Argos, Triton win at Culver
MICHIGAN CITY — It has been an unconventional season for the Culver Academy boys basketball team to say the least, and unfortunately, the postseason followed suit.
Although coming back time and time again, Michigan City was able to hold off the reigning sectional champion Eagles, 60-52, in the Class 4A Sectional 3 opener Tuesday night. The venue was originally scheduled to be Plymouth HS, but a late switch due to seating capacities moved it to Michigan City’s home gym.
“Our lack of basketball IQ showed up,” said Culver Academy head coach Mark Galloway. “Building a basketball IQ takes a lot of time. Until we get a higher one, we’re not going to beat a team like this. Our defensive goal is 55 (points allowed). We had them where we wanted them. I felt really good.”
After seeing deficits of eight points (first quarter), nine points (second), and eight points again (third), Culver was able to fight back and tie the score at 49 with 3:49 to play. The score was tied again at 51 and 52, the last time with 2:18 remaining, but a five second violation on an out-of-bounds play followed by two turnovers caused by the Wolves’ speed was too much to overcome down the stretch.
“The wheels came off a lot throughout the game, but we settled in,” added Galloway. “We got it tied. I thought we’d find a way to win.”
“I was scared to death,” admitted Michigan City head coach Tom Wells about facing the Eagles. “I’ve watched five of their 10 games. The more I watched the more scared I became. I was hoping our pressure would get to them and ultimately it did. It ended up being the difference in the game, by just enough. It was our persistence and the turnover bug for them.
They are a real solid team. (With Culver) only playing 10 games you didn’t know what to expect.”
The offensive stars for the Wolves were 6-4 senior forward Evan Bush (six 3s) and 5-9 sophomore guard Jamie Hodges. Bush scored 13 in the first quarter and finished with a team-high 25.
“We sagged off Bush, but he can shoot it,” Galloway said. “Once we gave him some confidence it was over. The matchups were a problem without a doubt.”
Hodges, the team’s leading scorer during the season, only had four at halftime, but finished with 23, including 9-for-9 from the foul line.
Cooper Farrall led Culver with 28 points, including 13-of-15 from the charity stripe. Jokubas Skurdenis was the only other Eagle player in double figures with 10 and Deandre Francis had seven.
“It was a good night for Cooper,” Galloway said of the sophomore. “The encouraging thing is he’s coming back, Jokubas is back, Amir (Gates) is back.
We lose some great seniors that have put in a lot of time in the program though.
• MICHIGAN CITY CULVER ACADEMY 52
At Michigan City (Sectional 3) Cul. Acad. 11 23 38 52
Mich. City 15 26 44 60 CULVER ACADEMY: Amir Gates 1 1-2 3, Colin Chupp 0 0-0 0 Nick Gravenitas 0 0-0 0, Thomas Collins 2 0-0 4, Jaxon Mull 0 0-0 0 Cooper Farrall 7 13-15 28, Deandre Francis 2 3-4 7, Jokubas Skurdenis 4 2-2 10, Desi Martello 0 0-0 0 Konnor Brockus 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 16 19-23 52. MICHIGAN CITY: Omarian Hatch 1 1-3 3, Warren Sails 0 0-0 0, Tahari Watson 1 2-2 5, Giovani Laurant 1 0-0 2, Kennon Tucker 0 0-0 0 Jordan Hess 0 0-0 0, Jamie Hodges 7 9-9 23, Evan Bush 9 1-3 25 Shelley Miller 1 0-0 2. TOTALS 20 13-17 60.
3-pointers: Culver Academy 1 (Farrall), Michigan City 7 (Bush 6 Watson). Fouls (fouled out): Culver Academy 15 (none), Michigan City 16 (none).
Records: Culver Academy 5-6 (final), Michigan City 13-10 60