In a matchup of two of the best teams in Northwest Indiana Thursday night, the 3A No.1 Hammond Wildcats put away the Munster Mustangs in a competitive battle.
It would prove a contrast of defensive strategies, with Hammond applying ball pressure all the way up the floor, and Munster going to a half-court trap that was at times very effective in slowing the game down. The difference, in the end, would be the forced turnovers and strong defense on Munster's scoring ace, Luka Balac.
After being tied at 25 at the half, Hammond’s pressure forced several turnovers to start the third quarter and put them in the driver’s seat.
With Balac receiving most of the defensive attention, Jeremiah Lovett stepped up for Munster. The senior wing battled in the paint and scored 13 points.
Hammond's Harold Woods has been a steady scorer for the Wildcats. He entered the game averaging 18.8 points per contest. In a low-scoring game, the senior was able to tally 15 points.
In the fourth quarter, Reggie Abram's three-pointer looked like it would seal the game for Hammond, but Munster did not give up. A valiant rally by the Mustangs would make it a one-possession game in the final minute, but the Wildcats kept their cool and made their free throws to seal the win, 56-54.
Below are Bashir Nasidi's player evaluations for the Hammond-Munster game.
