BOYS’ HOOPS: Three Clark-Floyd players to compete in Top 60 Workout

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

INDIANAPOLIS – Three seniors from the Clark-Floyd area have been selected to participate in the Hoosier Basketball Magazine Top 60 Workout on Sunday at Beech Grove High School.

Those players are Providence guard Juston Betz, New Albany guard Isaac Hibbard and Charlestown guard Jordon Knoebel. Brownstown Central senior guard Carson Lambring also will play in the annual workout.

The Top 60 Workout will have two sessions, which are 1-3 p.m. and 3:30-5:30 p.m. Admission is $8 for the general public and $5 for students.

BASEBALL: Bulldogs conclude trip to Tennessee with 2-1 loss

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – New Albany ended its trip to Tennessee on Tuesday with a 2-1 loss at Donelson Christian Academy (Tenn.), dropping its record to 0-2. The Bulldogs fell in its season opener Monday at Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy 7-2.

New Albany head coach Chris McIntyre thinks the trip down south will help his team later in the season.

“We played two very good baseball teams down here. It’s only going to make us better,” McIntyre said. “This level of baseball is a new experience for so many of our players. It’s just going to take us some time for us to be a very good team. For many of them, it’s like they are learning a new language."

Donelson Christian (6-0) scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning against New Albany starter Ryan Robison. The Bulldogs plated one run in the top of the seventh, but were unable to at least tie the game after that.

New Albany had seven hits for the game. Chase Rudy was the only multihit player for the Bulldogs, going 2-for-4. The rest of New Albany’s hits came from Logan Charbonneau, Jonah Boone, Andrew Ricketts, Christian Sifers and Dylan Clark.

Robison earned the loss on the mound. He pitched three innings, allowing both Donelson Christian runs (each earned) on three hits with two walks and one strikeout.

Charbonneau threw three scoreless innings of relief. He yielded one hit and one walk, while striking out three.

"We had some opportunities late to score, but just could never get a big hit,” McIntyre said. “Offensively, we have a long way to go. On a positive note, our pitching was much improved over our first game. And once again, we played solid defensively.”

New Albany will host a split doubleheader on Saturday at Mt. Tabor Field. The Bulldogs will play Fort Wayne Carroll at 11 a.m., followed by South Dearborn at 2 p.m.

DONELSON CHRISTIAN (Tenn.) 2, NEW ALBANY 1

New Albany.                  000 000 1-1 7 0

Donelson Christian      200 000 x-2 4 3

W - Henry Mosley. L - Ryan Robison (0-1). 2B - Andrew Ricketts (NA), Dylan Clark (NA), Eli Thibado (DC).

Records - New Albany 0-2, Donelson Christian 6-0.

BOYS’ HOOPS: Floyd Central to play in Hall of Fame Classic on Dec. 30

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

NEW CASTLE – The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame announced Monday that Floyd Central will play in the 41^st annual Boys’ Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic on Saturday, Dec. 30 at New Castle Fieldhouse.

It will be the second time the Highlanders have played in the tournament. The first time came in 1985 at Memorial Gymnasium in Huntingburg under Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame head coach Joe Hinton.

Floyd Central will face Bloomington South in the second semifinal at about 1 p.m. on Dec. 30. The tournament opener will have Oak Hill taking on New Castle at 11 a.m. that day. That evening the consolation game will take place at 6 p.m., followed by the championship game at approximately 8 p.m.

The Highlanders posted a 19-5 overall record and a 5-2 mark in the Hoosier Hills Conference this past season. Sophomore forward Cobie Barnes was their leading scorer at 13.4 points per game, followed by junior forward Luke Gohmann at 12.1 points a contest.

The 34^th annual Girls’ Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic will be the day before on Friday, Dec. 29 at New Castle Fieldhouse. Martinsville will face Carmel in the first semifinal at 11 a.m., followed by the second semifinal between East Chicago Central and Zionsville around 1 p.m. The consolation game will be at 6 p.m. and the championship will happen at about 8 p.m.

FINAL HORN: Frankton ends Wolfpack’s historic season in 2A state title game 60-32

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

INDIANAPOLIS – Crawford County’s historic season ended on a real sour note Saturday afternoon at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

In their first-ever state championship game appearance, the Wolfpack lost to a hungry and determined Frankton team in the Class 2A state final 60-32. The Eagles (23-6) redeemed themselves in the IHSAA State Finals after they fell in the 2A state title game two years ago to Indianapolis Park Tudor 73-46.

Crawford’s 32 points were a season-low and the fewest scored in a Class 2A state title game. The 28-point differential was the worst loss the Wolfpack suffered in 2016-17. It also was the largest final margin in Class 2A state championship game history.

The main key in Frankton capturing its first state championship in program history was its suffocating defense, especially its full-court press. Crawford County (22-7) committed 25 turnovers, while the Eagles outscored the Wolfpack in points off turnovers by a whopping margin of 36-3. Frankton set a state finals record for most steals in a game with 19.

“I think the thing that was a struggle for us was we don’t see that,” Crawford County head coach Levi Carmichael said about Frankton’s press. “We’ve not seen the run and jump. We’ve not seen the press. We haven’t seen pressure like that really all year. I think it got us back on our heels a little too much, and before we knew it, it was already out of our tempo and out of our pace.”

The Eagles really started applying their pressure after the first media timeout at the 2:54 mark in the first quarter. After senior Adam Beasley hit a free throw to pull the Wolfpack to within 7-6, Frankton closed out the period with an 11-3 run to lead 18-9. During the spurt, the Eagles forced Crawford into four turnovers.

It got worse for the Wolfpack in the second stanza.

Frankton outscored Crawford 14-5 in the quarter to give the Eagles a 32-14 halftime advantage. Eight of Frankton’s 14 points came off six Wolfpack miscues.

The Eagle lead grew to 30 points at the end of the third period at 50-20. The 30-point advantage was the largest lead of the contest for Frankton.

Senior forward Tyrell Nickelson, who entered the game averaging 5.8 points per game, led Crawford County with 14 points.

“He’s been the guy that kind of breaks the ice,” said Carmichael, a former assistant coach at New Albany. “He got going early. We got a lot of dribble-drives by him to the basket. He was just aggressive. When he’s aggressive, he’s a tremendous player. We just needed a couple more (players) to go along with him at that moment early on to break Frankton’s streak a little bit.”

Beasley and Wolfpack junior forward Matt Dearborn each grabbed a game-high six rebounds.

Crawford County said goodbye to five seniors in Beasley, Nickelson, Cameron Marples, Brent Smith and Josh Thomas.

Following the game, Carmichael praised the support given to his program by the Wolfpack faithful during its state championship run.

“I’ve enjoyed the camaraderie,” Carmichael said. “It’s just been neat to see people come together. I think people think they are a part of the program. It’s a community program. It’s not my program. It’s not (the players’) program and I think they understand that’s why people have embraced it.”

Eagle senior Maurice Knight had a huge game. The 6-foot-4 forward poured in a game-high 23 points, shooting 9-of-17 from the field, 2-of-5 from 3-point range and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line. Knight also had four steals and two blocked shots. Teammate Landon Weins made a game-high five steals.

CLASS 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

FRANKTON 60, CRAWFORD COUNTY 32

Frankton             18 14 18 10-60

Crawford Co.        9   5   6 12-32

Frankton (23-6): Maurice Knight 23, Kayden Key 8, Patrick Spillman 6, Landon Weins 6, Keegan Freestone 5, Rylan Detling 4, Cole Garner 3, Travis McGuire 3, Brayton Cain 2, Sebastian Davis 0, John Hatzell 0, Will Whatley 0.

Crawford County (22-7): Tyrell Nickelson 14, Adam Beasley 6, Brent Smith 6, Matt Dearborn 4, Wyatt Allinger 2, Christian Carlton 0, Gavin Coleman 0, Cameron Marples 0, Dalton Sheckells 0, Nick Stroud 0, Noah Sturgeon 0, Josh Thomas 0.

3-point field goals: Frankton 3 (Knight 2, Key 1); Crawford County 4 (Nickelson 2, Smith 2).

Rebounds: Frankton 22 (Knight, McGuire 4); Crawford County 28 (Dearborn 6).

Turnovers: Frankton 11, Crawford County 25.

Free throws: Frankton 17-21, Crawford County 10-12.

