By RICHIE HALL
For The Reporter
SEYMOUR – All it took was one possession.
Once the Guerin Catholic Golden Eagles proved they owned the boards with five straight offensive rebounds to open the Class 3A Seymour Semi-state 4 championship against Scottsburg, they knew what was possible.
Thirty minutes later, they proved it by toppling the Warriors in convincing fashion 56-40 for the program’s third semi-state title in history and their first trip to the IHSAA state finals since 2015.
“I know that was an empty possession for us as far as points go, but I think that set the tone as well,” Guerin Catholic coach Bobby Allen said. “Our guys were active after that. Five rebounds on our first possession was incredible. We didn’t get the shot to fall, but man, those boys knew they could hang with that very good Scottsburg team because of that first possession.”
The 11th-ranked Warriors (22-6) kept pace to tie the game 3-3 early in the first quarter, but the 12th-ranked Golden Eagles were ready to breakthrough after falling to Silver Creek, 54-46, in the semi-state finals two years ago.
A 7-0 run to end the first quarter put Guerin Catholic (20-8) in front 15-5 before an 18-4 run to open the second quarter led to an eventual 24-point advantage that shell-shocked the Warriors, which trailed 33-11 by halftime.
Scottsburg had won their first regional title in 23 years last weekend, but a first-ever semi-state title and state appearance became improbable, as Golden Eagles junior Robert Sorensen scored 14 points in the first half and finished with a game-high 25 on 7 of 11 shooting and five 3-pointers.
The Golden Eagles defense proved stifling, once again, holding the Warriors to five points in the first quarter and six in the second.
“It was almost perfect,” Sorensen remarked on the first half. “We just shut them down on defense, and our defense created buckets on offense. That shut everything down for them in the first half. Then, it was just maintaining that lead in the second half.
“As a team, we played great, and that’s why we just won.”
While Sorensen had the most points, the team continued to operate unselfishly, feeding whomever has the shooter’s touch or an open opportunity.
The team’s philosophy has resulted in six straight double-digit wins this postseason and eight consecutive since losing to 4A New Palestine, 67-64, on Feb. 7.
“As a coach, you always talk about wanting to play your best basketball at the right time. We came into the tournament with eight losses, but we won our last four games,” Allen said. “We have guys that are simply excelling in their role right now.
“The effort we had in the first half tonight was absolutely incredible after a tough one this morning. It felt like everyone was on tonight, and it was just meant to be.”
Everyone contributed by executing the game plan.
Sophomore Bryson Cardinal had eight points, three blocked shots and 10 of the team’s 26 rebounds. Jack Cherry, who started in 2021 during the semi-state loss, finished with seven points and three assists.
Kamea Chandler added nine points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Dylan Murans had five points, and the Golden Eagles shot 45 percent from the floor while holding the Warriors to 14 rebounds.
“(State) is another game to do what we do, and we’re playing like state champions right now, so we just have to keep on building on this,” Sorensen said.
A team built to win, the key ingredient is composure, which continues to elevate at each level for the Golden Eagles.
After knocking off the defending state champion Beech Grove Hornets in the semi-state semifinal round Saturday afternoon, they contended with a loud Scottsburg crowd that traveled 25 miles to support their best team since the 21-5 group in 2004-05.
Scottsburg beat No. 6 North Daviess 47-45 in the first semifinal game, but they couldn’t match the intensity of the Golden Eagles, which led the game by as many as 24 points twice.
“We also limited them to one shot, which helped our transition game go. Everything just went right for us tonight,” Allen said. “The first half was very good. Obviously, it gave us great momentum for the second half, but we talked about in the locker room, we wanted to play the second half as 0-0. We came out and responded. They hit a couple big shots, and we thought they were threatening a little bit, but our guys bared down and did what they had to do.”
By the end, they simply needed to collect the hardware and celebrate with the student section, which stormed the court and swarmed the players before the nets were ceremoniously cut down.
“It’s literally a dream come true. The moment I started playing basketball, I always dreamed of playing in Gainbridge, and every single day I worked hard to achieve that goal,” Chandler said. “I always say everything happens for a reason, and I always knew I was supposed to be here. I just worked hard every day, and it’s truly a dream come true for me and everyone on this team.”
Now, the Golden Eagles just need to finish the job.
“We’re going to enjoy this one this week. We are going to prepare like crazy for next Saturday,” Allen said. “I am so proud of the entire program. At the end of the day, it’s a credit to our guys. That they lock in each and every game, and again, these guys just work so hard. They deserve every second of this. I love it. I absolutely love it.”