By RICHIE HALL
CARMEL – For the second time in three years, the Carmel boys basketball team is perfect in the MIC.
The Class 4A No. 2 Greyhounds completed the sweep of the Metropolitan Conference Friday at the Eric Clark Activity Center. Carmel beat 4A No. 7 Warren Central 56-47, pulling away from the Warriors with a late run. As a result, the ‘Hounds finished conference play 7-0.
“It’s one of the toughest conferences out there,” said Carmel coach Ryan Osborn. “You got to compete, you got to bring it every night. Proud of our guys for showing up.”
The Greyhounds’ biggest run of the game actually came early, when they scored nine straight points to lead 9-2. Three was the magic number during that run, as Peter Suder got Carmel on the board with a three-point play. Then Brian Waddell, who returned to action after missing a couple of weeks due to injury, nailed back-to-back 3-pointers.
A triple by Suder gave the Greyhounds a 12-5 lead, but the Warriors finished the period on a 9-0 run and led 14-12. That set the stage for a back-and-forth second quarter, where there were several lead changes and neither team got in front by more than two points.
A rebound basket from Gabriel McNary pushed Warren ahead 21-19, but Wil Leary threw in a 3 to give Carmel a 22-21 advantage. McNary struck again at the buzzer, however, with a putback to give the Warriors a 23-22 lead at the break.
The Greyhounds scored the first five points of the second half, with Charlie Williams scoring on a hook shot and Suder making a 3. Warren answered with five points of its own to lead 28-27; Malik Stanley’s layin put the Warriors in front once again.
Carmel then took off on a 7-0 run to hold a 34-28 lead, and the Greyhounds would stay in front until the final buzzer. Suder threw in another triple, then Waddell and Suder scored on layins. Warren Central got within one late in the third quarter, but a pair of Suder free throws gave Carmel a 38-33 advantage at the end of the period.
“Came in at halftime and we’re down and didn’t feel like we played a great first half,” said Osborn. “But really proud of how they made adjustments. They’re coachable, they go out and execute in the second half and play with confidence. It’s a team I like.”
Stanley’s 3 kept the Warriors within 40-38 early in the fourth, but that’s when the Greyhounds made their final run, going on a 12-2 stretch to lead 52-40 with around a minute and a half to play. Suder scored eight points during that run, which allowed Carmel to hold on for the win.
“We play tough games every week,” said Osborn. “And you see different defenses. I think that prepares you. They’re confident. They understand it’s a team thing. They do it together.”
Osborn noted that Carmel had only four turnovers in the second half, as compared to eight in the first half. The coach said his team “did a great job of correcting things in the second half.”
Suder scored 26 points, including three 3-pointers and a 9-of-10 effort from the free-throw line. Waddell reached double-double status with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Suder collected nine rebounds. Williams had six rebounds.
Carmel is 19-2 for the season and wraps up its regular season Tuesday at 4A No. 8 Crispus Attucks.
CARMEL 56, WARREN CENTRAL 47
Carmel FG FT TP PF
Connor Gioia 2-4 2-4 6 1
Josh Whack 0-0 0-0 0 5
Peter Suder 7-15 9-10 26 3
Brian Waddell 5-11 3-4 15 0
Charlie Williams 3-9 0-0 6 1
Sam Orme 0-0 0-0 0 0
Nick Frische 0-0 0-0 0 0
Wil Leary 1-1 0-0 3 1
Bryce Beery 0-0 0-0 0 0
Totals 18-40 14-18 56 11
Score by Quarters
Warren Central 14 9 10 14 – 47
Carmel 12 10 16 18 – 56
Carmel 3-point shooting (6-12) Suder 3-5, Waddell 2-5, Leary 1-1, Gioia 0-1.
Carmel rebounds (31) Waddell 11, Suder 9, Williams 6, Gioia 2, Frische 2, Orme 1.