Caleb Dewey sensed the next couple hours were going to be memorable upon entering the tunnel leading to Edinburgh’s basketball court Saturday night.
Approximately 2,000 spectators were wedged inside the Lancers’ venerable octagon, offering the most Indiana of backdrops to the Class A sectional final between West Washington and seventh-ranked Edinburgh.
The home squad, its cheering section in full bellow, wasn’t about to disappoint.
An 11-3 scoring run over the final four minutes allowed the Lancers to pull away for a 49-38 victory, ensuring the seventh regional appearance in program history. Edinburgh (22-3) faces No. 2 North Daviess in the 10 a.m. semifinal at the Loogootee Regional this Saturday.
The squads played on Feb. 19, with the visiting Cougars winning, 55-47.
“It feels amazing having this whole community out here. We couldn’t have done this without them,” said Dewey, a junior wing who finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. “They love basketball, and when they’re hyped, we’re hyped. It helps us out a lot.”
West Washington (11-14), starting two juniors and three sophomores, didn’t make it easy.
The Senators closed to within 38-35 with 4:18 remaining when Edinburgh — particularly the senior trio of guard Riley Palmeter and forwards Travis Jones and Landen Burton — sealed the Lancers’ first sectional championship in four years.
Palmeter started things with a scoop shot in the lane at the 4-minute mark, followed by Burton’s put back of a missed baseline 3-point attempt from Dewey with 2:36 showing. Then came the sequence in which the 6-foot-4 Jones repeatedly tipped the basketball from point-blank range, finally converting for a nine-point cushion.
“I knew tonight was going to be electric. I’ve wished for this forever. We have to just keep playing together. We’re a brotherhood. We’ve grown up together,” said Jones, who scored 13 points and led all rebounders with 12.
“It feels amazing, man. I remember being a little Lancer (mascot for the 2011-12 squad that made it to semistate) and getting a piece of net, and I still have that net. I looked at that net this morning, and said I’m getting one for myself.”
Palmeter went for 12 points and seven boards despite landing awkwardly and turning his right ankle after knocking down a 3-pointer at 2:35 of the first quarter.
He returned with 6:33 remaining in the second.
“When I took that jump shot, I came down and landed on (a West Washington player’s) foot, and I think I sprained it,” Palmeter said. “I really knew the team needed me on the floor. Adrenaline really took a lot of the pain away. I just had to get it taped and come back in.”
West Washington led much of the opening period, settling in with a 14-12 advantage. The Lancers took the lead for good at the outset of the second with a Jones triple and Dewey’s free throws and his 3-pointer from the top of the key.
Edinburgh dominated in rebounds, 34-19, and committed just nine turnovers — including only two the first half — to the Senators’ 11. Neither team shot the basketball particularly well, with West Washington hitting 11 of 35 (31.4%) to the Lancers’ 19 of 53 (35.8%).
In crunch time, however, Edinburgh’s seniors took charge.
“They aren’t as experienced as us, and during one of our timeouts, out seniors led the timeout and said, ‘Hey, this is when we have to go do our thing,’” Lancers coach Keith Witty said. “They were a big influence, and they didn’t want to be done.
“We have six seniors. This class weathered the storm of no seniors when they were sophomores, made a charge and were 18-6 last year, and right now we’re 22-3. They were tired of losing.”
