BB SECT 25: 3A #17 North Montgomery upsets #5 Danville, 55-51

CRAWFORDSVILLE – No. 17 North Montgomery got a little revenge March 6 at Class 3A Sectional 25, upsetting fifth-ranked Danville behind the inspired performance of recent operation undergoer D.J. Byrd. The Chargers will face Western Boone, a 52-46 winner over Lebanon in the night’s other semifinal, for the title.

Here’s a wrap …

Purdue’s future is looking very bright for some time to come if tonight’s marquee matchup between North Montgomery’s D.J. Byrd and Danville’s Travis Carroll is any measuring stick. 

Both players played up to their potential and had the crowd amped for the entire contest. Byrd, returning to action just a week after surgery to repair a torn medial meniscus in his left knee, was shooting free throws just a day after the surgery while still on crutches. 

The 6’5” senior was held out of the starting lineup for about the first five minutes, yet the game remained close in the first quarter with Danville (17-5) taking an 18-16 lead after one. Byrd scored nine of his 11 first-half points in the second quarter to push the Chargers to a 30-26 halftime lead. 

The 6’9” Carroll, meanwhile, led Danville with 11 first-half points.

North Montgomery (16-5) looked to have the game well in control at 49-37 with 5:26 remaining in the game, but Danville cut the lead to 51-45 over the next 2:15. The Chargers then hit their free throws down the stretch to seal the four-point victory, removing the bitter sting of a 61-53 loss at Danville just over two weeks ago.

Byrd led North Montgomery with 19 points. Senior guard Clay Pierce added 17 points for the Chargers, who shot 22 of 45 (49 percent) from the field despite going only 3 of 11 on 3-point attempts. 

Travis, a junior, led Danville with a game-high 22 points, going 9 of 12 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free throw line. Sophomore guard Tyler Hall added 10 points for Danville.

The two star players lived up to the hype, making this game reminiscent of the original non-class basketball from days gone by. The gymnasium was packed, and the fans went wild for the play of both teams on the floor. 

A great matchup – one too early in the tournament – between two solid teams.

Western Boone (8-14) might look back on its mid-season losing skid from late January to mid-February as a springboard to something much more rewarding. The Stars will be playing for a sectional title now after a 52-46 win over Lebanon (8-13).

The first half of the second semifinal was played very evenly, with the Stars holding a slight 26-24 lead at the break. Western Boone shot 11 of 26 (42 percent) for the opening half, led by senior guard Aaron Vaughn’s eight points. Lebanon, led by freshman guard Trey Hendrix’s nine points, hit 8 of 15 (53 percent), including 4 of 8 from 3-point range to keep the game close.

The Stars turned up the defensive pressure to start the third quarter, allowing Lebanon only two points on 1-of-9 shooting in taking a sizeable 35-26 lead into the final quarter. The game was salted away by as the Stars hit 10 of 18 free throws in the final 1:48. 

Tonight’s victory was the fourth in a row for the Stars, including two in the postseason.

 

Vaughn and senior guard Trevor Poole led the stars with 14 points each, while Lebanon was led by Hendrix’s 20 points and junior guard Jacob Molter’s 11.

 

Western Boone advances to the Sectional 25 championship Saturday night to face heavily favored North Montgomery. But this is Indiana, where ya never know what might happen on the hardwood …

Game 1: Danville 60, Crawfordsville 54

Game 2: Western Boone 45, Southmont 42

Game 3: North Montgomery 55, Danville 51

Game 4: Western Boone 52, Lebanon 46

Championship: North Montgomery vs. Western Boone. Sat 7:30p