Triton Captures Third Straight Sectional
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
BOURBON - South Central's boys basketball team had the top 10 ranking.
Triton was unranked.
South Central carried a 19-4 record. Triton was 14-7.
But Triton, not South Central, had won two consecutive sectionals. South Central last won a sectional in 1982.
The Trojans won their third sectional in a row by beating No. 8 South Central 39-38 in Saturday's Triton 1A Sectional game.
Third-year Triton coach Joe Bennett maintained his perfect sectional pace.
"I don't know if you can put a measure to that," Bennett said of the experience of having won two straight sectionals. "There's something about having confidence and expecting to win.
"We went to the Final Four last year, and we lost six seniors and three starters. Expectations weren't too high, other than what I expected of them and they expected of themselves."
Senior forward Joey Potter delivered a big-game performance in Triton's big game. Potter hit 7 of 7 field goals and led Triton with 15 points.
When the Satellites rallied from a 29-20 deficit to close within 35-34 in the fourth quarter, Potter hit a baseline shot to push Triton's lead to 37-34 with 2:58 left.
"They had momentum," Potter said. "That shot turned it around. [Pressure] doesn't bother me, really."
When the Satellites took their first second-half lead at 38-37 with 1:10 left, Potter scored on Triton's next possession with 58 seconds left to make it 39-38, the eventual final.
All Potter did was what Bennett expected from him.
"I thought by far the biggest shot of the game was Joey's 15-footer along the baseline," Bennett said. "He played with confidence and poise. He's delivered the last six or seven games."
Neither team could deliver after that. South Central lost the ball on an offensive foul with 50 seconds left. Triton missed the front end of two one-and-one free throw chances in the final 32 seconds.
When Jake Burnett missed his free throw with 10 seconds left, South Central grabbed the rebound, charged past halfcourt and called timeout with 5.7 seconds left.
The Satellites got the ball to 6-foot-5 Joey Cuff, whose baseline shot rimmed out to let Triton escape with the win.
"We executed the play," South Central coach Steve Lansing said, "but we just got it behind the backboard too far."
During the regular season, Triton averaged 67 points and South Central 66 points. The teams deviated from that in playing a low-scoring, defensive struggle.
Junior Greg Boo, South Central's top scorer at 14 points per game, scored three on 1-of-6 shooting. Junior Jason Lantz, South Central's second-leading scorer at 12 points per game, shot 0 of 3 and finished scoreless.
Senior forward Chet Rinker was South Central's only threat. Rinker, who averaged 10 points per game, scored 16 on 7-of-9 shooting.
"It was a game plan to get the ball inside," Lansing said. "It was nothing against Greg."
Said Bennett of Triton's tenacious half-court man-to-man defense: "I told the guys the best defensive team would win the sectional, and I don't feel any different about that now."
South Central shot just 17 of 44 (39 percent) from the field and hit only 1 of 12 three-pointers (eight percent). Besides Rinker scoring around the basket, the Satellites' offense was nearly nonexistent.
"It's as hard as my guys have played all year," Lansing said. "They played their butts off. We just couldn't put the ball in the hole. When you average close to 70 and score only 38, it's not real good. We got good shots, whether it was inside or outside. It was just a matter of finishing them."
While South Central boasted the best record and higher ranking, the Satellites' schedule featured more 1A teams than Triton's. Out of 381 Indiana teams listed in the Jeff Sagarin ratings, South Central's schedule ranked No. 357 in terms of strength. Triton's schedule ranked No. 314, and the Trojans faced teams like Plymouth, NorthWood, Caston, John Glenn and Tippecanoe Valley, all teams that finished well over .500.
"I felt they were the best 1A team we had seen up to this point," Bennett said of the Satellites, "although we hadn't seen that many, six."
By comparison, South Central faced 12 1A teams during the regular season.
"You never approach a game without expecting to win," Bennett said, "no matter what the other team's record is. We always expect to win. I'm a firm believer in that you get what you expect.
"I think it may have been in the kids' minds we played a tougher schedule, but that came from them, not from me."
Triton plays 17-5 Kouts at the Kouts 1A Regional at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
TRITON 39
No. 8 SOUTH CENTRAL 38
South Central (19-5) 10 10 7 11 - 38
Triton (15-7) 13 12 6 8 - 39
S. Central FG FT A S R Pts.
Rinker (F) 7-9 2-4 0 0 6 16
Cuff (C) 4-10 0-0 2 3 11 8
Baum (G) 3-10 0-0 0 2 1 6
Boo (F) 1-6 0-0 1 2 1 3
Lantz (G) 0-3 0-0 2 0 1 0
Horst 2-2 1-2 1 0 2 5
Aigner 0-3 0-0 0 0 0 0
J. Werner 0-0 0-0 1 2 0 0
Bruce 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0
R. Werner 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Totals 17-44 3-6 7 9 22 38
Triton FG FT A S R Pts.
Potter (F) 7-7 1-2 1 1 4 15
Read (C) 3-7 1-2 0 0 4 7
Blackford (G) 3-4 0-0 2 0 3 7
J. Moore (F) 1-7 0-0 1 1 3 2
Disher (G) 1-4 0-0 1 0 2 2
Boyer 2-4 0-1 1 1 1 4
Burnett 1-6 0-1 0 0 7 2
Landis 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 0
B. Moore 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Totals 18-39 2-6 7 3 25 39
Three-point goals - South Central 1-12 (Boo 1-5, Baum 0-5, Lantz 0-1, Aigner 0-1), Triton 1-4 (Blackford 1-1, Burnett 0-2, Disher 0-1). Turnovers - South Central 10, Triton 16. Fouled out - none. Total fouls -ÊSouth Central 16, Triton 13. [[In-content Ad]]
BOURBON - South Central's boys basketball team had the top 10 ranking.
