HEAD: Top-ranked Tigers best No. 2 Millers to capture first sectional championship
By CRAIG ADKINS
For The Reporter
NOBLESVILLE – The Mill was once again a sellout last Saturday night for the Sectional 8 championship.
It was host Noblesville vs. Fishers, the most highly-touted matchup in the state of Indiana. Tickets went on sale online last Friday night at 10 p.m. and sold out in just 30 minutes.
Fishers’ Keenan Garner is guarded by Noblesville’s Aiden Brewer during the championship game. (Joshua Herd)
The intensity of the packed gymnasium at Noblesville created quite the atmosphere. In the end, following a confusing and controversial final few seconds of the game, history was made. Fishers won its first boys basketball sectional championship in school history over Noblesville, 49-47.
“I think in the preseason, a lot of people counted us out, didn’t think we’d be in this position. But everybody in the locker room believed we would be,” said Fishers head coach Garrett Winegar.
Noblesville got on the board first in an opening frame that featured seven lead changes, but Fishers was able to cling to a 12-11 advantage.
Freshman Jason Gardner Jr. found Parker Perdue for the
game-winning basket. (Joshua Herd)
Fishers was able to breathe a little with a 12-4 run to start the second with a nine-point lead at 24-15. That forced Noblesville to call a timeout.
The Tigers’ lead was trimmed to four at halftime. A three from Justin Curry and a bucket from Fine made it 24-20 at the break.
The Millers jumped out in the third, scoring right away on an Aaron Fine steal and a layup to cut it to 24-22.
It was a game of runs and depended on who would be able to capitalize at the right times.
Curry scored five points in a row to tie it at 28-28, pushing Noblesville on a mini run, leading to four and three-point leads.
There would be another pair of lead changes early in the fourth. The Tigers grabbed a 39-38 lead.
The Millers had numerous chances in the final minutes, but free throws started to become their kryptonite, only converting on just 7-of-13 at the line.
“It’s extremely disappointing. We missed seven free throws, five in a row. To start the game, we missed a layup. We missed a layup to start the second half on wide open looks,” said Noblesville head coach Scott McClelland.
Hunter Walston scored on an offensive rebound putback with 12 seconds left to tie it 47-47. Parker Perdue became an unsung hero, scoring what became the game-winning basket with 3.8 seconds left for a 49-47 win.
Jason Gardner Jr. found Perdue alone underneath the basket for the winning shot.
“Perdue is a senior. He stayed locked in, to guard Fine down there, do a nice job on that last shot to win it,” Winegar said.
After that, came the controversy and confusion.
The ball was inbounded and Fine quickly sprinted to the other end for the potential game-tying layup. But instead the referees stopped play, thinking Noblesville had called a timeout.
“I’m still confused. He said he didn’t call a timeout. They (the officials) said he called a timeout,” said Winegar.
Hunter Walston is one of four Noblesville seniors that coach
Scott McClelland said helped change the culture of the Millers’ program. (Joshua Herd)
“Their explanation was that one of the assistants stood up and yelled for timeout,” stated McClelland. “We had them on their heels.”
“The explanation was poor. That’s not why we lost. We missed a layup to start the game and we missed layups to start the second half,” said a disappointed McClelland.
After the officials conferred, they put 3.2 seconds on that clock and the Millers had the ball right in front of the Fishers student section.
Fine took the inbound and drove to the top of the key, launching a three-pointer that just missed. That left the score a final at 49-47, Fishers.
“It’s just disappointing. Aaron (Fine) leaves here as a 1,000-point scorer and a four-year varsity player. Hunter (Walston), a three-year varsity player, part of the sectional championship in 2023,” continued McClelland.
“Will Smits, I just thought improved and got better all year and Luke Etchison is the epitome of what it is to be a great teammate. I can’t say enough about those four guys and what they’ve meant and they’ve really helped change the culture of our program,” McClelland said of his seniors.
Noblesville ends its season as the Class 4A No. 2 team with a 22-3 record.
The Fishers Tigers (25-1) advanced to the Regional 3 championship this Saturday against Kokomo (25-3). The game will take place at 4 p.m. at the New Castle Fieldhouse.
“Credit to this group. We played such a hard schedule. I think we had the third or fourth hardest schedule in the state. We played in front of some sellout crowds, but nothing like this,” Winegar said.