North Central (25-3) coasted to a 95-74 win over Warsaw for the 4A crown, setting a record for points scored in the 4A championship game.
The Panthers were hot all game, going on a 22-2 spurt in the second quarter to build a 20-point halftime lead. North Central’s defense forced a total of 24 turnovers resulting in 33 points, and the Panthers’ depth was too much for Warsaw (23-3) to overcome. The Tigers shot 54 percent from the floor, but made just 12 of 20 free throws and took 12 fewer shots than North Central.
Purdue-bound Terone Johnson led the Panthers with 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting and eight assists. Sophomore D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera added 16 points and six rebounds, while fellow sophomore Ronnie Johnson posted 17 points, five assists, and four steals. Freshman Darius Latham contributed 14 points and six rebounds for North Central. Warsaw was led by star junior Nic Moore, who scored 28 points but fouled out at the end of the third quarter.
3A: Zeller propells Washington to overtime win
Following in the footsteps of his older brothers, Cody Zeller had a huge game and earned Washington (23-3) its third 3A title in the past six years.
Both Indiana Mr. Basketball winners as seniors, ex-Notre Dame player Luke Zeller (2005) and current North Carolina player Tyler Zeller (2008) each scored a title for the Hatchets. Cody, a junior, posted 20 points and tied a championship game record with 26 rebounds as Washington topped Wallace (Gary) 65-62 in overtime.
After a back-and-forth game through four quarters, Washington scored the first seven points of overtime. Wallace cut the defecit to two before a pair of free throws pushed the Washington lead to four with just under a minute remaining. Star junior Branden Dawson finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds, but missed a pair of 3-pointers in the final 10 seconds and hit the rim on a last-second half-court shot to end the game.
Kurtis Anthony scored 17 points for Washington (23-3), while Latroy Taylor posted 22 points and six rebounds for Wallace (19-5).
Upstart Park Tudor falls just short, loses 2A title to Wheeler
2A No. 2 Wheeler (27-1) had been in top form all season, riding a 22-game winning streak and having dismantled their previous postseason competition, outscoring them 388-291. Park Tudor (15-11), meanwhile, started its year 4-8 before going 5-2 with a win over 4A Cathedral in its final seven games of the regular season.
The Panthers then put together an impressive run, toppling 15-, 19-, and 21-win teams in their last three games. Park Tudor’s defense and star sophomore Yogi Ferrell, averaging 23 points per game on the year, had propelled the Panthers into the championship game. Wheeler would not be denied of its first state title in school history, though, and the Bearcats managed to walk away with a 41-38 win despite not hitting a single field goal in the fourth quarter.
Petar Todorovic led Wheeler with 13 points, while teammate Aleksa Kojcinovic added 10 points and 13 rebounds. Ferrell scored a game-high 20 points to go along with five rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Brendan Tannenbaum had nine points and eight rebounds for Park Tudor, while Reggie Nesbit contributed eight points and seven rebounds.
Bowman Academy wins Single A title in program’s second year
After falling in the regional to eventual class A champion Triton in its inaugural season last year, Bowman Academy has officially taken single A basketball by storm.
The No. 1 Eagles finished 24-1, their only loss to 3A Culver, and waltzed to the title, beating their postseason foes 629-405 and taking the title over No. 2 Barr-Reeve 74-52. A pair of Barr-Reeve turnovers allowed the Eagles to go on a 6-0 run to end the half, pushing their lead to 10. Bowman Academy kept on the gas from there, stretching the lead to as much as 20 in the middle of the fourth quarter.
DeJuan Marrero led the Eagles with 17 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, four steals, and three blocks. Teammate Christopher Bond scored 15 points along with nine boards and four steals. Christian Duncheon scored 14 points for Barr-Reeve (24-4) and seven rebounds, while Trey Hughes scored 10 points and added five rebounds.
