Wapahani, Delta eliminated in IHSAA boys basketball semistate

Gus Martin, Muncie Star Press
·3 min read

MUNCIE, Ind. — The East Central Indiana boys basketball season is officially over.

The area's last two remaining teams, Class 2A No. 2 Wapahani and 3A Delta, were both eliminated in their respective Saturday IHSAA boys basketball semistate tournaments.

Delta (19-10), which competed at Elkhart high school, won its first-round game against John Glenn 50-47. Junior guard Jonny Manor hit a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final seconds to secure the victory, sending the Eagles to their first semistate title game since 2009.

It was his only made field goal in the contest.

Last week:'Grateful to be a part of this team': Delta claims 4th regional title in program history

Junior forwards Jackson Wors and D'Amare Hood led Delta with 16 and 13 points, respectively.

The Eagles fell 51-36 in the semistate championship, though, to 3A No. 1 Northwood (27-2). The Panthers proved their might early, jumping out to a 7-2 lead after the first 6 minutes and eventually led 28-12 at halftime.

Wors scored all 12 of his team's points in the first half.

Delta mounted a comeback in the third frame, however, cutting its deficit to as little as 30-24 before Northwood ended the quarter on an 8-2 run. The Panthers regained their long-range shooting stroke and cruised to victory.

Wors finished with a team-high 16 points.

The Eagles graduate seniors Blake Jones, Caleb Elliot, Dylan Manor, Abram Stitt and Palmer Samuels.

More:Delta tops New Castle for boys basketball sectional title; ECI championship results

Delta boys basketball's Blake Jones embraces Dylan Manor after the team's sectional semifinal win against Hamilton Heights at the New Castle Fieldhouse on Friday, March 3, 2023.
Delta boys basketball's Blake Jones embraces Dylan Manor after the team's sectional semifinal win against Hamilton Heights at the New Castle Fieldhouse on Friday, March 3, 2023.

Wapahani

Last week:Wapahani boys basketball wins 1st regional title in program history; ECI results

The best ever Wapahani boys basketball season (25-2) and 25-game winning streak came to an end in a 59-54 semistate first-round loss to Lewis Cass at Logansport High School.

It was a neck-and-neck game throughout with 10 ties, 15 lead changes and no advantage larger than six points. The teams were tied 28-28 at halftime before the Raiders narrowly lost each of the final two frames, including a heartbreaking fourth quarter in which Wapahani missed 4-of-5 free throws in the final 2:22 minutes.

Seniors Nathan Nelson (22 points, five rebounds) and Aidan Franks (15 points, five rebounds) led the way for Wapahani. Junior guard Isaac Andrews rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points.

The Raiders graduate Nelson, Franks, Joe Foster, Caleb Standish, Tyler Elliott and Daxton Dudley from this year's historic squad. The group saw three sectional titles in their four years and helped the team earn a record of 82-20 overall during that span.

More:Wapahani tops Burris for 3rd sectional title in 4 years, advances to regional finals

Wapahani boys basketball's Nathan Nelson in the team's semistate first-round game against Lewis Cass at Logansport High School on Saturday, March 18, 2023.
Wapahani boys basketball's Nathan Nelson in the team's semistate first-round game against Lewis Cass at Logansport High School on Saturday, March 18, 2023.

Gus Martin is a sports reporter at The Star Press. Follow him on Twitter @GusMartin_SP, and contact him at gmartin@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Wapahani, Delta eliminated in IHSAA boys basketball semistate