The 2019 Noblesville Holiday Tournament kicked off with Blackhawk Christian (5-1) playing Chesterton (7-0). Chesterton entered the game as the top Region team, according to the Post-Tribune and NWITimes.com. (Pictured: Caleb Furst from Nike EYBL)
To begin the game, Caleb Furst showed why he is one of the top players in the 2021 class. He made it look easy for the first bucket of the game. The lefty scored the first four points for Blackhawk to get the Braves off to a strong start.
On the other end, sophomore Travis Grayson was a problem for the Blackhawk defense. He was able to get into the lane off the dribble to score six of the first nine points for Chesterton. For the most part, Furst's presence inside didn't bother Grayson.
After a quick start for both teams, there were only two points scored in the final three minutes of the first quarter. The Blackhawk defense elevated to a new level in the second period. The Braves forced Chesterton into seven turnovers in the stanza. Blackhawk turned the errors into points as the Braves finished the half on a 15-2 run.
Furst didn't miss in the first half. He even knocked down a pull-up jumper while getting fouled. His patience against the Chesterton double teams was impressive as well. He let the game come to him while still looking for his opportunities.
At the start of the second half, Chesterton increased its physicality on Furst. Although the Trojans were playing hard, Blackhawk expanded the lead behind the shooting of Zane Burke, Marcus Davidson, and Andrew McIntosh. Blackhawk's advantage reached 22 points in the third quarter. Chesterton was able to get it to 51-36 with a Grayson layup to end the period.
In the first possession of the fourth, Jake Wadding scored in the lane. Chesterton turned the pressure up on Blackhawk's guards in the final five minutes. It helped make the game a single-digit spread, but Furst was too much inside. He scored eight of his 22 points in the fourth period to keep Chesterton at bay.
Blackhawk won 67-56 to advance to the semifinal game of the Noblesville Holiday Tournament on Saturday. Chesterton plays the loser of Andrean/Northridge at 6pm Friday night.
Furst finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and two turnovers. He was 8-10 from the field and 6-9 from the free throw line. Marcus Davidson had 16 points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Zane Burke added 10 points, five rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block. Andrew McIntosh had nine, while Jake Boyer and Callan Wood had five points each.
Travis Grayson led Chesterton with 13 points, four assists, four steals, and three rebounds. Jake Wadding added 13 points, three steals, two blocks, and three rebounds. Alex Schmidt scored eight, while Tyler Vanderwoude and Sean Elliott each scored seven points.