Sectional 16: Castle 92, Evansville North 68

It was the third meeting of the season for Evansville North and Castle after Castle won the first two games by two points and 14 points, respectively. Much like Harrison against Reitz, North played well early, but couldn't sustain it for the entire game. (photo via Pocket City Basketball)

North used a balanced attack early in the game to take the lead. Justice Dixon, Max McCool and Cameron Seaton all chipped in for North. Dixon has been the set-up man for North his whole career, but he was looking to score in the first quarter. Castle was cold to begin the game, but Brandon Eades provided a spark especially towards the end of the first period.

The second quarter saw the emergence of freshman guard Alex Hemenway for Castle. Hemenway didn't score in the first period but lit up the scoreboard in the final three quarters. Hemenway tallied 11 points in the second quarter.

Sophomore guard Triston Wilkinson also made a major impact on the game in the second period. He scored nine points in the quarter for Castle. Behind Hemenway and Wilkinson, Castle outscored North 25-15 to take a 35-29 lead to halftime.

The third quarter saw Jack Nunge get in the mix. He had just three points in the first half. Nunge was hobbled by a sprained ankle, so he was not his normal self. He did tally six points in the third period, and he continued to rebound well.

Throw in Nunge with more Hemenway and Wilkinson, the flood gates were opened on North. Castle hit five three-pointers in the third quarter to create separation from North.

The fourth quarter was the Alex Hemenway show. The freshman was aggressive throughout and nearly had a perfect quarter. Hemenway scored 18 points in the final period on his way to a game-high 35. He was 9-10 from the line and 4-4 from the field in the stanza. It was an impressive showing for the 2019 prospect.

Castle ended up winning the game, 92-68.

Jack Nunge finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Triston Wilkinson finished with 15, while Brandon Eades had 13.

Max McCool ended with a team-high 20 points for North. Justice Dixon had 16 points in the loss.

Castle will face Evansville Reitz in the sectional title game at Evansville North on Saturday night.