McCutcheon wasted no time taking control of the game against Kokomo in the Lafayette Jeff sectional semifinal.

McCutcheon was up 10-2 on Kokomo midway through the first quarter. Kokomo had four turnovers in those first four minutes. McCutcheon’s defense and Kokomo’s inability to handle the pressure led to a dominant showing by McCutcheon.

Robert Phinisee will be in the nightmares of Kokomo players for weeks to come. His anticipation and quickness led 21 Kokomo turnovers in a relatively low-possession game. Phinisee finished with four steals and forced many other bad passes.

Eddy Collins and Rowen Farrell went a combined 7-11 from three-point range. Collins knocked down two triples to begin the game and McCutcheon was in rhythm all game. The Mavericks shot an effective field goal percentage of 70.6%.

Kokomo’s shooting picked up in the fourth quarter. Junior Anthony Barnard scored 25 points on 9-12 shooting including 5-6 from three-point range. It was too little, too late for Kokomo. 15 points was as close as the game got in the second half.

McCutcheon cruised to the 78-56 victory. Robert Phinisee finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals.

McCutcheon faces Zionsville in the Lafayette Jeff sectional championship Saturday evening.