By RICHIE HALL
FISHERS – For the first time in 39 days, the Fishers boys basketball team played at the Tiger Den.
Fishers hosted North Central on Tuesday, and it also happened to be the Tigers’ Senior Night game. Fishers was stunned by the Panthers’ hot shooting in the first quarter, but the Tigers got themselves together and took the lead in the third, then played solid in the fourth period for a 66-60 win.
“I think Senior Nights are always tough because there’s a lot of emotion attached to it,” said Fishers coach Matt Moore. “And I thought they came out just guns a-blazin’.”
North Central’s Mike Elliott hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start the game. Add to that five points from Leland Walker, and the result was an early 11-5 Panthers lead.
The Tigers cut it to 11-10 thanks to a three-point play by Jeffrey Simmons and a basket off a steal by Dominic Castellani. But North Central finished the quarter on a 12-4 run to lead 23-14.
North Central led 36-23 midway through the second period, after which Fishers went on its first big run of the game, scoring 10 unanswered points. Isaac Farah started it with a layin, and Simmons added four points sandwiched between a triple by Alex Szilagyi. Charlie Smith’s free throw got the Tigers within three, but Walker’s two free throws put NC up 38-33 at the break.
“The thing I liked about our guys is, I think we got down 13 and we just continued to stay on the rock, as we say,” said Moore. “Played with some poise, showed some character, got it back under seven. And then we chipped away and chipped away. And I told them, once we get the lead, I’m going to call a timeout, we’re just going to reset.”
Fishers used a 9-0 run to take a 46-42 lead late in the third quarter. The Tigers were down five, but Szilagyi made consecutive baskets, then Simmons nailed a 3. Sure enough, Moore quickly called the timeout, “and it was about getting stops at that point,” said the coach.
Simmons scored another basket to complete the run and get Fishers up four. Walker made 3 of 4 free throws in the final minute of the third to keep the Panthers within 46-45 going into the fourth quarter.
The start of that period featured some back-and-forth, with North Central taking the lead twice, both times after baskets by Elliott. His second basket put NC up 51-49, but the Tigers used a 6-0 run to take the lead for good. Farah scored on a layin, Drew Turner hit a pair of free throws, and Simmons scored. The Panthers fought to the end, but Fishers was always able to hit a basket or make free throws in response. Simmons and Szilagyi made free throws in the game’s final 35 seconds to close it out.
“I thought late, you saw who we are,” said Moore. “We passed the ball, we made the simple play, which led to easy baskets. It’s a fun way to go out at home here, getting a school-record 18th win.”
Simmons scored 23 points to lead the Tigers scoring, while Szilagyi hit four 3s on his way to 20 points.
Fishers finished the regular season with an 18-6 record. The Tigers will play at the Noblesville sectional next Tuesday, taking on Zionsville. It will be a re-match of a recent game, a contest Fishers won 58-39 just this last weekend.
“Sectional’s always different,” said Moore. “The stakes are higher now, and there’s a lot more on the line. The first game, I thought we did some good things, and they’re going to adjust and we need to be ready to combat that.”
FISHERS 66, NORTH CENTRAL 60
Fishers FG FT TP PF
Dominic Castellani 2 2-2 6 3
Alex Szilagyi 6 4-4 20 3
Charlie Smith 1 3-4 5 0
Geoffrey Brown 0 0-0 0 2
Isaac Farah 3 0-0 6 2
Drew Turner 0 3-4 3 2
Bryce Williams 0 0-0 0 2
Jeffrey Simmons 7 8-9 23 0
Lucas Prewitt 1 0-0 3 0
Josh Forbes 0 0-0 0 0
Totals 20 20-23 66 14
Score by Quarters
North Central 23 15 7 15 – 60
Fishers 14 19 13 20 – 66
Fishers 3-pointers (6) Szialgyi 4, Simmons 1, Prewitt 1.
Fishers’ Bryce Williams goes up with the ball during the Tigers’ game with North Central Tuesday at the Tiger Den. Fishers won 66-60 on Senior Night, playing its first home game in over a month. (Kirk Green)