By RICHIE HALL
FISHERS – A clash between two top five boys basketball teams turned into an almost Broadway-like performance for Fishers Tuesday night at Tiger Arena.
The Class 4A No. 1 Tigers hosted 4A No. 4 Lawrence North and the game was relatively close in the first quarter. But Fishers stole the show in the other three quarters, using a series of runs to beat the Wildcats 90-79 in front of a sold-out crowd.
Tigers coach Garrett Winegar said he hopes this victory “tells our guys they can play with anybody in the state and they’re capable of beating anybody if they play with that kind of energy and that kind of intensity.”
The Tigers brought both energy and intensity early, leading 14-6 at the 4:31 mark of the first period. Taden Metzger and Cooper Zachary hit the first of several 3-pointers for each player, while JonAnthony Hall and Keenan Garner both contributed four points each.
Lawrence North used an 8-0 spurt to reel Fishers back in, but another Metzger 3 kept the Tigers in front as the quarter ended. Fishers began the second period up 17-16, but the Wildcats took a 23-20 lead after a Davion Hampton layin.
After that, the Tigers dominated until the halftime intermission, using a 25-6 spurt to take a 45-29 halftime advantage. Zachary nailed back-to-back 3s to start the run, while Metzger finished it with eight points, including two 3s of his own.
“He has no fear,” Winegar said of Zachary. “That’s what you love about a guy like that, to be a freshman and have absolutely no fear in a game like that against two teams that were No. 1 and No. 2 most of the year, to be willing to step up and hit shots, but not just hit shots. Handle against the ball against really good guards against pressure. Defend bigger guards. Box out. Even if he doesn’t get the rebounds, he’s boxing out every time. He does so many little things.”
Fishers grew its lead to 56-34 during the first three minutes of the third quarter. Garner added seven points, including a triple and a dunk. The Wildcats tried to get back into the game with a 9-0 run and were still within 58-45 late in the third.
But the Tigers got going again, going a 22-9 lead that carried over into the fourth quarter. Garner began the period with an and-1. After absorbing a 6-0 spurt from LN, Fishers put up another 11 points, with Zachary draining back-to-back 3s for the second time in the game. After that, the Tigers held their biggest lead of the game at 80-54.
“Definitely didn’t expect to be up 26 in the fourth quarter,” said Winegar. “That’s a really good team. Sometimes in games against two really good teams, sometimes it just happens that way. We hit some big shots, made some plays on defense and it kind of spiraled. But I think that’s a heck of a team. Really well-coached, really talented. We could play them tomorrow and the score could be flipped. Did not expect that, but really proud of the way our guys played.”
The Wildcats made a furious push during the last five minutes of the contest, but Fishers had too big of a lead to overcome.
Garner scored 27 points for the Tigers. Zachary totaled six 3-pointers for 18 points, while Metzger drained four triples on his way to 14 points.
Fishers is 20-1 for the season and plays at Zionsville Friday to finish Hoosier Crossroads Conference play.
FISHERS 90, LAWRENCE NORTH 79
Fishers FG FT TP PF
Taden Metzger 5 0-0 14 1
Millen McCartney 1 0-0 2 1
Cooper Zachary 6 0-0 18 3
JonAnthony Hall 2 5-6 9 2
Keenan Garner 10 6-9 27 1
Jason Gardner Jr. 3 0-2 7 3
Justin Kirby 3 1-1 8 2
Parker Perdue 1 0-0 2 2
Nathan Baker 0 0-0 0 1
Bryson Seymour 1 0-0 3 2
Logan Sigler 0 0-0 0 1
Mason Schuh 0 0-0 0 0
Totals 32 12-18 90 19
Score by Quarters
Lawrence North 16 13 19 31 – 79
Fishers 17 28 21 24 – 90
Fishers 3-pointers (14) Zachary 6, Metzger 4, Gardner Jr., Seymour, Kirby, Garner.