Two of the best teams in Northwest Indiana met in the semifinals of the Huntington Holiday Hoops Tournament. Valparaiso entered the game 8-0 while Merrillville was 7-2. It looked like a great game on paper and the real thing lived up to it.
North Central hosted a Holiday Tournament on Wednesday and Thursday. The Panthers have won the tournament six straight years and looking to make it seven this season.
East Chicago Central began the year 3-0 highlighted by a victory over Merrillville. The last six games, played in a span of 16 days, were rough on the Cardinals. ECC dropped five of them. Evansville Bosse was 6-2 entering Wednesday's game with close losses to Logansport and New Albany.
On paper, it looked like Crown Point (6-0) and Columbus East (2-3) would be a lopsided game. That was not the case in the fourth opening round game of the Noblesville Holiday Tournament.