(Anthony Ball after his double-double leads Beech Grove to the regional final)

 

Danville and Beech Grove will meet tonight in the 3A Greencastle regional championship as Danville beat Brebeuf and Beech Grove held off Brownstown Central.

 

The second game saw Beech Grove apply pressure from the tip and rattle Brownstown Central. Often, it did not lead to turnovers, but Brownstown Central found itself rushing shots. Damon Thompkins knocked down two three-pointers to get the Hornets off fast.

 

After one, Beech Grove led 16-2 as Aidan Schroer scored the only Brownstown Central basket. Jeremiah Tate and Jeremiah Alexander each made an early impact for Beech Grove to grab the lead.

 

Things flipped in a hurry during the second quarter. Sophomore sensation Jack Benter did not score in the first period but hit a triple in the second to get rolling. He also used the free-throw to find a rhythm as Brownstown Central settled into the game.

 

Beech Grove could not score in the second period. The Brownstown Central zone took away the easy looks, and the Hornet offense stalled.

Benter splashed a 45-foot shot to tie the game heading to the locker room to end the half. He tallied 14 points in the second quarter as Beech Grove only managed six.

 

The third quarter opened with Beech Grove scoring the first eight points. It looked like the Hornets might extend a massive lead just like the first half, but Carter Waskom stepped up for Brownstown. He gave BC a second option.

 

Benter scored through contact for an and-one late in the period, then buried a three-pointer. Those six points helped Brownstown cut Beech Grove’s lead to 39-36, going to the fourth.

 

Beech Grove junior Anthony Ball started the game with a paint score and a blocked shot, but he was relatively quiet for the second and third periods. However, that was not the case in the fourth. He ramped up his aggressiveness and took the ball through Brownstown Central defenders. That helped Beech Grove reach the bonus with five minutes left in the game.

 

Benter continued to pour in points to keep Brownstown Central in the game, but Ball, Tate, and Alexander made big plays for Beech Grove. After breaking the Brownstown pressure, Tate and Jaleel Edwards finishing plays in the lane helped the Hornets keep a lead.

 

Benter scored 16 fourth-quarter points, and it remained a one-possession game for most of the fourth. But, in the end, Beech Grove found a couple of stops, made free throws, and Ball produced at the rim to give the Hornets the 65-57 victory.

 

Ball finished with 18 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks. His fourth-quarter performance was outstanding.

 

Tate scored 12, and Thompkins finished with 11 points. Jaleel Edwards recorded nine points and four rebounds, while Jeremiah Alexander had six points, four rebounds, and three assists.

 

Benter scored a game-high 36 points on 11-27 shooting. He also had nine rebounds and three assists.

 

Waskom scored 15 points in the loss.

 

Brownstown Central finishes the year 22-4.

 

In the opening game at Greencastle, Miami of Ohio signee Billy Smith started quickly for Brebeuf. He scored five early points to give Brebeuf the lead. However, Danville answered back when freshman Jace Scrafton knocked down a three-pointer. Air Force-bound wing Brady Ruggles attacked for six first-quarter points as well.

 

Danville took a 13-9 lead into the second period and continued expanding. Sophomore Evan Lawrence helped Danville stretch it to 23-12 midway through the quarter. Tyler Dostin also came up huge for Danville in the second. He used his strength and finesse inside to tally eight points and five rebounds.

 

Brebeuf finished the half on a high note as Smith converted three free throws.

 

Ruggles emerged early in the second half to finish a three-point play and a three-pointer. Once again, Danville led by 11. Late in the third, Dostin put back a miss but injured himself when he landed. He sat for the final two minutes of the third.

 

Like the second quarter, Alex Gothard helped Brebeuf finish the third period well. He scored five points, including a transition three to get Brebeuf back into it.

 

Dostin returned to the floor to begin the fourth, but his production was limited.

 

When Paul Stubblefield made two free throws, Danville’s lead was down to 45-44. But, overall, the Brebeuf supporting cast produced significantly in the fourth – Stubblefield, Gothard, Dirin Birhiray all played a part in keeping Brebeuf close.

 

Danville senior Brayton McMahon made two critical shots for Danville. First, he splashed a three-pointer to give Danville breathing room with two minutes to play. Then he made two free throws to push Danville’s advantage to 52-48 with 41.2 seconds remaining.

 

Brebeuf could not get shots to fall in the final minute, and Danville advanced with the 56-50 victory.

 

Brady Ruggles led Danville with 15 points. Dostin recorded 14 points and seven rebounds. Scrafton scored ten, and McMahon had seven.

 

Smith scored 17 points to lead Brebeuf. Gothard added nine, and Birhiray scored eight. Zach Reed tallied six points.

 

Brebeuf finished the season 18-8.