Updated at 1:45 p.m. with semi-state assignment
Golden Eagles deal Danville decisive defeat
By RICHARD TORRES
For The Reporter
LEBANON – The Guerin Catholic Golden Eagles had tradition at the forefront of their minds during the Class 3A Regional 13 final inside Lebanon’s Rosenstihl Gymnasium.
By the final horn Saturday afternoon, they added to it.
A postseason trend that started in 2010 with the program’s first sectional title, the modern-day Golden Eagles cruised past Danville, 66-52, to capture their second regional title in three years.
In the past 13 seasons, the Golden Eagles (18-8) have netted a 3A state title in both 2012 and 2015, six sectional titles (2010, ’12, ’14, ’15, ’21, ’23), five regional championships (2012, ’14, ’15, ’21, ’23) and now have a shot at a potential third semi-state (2012, ’15) by moving into the state tournament’s elite eight.
Guerin Catholic will play at the Seymour semi-state this coming Saturday. The Golden Eagles take on Beech Grove in the second semifinal, which will tip off around noon. Scottsburg plays North Daviess in the first semifinal, which begins at 10 a.m. The championship is set for 8 p.m.
“Coach Pete Smith put this program on the map, and then two years ago when we made that run to semi-state, some of these guys were a part of it, and they got a taste of it,” Guerin Catholic head coach Bobby Allen said. “They’re just an incredible group. I’m so happy for them.”
Guerin Catholic senior Kyle Shadoan cuts down a piece of the net after the Golden Eagles’ victory. (Kirk Green)
The Golden Eagles have been progressing steadily to get back to the semi-state since losing to Silver Creek, 54-46, in 2021, and against Danville (18-8), they made a statement at every angle.
Powered by its strong guard play, Guerin Catholic turned an early nine-point first-quarter deficit into a 7-0 run and a 16-15 lead heading into the second quarter.
By halftime, the Golden Eagles fended off the Warriors, 30-27, but in the second half, they soared rapidly with a 9-2 run to open the third quarter and never lost hold.
“Today, (Kamea) Chandler did an incredible job of handling the ball and so did Jack Cherry and Robert Sorensen,” Allen said. “I’m so happy with our guards.
“There’s no doubt that the schedule we played, and obviously the teams in our sectional, played a role in getting us prepared, and we did it tonight with a man down. Dylan Murans was sick. He wasn’t able to go, but Ty Sanders, Lucas Parker stepped up big time off the bench for us.”
Chandler had a game-high 21 points on 8 of 10 shooting from the floor, including a 4-for-4 performance at the free-throw line. Sorensen finished with 20 points, converting 3 of 5 shots from 3-point range, and posted a team-best six rebounds.
Cherry dished out a team-high five assists with nine points, while 6-foot-7 sophomore Bryson Cardinal proved perfect, going 4-for-4 from the field with nine points and five rebounds.
“Bryce has a great basketball IQ. He was at the right place at the right time, and he had some big time finishes for us all game long,” Allen said. “Again, I’m so proud of these guys. I love watching them and their parents celebrate. It’s just great for our school.”
Greatness was a result of efficiency, which the Golden Eagles utilized to score 21 points in the third quarter to build a 51-36 lead.
A key fadeaway 3-pointer by Sorensen highlighted a 10-2 run to end the quarter, and a Chandler runner at the buzzer in the lane capped the onslaught.
“We just stuck with it and kept doing what we’re doing. When shots started to fall, then we broke away,” Sorensen said. “It feels great. It feels amazing. There are two games in front of us, so it’s one game at a time, and we just need to keep doing what we do.”
Shooting at a high percentage provided the consistency needed. Guerin Catholic converted at 54 percent overall and went 5 of 14 from beyond the arc. They capitalized with 12 second-chance points fueled by seven offensive rebounds.
Sorensen and Chandler played tag offensively with the former scoring 10 points in the third quarter and the latter adding 12 points in the fourth.
The Golden Eagles defense held the Warriors to nine points in the third quarter, and before their largest lead grew to 22 points at 65-43 in the fourth.
“That’s what we always say. We’re the best backcourt in Hamilton County. We beat Noblesville, and they won their sectional. I don’t know any backcourt better. I love it,” Chandler said. “We pride ourselves on our defense, and we weren’t getting stops. We were slacking on defense, but once we got it going, we took off.”
The Warriors shot 36 percent in the second half compared to 47 percent in the first, and they were led by Lukas McMahon’s 10 points, followed by nine points from Caden Collins and eight points from Elijah Tricker.
Guerin Catholic knocked off Circle City Conference rival Brebeuf Jesuit, 58-45, in the semifinal round of Sectional 27 last Saturday – in a game that was halted with minutes remaining Friday, March 3 and postponed due to a leaky ceiling at Shortridge.
Last Monday, the Golden Eagles defeated Bishop Chatard, 53-41, for the sectional title and to settle a CCC three-way tie for first place between the three programs.
Despite being on short rest, the Golden Eagles are chipping away at their goal.
“This means everything. Our motto has been four more and now three more, but at the same time, we have to focus on the one game at a time. We really did last week, and we locked in, and we put in the extra work each night,” Chandler said. “Even as tired as we were, we did, and it definitely paid off.”
“Elite eight is big time, and we’re going to enjoy this for as long as we can, and I know the draw is tomorrow. We’ll make adjustments tomorrow, but we will enjoy this as long as we can,” said Allen, who now owns an 81-42 record in five seasons at Guerin Catholic. “I’m just incredibly proud.”