By Craig Adkins
Contributing Writer
INDIANAPOLIS – In the final of five Key Bank Mid-Winter Classic games Jan. 26 at Conseco Fieldhouse, Class 4A No. 6 Lawrence North and Center Grove got together for a Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference game. It always helps when your “trees” play like they should, and that’s exactly what the Wildcats’ big men did in a 63-50 victory.
Lawrence North (14-2 overall, 4-0 MIC) led 11-9 after one quarter before an offensive rebound and putback by Trojan center Kyle Beltz tied the game. The ’Cats then regained the lead with a basket by 6’9” Dominique Ferguson, and LN held a comfortable lead the rest of the way as the closest Center Grove (10-5, 2-2 MIC) got was pulling within 37-30 near the end of the third quarter.
Late in the second quarter, two Corey Gray free throws cut Center Grove’s deficit to seven. Soon after, however, LN’s Kyree Jones’ alley-oop from the right wing found 6’9” Stephan Van Treese above the left side of the rim for a two-handed slam.
The Wildcats closed the half with a 6-3 run to lead 31-19 at the break.
Center Grove kept Lawrence North in check taking the third period 11-8, but the Trojans needed to put more points on the board in addition to playing the great defense they did.
The one thing that a team doesn’t want to do is get into a running game with the Wildcats. Lawrence North was able to widen the gap in the fourth quarter as Center Grove miscues and missed shots led to fast breaks that put this one away.
A well-balanced scoring attack from Lawrence North was spiked by getting 17 points from its bench. Any team that can do that night in and night out can rest easy if any starters get into foul trouble as someone is bound to pick up the slack.
Lawrence Coach coach Jack Keefer had to be happy with the cohesive play of his bigs, or “trees.” Rebounding was their biggest contribution as LN almost doubled up Center Grove (34-19) in that category, and Van Treese was the catalyst there with game highs of 15 points and 15 rebounds to go with five blocked shots.
Ferguson added 12 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks, while Jones had 11 points and four assists – part of a 12-assist night from the backcourt trio of Jones, Quintien Townsend, and Mark Lantz.
The Wildcats will travel Feb. 1 to undefeated Carmel (13-0, 4-0) in a game that could decide the MIC championship. The Greyhounds drilled Hamilton Southeastern 87-57 in the game before this one.
Center Grove was led in scoring by Jared Hawkins, who had 14 points and four assists. Gray added 12 points and five rebounds, while freshman guard Jonny Marlin drained three 3-pointers in contributing 11 points off the bench. On Feb. 1, the Trojans will host MIC foe Warren Central (11-5, 2-3), which lost 60-52 to North Central (Indianapolis) earlier in the day at Conseco.
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