In the opener, Scecina used an active pressure defense to roll over Broad Ripple 75-32.

 

The outcome was never in doubt, as Scecina opened a 13 point lead after a quarter and stretched that margin to 18 at the half.

 

Playing without senior forward Gary Bonds, who will be back in the lineup for Scecina's game on Friday, the Crusaders welcomed back fellow senior and IUPUI commit TJ Henderson.  Henderson had been out since late January with a foot injury.  The 6'1 guard made up for lost time, coming out aggressive.  With his shot not falling, he was able to draw contact and get to the free throw line for the majority of his points.  He scored 12 first half points while Josh Rutland added 7 in the first half.

 

The second half was more of the same for Scecina, as Broad Ripple struggled to run any sort of offense against the pressure of the Crusaders.  The gap would stretch to 34 after three periods.

 

Broad Ripple sophomore Sam Colbert would knock down a few three pointers in the fourth quarter to aid their cause, but it was too much TJ Henderson, as the senior finished with 27 points.

 

Scecina advances to face Howe in the semifinals.  That game will be a rematch of the Indianapolis City Tournament final, which saw Howe win by a 75-72 score.  Scecina was without the services of Gary Bonds in that matchup, however, and TJ Henderson aggravated a previous foot injury in the second half of that contest.

 

Broad Ripple  5   8   8  11  -  32

Scecina       18 13  24 20  -  75

 

Broad Ripple:  Sam Colbert 16 points (5/17 FGs, 4/11 3Ps);  Malachi Mozee 6 points; Kiwane Moore 4 points; Zach Ingram 2 points; ReShawn Fields 2 points; Tyler Osborn 2 points

 

Howe: TJ Henderson 27 points (9/19 FGs, 8/8 FTs); Josh Rutland 11 points (5/6 FGs), 3 asts; Zach Rutland 9 points, 6 asts; Jayron Brooks 9 points; DaKwon Brooks 7 points, 10 rebs; Makylin Brown 5 points; Nate Cantebury 3 points; Brian Tutrow 2 points; Jake Okerson 2 points; Keynen Kirby 1 point

 

 

 

 

 

In the nightcap, it was a tale of two halves, as top ranked Park Tudor overcame a slow start to turn on the jets and outlast host Shortridge to advance to the semifinals.

 

Both teams started the game off in zone defenses, and the tempo was lower as a result.  Both sides struggled to convert layups, as missed opportunities were the name of the game in the first 16 minutes.  A Bryce Moore triple was all Park Tudor had to show for in the first quarter.  Shortridge did not fare much better, as they managed only six points in the opening stanza.

 

Evan Frank and Jaren Jackson, Park Tudor's 6'9 frontcourt pair, were able to control the offensive glass, but struggled to finish inside against the athleticism of the Blue Devil bigs.

 

Both teams dealt with foul trouble, as Park Tudor's Dwayne Gibson and Shortridge's Chris Adams and Various Wilson each picked up two early fouls, limiting their effectiveness.  Junior forward Payton Ross scored all four of his points for Shortridge in the second period, one basket on a breakaway dunk and the other on a tip in above traffic to help the home squad to a 16-9 halftime lead.

 

The tides turned in the second half in the favor of Park Tudor.  Jaren Jackson scored four quick points to give the Panthers some momentum, and they never looked back from there.  Outscoring their opponent 16-5 in the third quarter, Park Tudor was able to wrestle away control of the lead.

 

the last quarter looked like a repeat of the previous, with Park Tudor's Bryce Moore turning up the defensive pressure on Chris Adams and forcing the senior guard into multiple turnovers.  Kobe Webster would add the nails in the coffin by burying two fourth quarter triples.  The Panthers would begin this quarter in a 18-2 run, for a combined 34-7 start to the second half.

 

A flurry of threes by Shortridge in the last two minutes would make the score look better than it really was, as Park Tudor would win by a 48-34 final.

 

Park Tudor will face Heritage Christian in the second semifinal on Friday night.

 

Park Tudor   3   6  16  23  -  48

Shortridge    6 10    5  13  -  34

 

Park Tudor: Kobe Webster 14 points; Bryce Moore 12 points (2/9 FGs, 7/9 FTs), 3 ast; Evan Frank 8 points, 11 rebs (7 off), 2 blks; Jaren Jackson Jr. 6 points, 5 rebs, 3 blks; Dwayne Gibson 6 points (3/5 FGs); Brandon Tiassum 2 points

 

Shortridge: Chris Adams 10 points (4/13 FGs), 7 ast; Isaiah Banks 8 points; Various WIlson 4 points (2/10 FGs); Couvoisier McCauley 4 points; Payton Ross 4 points; Kailen Guillory 4 points.