high-fived their fellow students as they made their way up the stairs into their locker room, where the celebration was like no other.
This win was redemption for Mater Dei (13-10) after it felt embarrassed on its home floor by the Bulldogs 19 days earlier. Plus, the Bulldogs (13-11) were the defending sectional champions while Mater Dei previously was in Class 2A.
“We knew we had a lot to improve on,” Lannert said. “We’re weren’t used to double teams, so we practiced that, worked on our cuts. We were able to get a lot of points off of that.”
It still was an uphill battle to defend Bosse standout Taray Howell, who scored a game-high 22 points.
Blake Herdes led in scoring with 18 points and Mason Wunderlich added 15 while grabbing the rebounds necessary for the win. Lannert also was in double figures with 13 points.
“We kept talking to our guys about fighting,” Mater Dei coach Kurt Wildeman said. “We talked about cutting into that lead, keeping it close, giving ourselves a chance at the end. There were a number of guys out there in that last minute-and-a-half that made plays.”
The Wildcats will face Memorial (14-8) in Friday's semifinal. They lost by 23 on Jan. 13, so they know another tough test lies ahead.
“I don’t think that there’s any doubt that they’re the sectional favorite,” Wildeman said. “We’re going to have to just do our best here and make enough plays and try and hang in the game. They’ve got a phenomenal group and it’s certainly not going to be easy.”
“They got the best of us the last time, just like Bosse,” Lannert added. “We’re hoping to come back and get them this time.”
Boonville boys advance on home court over Mount Vernon
Clay Conner seemingly was everywhere.
The Boonville senior gave Mount Vernon fits. When he didn't attack the boards, he made shots both in the paint and from 3-point range. He ended up with a double-double of 15 points and 20 rebounds and helped lead his team to the 58-49 victory.
Cooper Aigner also poured in a team-high 16 points while Jake Fuller (11 points) knocked down a pair of threes in the second half and grabbed crucial boards.
“It really just meant something for us tonight,” Conner said. “We played sloppy at times, but just that will to win got it done for us.”
The win had its fair share of drama. Junior Nicot Burnett gave everything he had for Mount Vernon (9-16) with a game-high 22 points. The Wildcats picked up the tempo in the second half as Jackson Clowers added 12 points.
Boonville (12-11) held on in the end with its free-throw shooting. Pioneers coach Jeremy Willis also notched his first postseason victory. His team will play Gibson Southern (11-12) in the semifinals after the Titans won the first matchup 57-45 on Jan. 14.
“Our guys are up for the challenge,” Willis said. “They want another crack at them. We’re going to prepare the next couple of days. It may not be a pretty game (and) it’s a low-scoring game a lot when we play them. But somebody’s going to win it. So we’re going to do our best.”
What else we learned from the opening night
There's a reason this tournament is called Hoosier Hysteria. Just take a look at what went down elsewhere in Southwestern Indiana.
Many will, unfortunately, remember the Tell City sectional for what happened following the game. But North Posey deserves the praise following a 58-56 win over No. 3 South Spencer. That result not only sends shockwaves in Southwest Indiana but beyond. The Vikings (13-10) are now the sectional favorite moving forward.
Welcome to the state tournament, Evansville Christian. The No. 9 Eagles needed every second but defeated Wood Memorial 48-46 in the Class A sectional. Josiah Dunham found Luke Davis for a layup in the final second.
The first Heritage Hills-Southridge game in January was a low-scoring battle. The rematch was more of the same with the Patriots surviving 42-37. Trent Sisley was held to only 10 points but Hunter Meredith came up clutch with a game-high 13.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: IHSAA boys basketball: Upsets lead Evansville-area sectional openers
