Fishers heads back to Gainbridge for 4A final
The REPORTER
The unstoppable Fishers Tigers are heading back to Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Fishers’ boys basketball team kept its long win streak rolling with two convincing Class 4A North semi-state games at Elkhart’s Northside Gymnasium last Saturday. The No. 1-ranked Tigers took care of South Bend Riley 82-46 in the morning semifinal, then pulled away from No. 4 Crown Point 73-48 in the championship game.
Fishers improved its record to 30-0, becoming the 16th school in IHSAA history to reach that mark. The Tigers are winning their games by an average score of 74-49, making it look easy – even though it really isn’t.
“It’s definitely not easy,” said Fishers coach Garrett Winegar. “A lot of times we’re pulling away in the second half.”
The Tigers were in control against Riley from the start, scoring the first seven points of the game and eventually leading 20-3 after the first quarter. Five different players scored for Fishers in that period, with senior and Miami (Ohio) recruit Justin Kirby getting six points.
“We have a lot of different guys capable of scoring and sharing the ball well, and it makes us hard to guard,” said Winegar.
The Wildcats started the second quarter with an 8-0 spurt to get within 20-11. But the Tigers regrouped, and pushed their lead to 40-23 by halftime, including a quick 7-0 run late in the second quarter. Kirby poured in 11 points in that period.
Fishers’ lead hit 30 points midway through the third period, with Cooper Zachary’s 3-pointer getting the Tigers up 57-27. Logan Sigler added six points late in the third. With Fishers leading 65-35, Millen McCartney drained a 3, then Tommy Williams scored on a layin to finish the quarter.
The Tigers were up 70-35, so the entirety of the fourth quarter was played with a running clock. Fishers’ bench players got some moments, with Torey Breland scoring seven in the fourth and Jean-Claude L’Homme adding three points.
Kirby led the Tigers with 21 points. Sigler scored 14, while JonAnthony Hall and Jason Gardner Jr. both totaled 10 points.
Championship game
Crown Point jumped out of the gate in the championship game, scoring the first six points. But Fishers blasted back: Gardner got Fishers on the board at the 4:53 mark of the first quarter, then Zachary nailed a 3. McCartney followed that with a triple, and the Tigers were up 8-5.
The game was tied at 15-15 after one quarter. Kirby scored to begin the second period, and after that, Fishers never trailed again. The Tigers outscored Crown Point 15-6 in the quarter, with Kirby scoring six points and helping Fishers to a 30-21 halftime lead.
Winegar credited his team’s defense for helping the Tigers to get separation, saying it “wears on opposing teams over time.”
“Most teams can handle that for a quarter, maybe two, but eventually that pressure starts to wear on you,” said Winegar.
Fishers let its offense loose in the third quarter, pouring in 24 points. Gardner had 10 points, while McCartney added eight, including a pair of 3s. He finished the game with four triples. The Tigers led 54-31 after three and stayed comfortably in front during the fourth quarter. Hall had six points in that period, including a windmill dunk.
Gardner finished with 18 points, with Kirby scoring 16 and McCartney 14 as Fishers brought its win streak up to 43 games.
The Tigers take on No. 7 Jeffersonville this Saturday in the Class 4A state championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The two teams did not meet in the regular season, although both programs competed in the Hall of Fame Classic on Dec. 28 at New Castle. The Tigers did some prep work for the Red Devils in case they played each other, but they did not.
“They’re a much different team now,” said Winegar. Jeffersonville was without Tre Singleton, its Northwestern-bound star for the early part of the season, but he is back in full force. Singleton scored 16 points for the Red Devils during their 56-49 win over Lawrence North in the 4A South semi-state championship game, also at New Castle.
“We’ll enjoy this for six hours, wake up tomorrow morning and get ready to work on that,” said Winegar.
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