Total fouls: Frankton 14, Crawford County 17.

Fouled out: none.

CLASS 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RESULTS

1998: Alexandria 57, Southwestern 43

1999: Westview 71, Paoli 52

2000: Westview 59, Winchester 53

2001: Fort Wayne Harding 73, Batesville 70

2002: Speedway 62, Bluffton 48

2003: Cass 57, Forest Park 48

2004: Jimtown 63, Brownstown Central 59

2005: Forest Park 68, Fort Wayne Harding 63

2006: Forest Park 61, Fort Wayne Harding 55

2007: Northwestern 78, Winchester 74, OT

2008: Fort Wayne Luers 69, Winchester 67

2009: Fort Wayne Luers 67, Brownstown Central 49

2010: Wheeler 41, Indianapolis Park Tudor 38

2011: Indianapolis Park Tudor 43, Hammond Noll 42

2012: Indianapolis Park Tudor 79, Bowman Academy 57

2013: Bowman Academy 86, Linton-Stockton 73

2014: Indianapolis Park Tudor 84, Westview 57

2015: Indianapolis Park Tudor 73, Frankton 46

2016: Lapel 59, Indianapolis Howe 37

2017: Frankton 60, Crawford County 32

BOYS’ HOOPS: Bulldog trio, Jeff standout make IBCA All-State teams

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

JEFFERSONVILLE – Three New Albany players and one Jeffersonville standout have been selected to the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association All-State teams.

Bulldog junior Romeo Langford has made the IBCA’s Underclass Supreme 15 All-State squad. The 6-foot-5 swingman averaged 28.7 points and 8.9 rebounds a game this season. Langford was named to the All-Hoosier Hills Conference first team and the Naismith All-American team this season. He earned a spot on the Indiana Junior All-Star squad this past week.

New Albany senior Isaac Hibbard has been selected to the Senior Large School All-State team. The 6-foot guard scored 13 points per game during the 2016-17 campaign. Hibbard joined Langford on the All-HHC first team.

Fellow Bulldog guard Sean East has been named to the Underclass Large School All-State team. East averaged 12 points a game this season, helping him make the All-HHC first team and become an Indiana Junior All-Star.

Jeff junior Bailey Falkenstein has made the Underclass Large School All-State squad along with East. Falkenstein was an All-Hoosier Hills first-team selection this season.

Making the Senior All-State honorable-mention list are Charlestown’s Jordan Knoebel, Brownstown Central’s Carson Lambring, Scottsburg’s Mitchell Meagher, Henryville’s Braxton Robertson and Silver Creek’s Cam Stephens.

Earning spots on the Underclass All-State honorable-mention list are Rock Creek’s Terrence Browning, Floyd Central’s Luke Gohmann, Henryville’s Nick Walker and North Harrison’s Skyler Wetzel.

BOYS’ HOOPS: Pair of Bulldogs named to Junior All-Star team

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

INDIANAPOLIS – For the second year in a row, New Albany will be represented on the Indiana Junior All-Star team.

It was announced Wednesday that Bulldog juniors Romeo Langford and Sean East each made the Junior All-Star roster. Langford, a 6-foot-5 swingman, is in the squad’s core junior group. East, a 6-foot guard, is in the South group of the Junior All-Star team.

New Albany senior guard Isaac Hibbard was in the South group of the 2016 Indiana Junior All-Star squad.

As a member of the core group, Langford will play for the Junior All-Stars in their two exhibition games against the Indiana All-Stars on Tuesday, June 6 at New Albany’s Doghouse and Thursday, June 8 at Plainfield. Langford averaged 28.7 points and 8.9 rebounds for the Bulldogs this season.

With him being in the South group, East will compete for the Junior All-Stars only in the exhibition contest at New Albany. East scored 12 points per contest for New Albany this year.

Joining Langford in the core group are Indianapolis Ben Davis’ Aaron Henry, Indianapolis Tindley’s Eric Hunter, South Bend Riley’s Damezi Anderson, Evansville Bosse’s Mekhi Lairy and McCutcheon’s Robert Phinisee.

East’s teammates in the South group are Indianapolis Cathedral’s Jarron Coleman, Bloomington South’s Chance Coyle, Bloomington North’s Musa Jallow, Cloverdale’s Jalen Moore and Terre Haute South’s De’Avion Washington.

Making up the North group are Plainfield’s Gavin Bizeau, Merrillville’s Johnny Bernard, Lawrence North’s Kevin Easley, South Bend Adams’ Walter Ellis and Indianapolis Attucks’ Jamal Harris and Caleb Middlesworth.

Castle head coach Brian Gibson will coach the Junior All-Stars. Gibson’s assistant coaches will be Valparaiso head coach Barak Coolman and Oak Hill head coach Kevin Renbarger.

The June 6 exhibition game at New Albany will tip off at about 8 p.m. The girls’ exhibition contest between the Indiana All-Stars and Junior All-Stars will start at 6 that evening. Admission is $6.

BOYS’ HOOPS BREAKDOWN: Defense key in Crawford County’s state title run

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

RICHMOND – If you are wondering what is the main reason Crawford County will be playing in its first-ever state championship game this weekend at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, it can be summed up in one word - defense.

Crawford County’s matchup zone gave Heritage Christian fits in last Saturday’s Class 2A Richmond Semistate at the Tiernan Center. As a result, the Wolfpack won their first semistate championship in program history with a 49-40 victory over the Eagles (17-10).

Crawford County (22-6) will face Frankton (22-6) in the Class 2A state title game at approximately 12:45 p.m. Saturday at the home of the Indiana Pacers. Frankton was the 2A state runner-up in 2015, losing to Indianapolis Park Tudor in the state final that season 73-46.

Wolfpack seniors Brent Smith and Adam Beasley expressed their excitement to reach the state finals in the semistate post-game press conference.

“It’s awesome. We get a chance to play at Bankers Life Fieldhouse,” Smith said.

“It feels great to be able to go to state for the first time in school history,” Beasley said. “To be able to do it with these guys that I’ve been playing with since fifth grade, it just means everything.”

Last Saturday’s victory continued an impressive defensive trend by Crawford County during its state championship run. During the postseason, the Wolfpack have allowed 36 points per game. The 40 points Heritage Christian scored were the most Crawford County have yielded in the postseason.

For the season, the Wolfpack have surrendered 44.1 points per game, which ranks 18^th in the state and eighth in Class 2A.

Heritage Christian seemed to figure out Crawford County’s defense in the first quarter of the semistate. The Eagles pulled out to a 14-4 lead at the end of the period, hitting 5-of-8 from the field and 4-of-4 from 3-point range.

The Wolfpack, though, put the clamps on Heritage Christian’s offense after that. The Eagles scored only 26 points in the final three quarters, misfiring on 30 of their 38 field-goal attempts.

According to second-year Crawford County head coach Levi Carmichael, the Wolfpack did not do anything special.

“We didn’t talk about anything complex at halftime. We just talked about some simple adjustments and what we needed to do. We just went out there and executed,” said Carmichael, who was an assistant coach at New Albany for one season. “For the most part, the boys really just buy into the defensive end, toughness and hustle plays. Our offense will sputter sometimes, but we can control the other end of the floor.”

Beasley paced Crawford County in the scoring department with 12 points. Teammates Gavin Coleman and Josh Thomas each scored 11. Thomas was 5-of-5 from the floor.

Carmichael’s wife, Amanda, is a former player and head coach for the New Albany girls’ basketball program. She was a member of the Bulldogs’ undefeated Class 4A state championship team in 1999. Amanda (Sizemore) Carmichael is the current head girls’ coach at Borden.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Andrew Williams, Heritage Christian – The sophomore guard tallied a game-high 22 points, shooting 7-of-14 from the field and 6-of-11 from behind the 3-point arc. Williams hit three 3-pointers to score nine points in the opening quarter to help the Eagles build that 14-4 advantage.

If it was not for Williams, Heritage Christian probably would have lost by a wider margin.

Honorable mention: Beasley – He posted 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter. Beasley was 5-of-5 from the floor in the final stanza. Each of the shots he made in the fourth kept the Wolfpack in the lead and put more pressure on the Eagles.

KEY SEQUENCE: Crawford County outscored Heritage Christian 16-6 in the second quarter to tie the game at 20 at halftime. The Wolfpack hit 7-of-9 shots in the period, while the Eagles were 2-of-9.

