Zack Hodgin’s three-point play with 17.8 seconds remaining provided the winning points as the second-ranked University Trailblazers won the Class 1A Sectional 58 championship with a 44-41 win over the Indianapolis Metropolitan Pumas at Bethesda Christian School.
David Howard led University with 19, including 15 in the first half. Foster Flamion had 12 as the Blazers won their first sectional championship since 2013.
Trailing 41-40 with 30 seconds remaining after the Pumas split a pair of free throws, University coach Brandon Lafferman called timeout. “We ran a play to get Zack to the rim. He beat his man on the wing and made a great finish.”
The contest was worthy of a championship game. It was a one possession game for all but 43 seconds of the second half as two of the better 1A defensive squads in Indiana went after each other for all 32 minutes. The game was tied on seven occasions and the lead changed hands six times.
“We had a huge defensive stop at the end of the game” said Lafferman. The Pumas ran the clock down and their final shot did not get to the rim. Howard corralled the missed shot and was fouled with 1.2 seconds remaining. He split the free throws for the 44-41 final as Metropolitan’s long heave at the buzzer was short.
“Both teams deserved to win the game. Hats off to Metro. That is a really good, well coached team that played their hearts out,” remarked Lafferman.
University jumped out early in the first quarter and took a 13-5 lead on Howard’s third three pointer of the period with eight seconds remaining. The Blazers looked poised to take control of the game, but Metropolitain’s Jai’onn Harlin made a half court shot at the buzzer to cut the lead to 13-8.
Harlin’s shot energized the Pumas in the second quarter. Metro took their first lead of the game at 17-16 before Howard answered to put the Blazers back up 18-17. The Pumas scored the next five points before Howard’s basket with four seconds left made score 22-20 at the half.
University came out in the second half determined to attack the basket. After making four three pointers in the first half, the Blazers did not make a three in the second half. “We moved Howard to the high post to open up some driving lanes” said Lafferman.
Flamion tied the game at 22 on a layup off a feed from Josh Watson. Flamion put University ahead on a reverse layup before Watson drove the lane and gave University a 26-22 lead. The Pumas called time and scored the next six points for a 28-26 advantage. Flamion tied the game at 28 off a pass from Sam Mervis. Each team added a foul shot before Howard’s baseline drive with 51 seconds remaining gave University a 31-29 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Metro tied the game just 19 seconds in to the fourth quarter before Hodgin drove for a lay-in to put University back up. The Pumas scored on an offensive rebound to knot the game at 33. Watson’s rebound basket put University up 35-33. After the sixth tie of the game at 35, University senior Ethan Sickels was fouled and stepped to the line for just the second time this season. Sickels calmly sunk both charity tosses for a 37-35 lead with 5:21 remaining.
The Pumas answered with Harlin’s 3-pointer and a 38-37 lead with 4:50 remaining. The game remained scoreless for over two minutes before Metro’s Noah Jordan made a pair of foul shots with 2:38 left, giving the Pumas a 40-37 lead.
Howard was fouled at the rim with 2:22 remaining and split the pair, drawing University within 40-38. The 6-7 Jordan was called for an offensive foul with 2:15 remaining, his fifth of the game. With the Puma shot blocker out of the game, Mervis drove the left side of the lane to knot the game with 2:02 remaining.
Metro ran the clock down before Harlin was fouled with 48.9 seconds remaining. He made the first foul shot for a 41-40 lead but missed the second. Howard grabbed the rebound and the Blazers advanced the ball to half court before calling time out and setting up Hodgin’s heroics.
University survived an uncharacteristically poor night at the foul line, making just 6 of 13 free throws. The Pumas were 13 of 18 in the line, with Jordan making all eight of his foul shots. Harlin led Metro with 10 while Jordan and Arrion Curothers each had eight.
University held the Pumas to 23 points under their scoring average, allowing just two fourth quarter field goals and none in the last 4:50 of the game.
University improves to 21-2 on the season, setting a program record for wins in a season. Metropolitan bows out at 14-12.
The Trailblazers advance to the Noon game at the Martinsville regional on Saturday. University will play fourth-ranked Morristown. The high flying Yellowjackets average 72.7 points per game. 12th best in Indiana. The 10 a.m. regional contest will see seventh-ranked Indianapolis Tindley (18-7 and the 11th highest scoring team in Indiana) take on 16-9 Bloomfield. The Trailblazers defeating defending state champion Tindley 48-46 in early January, the only 1A loss for the Tigers.
The sectional championship was the fourth of the school year for University, the most ever won by Blazers teams. The boys and girls soccer teams and the girls basketball team previously won sectional championships this school year.
University 44, Metropolitan 41
University FG FT TP PF
David Howard 7 2-6 19 4
Ethan Sickels 0 2-2 2 1
Foster Flamion 5 1-2 12 2
Josh Watson 2 0-0 4 3
Zack Hodgin 2 1-3 5 3
Sam Mervis 1 0-0 2 2
Max Greenamoyer 0 0-0 0 1
Totals 17 6-13 44 16
Score by Quarters
Metropolitan 8 14 7 12 – 41
University 13 7 11 13 – 44
University 3-pointers (4) Howard 3, Flamion.
University claimed its first sectional championship since 2013 by winning the Class 1A Bethesda Christian sectional Saturday. The Trailblazers beat Metropolitan 44-41, with Zack Hodgin making a three-point play with 17.8 seconds remaining to clinch the title. (Jamie Owens)