GIRLS AND BOYS BB: Roundup for Monday, Feb. 6
Feb. 6—For Carroll's girls basketball team, its Class 2A Lafayette Central Catholic Sectional championship loss to the host Knights, 52-44, was decided by just one or two plays.
"I just thought we were a ball bounce here and a ball bounce there away from tying the game," Carroll coach Brady Wiles said. "I thought if we could tie the game or take the lead and just get over the hump, then we had a chance.
"We were just really close and we'd make a turnover and that's what the difference was in my opinion."
No. 5-ranked LCC (19-6) turned a two-point halftime lead into a seven-point lead after the third quarter by limiting No. 6 Carroll to just eight points in the third quarter. Alli Harness looked to mount a comeback for the Cougars in the fourth as she scored nine of their 12 points including a runner on the baseline that turned into a three-point play and brought them within one possession under 2:30 remaining.
Ultimately, LCC's spread-out offense killed just enough clock as the Knights went 9 for 17 from the free throw line to seal the sectional championship.
Madison Wagner led the Cougars with a team-high 15 points, Harness scored 14 and Jamilah Tillman chipped in with six.
Carroll finished with a record of 22-4 while clinching a share of the Hoosier Heartland Conference championship. Harness, a junior guard, became the Cougars' all-time leading scorer with 1,596 points.
Wiles liked how his squad overcame obstacles during the season, including Laney Johnson's season-ending injury, and he believes the Cougars are on the doorstep of championship success.
"We continue to get a little bit better. We're right there. If we continue to get a little bit better, it's going to be special next year," he said.
The Cougars will return four starters in 2023.
— Clay Maxfield, for the Kokomo Tribune
EASTBROOK 36, TIPTON 30
No. 12 Eastbrook's defense shined as the Panthers topped Tipton in the final of the Class 2A Blackford Sectional. The Blue Devils led 8-5 after a quarter. Eastbrook led 18-15 at halftime, then shut out Tipton in the third quarter to take a 26-15 lead into the final frame.
Tipton cut Eastbrook's lead to four points at 26-22 on an Alli Powell 3-pointer midway through the final frame but Eastbrook (19-5) maintained control.
Tipton closed its season 16-10.
BOYS GAMES
TIPTON 65, EASTERN 44
The Class 2A No. 12 Blue Devils blew the game open with a 20-6 advantage in the second quarter and pulled away from Eastern in a possible Sectional 39 preview in Greentown. Eastern led 16-12 after a quarter, Tipton took a 32-22 lead into halftime, and pushed its lead to 50-37 after three quarters.
Grady Carpenter scored 15 points for the Blue Devils (12-4), Jackson Money 14 and Nolan Swan 11. Additionally, Landon Spidel and Connor Hussong scored seven each, Gavin Hare six and Maverick Conaway five. Carpenter flirted with a triple-double. He led the Blue Devils with 10 rebounds and eight assists. Swan grabbed five steals and had five assists. Hare and Spidel took five boards each.
Cayden Calloway led Eastern (9-8) with 18 points, Corbin Snyder scored 15 points and Colton Lindsay had seven.
M-G 63, TAYLOR 59
An air-tight game at Madison-Grant saw Taylor lead 13-12 after a quarter. The home team led 28-23 at halftime, and held a 39-36 lead after three quarters.
Jay Patterson and Mekhi McGee each scored 22 points to lead the Class 2A No. 10 Titans (14-3). Baris Moore and Dre McClatchey added five each.
The Argylls are 12-4.
SOUTHWOOD 69, NW 53
Northwestern dropped its fourth straight game as a terrific start in the road game fizzled in the second half.
The Tigers led 25-17 after the first quarter at which point Mario Reed and Cayden Greer had combined for four 3-pointers. From there, the Tigers' offense cooled off as they scored only 28 points the rest of the way.
Northwestern led 38-37 at halftime, but Southwood surged to a 50-43 lead by the close of the third quarter. The Knights poured in 19 points in the final quarter to seal the win.
Koen Berry led the Tigers (6-8) with 21 points. Connor Bostic had 10 points, Greer had nine and Reed had eight.
T. VALLEY 83, MAC 70
Class 3A No. 11 Tippecanoe Valley took a 38-34 lead into halftime, then pushed its lead to double digits at 60-50 after three quarters.
Josiah Ball led Maconaquah with 27 points. Bauer Maple added 16 and A.J. Kelly 15. M.J. Ellis and Ball each took seven rebounds.
The Vikings (15-3) improved to 7-1 in the Three Rivers Conference maintained their pace behind league leader Peru (6-0). Manchester (5-1) is the only other squad with just one league loss. Maconaquah fell to 10-6, 2-3 in the TRC.
