KOKOMO — Harrison’s boys basketball team hadn’t experienced a
sectional victory since this year’s seniors were playing freshman ball.
The Class of 2010 ended that streak Tuesday night.
Jacob
VanArsdel scored 16 points, and Harrison advanced with a 47-32 victory
over McCutcheon in the Class 4A Kokomo Sectional opener at Memorial
Gymnasium.
“It’s
definitely good to get a win,” said VanArsdel, who combined with five
other seniors to score all but two of Harrison’s points. “The first win
is always the toughest of a tournament.”
The
Raiders (11-11) advanced to a Friday semifinal against Lafayette Jeff.
The Bronchos defeated Harrison twice this season: once in the J&C
Hoops Classic championship at Crawley Center, and once at May Gymnasium.
After a 15-0 first-quarter run Tuesday, Harrison led by at least eight points the rest of the game.
“Our
score doesn’t really show it, but I thought we attacked their defense
really well,” said Harrison senior BJ Bennett, who came off the bench
to hit two 3-pointers in that first-quarter run. “We did a good job
trying to take our time and get the open looks, during the first
quarter especially.”
For
McCutcheon (7-14), Tuesday’s defeat too closely resembled a 48-41 loss
to Harrison from Dec. 18. That night, Alantae Crawford scored 28 points
and the rest of the Mavericks totaled 13.
Crawford scored 21 before fouling out of his final game Tuesday. The rest of the Mavericks managed 11.
“We
kind of fell off,” said Crawford, who scored 14 in the second half. “We
weren’t executing. Coach (Rick Peckinpaugh) told us to come out and
play with composure, and we just kind of played like we were scared.
When that happens, we have to adjust, and we just didn’t adjust.”
McCutcheon
led 5-0 before VanArsdel hit the first of his four 3-pointers. After
struggling with turf toe throughout the middle portion of the season,
the senior guard has regained his shot in the past two weeks, which
included six 3-pointers in the regular season finale against Fishers.
His final 3, with 5:45 to play, gave Harrison a 41-29 lead.
“It’s starting to get back to 100 percent,” VanArsdel said of his
right foot. “The pain’s going away, and that’s helped elevating, which
helps my shot.”
“…
Coming into the year, I knew I was going to have to do some things for
this team. I started out pretty decently, and I kind of dropped off
with the injury. I knew coming back into sectionals it was starting to
feel better and I was really going to have to step up.”
Bennett
hit a pair 3s off assists from Blair Banker 80 seconds apart in the
first quarter. The reserve finished with eight points and helped the
Raider bench outscore McCutcheon’s 14-0.
“I’ve
definitely gone up and down with my shot,” said Bennett, who hit 4 of
21 3s during the regular season. “Those couple of shots I hit at the
beginning were big, trying to get us going. My teammates were going
nuts out there for me, which was nice.”
Through
three quarters, McCutcheon was 2-for-13 from 3-point range and hadn’t
attempted a free throw. The Mavericks’ three starting post players
combined for six points, and the team scored fewer than 50 for the
fifth time in its last six games.
Crawford,
who had scored 36 percent of McCutcheon’s points coming in, hit 9 of 18
from the field and shared the team lead with six rebounds.
“If
you even consider what he had to do with the lack of help, at both ends
sometimes, it’s amazing what he did do,” Peckinpaugh said. “It’s
amazing he was able to get done those things with teams knowing he was
our main scorer, and sometimes only scorer, so he got all their focus.
“I
hope some of our other kids picked up some things from watching him
this year and how hard he played, and they’ll do the same next year.”
*Taken from The Lafayette Journal and Courier Online
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