“We gave up those 14 (points in the first quarter),” Carmichael said. “Then we kind of shut them off a little bit in that second quarter and then kind of got going a little bit offensively.”

If Crawford County did not make this run, it might have been a different outcome.

UNSUNG HERO: Coleman – The 5-foot-8 junior guard, who averages 6.8 points per game this season, scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds off the bench.

“Gavin had a tremendous week of practice,” Carmichael said. “He really stepped up. He was in a zone the last couple days on this trip and was really focused and it showed. When he does that, he can be that little jolt of energy off the bench.”

Coleman scored seven points in the crucial second quarter. Five of those seven points came in the period-ending 7-0 run to force the halftime deadlock, where he made a layup and hit a 3.

“Coach called my number,” Coleman said. “I just went out there and put my heart and soul into it. I had a good week of practice and I felt good. My shots were just falling.”

WHAT THE WOLFPACK DID WELL: Crawford County’s defense was superb as Heritage Christian was 13-of-38 for the game (34.2 percent), including 4-of-17 on 2-point shots (23.5 percent).

The Wolfpack outrebounded the Eagles 27-19 and Crawford County won the bench-scoring duel 16-1.

AREA OF CONCERN FOR CRAWFORD COUNTY: The Wolfpack got off to a shaky start, giving Heritage Christian a chance to turn the semistate into a blowout. But their defense allowed them to get back into the ballgame.

“I think a little bit of that semistate shock and awe kind of hit us in the beginning of the game,” Carmichael said.

Crawford County will need to get off to a better start Saturday against a Frankton team that averages 69.8 points per contest.

CLASS 2A RICHMOND SEMISTATE

CRAWFORD COUNTY 49, HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 40

Crawford County         4 16 10 19-49

Heritage Christian     14    6   9 11-40

Crawford County (22-6): Adam Beasley 12, Gavin Coleman 11, Josh Thomas 11, Matthew Dearborn 7, Noah Sturgeon 5, Brent Smith 3, Wyatt Allinger 0, Christian Carlton 0, Cameron Marples 0, Tyrell Nickelson 0, Nick Stroud 0.

Heritage Christian (17-10): Andrew Williams 22, Kyle Somers 5, Hayden Wynja 5, Zack Meus 4, Ben Gordon 3, Bennett Coster 1, Jack Arterburn 0, Ross Eckel 0, Joe Geiger 0, Dawson Hancock 0, Sam McCloskey 0, Frankie Young 0.

3-point field goals: Crawford County 3 (Coleman 2, Smith 1); Heritage Christian 9 (Williams 6, Gordon 1, Somers 1, Wynja 1).

Rebounds: Crawford County 27 (Dearborn 6); Heritage Christian 19 (Williams, Wynja 4).

Turnovers: Crawford County 10, Heritage Christian 10.

Free throws: Crawford County 8-15, Heritage Christian 5-9.

Total fouls: Crawford County 12, Heritage Christian 12.

Fouled out: Thomas; Wynja.

BOYS’ HOOPS BREAKDOWN: Despite semistate setback, Mustangs bring New Wash community together

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

RICHMOND – Despite losing 64-50 to No. 3 Indianapolis Tindley in the Class A Richmond Semistate last Saturday at the Tiernan Center, New Washington accomplished one thing during its state tournament run – it brought the New Washington community together.

A large contingent of Mustang fans filled up their section of the 8,100-seat arena, producing some of the loudest cheers during the two semistate games. In the Class 2A semistate, Crawford County defeated Heritage Christian 49-40.

“They’ve left a great, positive legacy for our community,” New Washington head coach and former Mustang player Jonathan May said about his players. “They weren’t just playing for themselves and they weren’t just playing for the team. They were playing for a community because I know a lot of people, me included, were living out some of their own childhood dreams. It’s been a dream of mine as a player and as a coach to be able to experience something like this.”

New Washington senior center Stevie Mack was proud to see Mustang Nation come together during the Class A state tourney. This season New Washington captured sectional and regional championships for the first time since 2001.

“We got to see the respect and the things that have been missing for years and we found it,” Mack said. “I can’t speak for the entire senior class. I can’t speak for the fans and I can’t speak for the entire community. But we came and we saw. We were here.

“We didn’t reach our ultimate goal because the ultimate goal was making it all the way. But we found some peace in that we worked our tails off. We worked hard.”

Senior Hunter Lind led the Mustangs (20-10) with 15 points, shooting 5-of-12 from 3-point range. New Wash senior guard Brandon Horton had 13, while Mack posted a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

After scoring seven first-half points, New Washington senior forward Zach Moore left the game early in the third quarter as he was ill because of a stomach bug. Moore was one of the Mustangs’ leaders all season.

Junior guard Eric Hunter, who has drawn interest from Indiana, Purdue and Butler, paced Tindley (23-5) with a game-high 23 points. Tiger junior guard KJ Coleman had 17 points, while teammate Hunter White ended up with 12 points. Tindley will play No. 1 Lafayette Central Catholic (22-6) in the Class A state championship game at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

New Washington said goodbye to seven seniors in Horton, Lind, Mack, Moore, Caleb Ellison, Noah Franklin and Brandon Gill.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Hunter – The Tiger standout shot 9-of-18 from the field and 4-of-6 from the free-throw line along with grabbing six rebounds. Hunter also posted game-highs in assists (six) and steals (three).

“We knew there was going to have to be five guys to guard him,” May said. “He can score in each of the three ways. He can catch it and shoot it. He can put it on the floor and get to the rim, and he can get to his pull-up (jumper) quickly.”

Honorable mention: Lind – His 3-point shooting helped keep the Mustangs in contention for a good portion of the game. Lind nailed back-to-back 3’s midway through the fourth quarter to pull New Wash to within 51-46. But after that, Tindley closed the game with a 13-5 run.

KEY SEQUENCE: With the Tigers leading 23-22 with about two minutes left in the first half, they went on a 13-2 run to go up 36-24 near the midway point of the third. Tindley scored the final five points of the opening half to take a 28-22 halftime advantage. Then it started the third by tallying eight of the period’s first 10 points.

The 13-2 spurt put Tindley in control of the contest and forced New Washington to play catch-up the rest of the way.

“To be able to close out quarters and start quarters, it can have such a huge impact on the game,” Tigers’ head coach Bob Wonnell said. “These guys knew where their minds were, with the focus on defense and the focus on rebounding and just being aggressive on offense.”

UNSUNG HERO: Ellison – The 5-foot-9 point guard grabbed six rebounds and led the Mustangs in assists with five. He played a key role in keeping the game at a slow pace at certain points, which played in New Wash’s favor.

WHAT THE MUSTANGS DID WELL: New Washington shot very well from 3-point range, knocking down 9-of-21 from 3-point range (42.9 percent). Lind deserves most of the credit for that. During certain segments of the semistate, the Mustangs kept the contest as a half-court affair, which kept them within striking distance. Mack had another double-double.

AREAS OF CONCERN FOR NEW WASHINGTON: One of the biggest concerns for May entering the semistate was how the Mustangs would handle Tindley’s quickness.

At times, New Washington fared well against the Tigers’ speed. But at other times, it struggled.

“I thought we were just a little sped up on some things on the offensive end, which happens when you’ve got ball pressure like that on you,” May said. “We prepared as much as we could this week for that. But it’s hard to simulate that type of quickness and that type of ball pressure. We knew coming in that we were going to have to play pretty well.”

Mustang fans will always wonder if the semistate outcome would have been different if Moore was healthy.

“I feel bad for him. Zach has been amazing for us this year and all four of his years,” May said. “I really feel for him right there. It’s no comfort to him, but I believe everything happens for a reason.”

CLASS A RICHMOND SEMISTATE

INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY 64, NEW WASHINGTON 50

New Washington        15 7 14 14-50

Tindley                        19 9 17 19-64

New Washington (20-10): Hunter Lind 15, Brandon Horton 13, Stevie Mack 12, Zach Moore 7, Caleb Ellison 3, Jesus Diaz 0, Noah Franklin 0, Brandon Gill 0, Hunter Miles 0, Spencer Tye 0, AJ Walter 0.

