By JIM BELSER
After rescheduling three times, the game between Noblesville and Zionsville boys’ basketball finally commenced Tuesday and the result was one the Millers might soon forget as the Hamilton County school fell big 73-37 to the Class 4A No. 7-ranked Eagles.
Noblesville’s problems started with Zionsville’s Isaiah Thompson and ended there. The junior guard knocked down 12 3-pointers on his way to 40 points in just three quarters of play, breaking a state record for most 3s in a game.
“Thompson had a great night for them, I was disappointed in how he was 6-of-7 in the first half and defensively, we went underneath on the screen in the second half. That is something we are going to have to work on. We need to be a little be smarter on that,” Noblesville coach Brian McCauley said.
Thompson opened the first few seconds of the game with a three and never looked back. An 8-0 start soon turned into a 20-9 lead for the Eagles in the first quarter with Thompson finishing with four 3s. Zionsville’s big men Nathan Childress and Will Alcock also contributed early, combining for 11 points in the first quarter.
Jordan Gadis for Noblesville nailed two 3-pointers in the first quarter attempting to counter Thompson and led the Millers in scoring with 14. Gadis shot 5-of-10 from the field, including four 3-pointers. Ian Gibbons and Alex Hunt of Noblesville battled a tough Eagles front court to combine for nine rebounds.
“Tonight, I was really proud of Jordan Gadis. He was locked in, he had 14 points on the night. He was a bright spot for us,” McCauley said. “I thought Gibbons and Hunt did a really nice job on the boards.”
Zionsville slowed in the second quarter as Thompson was limited to just two 3-pointers. In a quarter that saw the Millers outscored 12-8, Zack Johnson kept Noblesville a float with two 3-pointers of his own. Childress for Zionsville, however, turned the second quarter back in the Eagles’ favor after blocking a shot and taking the ball to the other end, scoring on a fast break layup.
Down 37-19 entering the third quarter, the Millers witnessed a shooting feat not often seen. Thompson was 8-of-10 from the field in the third quarter with six 3-pointers. His 3-pointer at the top of the key from four feet beyond the arc gave Zionsville a 30-point lead with 2:50 left in the third.
The game was originally part of a girls and boys doubleheader in January, but the first attempt to play had to be re-scheduled due to an ice storm. The second try was re-scheduled after a basket malfunction at Zionsville, which resulted in the girls game being canceled and not made up.
The boys tried to play last Saturday, but the game was moved to Tuesday because the Zionsville girls basketball team advanced to the semi-state championship, eliminating the date. The Lady Eagles won and will play in the Class 4A state championship game on Saturday.
Noblesville heads to Perry Meridian on Thursday to finish out the regular season before starting hosting Anderson next Tuesday in sectional play.
Zionsville 73, Noblesville 37
Noblesville FG FT TP PF
Brendan Fisher 1-8 0-0 3 1
Jordan Gadis 5-10 0-0 14 0
Zack Johnson 2-6 0-0 6 2
Alex Hunt 2-7 0-0 4 2
Ian Gibbons 2-5 0-0 4 1
Evan Wilson 1-5 0-0 3 1
Gehrig Mickels 1-2 0-0 2 3
Keagan Smith 0-2 1-2 1 1
Totals 14-45 1-2 37 11
Score by Quarters
Noblesville 11 8 13 5 – 37
Zionsville 25 12 26 10 – 73
Noblesville 3-point shooting (8-30) Gadis 4-9, Johnson 2-4, Fisher 1-7, Wilson 1-5, Gibbons 0-2, Hunt 0-2, Mickels 0-1.
Noblesville rebounds (22) Gibbons 5, Hunt 4, Gadis 3, Johnson 2, Mickels 2, Smith 2, Fisher 1, team 3.