By RICHIE HALL
SEYMOUR – Guerin Catholic earned a spot in the Seymour semi-state championship game by playing big against the defending Class 3A state champions.
The Golden Eagles beat Beech Grove 58-46 in the second semifinal. Guerin Catholic got out of a tight first-quarter battle with the Hornets to take a seven-point halftime lead, then played solid defense in the third period to pull away.
It was balance and big men that won the game for the Golden Eagles. Guerin’s two leading scorers both stand 6-foot-7: Sophomore Bryson Cardinal scored 15 points and Dylan Murans added 12 points. Murans missed GC’s regional game with an injury, but was back in full force at Seymour.
Cardinal said that Murans makes a “huge impact, because not only does he bring so much length and height, we get more rebounds, better defense. It just brings a different energy to the team.”
Seven different players scored for the Golden Eagles in the game, with five of them putting in points during that close first quarter. With Beech Grove leading 9-6, Cardinal made a 3-pointer to the game, then gave Guerin the lead on a putback. Lucas Parker drained a 3 to put GC ahead 14-9.
The Hornets made two quick triples, from Cameron Brown and Rylan Horen, to surge back ahead 15-14. Ty Sanders moved the Golden Eagles back in front with two free throws, and the period ended with Guerin Catholic up 16-15.
The Golden Eagles never trailed in the other three quarters. A quick 6-0 run pushed Guerin Catholic in front 24-17. Murans started the stretch with a dunk, Cardinal added a free throw, then Murans threw in a 3.
“We don’t want our guys to pass up shots, but we also want them to create for each other,” said GC coach Bobby Allen. “We want to be a team that shares the ball, has multiple threats, and we have that right now. I think it’s exciting for those guys to understand that we don’t need one guy trying to go do it on their own.”
Parker drained a 3 for the final basket of the first half, and GC led 27-20. The Golden Eagles took further control of the game with a 14-4 run that put them up 38-24 with a minute to go in the third quarter. Murans took over with five points during the first two minutes of the period, then Cardinal gave Guerin Catholic its biggest lead with a three-point play.
Parker again stepped up in the last seconds of the quarter, making a triple at the buzzer. The Golden Eagles led 43-29 going into the fourth, and never let the lead drop below nine points during that period.
“I was proud of our defense,” said Allen. “Ty Sanders came in, was incredible on the ball, and then Lucas Parker hitting that 3 at the buzzer at the end of the third was just huge momentum for us.”
The 6-foot-4 Parker joined Guerin’s other two big men in double figures, with 11 points. Robert Sorensen had eight points, Jack Cherry scored five, Kamea Chandler added four and Ty Sanders contributed three points.
Cardinal led the rebounds with eight, followed by Sorensen with six and Chandler with five. Sanders had two blocked shots.
Cherry dished out five assists. He was a freshman on Guerin Catholic’s semi-state qualifying team two years ago.
“He’s the one guy on our team that’s been here before,” said Allen. “He’s been in this gym. He’s been in this situation. We want the ball in his hands. He’s making incredible decisions for us. He’s just out there simply leading this team with his voice, with his energy.”