Fishers toughs out defending champs Giants for first state title, Perdue wins Mental Attitude Award
By RICHIE HALL
sports@readthereporter.com
INDIANAPOLIS – With teamwork and leadership, the Fishers boys basketball team became state champions last Saturday.
The No. 1-ranked Tigers beat No. 8 Ben Davis 65-56 to claim the IHSAA Class 4A state championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Fishers led for all but a couple minutes of the game, weathered a third-quarter storm from the defending state champion Giants, and got the baskets and stops it needed during the fourth quarter to clinch the game.
Fishers finished its season with a 29-1 record.
The first quarter of the game belonged to JonAnthony Hall. The Fishers junior scored 14 of the Tigers’ 19 points, including two 3-pointers. His second triple got Fishers out of a 16-16 tie and allowed the Tigers to go into the second quarter with a 19-16 lead. Senior Keenan Garner scored Fishers’ other five points.
“JonAnthony, he’s just a masterful cutter,” said Garner. “He finds space so well. And then when he can step up, hit two 3s like that early on in the game, it really makes them respect him more, come out on that, and that just makes everything easier for him. His athleticism and ability to get downhill, combining that with the jump shot, that really worked for us this game.”
“If he can shoot like that, I think he’s one of the best players in the state of Indiana,” said Fishers coach Garrett Winegar.
Junior Justin Kirby scored five points (a dunk and a 3) early in the second quarter, which gave the Tigers a 24-19 advantage.
“Kirby’s been huge,” said Winegar. “That speaks to our depth. “That dude’s a stud. He’s a Division I player and he comes off the bench and does whatever is asked. That speaks to what kind of kid he is.”
After that, Fishers was able to stay ahead by at least four points until halftime. Freshman Cooper Zachary helped with a three-point play, then senior Taden Metzger threw in a 3 and Garner made a layin.
The Tigers led 36-30 at halftime. Five points from Metzger, including another triple, gave Fishers its largest lead of the game at 41-32.
At that point, Ben Davis came storming back, pouring in nine points to tie things up at 41-41. Four different players scored in the run, which was finished by a rebound basket from Ramone Enis.
Garner nailed a 3 to end the run, and freshman Jason Gardner Jr. made two free throws to put the Tigers up 46-43. KJ Windham made a personal five-point run to push Ben Davis ahead for the first time since the first quarter, 48-46.
Gardner Jr. made a free throw to finish the period, and the Giants led 48-47. Fishers opened the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run, and the Tigers never trailed again. Garner made a dunk, Hall made a steal which led to his own dunk, then Garner dished to Hall for an easy layin.
Ben Davis fought until the end, but Fishers got the baskets it needed to stay in front. The Giants pushed to within 53-52, which Garner answered with a 3-pointer. That began a 7-0 run, with Garner also making a putback and Hall scoring on a layin.
Four points from Mark Zachery kept Ben Davis within 62-56; Garner made a layin in between two Zachery free throws and a layin. The Giants had several attempts during the final minute, but senior Parker Perdue made a steal with 30 seconds left, and that sealed the game up.
Hall led all scorers with 23 points and reached double-double status with 10 rebounds.
“I know JonAnthony has a lot of football offers, but if I’m any mid-major in the country, I’m trying to talk him into playing basketball,” said Winegar. “That dude is a winner.”
Perdue was the winner of the Arthur L. Trester Mental Attitude Award for 4A boys basketball.
“It’s really just an honor to win that,” said Perdue. I feel really grateful that I was the person chosen to win that award.”
“Anyone who’s watched our team knows he deserves it,” said Winegar. “There’s been games he doesn’t play till the fourth quarter and then we got to have him come in and guard and he makes defensive stops.”
Hall credited Perdue and Bryson Seymour for helping them out in scout team.
“Man, they whip our butt in scout team,” said Hall. “Bryson set us up nicely. I don’t know how many points KJ had, but man, Bryson was an exact replica. He was hitting everything and he really helped us out. Parker did the same thing, had to act like Mark Zachery for a couple of plays during practice. Just credit to them. And all those guys on the bench, Torey Breland, same thing. They all contribute in ways that you guys don’t even know.”
Winegar also credited Seymour with helping prepare junior Millen McCartney for his defense on Windham.
“He torched Millen for about 50 points a day in practice,” said Winegar. “He didn’t miss this week, but he really prepared Millen for the looks that Windham was going to give and Millen just did a heck of a job just making things tough. We knew he was going to get some points, but I thought Millen was a warrior all night.”
Garner finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists, while Metzger scored 10 points. Zachery led the Giants with 14 points, followed by 11 each for Enis and Windham and 10 for Mark White.