Panthers win holiday hoops tourney with victories over Muncie Central, Avon

With a weeklong gap in regular-season play because of the holiday break, the Bloomington High School South boys basketball team had a chance to look one of two ways on Saturday—rusty or refreshed.

The Panthers drew two tough opponents in Muncie Central and Avon at the Community Cars Tournament, but it was a refreshed Bloomington South squad that took down both teams. South defeated the Bearcats 60-58 to open the tournament and continued its winning ways in the championship game against the Orioles, 64-55.

Bloomington South vs Muncie Central

The tournament’s opening game on Saturday morning saw the Panthers get a game-high 28 points from junior wing Duncan Combs (28 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist) and 21 points from senior guard Jack Clark (21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists). The Panthers outshot Muncie Central from the floor—58% to 50%—but the Bearcats knocked down nine 3-pointers over the course of the game to keep the score close.

For Muncie Central, it was a more balanced effort on offense, as four players were in double-digits. However, no other Bearcat was able to score a basket. Sophomore guard Carlos Echols Jr. (18 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists) had a team-high 18 points, while senior guard Shemar Taylor (14 points, 2 steals) had 14. Senior guard Landon Wells (13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist) and sophomore guard Jaxson Johnson (13 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists) both finished with 13 points.

The holiday break seemed to hurt Bloomington South to open up the first game, as Muncie Central jumped out to a 7-1 lead in just over three minutes. The deficit forced Panthers head coach J.R. Holmes to call a timeout. After that, South seemed to settle in as the game went on.

Even though Bloomington South was still down 16-11 at the end of the first quarter, the Panthers chipped away at the lead to start the second quarter. Combs made a layup, then drilled a 3-pointer before Clark scored a wide-open layup to cut the margin to 19-18.

The momentum swung in South’s direction over the next couple of possessions, capped off by a Combs mid-range jumper, which gave the Panthers a 22-21 lead.

However, Muncie Central did not go away easily. The Bearcats stayed right in the game throughthe second quarter. Wells drilled a 3-pointer to tie the game at 30-30 with 1:27 left, then a layup by Taylor tied the game at 32-32 heading into halftime.

And the good fortunes for Muncie Central continued in the second half. The Bearcats came out hot and jumped out to a 44-34 lead just over halfway through the third quarter.

After falling into a 10-point hole, Bloomington South needed an answer to end the quarter. And the Panthers would get one, as they went on a 10-0 scoring run—helped by a pair of 3-pointers knocked down by Combs and senior guard Julius Smithers (4 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist)—to tie the game at 44-44.

Muncie Central responded with a 3-pointer by Wells to end the third quarter, but Bloomington South took the lead once again with a layup from Combs. However, a putback from Johnson and a made free throw by Echols Jr. gave the advantage back to the Bearcats with 3:29 remaining in the game.

But, Muncie Central could not get a stop on the defensive end, leading to a made jumper by Combs. But the Bearcats answered with a 3-pointer from Taylor, giving them a 53-51 lead.

That advantage didn’t last long, as Clark made a 3-pointer on the other end of the floor. A missed shot from Johnson gave the ball back to Bloomington South. And, the Panthers knocked down their free throws in the late game situation to come out on top 60-58 and advance to the championship game.

Bloomington South vs Avon

Bloomington South had seven hours to get ready for Avon,its second opponent. The Orioles defeated Perry Meridian 71-38 earlier in the day to also advance to the championship game.

In the final game of the day, Clark (26 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists) led the way for South, finishing the contest with a game-high 26 points, while Combs (15 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist) had 15 points. Senior guard Max Surdam (14 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 2 steals) also rose to the occasion, finishing with 14 points.

The Panthers couldn’t stop Avon senior guard Jedidiah Minnett (20 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist) for most of the game, as he finished with a team-high 20 points, knocking down four 3-pointers throughout the contest. Along with Minnett, senior guard William Clore (14 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist) also finished with double-digit points. However, no other Oriole had more than senior guard Isaiah Mayberry’s (9 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists) nine-point showing.

This time, Bloomington South came out swinging early in the game, as the Panthers built a 17-10 advantage, including a 7-0 scoring run to open the game. South extended its lead to 20-12 two minutes into the second quarter.

However, Avon was able to fight back through the rest of the second quarter. The Orioles held the Panthers to only a 27% mark from the field, while knocking down 40% of their own attempts.

A 3-pointer from Minnett cut the lead to 20-18. Then, a couple of possessions later, a floater from Mayberry tied the game at 24-24 before free throws by Minnett gave Avon their first lead of the game.

The disappointing second quarter for Bloomington South still ended with the Panthers in the lead, as a 3-pointer by Clark gave them a 27-26 advantage heading into halftime. Then, South went on a scoring run in the third quarter. A 3-pointer from Combs and a jump shot by Surdam gave the Panthers a 34-28 lead and forced the Orioles to call a timeout.

Out of the timeout, Minnett made a contested layup, then a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 34-33. South maintained its lead throughout the third quarter, but Avon made clutch shots to stay close, as the Orioles were only down 43-40 at the start of the final eight minutes.

However,in the fourth quarter, the Panthers started to run away with the game. Bloomington South was clinical from the field, making 86% of their attempts and going 4 for 4 from 3-point range. South was also able to force four turnovers and hold Avon to a 1-for-3 performance from behind the arc, even though the Orioles made 67% of their shots.

The hot shooting gave the Panthers a 56-46 advantage halfway through the final quarter, and helped South win 64-55.

Bloomington South (6-2) will open the new year at Lawrenceburg High School for the Lawrenceburg Tournament on Jan. 2–3. The tournament schedule will give the Panthers plenty of experience before playing crosstown rival Bloomington North at The Cougar Den on Jan. 9.

Photos: Bloomington South versus Avon

Photos: Bloomington South versus Muncie Central

Live Archive: Championship game

Live Archive: Morning Game