Bankers Life Fieldhouse welcomed eight teams on Saturday, all of whom hope to be making a return trip on the last Saturday in March for the state finals.

In the opener, Pike used an aggressive defense and quality performances from Justin Williams and Isiah James to end Pendelton Heights' nine-game winning streak. Pendelton Heights led after one quarter, but a flurry of threes from Williams in the second quarter gave Pike a seven-point margin heading into halftime. Mark Albers would help cut that deficit to a single point in the third, but Isiah James quickly squashed any idea of a comeback by making his final three field goal attempts of the game and controlled the defensive glass at the end. The Red Devils were able to pressure the Arabian guards into turnovers and offensive fouls, which was just enough in the end.

Pendelton Heights 16 10 16 16 - 58
Pike 14 19 10 20 - 63

Pendelton Heights: Mark Albers 26 points (10/16 FGs, 3/6 3Ps, 3/5 FTs), 2 stls; Eli Pancol 13 points (4/9 FGs 5/7 FTs), 7 rebs; Karsten Windlan 11 points (3/6 3Ps, 2/4 FTs); Brandon Helpling 6 points (3/5 FGs), 6 rebs; Eston Stull 2 points

Pike: Justin Williams 23 points (6/10 FGs, 3/4 3Ps, 7/11 FTs), 5 rebs; Isiah James 14 points (4/8 FGs, 6/13 FTs), 7 rebs, 4 ast, 2 stls, 2 blks; Brandon Vernon 8 points (3/6 FGs, 2/3 3Ps); Elijah Pennington 8 points; Ditwan Gary 7 points; Darian Porch 4 points, 6 rebs

The second game of the afternoon saw an impressive performance from Mt. Vernon as they jumped on Delta from the start, using a dominating performance from Louisiana-Monroe signee Michael Ertel and overwhelming the Eagles on the interior. Mt. Vernon attacked the paint relentlessly, getting easy looks at the rim throughout the game. Ertel scored nine of his game high 29 in the first period as James McCloud and Erick Shepherd were all over the glass. McCloud had six offensive rebounds for the game, giving the Marauders plenty of second chance opportunities. Ertel continued to attack the paint in the third quarter as Mt. Vernon opened up a 25 point lead thanks to 13 in the period from their senior guard. Carter Anderson of Delta would score all of his team-high 13 points in the second half.

Mt. Vernon 16 14 19 15 - 64
Delta 6 3 15 20 - 44

Mt. Vernon: Michael Ertel 29 points (11/16 FGs, 2/7 3Ps, 5/7 FTs); James McCloud 11 points (3/7 FGs, 5/7 FTs), 8 rebs; Logan Smith 8 points; Erick Shepherd 7 points (3/9 FGs), 9 rebs; Jake Morris 5 points; Damari Gatewood 4 points (2/3 FGs)

Delta: Carter Anderson 13 points (6/11 FGs), 6 rebs; Josh Bryan 8 points (3/5 FGs, 2/4 3Ps), 3 ast; Josh Moore 8 points; Adam Haynes 6 points (3/7 FGs), 8 rebs, 2 blks; Tanner Lambert 3 points (0/5 FGs, 3/4 FTs); Rylan Sullivan 2 points; Alec Lynn 2 points; Trace Hernly 2 points

The third game saw Connersville use some excellent cutting and passing to generate easy looks as they cruised to victory over Indianapolis Manual. Junior point guard Garrett Silcott got the Spartans off to a good start with seven first quarter points, but the exclamation was provided by Grant Smith, as he came flying down the lane to slam home a missed Beau Isaacs triple. Isaacs would collect three fouls in the first half, but a team effort on the defensive end prevented Manual from taking full advantage by limiting touches for Jaron Glenn and Jalen Johnson on the block. The second half was more of the same for Connersville, as they raced out to a 16 point lead quickly, forcing a Manual timeout. The Spartans were able to navigate the press of Manual, leading to open threes and easy looks at the rim. Grant Smith turned in a fine defensive performance on Courvoisier McCauley, one of the top scorers in the state, as the 6'4 shooting guard needed 25 shots to get his 26 points.

Connersville 18 14 21 15 - 68
Manual 12 8 17 17 - 54

Connersville: Grant Smith 20 points (7/8 FGs, 3/3 3Ps, 3/4 FTs), 14 rebs, 4 ast, 3 stls; Garrett Silcott 15 points (6/9 FGs, 1/2 3Ps, 2/4 FTs), 6 ast, 2 stls; Dalton Huffman 12 points; Beau Isaacs 10 points (3/9 FGs, 4/6 FTs), 2 stls; Noah Belt 7 points (2/6 FGs, 3/5 FTs), 3 ast; Hunter Sullenbarger 3 points; Braxton Revalee 1 point

Manual: Courvoisier McCauley 26 points (11/25 FGs, 2/10 3Ps, 2/4 FTs), 2 stls, 2 blks; Cameron Sembly 9 points (4/9 FGs); TJ Waldon 8 points; Jaron Glenn 4 points; Nathan Merriweather 3 points; Jalen Johnson 2 points (1/2 FGs); Tre Smith 2 points