Tindley (23-5): Eric Hunter 23, KJ Coleman 17, Hunter White 12, Joseph Johnson 6, Tyler Young 4, Sincere McMahon 2, Adedotun Adegbemigun 0, Maciah Caldwell 0, Andrew Knox 0, Keith Malone 0, Chris Murff 0, Josiah Poole 0.

3-point field goals: New Washington 9 (Lind 5, Horton 2, Ellison 1, Franklin 1); Tindley 3 (Coleman 2, Hunter 1).

Rebounds: New Washington 30 (Mack 12); Tindley 24 (White 7).

Turnovers: New Washington 13, Tindley 5.

Free throws: New Washington 7-12, Tindley 13-19.

Total fouls: New Washington 18, Tindley 13.
Fouled out: none.

FINAL HORN: Mustangs fall to No. 3 Tindley in Class A semistate 64-50

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

RICHMOND – New Washington’s dramatic run in the IHSAA state tournament came to a disappointing end Saturday at the Tiernan Center.

Third-ranked Indianapolis Tindley went on a game-clinching 13-5 run in the final 4 minutes and 9 seconds of regulation to defeat the Mustangs in the Class A Richmond Semistate 64-50.

It was the Tigers’ first semistate championship in school history. Tindley (23-5) will play No. 1 Lafayette Central Catholic (22-6) in the Class A state championship game at 10:30 a.m. next Saturday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Central Catholic beat Gary 21^st Century in the Class A Lafayette Jeff Semistate on Saturday 77-59.

New Washington finished the season with a 20-10 record as it collected sectional and regional titles for the first time since 2001.

“I thought we just had some crucial misses at times and some crucial turnovers. I thought that was the difference in controlling (the game) and taking a lead,” Mustangs’ head coach Jonathan May said.

The Mustangs got off to a bad start as the Tigers scored the first nine points of the game and led 14-5 with less than three minutes left in the first quarter.

But New Washington bounced back, getting within 19-15 at the end of the period when senior forward Hunter Lind hit the first of his five 3-pointers. The Mustangs got even closer late in the second, as they trailed 23-22 when senior forward Zach Moore knocked down a 15-footer.

Tindley, though, responded by scoring the final five points of the first half to spark a 13-2 run to give itself a 36-24 advantage midway through the third.

With the Tigers leading 51-39 with less than five minutes remaining in regulation, Lind knocked down back-to-back 3’s to cut Tindley’s lead to 51-45. However, the Tigers scored seven consecutive points to go up 58-45 with 2:29 left and they did not look back.

Lind led the Mustangs with 15 points, while teammate Brandon Horton tallied 13. New Washington senior center Stevie Mack recorded a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Mack also blocked three shots. Mustang guard Caleb Ellison made six rebounds and five assists.

Moore, who is one of New Washington’s key players all season, left the game early in the third quarter because of a stomach bug. Moore had seven points, all in the first half.

“It threw us off. But we’re not going to make that an excuse,” May said about Moore’s absence. “It definitely did not help us with him being out.”

The Mustangs lose seven seniors in Ellison, Horton, Lind, Mack, Moore, Noah Franklin and Brandon Gill.

Junior guard Eric Hunter paced Tindley with a game-high 23 points along with a game-high six assists. Teammate KJ Coleman had 17 points and Tiger junior Hunter White scored 12.

Check Southern Indiana Preps in the upcoming days for a breakdown of Saturday’s Class A Richmond Semistate between New Washington and Indianapolis Tindley.

CLASS A RICHMOND SEMISTATE

INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY 64, NEW WASHINGTON 50

New Washington        15 7 14 14-50

Tindley                        19 9 17 19-64

New Washington (20-10): Hunter Lind 15, Brandon Horton 13, Stevie Mack 12, Zach Moore 7, Caleb Ellison 3, Jesus Diaz 0, Noah Franklin 0, Brandon Gill 0, Hunter Miles 0, Spencer Tye 0, AJ Walter 0.

Tindley (23-5): Eric Hunter 23, KJ Coleman 17, Hunter White 12, Joseph Johnson 6, Tyler Young 4, Sincere McMahon 2, Adedotun Adegbemigun 0, Maciah Caldwell 0, Andrew Knox 0, Keith Malone 0, Chris Murff 0, Josiah Poole 0.

3-point field goals: New Washington 9 (Lind 5, Horton 2, Ellison 1, Franklin 1); Tindley 3 (Coleman 2, Hunter 1).

Rebounds: New Washington 30 (Mack 12); Tindley 24 (White 7).

Turnovers: New Washington 13, Tindley 5.

Free throws: New Washington 7-12, Tindley 13-19.

Total fouls: New Washington 18, Tindley 13.

Fouled out: none.

BOYS' HOOPS: Braves highlight this season’s All-MSC team

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

JEFFERSONVILLE – Brownstown Central recently got rewarded for claiming the outright Mid-Southern Conference championship this season by getting two players on the All-MSC team.

The Braves’ pair are seniors Carson Lambring and Cody Waskom. Lambring has been named MSC Player of the Year, while veteran Brownstown head coach Dave Benter has earned MSC Coach of the Year honors.

Other players on the All-MSC squad are Charlestown’s Jordan Knoebel, Clarksville’s Christian Stewart, North Harrison’s Jake Book, Salem’s Seth Hobson and Hunter Weedin, Scottsburg’s Mitchell Meagher and Silver Creek’s Zane Gross and Cam Stephens.

Receiving honorable-mention votes are Brownstown’s Gavin Bane, Charlestown’s Isaiah Harris, Corydon Central’s Alec Saulman, Eastern’s Ridge Hall and Salem’s Derek Cornett.

BOYS’ HOOPS: Three Bulldogs make All-HHC first team

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

JEFFERSONVILLE – Three New Albany players – Romeo Langford, Isaac Hibbard and Sean East - have been selected to this season’s All-Hoosier Hills Conference first team. The trio helped the Bulldogs (25-4, 6-1 HHC) capture their fourth consecutive HHC outright championship in the 2016-17 campaign along with a fourth Class 4A Seymour Sectional title in a row.

Langford, a junior swingman, averaged 28.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per game this season. Hibbard, a senior guard, scored 13 points a contest. East, a junior guard, averaged 12 points per game.

Jeffersonville’s lone player on the first team is Bailey Falkenstein. The junior forward was the leading scorer for the Red Devils (14-11, 3-4) this year. His highest-scoring game this year was a career-high 41 points in Jeff’s 83-64 home victory over Louisville Ballard on Feb. 17.

Two Floyd Central swingmen – sophomore Cobie Barnes and junior Luke Gohmann – have each made the All-HHC first team. The Highlanders posted an overall record of 19-5 and a conference mark of 5-2 in 2016-17.

The rest of the first team includes Bedford North Lawrence’s Brayton Bailey, Columbus East’s Tanner McFall, Jennings County’s Tyler Vogel and Madison’s Daniel Anderson.

Jeff has two players on the All-HHC honorable-mention list in junior forward Gerrin Moore and sophomore guard Joe LaGrange. Three Floyd Central players have earned honorable-mention status in senior center Trevor Apple, senior guard Tyler Kimm and junior guard Matthew Weimer.

Other honorable-mention players are Bedford’s McCall Ray, Columbus East’s Jonathan Foster and Chaz Painter and Seymour’s Tyler Bloom and Alan Perry.

New Albany head coach Jim Shannon has been named HHC Coach of the Year.

BOYS’ HOOPS BREAKDOWN: Castle’s size too much for New Albany in regional final

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

SEYMOUR – Last Saturday’s Class 4A Seymour Regional championship game at Scott Gym was a classic matchup between New Albany’s quickness and Castle’s size.

Size won on this night.

The Knights’ top two front-court players in seniors Jack Nunge and Payton Mills combined to score 42 points and grab 27 rebounds in their 72-64 victory over the defending Class 4A state champion Bulldogs. It was No. 8 Castle’s third regional title and its first since 2012. The Knights will take on Indianapolis Ben Davis (21-5) in the Class 4A Seymour Semistate at 3 p.m. this coming Saturday.

Even though Nunge draws the most attention as he will play at Iowa next season, Mills’ contributions were crucial last Saturday. The 6-foot-5 center scored a team-high 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting. He also grabbed nine rebounds.

