Basketball Recap: Demarcus Barr Key Part of a Team Effort in Archers Win

While Fort Wayne South Side didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-17), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They walked away with a 74-66 win over the Peru Tigers on Tuesday. Given the Archers' advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked ninth, while the Tigers are ranked 58th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Fort Wayne South Side got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Demarcus Barr out in front who went 10 of 18 en route to 25 points. With that strong performance, Barr is now averaging an impressive 16 points per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Zacariah Belcher, who went 6 of 10 on his way to 13 points along with eight boards and seven assists.

Fort Wayne South Side was working as a unit and finished the game with 21 assists. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their assist total in three consecutive games.

When it comes to explaining why Peru lost, don't look at Gavin Eldridge. Despite the final result, he went 7 of 15 on his way to 22 points in addition to seven boards and six assists. The match was Eldridge's third in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Xavier Turner, who went 5 of 11 on his way to 13 points and five rebounds.

Fort Wayne South Side's record is now 6-0. As for Peru, their loss dropped their record down to 3-2.

Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Fort Wayne South Side and Fort Wayne Northrop will meet in a classic North v. South matchup at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Fort Wayne South Side is facing Fort Wayne Northrop at the right time seeing as Fort Wayne Northrop is stuck on a three-game losing streak. As for Peru, they will welcome Tippecanoe Valley at 7:45 p.m. on Friday. Peru is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 63 points per game this season.