By RICHIE HALL
Reporter Sports Editor
As the Indiana high school basketball world counts down to one of the more electric boys semi-state lineups in recent memory, it’s hard to believe that a game between Carmel and undefeated South Bend Riley would be considered the “other” game in Class 4A this Saturday.
Yet, here we are. While so much attention is being paid to the south semi-state (if you don’t know who’s playing, then you haven’t been paying attention), there will actually be a pretty good north semi-state championship game at Lafayette Jefferson between the No. 10-ranked Greyhounds and the No. 2 Wildcats. The game will tip off at approximately 3 p.m., after the 3A north semi-state title game between New Castle and Culver Academies.
Riley will come into Lafayette with a 26-0 record. The ‘Hounds are 20-7 for the season. Carmel beat Homestead 46-41 and Fort Wayne North Side 54-42 to triumph at the Logansport regional last Saturday.
The Wildcats won the Michigan City regional by easing past Lake Central 54-38 in the semi-finals, then recovered from a halftime deficit to beat Elkhart Memorial 75-68. It marked the seventh regional title for Riley, and the first in three years for the tradition-laden program.
“South Bend Riley is a very talented team with plenty of depth and athleticism,” said Greyhounds coach Ryan Osborn.
The Wildcats have won all but five of their games by at least 10 points during the season, including two overtime victories over Pickerington North (Ohio) 81-75 and Mishawaka Marian 64-60. An interesting result is their three wins over South Bend Adams: Riley beat the Eagles 63-59 on Dec. 15, at the time the closest any team had gotten to the Wildcats.
Both teams play in the Northern Indiana Conference, but their first meeting was not the official conference game. The Feb. 16 rematch was the game that counted in the league, and Riley won that one 69-52. The two teams then played each other in the sectional championship (also at Michigan City) on March 3, and the Wildcats crushed Adams 98-58. Riley beat Penn the day before in the semi-finals 60-47.
Leading the way is senior Damezi Anderson, who is headed to Indiana University. Anderson gained attention for becoming South Bend’s all-time leading scorer in February, and he was the catalyst for the Wildcats’ second-half comeback in the regional final. With his team down 38-35 at halftime, Anderson made his first three shots of the third period, with two of those baskets 3-pointers. That put Riley back in front 47-45 and the Wildcats went on to win.
While Osborn said Anderson “gets a lot of the attention, and deservedly so,” Riley surrounds its star with “plenty of talent,” said the Carmel coach. Osborn called senior Shamar Dillard a “Division I commit,” while junior Trevor Fortune, all 5-foot-7 of him, scored seven straight points during the regional final.
“Riley presents match-up problems throughout their lineup, with eight players in their rotation 6-5 or taller,” said Osborn. “They defend for 84 feet, have a handful of guys that can shoot it and crash the boards as hard as anyone we’ve played this year. They are a tough opponent and have proven to live up to expectation by running through the regular season with an undefeated record.”
Owing to geography, Riley has played mostly northern Indiana opponents and Carmel has played mostly central Indiana teams. The two do have a common opponent in Cathedral: Riley beat the Irish 71-62 on Feb. 10, while the Greyhounds fell to Cathedral 64-59 on Jan. 10.
Junior John Michael Mulloy, the 6-10 Butler commit, is the leading scorer and rebounder for Carmel, with 14.9 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Andrew Owens, a 6-6 junior, is scoring at an 11.0 clip with 4.3 rebounds per game. Senior Jalen Whack had a sensational regional, scoring 25 points (13 against Homestead and 12 against North Side) off the bench.
“We’re excited for the opportunity to play another week and look forward to our match-up with Riley this weekend,” said Osborn.
Carmel’s John Michael Mulloy is averaging 14.9 points and 8.0 rebounds for the Greyhounds this season. Carmel will play South Bend Riley Saturday at the Lafayette Jefferson semi-state. (Kent Graham/File photo)