“No. 32 (Mills) was a bear on the boards. He played so hard. He just plowed his way in there and we didn’t have an answer for him,” New Albany head coach Jim Shannon said. “You’ve got to take your hat off to a kid that has that much heart.

Nunge, a 6-11 power forward, tallied 20 points and snagged a game-high 18 boards. He was 8-of-16 from the floor and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line.

“Nunge was just a load for us,” Shannon said. “He’s 6-11 and he’s tough for us (to defend). How do you stop that, you know? They’ve got good players. They’ve got a really good chance of winning the state.”

Teammate Alex Hemenway provided Castle (24-3) with its backcourt punch. The 6-3 sophomore guard wound up with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting. He joined Mills with nine rebounds to assist the Knights in winning the battle of the boards 42-26.

For the game, Castle shot 30-of-59 from the field (50.8 percent). Hemenway, Mills and Nunge combined to make 25-of-46 field-goal attempts (54.3 percent).

“I thought we got beat by a great basketball team,” Shannon said. “I think if we played 10 times, we would split it down the middle. But we’re not playing 10 times. We’re playing once. They played better. We had no answer at all for their inside-out game.”

The Knight trio’s 59 points offset another solid performance by New Albany junior Romeo Langford. The 6-foot-5 five-star swingman scored a game-high 44 points. That point total was two points off his single-game school record of 46 that he set last year in the Bulldogs’ 82-64 win over Southport’s in last year’s Class 4A Richmond Semistate.

Isaac Hibbard was the only other New Albany player that reached double figures. The senior guard ended up with 15 points, shooting 3-of-5 from the field and 8-of-8 from the free-throw line.

Hibbard was one of three seniors on the top-ranked Bulldogs’ roster. The other two were guard Peyton Martin and forward Seth Short.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Langford – The Naismith All-American’s 44 points marked the seventh time in his high school career he has scored 40-plus points. Langford shot 13-of-34 from the floor, 5-of-17 from 3-point range and 13-of-16 from the stripe.

“I originally said I think we can beat them even if he gets 50, and I thought he was going to get 50 there for a while,” Castle head coach Brian Gibson said. “We definitely outscored him because we didn’t think that we could stop him. That’s what we did. I thought our kids did a nice job of taking away some of their other options. He’s a phenomenal basketball player.”

Langford also grabbed seven rebounds. He had a combined 17 rebounds in the regional, as he needs three more boards to pass former New Albany great Chad Hunter as the school’s all-time leading rebounder. Langford is already the Bulldogs’ career leading scorer with 2,079 points.

KEY SEQUENCE: Leading 49-48 early in the fourth quarter, Castle produced a 15-4 run to take its largest lead of the game at 64-52 with 3:43 remaining in regulation. Mills and Hemenway scored a combined 13 points during that stretch.

The closest the Bulldogs (25-4) got after that was seven points in two instances. With 2:03 left. Hibbard hit his lone 3 of the contest to pull New Albany to within 68-61. After a Nunge bucket, Langford knocked down a pair of free throws to cut the Bulldogs’ deficit to 70-63 with 1:32 remaining.

UNSUNG HERO: Mills – Shannon declared the Castle senior the game’s unsung hero even though he has been one of the Knights’ key contributors all season. Mills entered the regional averaging 12.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

“I thought that kid played outstanding and we weren’t expecting that from him,” Shannon said.

WHAT NEW ALBANY DID WELL: Obviously, Langford had another productive game despite shooting 38.2 percent for the game.

Hibbard finished his career with his usual solid outing. Despite the loss, New Albany shot well from the line, making 21-of-24 foul shots (87.5 percent).

AREAS OF CONCERN FOR NEW ALBANY: There were plenty in the regional final for the Bulldogs like getting outrebounded by 16, battling Castle’s size and only forcing the Knights into four turnovers.

But the biggest concern for New Albany was in the scoring department. Only four Bulldogs factored into the scoring column and Langford and Hibbard accounted for 92.1 percent of the team’s point production. New Albany junior guard Sean East, who entered the regional as the team’s third-leading scorer at 12.6 points per game, went scoreless.

For the past two seasons, the Bulldogs are pretty much unbeatable when they have at least three players score in double figures and at least six players get in the scoring column. But last Saturday, that did not happen.

CLASS 4A SEYMOUR REGIONAL

CHAMPIONSHIP

CASTLE 72, NEW ALBANY 64

New Albany       15 18 12 19-64

Castle                 16 16 17 23-72

New Albany (25-4): Romeo Langford 44, Isaac Hibbard 15, Derrick Stevenson 3, Blake Murphy 2, Sean East 0, Julien Hunter 0, Savion Southers 0.

Castle (24-3): Payton Mills 22, Jack Nunge 20, Alex Hemenway 17, Brandon Eades 8, Jace Steiler 3, Triston Wilkinson 2, Jordan Baker 0, Zach Messinger 0.

3-point field goals: New Albany 7 (Langford 5, Hibbard 1, Stevenson 1); Castle 3 (Hemenway 2, Steiler 1).

Rebounds: New Albany 26 (Langford 7); Castle 42 (Nunge 18).

Turnovers: New Albany 6, Castle 4.

Free throws: New Albany 21-24, Castle 9-14.

Total fouls: New Albany 15, Castle 17.

Fouled out: none.

SEMIFINAL

NEW ALBANY 57, CENTER GROVE 52

Center Grove       8 12 14 18-52

New Albany       15   9 18 15-57

Center Grove (17-8): Travis Roehling 18, Trayce Jackson-Davis 16, Joey Klaasen 9, Nate McLain 9, Lucas Doyle 0, Ben Nicoson 0, Spencer Piercefield 0.

New Albany (25-3): Langford 21, East 9, Hibbard 8, Murphy 7, Hunter 6, Stevenson 6.

3-point field goals: Center Grove 4 (McLain 3, Klaasen 1); New Albany 4 (East 1, Hibbard 1, Murphy 1, Stevenson 1).

Rebounds: Center Grove 23 (Jackson-Davis 7); New Albany 26 (Langford 10).

Turnovers: Center Grove 8, New Albany 6.

Free throws: Center Grove 8-14, New Albany 11-13.

Total fouls: Center Grove 16, New Albany 13.

Fouled out: none.

BOYS’ REGIONAL ROUNDUP: New Wash earns first regional title since 2001 with 67-62 win

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

LOOGOOTEE – New Washington claimed its second regional championship in program history Saturday night at Jack Butcher Arena, beating No. 5 Wood Memorial in the Class A Loogootee Regional title game 67-62. The Mustangs (20-9) collected their first regional crown in 2001.

New Washington will take on No. 3 Indianapolis Tindley (22-5) in the Class A Richmond Semistate at 4 p.m. next Saturday. The Tigers won their first-ever regional championship Saturday by downing Indianapolis Lutheran in the Class A Martinsville Regional final 78-62.

New Washington had four players score in double figures. Senior Zach Moore scored a team-high 19 points, followed by teammate Hunter Lind with 15 points. Lind nailed five 3-pointers to account for all of his points.

The Mustangs’ Brandon Horton and Stevie Mack each tallied 11 points. Moore and Mack grabbed eight rebounds apiece.

New Washington prevailed in the regional opener Saturday morning over West Washington 40-36. Moore paced the Mustangs with 18 points. Mack had a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Hunter Sanford led the Senators (20-7) with 16 points. Teammate Noah Green poured in nine.

CLASS 2A PAOLI REGIONAL

WOLFPACK CLAIM FIRST REGIONAL TITLE IN 22 YEARS

PAOLI – Senior Brent Smith scored 18 points thanks to six 3-pointers to lead Crawford County to a 48-32 victory over South Knox (20-8) in the Class 2A Paoli Regional championship game Saturday at Chambers Gymnasium. Fellow senior Adam Beasley added 12 points.

It was the Wolfpack’s first regional title since 1995 and their third in program history. Crawford County (21-6) will play Heritage Christian (17-9) in the Class 2A Richmond Semistate at approximately 6 p.m. next Saturday. The Eagles took care of No. 4 Northeastern in the Greenfield-Central Regional final Saturday 65-50.

The Wolfpack, who are on a 12-game winning streak, beat Forest Park in the Paoli Regional semifinals 42-38. Josh Thomas paced Crawford County with 13 points. Beasley added 11.

