Falcons get in the zone, return to title game
Mar. 1—JACKSON — Even rarer than not seeing Ingomar at the Mississippi Coliseum in March is seeing Ingomar play a 2-3 zone defense.
The No. 3-ranked Falcons bucked their long tradition of playing man-to-man defense, and it paid off in a 64-48 win over McEvans in the Class 1A boys semifinals on Monday.
Ingomar, the reigning state champ, will face Biggersville at 3 p.m. Thursday for the state title.
After seeing his team's 17-3 first-quarter lead shrink to 29-26 by halftime, coach Jonathan Ashley knew a defensive change needed to be made.
The cat-quick Warriors were shredding Ingomar's man defense, shooting 21 free throws in the first half.
"We couldn't stop them on penetration, so we were going to have to do something," Ashley said. "I don't know if it caught them off guard, but we got some stops out of it."
McEvans (13-4) shot only five three throws in the second half and was 15 of 26 at the stripe for the game.
The Warriors were able to get within 31-30 early in the third quarter, and that's when Zach Shugars found his shot. The senior forward, who had just four points in the first half, knocked down a 3-pointer with 5:40 left in the third for a 34-30 lead.
That kicked off a 15-2 run, and Ingomar (29-5) led 46-32 after three quarters.
"It was just about trusting my shot, and we wanted to step on their throats," said Shugars, who finished with 13 points.
Fellow big man Tyson Smithey had 14 points — 11 in the first half — and 10 rebounds. Guard Adin Johnson led all scorers with 19.
McEvans got 14 points from Jelani Jackson.
Three-Pointers
Turning Point: After McEvans drew within 31-30, Shugars and Eli Reed hit back-to-back 3-pointers to kickstart the 15-2 run.
Point Maker: Johnson made 7 of 16 shots, including 3 of 9 from 3-point range.
Talking Point: "It was different. We had to adjust, and we did, and it worked out." — Smithey, on the 2-3 zone