By Craig Adkins
Contributing Writer
BEECH GROVE – What a way to start sectional semifinal Friday!
Four ties, six lead changes, and playing an extra four minutes – that seems to be the trend for Class 3A No. 11 Beech Grove this week. Downing Roncalli 70-62 in the opening-round nightcap in overtime on Tuesday, it sure didn’t bother coach Randy Males’ squad to do the same Feb. 29 against Indianapolis Chatard to reach the Sectional 26 championship game.
The two battled it out for 36 minutes, with Beech Grove (18-3) winning a home-court sectional semifinal thriller in overtime, 47-45.
Beech Grove’s 6’2” senior guard John Hart canned a 3-pointer from the right wing for the first points on the scoreboard, getting the home crowd in the game right away. The Hornets kept a slim lead throughout the first quarter, spreading the floor and reading Chatard’s defense and testing what might work on offense.
The hosts led the Trojans after one, 16-13.
Chatard (16-6), which came into sectional play rated 14th in the final regular-season 3A Sagarin power ratings, took its first lead with 1:30 left in the first half on an offensive rebound and putback by 6’4” senior forward Daryn Hightower. That was followed by a steal and coast-to-coast layup by Pat Kennedy, and Chatard took a 7-0 run into the locker room at halftime with a three-point lead at 23-20.
With each team living possession by possession in the second half and holding onto their tournament lives, any mistake could result in merciful conclusion.
Backcourt play is what kept Beech Grove poised in its pursuit of a sectional finals berth opposite No. 13 Indianapolis Northwest, a 66-51 winner over Brebeuf in the opposite game, on Saturday night. Senior guards Ben Walters and David Sanders, along with forward Eric Weathers, kept the Chatard defense on its heels constantly.
Finding holes in the Trojans’ defense and finding each other for key baskets is what ignited the Hornets and kept the intensity up.
It’s all about seniors and their great leadership on the court. Males’ bench only saw one sub in action, but that didn’t matter. Beech Grove’s five on the floor were like an Energizer bunny that didn’t stop until that overtime clock had gone to all zeros.
The game was tied twice in the fourth quarter with two lead changes. Hightower was the pulse for Chatard in the fourth, canning two field goals and three free throws for seven of the Trojans’ 10 points.
But 6’5” senior center Charles Clem was key for the Hornets with two layups on passes from Sanders.
With just over a minute left in regulation, Walters knocked down his third three of the game to cut the Chatard lead to 45-43. Over the next two trips down the court, Hart made one of two at the line followed by a trip by Walters that also resulted in one freebie. That tied the game at 45-45 with :47.9 left.
Beech Grove’s defense held and forced overtime, erupting a packed crowd of approximately 2,300 at the home of the Hornets.
Beech Grove won the OT tip and held the ball until the 1:03 mark of the extra period, when Chatard junior guard Pat Kennedy stole a Sanders pass. The Trojans kept the ball for about 25 seconds before turning it back to the Hornets on a traveling violation by Hightower.
Beech Grove held for the last shot. With just five ticks left on the clock, Sanders let fly a three that was off. Clem stuck his long arm up trying to tip the ball in, but instead the ball fell to the left baseline. Instinctively, Walters grabbed the rebound and, while in the air, hoisted the ball to the basket with his left hand.
The shot swished through the net as time expired, sending Beech Grove to the sectional championship.
“I didn’t expect Ben Walters to get an offensive rebound and a putback,” Males said. “That was not one of the things I thought about, but we’ll take it.”
Beech Grove has now survived two overtimes to advance to the sectional finals. On its home court, the sixth man played a big role.
“I’ll take a third overtime tomorrow night, as long as we win,” Males said. “Walters played huge for us.”
Chatard was led in scoring by two players in double figures. Hightower led all Trojans with 19 points, while senior guard Jimmy Kennedy added 15.
Beech Grove was led by Walters’ game-high 20 points, while Clem joined him in double digits with 11.
With Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis head coach Ron Hunter in attendance, IUPUI recruit Alex Young made it look easy as the Space Pioneers downed Brebeuf in the night’s second semifinal.
Northwest (16-6) led 24-9 after one, forcing five turnovers compared with only two of their own. The Space Pioneers took a 36-26 lead into halftime and slowly, but surely, extended their lead throughout the second half.
Young, the 6’5” senior forward who didn’t even step foot on the floor in the fourth quarter, got some rest as seven players off the Northwest bench saw action. Even though they narrowly took the third quarter 15-14, the Space Pioneers still led by a baker’s dozen at the end of three, 53-40.
The fourth quarter lasted for an eternity because every little move that was made by Brebeuf, there were check or touch fouls called that seemed to prolong the game. The Braves played their hearts out Friday night, but when a team is a lot quicker than you in all facets of the game, the odds are usually stacked against you.
Brebeuf (6-14) placed no scorers in double figures but did have seven players with five-plus points apiece in the scorebook.
Northwest was led by the game-high 21 points of Young, while senior guard Antonio Cannon added 19 and senior backcourt mate Karrington Stallings had 12.
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