CLASS 3A WASHINGTON REGIONAL

NO. 3 BRAVES FALL TO NO. 5 BOSSE IN SEMIS

WASHINGTON – No. 3 Brownstown Central’s solid season came to an end Saturday at the Hatchet House in an 81-71 overtime loss to defending Class 3A state runner-up Evansville Bosse in the Class 3A Washington Regional semifinals.

Senior Carson Lambring was the Braves’ top scorer with 26 points. Fellow senior Cody Waskom added 20.

Brownstown (24-3) had a 65-63 in the closing seconds of the fourth, but Bosse (20-7) forced overtime with a putback basket at the regulation horn. The Bulldogs carried the momentum from the putback into the extra session. They reeled off the first seven points of the overtime to post the 10-point win.

Bosse guard Mekhi Lairy really heated up after halftime. The junior scored 23 of his game-high 40 points in the second half and overtime. For the game, teammate Jaylin Chinn scored 18 points.

The Bulldogs won the regional final Saturday night over Pike Central 94-66. They will face No. 4 Indianapolis Attucks (23-4) in the Class 4A Seymour Semistate at 1 p.m. this coming Saturday.

BOYS’ HOOPS: New Wash to play semistate at Richmond

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

INDIANAPOLIS – New Washington will play No. 3 Indianapolis Tindley (22-5) in the Class A semistate at Richmond High School’s Tiernan Center at 4 p.m. next Saturday. The IHSAA determined the sites for the semistate teams and the times for the third stage of the state tournament Sunday.

The Mustangs (20-9) earned the semistate berth Saturday night by winning the Class A Loogootee Regional championship game against No. 5 Wood Memorial (22-6) 67-62. It was New Washington’s second regional title with its first coming in 2001.

Crawford County (21-6) also will play its semistate game in Richmond next Saturday. The Wolfpack will face Heritage Christian (17-9) in the Class 2A semistate at approximately 6 p.m.

Crawford County defeated South Knox (20-8) in the Class 2A Paoli Regional final Saturday night 48-32. It was the Wolfpack’s first regional title since 1995.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL SEMISTATES

SATURDAY, MARCH 18

CLASS 4A

Huntington North: Fort Wayne North (26-2) vs. Merrillville (21-7), 6 p.m.

Seymour: Castle (24-3) vs. Indianapolis Ben Davis (21-5), 3 p.m.

CLASS 3A

Huntington North: Fort Wayne Luers (19-7) vs. Twin Lakes (24-3), 4 p.m.

Seymour: Evansville Bosse (20-7) vs. Indianapolis Attucks (23-4), 1 p.m.

CLASS 2A

Lafayette Jeff: Frankton (21-6) vs. Marquette Catholic (19-9), 3 p.m.

Richmond: Crawford County (21-6) vs. Heritage Christian (17-9), 6 p.m.

CLASS A

Lafayette Jeff: Lafayette Central Catholic (21-6) vs. Gary 21^st Century (19-8), 1 p.m.

Richmond: New Washington (20-9) vs. Indianapolis Tindley (22-5), 4 p.m.

SOUTHERN INDIANA PREPS SCOREBOARD

BOYS’ BASKETBALL REGIONALS

SATURDAY, MARCH 11

CLASS 4A

MICHIGAN CITY

Semifinals

Merrillville 75, South Bend Adams 49

Warsaw 61, East Chicago Central 59, 2OT

Championship

Merrillville 50, Warsaw 46

LOGANSPORT

Semifinals

Fort Wayne North 57, Homestead 38

Carmel 68, McCutcheon 61

Championship

Fort Wayne North 52, Carmel 49, OT

SOUTHPORT

Semifinals

Connersville 55, Brownsburg 49, OT

Indianapolis Ben Davis 47, North Central (Indianapolis) 44

Championship

Indianapolis Ben Davis 44, Connersville 21

SEYMOUR

Semifinals

New Albany 57, Center Grove 52

Castle 72, Bloomington South 62

Championship

Castle 72, New Albany 64

CLASS 3A

KANKAKEE VALLEY

Semifinals

Griffith 64, West Lafayette 40

Twin Lakes 39, Culver Academy 38

Championship

Twin Lakes 69, Griffith 64, OT

MARION

Semifinals

Fort Wayne Luers 66, Fairfield 57

Tipton 44, New Haven 41

Championship

Fort Wayne Luers 54, Tipton 50, 2OT

GREENCASTLE

Semifinals

Indianapolis Attucks 70, Northview 52

Tri-West 87, Danville 63

Championship

Indianapolis Attucks 74, Tri-West 69, OT

WASHINGTON

Semifinals

Pike Central 59, Greensburg 47

Evansville Bosse 81, Brownstown Central 71, OT

Championship

Evansville Bosse 94, Pike Central 66

CLASS 2A

NORTH JUDSON

Semifinals

Marquette Catholic 75, Churubusco 64

Gary Roosevelt 41, Central Noble 38

Championship

Marquette Catholic 67, Gary Roosevelt 65

LAPEL

Semifinals

Covington 56, Madison-Grant 46

Frankton 65, Southwood 61

Championship

Frankton 54, Covington 52

GREENFIELD-CENTRAL

Semifinals

Northeastern 67, Cloverdale 59

Heritage Christian 58, Shenandoah 45

Championship

Heritage Christian 65, Northeastern 50

PAOLI

Semifinals

South Knox 56, South Ripley 35

Crawford County 42, Forest Park 38

Championship

Crawford County 48, South Knox 32

CLASS A

TRITON

Semifinals

Gary 21^st Century 69, Tri-County 57

Oregon-Davis 66, Lakewood Park Christian 50

Championship

Gary 21^st Century 76, Oregon-Davis 73

FRANKFORT

Semifinals

Lafayette Central Catholic 67, North Vermillion 30

Liberty Christian 65, Seton Catholic 48

Championship

Lafayette Central Catholic 69, Liberty Christian 54

MARTINSVILLE

Semifinals

Indianapolis Tindley 64, Shakamak 49

Indianapolis Lutheran 66, Hauser 60

Championship

Indianapolis Tindley 78, Indianapolis Lutheran 62

LOOGOOTEE

Semifinals

New Washington 40, West Washington 36

Wood Memorial 63, Loogootee 43

Championship

New Washington 67, Wood Memorial 62

BOYS’ BASKETBALL SEMISTATES

SATURDAY, MARCH 18

CLASS 4A

Huntington North: Fort Wayne North (26-2) vs. Merrillville (21-7), 6 p.m.

Seymour: Castle (24-3) vs. Indianapolis Ben Davis (21-5), 3 p.m.

CLASS 3A

Huntington North: Fort Wayne Luers (19-7) vs. Twin Lakes (24-3), 4 p.m.

Seymour: Evansville Bosse (20-7) vs. Indianapolis Attucks (23-4), 1 p.m.

CLASS 2A

Lafayette Jeff: Frankton (21-6) vs. Marquette Catholic (19-9), 3 p.m.

Richmond: Crawford County (21-6) vs. Heritage Christian (17-9), 6 p.m.

CLASS A

Lafayette Jeff: Lafayette Central Catholic (21-6) vs. Gary 21^st Century (19-8), 1 p.m.

Richmond: New Washington (20-9) vs. Indianapolis Tindley (22-5), 4 p.m.

FINAL HORN: Despite 44 from Langford, New Albany’s season ends versus Castle 72-64

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

SEYMOUR – The New Albany Bulldogs’ bid to repeat as Class 4A state champions came to a disappointing end Saturday night at Scott Gym.

Despite a 44-point performance from junior standout Romeo Langford, the top-ranked Bulldogs fell to No. 8 Castle in the Class 4A Seymour Regional championship game 72-64. It was the Knights’ first regional title since 2012.

“Pound for pound, they just really hurt us in certain spots tonight,” New Albany head coach Jim Shannon said. “We had a tough matchup from the get-go. But we thought after the first half that we could play with them. We tried to speed the tempo up a little bit. At times, it worked in our favor when we were trapping (on defense). We just weren’t hitting. We just didn’t hit our shots.”                              

Castle (24-3) will face Indianapolis Ben Davis (21-5) in the Class 4A south semistate next Saturday at either Scott Gym or Richmond’s Tiernan Center. The Giants defeated Connersville in the Southport Regional final 44-21. The IHSAA will determine the semistate site Sunday.

