Hot shooting from Metzger & Zimmer helps get Fishers over the line
By RICHIE HALL
FISHERS – Over the past week, the young Tigers have been growing up.
The increasing maturity of the Fishers’ boys basketball team was evident on Friday, when it hosted Avon for a Hoosier Crossroads Conference game. After a close first half where they found themselves trailing at halftime, the Tigers played a strong second half to beat the Orioles 55-48.
The first quarter of the game was defensive. Neither team scored until Fishers’ Keenan Garner made a layin at the 5:40 mark of the period. Both teams were playing solid defense, with a number of deflections and blocked shots. Avon went up 7-5 when Jordan Lomax hit a 3-pointer, but the Tigers’ JonAnthony Hall tied the game with a layin, then Taden Metzger threw in a 3, and Fishers led 10-7 at the end of the quarter.
It turned out those points were the first half of a 10-0 Tigers run. Metzger opened the second period with another triple, then Hall made another layin to put Fishers up 15-7.
JonAnthony Hall scored six points in the first half for Fishers. (Richie Hall)
The Orioles responded with a 9-0 run to go ahead 16-15, then both teams traded the lead until halftime. Metzger’s layin gave the Tigers a 21-20 advantage, but Daniel Eck scored for Avon, and it led 22-21 at the break.
It was a cautious first half – maybe a little too cautious for Fishers coach Garrett Winegar.
“Guys who haven’t played as much are a little timid,” said the coach. “They don’t want to make mistakes. They’re trying to do the right thing. I just told them at halftime ‘You guys got to settle down and play basketball.’”
Fishers came out in the third quarter and put together an outstanding defensive effort, holding the Orioles to only four points. Avon didn’t score until Eck made two free throws at the 2:39 mark of the period.
Meanwhile, Aidan Zimmer got hot in the third quarter. He put the Tigers ahead 24-22 with a 3-pointer, and Fishers would never trail again. Seconds later, Garner made a steal and he turned it into a dunk, right in front of the Tigers’ student section. Zimmer hit two more triples in the third, and Fishers led 32-26 going into the fourth.
Zimmer
“We have a young group, some guys playing varsity for the first time, and we coach them pretty hard,” said Winegar. The coach said he understands they don’t want to make mistakes, but “we’re trying to shift to building some confidence. Make mistakes going hard.”
The final quarter began with a dunk by James Stasey, and he would make another layin to get the Tigers ahead 38-28.
Fishers’ largest lead was 12 points, which it achieved twice, at 40-28 after two Metzger free throws, and again at 42-30 with 4:02 left. Zimmer made the foul shots for that lead.
Avon made one last run, scoring a quick six points to get within 44-40 with under two minutes to go. But the Orioles would get no closer. Fishers finished the game from the free-throw line, making 11 of 14 shots to seal the win.
“I think you see just the whole team growing up and knowing how to make those plays in the big moments,” said Winegar.
Metzger led the Tigers’ scoring with 17 points and two 3s, while Zimmer added 11 points, including his three 3s.
With the victory, Fishers pulled back to even in HCC play at 2-2, and is 9-8 overall. The Tigers are back at home next Friday in another conference game, hosting Franklin Central.
FISHERS 55, AVON 48
Fishers FG FT TP PF
Taden Metzger 5 5-6 17 1
Aidan Zimmer 3 2-2 11 3
JonAnthony Hall 3 0-2 6 5
Keenan Garner 2 4-4 8 3
Grant Haworth 0 1-2 1 1
Justin Kirby 1 1-2 3 4
Parker Perdue 0 5-6 5 2
James Stasey 2 0-1 4 1
Grant Ables 0 0-0 0 0
Totals 16 18-25 55 20
Score by Quarters
Avon 7 15 4 22 – 48
Fishers 10 11 11 23 – 55
Fishers 3-pointers (5) Zimmer 3, Metzger 2.