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INDIANAPOLIS - It started out so promisingly.
Leading for the first eleven minutes, the Triton boys basketball team began the 1A state title game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday morning on fire, looking to claim the second state championship in program history. However, their opponent, Barr-Reeve, had other plans. The Vikings put the clamps on their opponents, forcing one of the poorer shooting games of the season for the Trojans. Barr-Reeve took its first lead of the game in the final three minutes of the first half and never looked back, as the Vikings pulled away early in the fourth to claim their third championship with a 50-37 victory.
“I thought we got a really good start, I knew we were going to have to hit our shots to beat these guys, they’re so good defensively,” Triton head coach Jason Groves said after the loss. “They contain so well. I thought we had plenty of opportunities to get those shots today, they just didn’t fall.”
The Trojans were able to get the start that they wanted, scoring the first six points of the game over the course of the opening three minutes. All three baskets came in the paint for the blue and gold, as the northern representatives began the game with both patience and confidence.
Overcoming a slow start, the Vikings finally got a couple of shots to fall around the midway point of the first quarter. However, Triton was making a point to go down to the other end after a Barr-Reeve bucket and trying to answer it as quickly as possible. Early on, it was working, as a triple by Julian Swanson made it a 9-4 game four minutes in.
“We had ‘get a fast start’ written on the bulletin board in the pregame, and I think we did a great job of that,” senior Landon Patrick said. “After that, I think we started playing not to lose and it hurt us.”
Senior Landon Patrick's pensive mood reflects the team's feelings after receiving their runner-up medals...Nieter.
From the start, the Vikings were playing extremely aggressively on the defensive end, but it backfired on the southern champions early. Barr-Reeve picked up five team fouls in the first six minutes of the game, giving the Trojans the opportunity to extend their early advantage at the charity stripe. After eight minutes of action, Triton’s strong start proved to be the difference. Despite scoring just two points over the last half of the quarter, the blue and gold still led 11-6.
A 5-2 run by the Vikings over the first two and a half minutes of the second tightened things up dramatically. After a slow start to the contest, Barr-Reeve was starting to take full advantage of its height and length as the game wore on. The Vikings’ athleticism was causing a ton of problems for the Trojans on the other end as well, as Triton had as many turnovers as made field goals through four minutes of action in the second.
With just under three minutes to go in the first half, Barr-Reeve completed the comeback and took its first lead of the game. After that strong start, it was if a lid had been placed on the Trojan basket. The northern representatives had scored just six points in the last 10 minutes of game time, and were now playing from behind.
With just over a minute before halftime, Swanson drained his second three of the morning to tie things up and end what was a nearly four-minute drought for his team. After a bucket by Barr-Reeve with 30 seconds to go, it looked as if the southern champs would take a lead into the locker room. However, a lob play to Jayden Overmyer with just a few seconds left gave the game a 20-20 score at the break.
Senior Julian Swanson breaks free for an uncontested layup during the fourth quarter...Nieter
As the third quarter got going, the Vikings were only getting stronger on the offensive end, now shooting close to 60% for the game. On the other end, Swanson had established himself as the top offensive option for the Trojans, at one point having 12 of the team’s 24 points.
After surrendering its lead late in the first half, Triton had been playing catch up ever since. The northern representatives were doing a good job in this spot, consistently coming up with key shots to prevent their opponent from growing its lead any larger than a couple possessions. With Swanson needing some scoring support in order to stick around, he got it from Overmyer, who tied things up at 30 by scoring his ninth and tenth point of the game with two minutes left in the third.
Sophomore Brady Wood gets held up by a Barr-Reeve player while going for a loose ball...Nieter
That was as close as things got in the quarter, as the Vikings finished the period strongly. Scoring the final five points of the third, including just the fourth total three pointer of the contest, Barr-Reeve took a five-point lead into the final eight minutes of play. With coming from behind being a concept the Trojans had been extremely familiar with in these playoffs, they’d have to do so one more time to capture gold.
“Obviously, we didn’t shoot very well from three today (2-15), which is something we’ve done all season long. So we had to find ways to score and defend without hitting our threes and we didn’t do as good a job as we should have today,” Patrick said.”
However, it was Barr-Reeve that took the early minutes of the fourth and ran with them, going on another quick 5-0 burst to quickly extend the lead to double digits with 5:32 to go in the game. Triton was struggling mightily on the offensive end, having gone on another scoring drought that lasted over six minutes, something they could ill afford at this point in the game.
Senior Jayden Overmyer looks to score during the third quarter...Nieter
“You have to give them credit. I thought our kids were trying to attack, they just couldn’t get around them. That’s a very physically strong team we played today,” Groves said. “They did to us what they’ve done all season long: they wear you down and gradually pull away.”
Midway through the fourth, Swanson finally ended the dry spell with a midrange jumper, but his team still had nine more points to make up with time starting to become a serious factor. With 2:38 to go in the game, now down by eleven, the Trojans caught a break with an intentional foul being called against the Vikings. Brady Wood split the pair at the line, but a missed layup ended the possession with just one point going on the board for the blue and gold, and they still trailed by 10.
Senior Gage Riffle gets cut off while driving along the baseline during the third quarter...Nieter
Holding a large advantage with just two minutes to go, Barr-Reeve was in no hurry on the offensive end. With the Trojans still not fouling, the Vikings were able to burn crucial seconds off the clock as a third state championship grew closer and closer. With just under 90 seconds left, the Viking lead was still 10, and things were starting to look bleak.
A perfectly executed inbound play by Barr-Reeve made it a 13-point advantage with a little under a minute to go in the game. The Trojans, despite looking out of sync of a good chunk of the game, continued to fight until the final whistle. With just under 40 seconds to go and the Vikings at the free throw line, the white flag was waved, and the starters were taken out to a thunderous ovation from their supporters.
Swanson led the way with 16 points in the loss. Overmyer added 10.
Sophomore Jamison Swanson launches a three-pointer during the first quarter...Nieter
Triton will return next season.
“I think the growth that this group demonstrated this season is nothing short of phenomenal. If you had told me in November or December that we’d be here I’d have thought you were crazy,” Groves said. “But these guys worked hard, got so much better, and then something just clicked. I felt they really grew as a team and as individuals.”