Langford’s 44 points were two short of his single-game school record of 46, which he set last year in leading New Albany to the Class 4A Richmond Semistate crown versus Southport. He shot 13-of-34 from the field, including 5-of-17 from 3-point range, and 13-of-16 from the free-throw line. Langford also grabbed six rebounds.

It was the seventh time in Langford’s high school career that the five-star recruit registered 40-plus points in a game.

As for the rest of the Bulldogs, they scored just a combined 20 points. Senior guard Isaac Hibbard had 15 points in his last contest in a New Albany jersey. During his prep career, Hibbard helped the Bulldogs capture four outright Hoosier Hills Conference championships, four sectional titles, one regional crown, a semistate title and last year’s Class 4A state championship.

Hibbard grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and was a perfect 8-of-8 from the stripe. He shot 3-of-5 from the floor and 1-of-2 from 3-point range.

“Romeo and Isaac played their hearts out. I mean they really did. What more can you say?” Shannon said. “Isaac was trying to get some shots and get some looks. He ended up with 15, but we would’ve liked to have gotten him some more. But they stuck to him like glue.”

New Albany (25-4) struggled to contain Castle’s front-line players throughout the night. Six-foot-five senior forward Payton Mills led the Knights with 22 points, shooting 10-of-17 from the floor. He also grabbed nine rebounds.

Castle’s 6-11 power forward Jack Nunge, who will play at the University of Iowa next season, recorded a double-double with 20 points and a game-high 18 rebounds. Nunge connected on eight of his 16 field-goal attempts and was 4-of-5 at the line.

Knight sophomore point guard Alex Hemenway ended up with 17 points and nine boards. Mills, Nunge and Hemenway helped Castle dominate the glass against the Bulldogs by a 42-26 margin.

Leading 44-42 with about two minutes left in the third quarter, the Knights scored the next five points to go up 49-42. But back-to-back 3-pointers by Langford pulled New Albany to within one point at 49-48 early in the fourth.

That is when Castle responded in a major way.

The Knights went on a 15-4 run to take their largest lead of the game at 64-52. Mills had seven points during that spurt, while Hemenway chipped in six.

With Castle up 68-56, New Albany tried to make a huge run. Langford converted a layup and Hibbard knocked down a 3 with 2:03 left in regulation to pull the Bulldogs within 68-61. But New Albany could not get any closer.

The Bulldogs shot 18-of-51 from the field (35.3 percent), while the Knights shot better than 50 percent at 30-of-59 (50.8 percent).

The Dogs say goodbye to three seniors in Hibbard, guard Peyton Martin and forward Seth Short.

Check out Southern Indiana Preps later this weekend for a breakdown of the Class 4A Seymour Regional.

CLASS 4A SEYMOUR REGIONAL

CHAMPIONSHIP

CASTLE 72, NEW ALBANY 64

New Albany      15 18 12 19-64

Castle                 16 16 17 23-72

New Albany (25-4): Romeo Langford 44, Isaac Hibbard 15, Derrick Stevenson 3, Blake Murphy 2, Sean East 0, Julien Hunter 0, Savion Southers 0.

Castle (24-3): Payton Mills 22, Jack Nunge 20, Alex Hemenway 17, Brandon Eades 8, Jace Steiler 3, Triston Wilkinson 2, Jordan Baker 0, Zach Messinger 0.

3-point field goals: New Albany 7 (Langford 5, Hibbard 1, Stevenson 1); Castle 3 (Hemenway 2, Steiler 1).

Rebounds: New Albany 26 (Hibbard 7); Castle 42 (Nunge 18).

Turnovers: New Albany 6, Castle 4.

Free throws: New Albany 21-24, Castle 9-14.

Total fouls: New Albany 15, Castle 17.

Fouled out: none.

Technical fouls: Castle bench.

SOUTHERN INDIANA PREPS SCOREBOARD

BOYS’ BASKETBALL REGIONALS

SATURDAY, MARCH 11

CLASS 4A

MICHIGAN CITY

Semifinals

Merrillville 75, South Bend Adams 49

Warsaw 61, East Chicago Central 59, 2OT

Championship

Merrillville (20-7) vs. Warsaw (18-9), 8:30 p.m.

LOGANSPORT

Semifinals

Fort Wayne North 57, Homestead 38

Carmel 68, McCutcheon 61

Championship

Fort Wayne North (25-2) vs. Carmel (22-4), 8 p.m.

SOUTHPORT

Semifinals

Connersville 55, Brownsburg 49, OT

Indianapolis Ben Davis 47, North Central (Indianapolis) 44

Championship

Connersville (27-1) vs. Indianapolis Ben Davis (20-5), 8 p.m.

SEYMOUR

Semifinals

New Albany 57, Center Grove 52

Castle 72, Bloomington South 62

Championship

New Albany (25-3) vs. Castle (23-3), 8 p.m.

CLASS 3A

KANKAKEE VALLEY

Semifinals

Griffith 64, West Lafayette 40

Twin Lakes 39, Culver Academy 38

Championship

Griffith (24-3) vs. Twin Lakes (23-3), 8 p.m.

MARION

Semifinals

Fort Wayne Luers 66, Fairfield 57

Tipton 44, New Haven 41

Championship

Fort Wayne Luers (18-7) vs. Tipton (17-8), 8 p.m.

GREENCASTLE

Semifinals

Indianapolis Attucks 70, Northview 52

Tri-West 87, Danville 63

Championship

Indianapolis Attucks (22-4) vs. Tri-West (23-3), 8 p.m.

WASHINGTON

Semifinals

Pike Central 59, Greensburg 47

Evansville Bosse 81, Brownstown Central 71, OT

Championship

Pike Central (15-11) vs. Evansville Bosse (19-7), 8 p.m.

CLASS 2A

NORTH JUDSON

Semifinals

Marquette Catholic 75, Churubusco 64

Gary Roosevelt 41, Central Noble 38

Championship

Marquette Catholic (18-9) vs. Gary Roosevelt (16-8), 8:30 p.m.

LAPEL

Semifinals

Covington 56, Madison-Grant 46

Frankton 65, Southwood 61

Championship

Covington (19-7) vs. Frankton (20-6), 8 p.m.

GREENFIELD-CENTRAL

Semifinals

Northeastern 67, Cloverdale 59

Heritage Christian 58, Shenandoah 45

Championship

Northeastern (22-5) vs. Heritage Christian (16-9), 8 p.m.

PAOLI

Semifinals

South Knox 56, South Ripley 35

Crawford County 42, Forest Park 38

Championship

South Knox (20-7) vs. Crawford County (20-6), 8 p.m.

CLASS A

TRITON

Semifinals

Gary 21^st Century 69, Tri-County 57

Oregon-Davis 66, Lakewood Park Christian 50

Championship

Gary 21^st Century (18-8) vs. Oregon-Davis (21-6), 8:30 p.m.

FRANKFORT

Semifinals

Lafayette Central Catholic 67, North Vermillion 30

Liberty Christian 65, Seton Catholic 48

Championship

Lafayette Central Catholic (20-6) vs. Liberty Christian (13-14), 8 p.m.

MARTINSVILLE

Semifinals

Indianapolis Tindley 64, Shakamak 49

Indianapolis Lutheran 66, Hauser 60

Championship

Indianapolis Tindley (21-5) vs. Indianapolis Lutheran (12-12), 8 p.m.

LOOGOOTEE

Semifinals

New Washington 40, West Washington 36

Wood Memorial 63, Loogootee 43

Championship

New Washington (19-9) vs. Wood Memorial (22-5), 7:30 p.m.

FINAL HORN: Bulldogs advance to regional final with 57-52 win over Center Grove

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

SEYMOUR – Class 4A No. 1 New Albany held off a determined Center Grove squad Saturday morning at Scott Gym to win the first Class 4A Seymour Regional semifinal 57-52.

The Bulldogs (25-3) will take on No. 8 Castle (23-3) in the regional final at 8 tonight. The Knights defeated Bloomington South (22-5) in Saturday’s second semifinal 72-62.

New Albany head coach Jim Shannon expects future opponents to play the Bulldogs extremely tough for the rest of the state tournament.

“It’s going to be the same from here on out. We’re going to get everybody’s best shot,” Shannon said.

Throughout the regional opener when New Albany appeared on the verge of breaking the game wide open, the Trojans (17-8) kept fighting back to stay within striking distance.