Triton was unranked.
South Central carried a 19-4 record. Triton was 14-7.
But Triton, not South Central, had won two consecutive sectionals. South Central last won a sectional in 1982.
The Trojans won their third sectional in a row by beating No. 8 South Central 39-38 in Saturday's Triton 1A Sectional game.
Third-year Triton coach Joe Bennett maintained his perfect sectional pace.
"I don't know if you can put a measure to that," Bennett said of the experience of having won two straight sectionals. "There's something about having confidence and expecting to win.
"We went to the Final Four last year, and we lost six seniors and three starters. Expectations weren't too high, other than what I expected of them and they expected of themselves."
Senior forward Joey Potter delivered a big-game performance in Triton's big game. Potter hit 7 of 7 field goals and led Triton with 15 points.
When the Satellites rallied from a 29-20 deficit to close within 35-34 in the fourth quarter, Potter hit a baseline shot to push Triton's lead to 37-34 with 2:58 left.
"They had momentum," Potter said. "That shot turned it around. [Pressure] doesn't bother me, really."
When the Satellites took their first second-half lead at 38-37 with 1:10 left, Potter scored on Triton's next possession with 58 seconds left to make it 39-38, the eventual final.
All Potter did was what Bennett expected from him.
"I thought by far the biggest shot of the game was Joey's 15-footer along the baseline," Bennett said. "He played with confidence and poise. He's delivered the last six or seven games."
Neither team could deliver after that. South Central lost the ball on an offensive foul with 50 seconds left. Triton missed the front end of two one-and-one free throw chances in the final 32 seconds.
When Jake Burnett missed his free throw with 10 seconds left, South Central grabbed the rebound, charged past halfcourt and called timeout with 5.7 seconds left.
The Satellites got the ball to 6-foot-5 Joey Cuff, whose baseline shot rimmed out to let Triton escape with the win.
"We executed the play," South Central coach Steve Lansing said, "but we just got it behind the backboard too far."
During the regular season, Triton averaged 67 points and South Central 66 points. The teams deviated from that in playing a low-scoring, defensive struggle.
Junior Greg Boo, South Central's top scorer at 14 points per game, scored three on 1-of-6 shooting. Junior Jason Lantz, South Central's second-leading scorer at 12 points per game, shot 0 of 3 and finished scoreless.
Senior forward Chet Rinker was South Central's only threat. Rinker, who averaged 10 points per game, scored 16 on 7-of-9 shooting.
"It was a game plan to get the ball inside," Lansing said. "It was nothing against Greg."
Said Bennett of Triton's tenacious half-court man-to-man defense: "I told the guys the best defensive team would win the sectional, and I don't feel any different about that now."
South Central shot just 17 of 44 (39 percent) from the field and hit only 1 of 12 three-pointers (eight percent). Besides Rinker scoring around the basket, the Satellites' offense was nearly nonexistent.
"It's as hard as my guys have played all year," Lansing said. "They played their butts off. We just couldn't put the ball in the hole. When you average close to 70 and score only 38, it's not real good. We got good shots, whether it was inside or outside. It was just a matter of finishing them."
While South Central boasted the best record and higher ranking, the Satellites' schedule featured more 1A teams than Triton's. Out of 381 Indiana teams listed in the Jeff Sagarin ratings, South Central's schedule ranked No. 357 in terms of strength. Triton's schedule ranked No. 314, and the Trojans faced teams like Plymouth, NorthWood, Caston, John Glenn and Tippecanoe Valley, all teams that finished well over .500.
"I felt they were the best 1A team we had seen up to this point," Bennett said of the Satellites, "although we hadn't seen that many, six."
By comparison, South Central faced 12 1A teams during the regular season.
"You never approach a game without expecting to win," Bennett said, "no matter what the other team's record is. We always expect to win. I'm a firm believer in that you get what you expect.
"I think it may have been in the kids' minds we played a tougher schedule, but that came from them, not from me."
Triton plays 17-5 Kouts at the Kouts 1A Regional at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
TRITON 39
No. 8 SOUTH CENTRAL 38
South Central (19-5) 10 10 7 11 - 38
Triton (15-7) 13 12 6 8 - 39
S. Central FG FT A S R Pts.
Rinker (F) 7-9 2-4 0 0 6 16
Cuff (C) 4-10 0-0 2 3 11 8
Baum (G) 3-10 0-0 0 2 1 6
Boo (F) 1-6 0-0 1 2 1 3
Lantz (G) 0-3 0-0 2 0 1 0
Horst 2-2 1-2 1 0 2 5
Aigner 0-3 0-0 0 0 0 0
J. Werner 0-0 0-0 1 2 0 0
Bruce 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0
R. Werner 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Totals 17-44 3-6 7 9 22 38
Triton FG FT A S R Pts.
Potter (F) 7-7 1-2 1 1 4 15
Read (C) 3-7 1-2 0 0 4 7
Blackford (G) 3-4 0-0 2 0 3 7
J. Moore (F) 1-7 0-0 1 1 3 2
Disher (G) 1-4 0-0 1 0 2 2
Boyer 2-4 0-1 1 1 1 4
Burnett 1-6 0-1 0 0 7 2
Landis 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 0
B. Moore 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Totals 18-39 2-6 7 3 25 39
Three-point goals - South Central 1-12 (Boo 1-5, Baum 0-5, Lantz 0-1, Aigner 0-1), Triton 1-4 (Blackford 1-1, Burnett 0-2, Disher 0-1). Turnovers - South Central 10, Triton 16. Fouled out - none. Total fouls -ÊSouth Central 16, Triton 13. [[In-content Ad]]