BOURBON — If Triton gets to cut down the nets this week at the IHSAA Class 2A Triton Sectional veteran coach Jason Groves knows it will be a group effort.
That’s what has propelled the Trojans through the 2023-24 boys basketball season.
Triton does not have anyone scoring 20 points a game or shutting down opposing defenses with their presence.
But the Trojans have been very effective as a unit.
“Offensively, we’re unselfish,” says Groves, who is 322-144 in his 19th year on the job. “We move the ball well. We get pretty good shots most of the time. The kids work well together. Chemistry’s good.
“We take what the defense gives us. We play uptempo if need-be. If the other team is defending well, we move the ball and take good shots.”
Groves likes to talk to his players about “good, better, best” in regards to shot selection.
“We’re not very big, but one of the reasons for our success is that we’ve been going inside a little more,” says Groves. “We’ve found different ways to score.
“Defensively, we’ve gotten better as the season’s progressed.”
Groves has his in man-to-man coverage much of the time, but he will mix in 2-3 zone or a 1-3-1 half-court trap.
Triton has used seven in regular rotation and sometimes 10 players have been used.
The starting combination has featured senior Jacob Pitney, juniors Tanner Witt-Hoyo and Dante’ Workman and sophomores Gage Riffle and Julian Swanson. When Pitney went out with an ankle injury, sophomore Landon Patrick stepped in. Junior Caden Large is often the first player off the bench. Contributions also come from junior Wayne Reichert and sophomores Jayden Overmyer and Isaac Quintana.
Pitney, Workman and Swanson started in 2022-23.
Through 21 games this season, scoring leaders were Witt-Hoyo (11.8 points per game), Riffle (11.6), Workman (8.8), Swanson (7.9) and Pitney (6.0).
Of the team’s 114 3-pointers, Riffle buried 53, Pitney 23 and Swanson 21.
Pacing the Trojans in rebounding were Witt-Hoyo (5.2), Pitney (4.0), Riffle (3.1) and Workman (3.1). Workman led in both assists and steals with 3.6 and 1.8 per outing.
The seven-team sectional begins at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27 with Trinity Greenlawn (7-14) playing Marquette Catholic (8-15).
On Wednesday, Feb. 28, Triton (16-6) takes on Culver Community (9-13) at 6:30 p.m. followed by Argos (10-12) against Westville (11-12).
The semifinals are slated for Friday, March 1. Oregon-Davis (4-18) takes on the Trinity Greenlawn vs. Marquette Catholic winner at 6:30 p.m. followed by Wednesday’s winners.
The championship is at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March.
The Triton Sectional winner meets the Kouts Sectional champion in regional championship play on Saturday, March 9.
The Trojans are 8-1 against 1A competition and 5-0 against the sectional field. They beat Oregon-Davis 56-43 on Nov. 22 and 56-25 on Jan. 17, Argos 59-45 on Feb. 1, Trinity Greenlawn 53-21 on Feb. 6 and Culver Community 41-36 on Feb. 21.
Triton went 7-0 against 2A teams, 1-4 against 3A and 0-1 vs. 4A.
“We definitely have a tough schedule,” says Groves. “It prepares you for the postseason. Playing bigger schools and better teams with bigger, stronger kids exposes your weaknesses.”
Triton has won nine of its 14 sectional titles on Groves’ watch — the last in 2022.
The season mark at the Trojan Trench is 11-2, including a regular-season closing 44-36 victory against Knox Feb. 23.
“That’s where we’re most comfortable and that’s the consistency of being there everyday,” says Groves. “We’ve usually got a crowd advantage.”
The Trojans carry an offensive average of 51.1 and allow 42.8 on defense and are 1-1 in overtime games.
Since 1963, Triton is 87-59 overall and 65-23 in sectional play during the class era (which began in 1997-98).