Bulldog junior Romeo Langford converted a three-point play with 3:25 left in the second quarter, giving New Albany a 22-15 lead. But Center Grove tied the game at 26 with a little more than six minutes left in the third on a reverse layup by Travis Roehling.

A hook shot by Bulldog freshman Julien Hunter capped off an 8-0 run to put New Albany up 37-29 with about 2:30 left in the third. The Trojans, though, battled back to within four at 46-42 with 3:05 remaining in regulation on a putback by 6-foot-8 center Trayce Jackson-Davis.

With the Bulldogs up 48-42 with 2:20 left, New Albany senior Isaac Hibbard came up with a huge play. Hibbard made a steal, then nailed a high-arching finger-roll layup while getting fouled. Hibbard finished the three-point play with a foul shot to give the Bulldogs a 51-42 advantage.

“The good news was he made a deflection and got the steal,” Shannon said. “That changed the momentum of the game back to us. Our 1-3-1 (trap defense) hurt them.”

At the 10.2-second mark, Roehling had a three-point play to pull Center Grove within five at 55-50. But junior Sean East hit two free throws to increase New Albany’s lead to seven.

Langford recorded game-highs in scoring (21 points) and rebounding (nine). The 6-foot-5 Naismith All-American was 9-of-16 from the field and 3-of-3 from the line, as Center Grove utilized a junk defense in trying to slow down Langford.

“I feel like I have to earn my points almost every day, but especially today,” Langford said.

Shannon gave Langford plenty of credit for driving the ball in the paint to draw fouls on Jackson-Davis. The Trojan sophomore committed four fouls and had to sit on the bench for several minutes to keep from fouling out.

“Getting him out of the game was crucial,” Shannon said. “Ro kept taking it to him.”

East wound up with nine points and Hibbard had eight. Junior forward Blake Murphy had a productive game off the bench with seven points and seven rebounds.

Roehling led the Trojans with 18 points, while Jackson-Davis had 16 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Teammates Nate McLain and Joey Klaasen each chipped in nine points.

“They’re a really good team,” Shannon said. “(Roehling) is fantastic. We were prepared, but stopping them was a different story. Ro had to earn his points.”

New Albany will try to win to back-to-back regional titles for the first time since 1996 and 1997 Saturday night. The Bulldogs also will vie for their 18^th regional championship in school history.

CLASS 4A SEYMOUR REGIONAL

SEMIFINAL

NEW ALBANY 57, CENTER GROVE 52

Center Grove       8 12 14 18-52

New Albany       15   9 18 15-57

Center Grove (17-8): Travis Roehling 18, Trayce Jackson-Davis 16, Joey Klaasen 9, Nate McLain 9, Lucas Doyle 0, Ben Nicoson 0, Spencer Piercefield 0.

New Albany (25-3): Romeo Langford 21, Sean East 9, Isaac Hibbard 8, Blake Murphy 7, Julien Hunter 6, Derrick Stevenson 6.

3-point field goals: Center Grove 4 (McLain 3, Klaasen 1); New Albany 4 (East 1, Hibbard 1, Murphy 1, Stevenson 1).

Rebounds: Center Grove 23 (Jackson-Davis 7); New Albany 26 (Langford 9).

Turnovers: Center Grove 8, New Albany 6.

Free throws: Center Grove 8-14, New Albany 11-13.

Total fouls: Center Grove 16, New Albany 13.

Fouled out: none.

SOUTHERN INDIANA PREPS SCOREBOARD

BOYS’ BASKETBALL REGIONALS

SATURDAY, MARCH 11

CLASS 4A

MICHIGAN CITY

Semifinals

Merrillville (19-7) vs. South Bend Adams (21-4), 10 a.m.

Warsaw (17-9) vs. East Chicago Central (15-9), noon

Championship

Semifinal winners, 7:30 p.m.

LOGANSPORT

Semifinals

Homestead (23-3) vs. Fort Wayne North (24-2), 10 a.m.

Carmel (21-4) vs. McCutcheon (23-2), noon

Championship

Semifinal winners, 8 p.m.

SOUTHPORT

Semifinals

Brownsburg (18-6) vs. Connersville (26-1), 10 a.m.

North Central (Indianapolis) (23-4) vs. Indianapolis Ben Davis (19-5), noon

Championship

Semifinal winners, 8 p.m.

SEYMOUR

Semifinals

Center Grove (17-7) vs. New Albany (24-3), 10 a.m.

Bloomington South (22-4) vs. Castle (22-3), noon

Championship

Semifinal winners, 8 p.m.

CLASS 3A

KANKAKEE VALLEY

Semifinals

West Lafayette (16-9) vs. Griffith (23-3), 10 a.m.

Twin Lakes (22-3) vs. Culver Academy (21-2), noon

Championship

Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.

MARION

Semifinals

Fairfield (13-12) vs. Fort Wayne Luers (17-7), 10 a.m.

New Haven (19-7) vs. Tipton (16-8), noon

Championship

Semifinal winners, 8 p.m.

GREENCASTLE

Semifinals

Northview (18-8) vs. Indianapolis Attucks (21-4), 10 a.m.

Tri-West (22-3) vs. Danville (19-8), noon

Championship

Semifinal winners, 8 p.m.

WASHINGTON

Semifinals

Pike Central (14-11) vs. Greensburg (17-6), 10 a.m.

Brownstown Central (23-2) or Salem (22-2) vs. Evansville Bosse (18-7), 11:30 a.m.

Championship

Semifinal winners, 8 p.m.

CLASS 2A

NORTH JUDSON

Semifinals

Marquette Catholic (17-9) vs. Churubusco (17-8), 10 a.m.

Central Noble (14-12) vs. Gary Roosevelt (15-8), noon

Championship

Semifinal winners, 7:30 p.m.

LAPEL

Semifinals

Covington (18-7) vs. Madison-Grant (13-11), 10:30 a.m.

Frankton (19-6) vs. Southwood (21-4), noon

Championship

Semifinal winners, 8 p.m.

GREENFIELD-CENTRAL

Semifinals

Cloverdale (21-6) vs. Northeastern (21-5), 10 a.m.

Shenandoah (20-4) vs. Heritage Christian (15-9), noon

Championship

Semifinal winners, 8 p.m.

PAOLI

Semifinals

South Knox (19-7) vs. South Ripley (15-11), 10 a.m.

Forest Park (18-9) vs. Crawford County (19-6), noon

Championship

Semifinal winners, 8 p.m.

CLASS A

TRITON

Semifinals

Tri-County (23-2) vs. Gary 21^st Century (17-8), 10 a.m.

Oregon-Davis (20-6) vs. Lakewood Park Christian (17-8), 11:30 a.m.

Championship

Semifinal winners, 7:30 p.m.

FRANKFORT

Semifinals

North Vermillion (8-18) vs. Lafayette Central Catholic (19-6), 10 a.m.

Liberty Christian (12-14) vs. Seton Catholic (15-11), noon

Championship

Semifinal winners, 8 p.m.

MARTINSVILLE

Semifinals

Indianapolis Tindley (20-5) vs. Shakamak (15-10), 10 a.m.

Hauser (16-9) vs. Indianapolis Lutheran (11-12), noon

Championship

Semifinal winners, 8 p.m.

LOOGOOTEE

Semifinals

West Washington (20-6) vs. New Washington (18-9), 10:30 a.m.

Loogootee (21-7) vs. Wood Memorial (21-5), noon

Championship

Semifinal winners, 7:30 p.m.

BOYS’ HOOPS: NA’s Hibbard makes Academic All-State honorable-mention list

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

NEW ALBANY – New Albany’s Isaac Hibbard has been selected to the honorable-mention list of this season’s Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Academic All-State team.

The 6-foot senior guard is averaging 13.1 points and 2.3 assists per game this season. Hibbard currently ranks seventh on the Bulldogs’ all-time scoring list with 1,126 points.

Hibbard has been a varsity player at New Albany in each of his four seasons. During his high school career, he has helped the Bulldogs win four outright Hoosier Hills Conference championships and four Class 4A Seymour Sectional titles. He was an Indiana Junior All-Star last season.

Hibbard and his teammates will play Center Grove in the first semifinal of the Class 4A Seymour Regional at 10 a.m. Saturday.