GCA boys edged by Indy Lutheran

INDIANAPOLIS

Playing the same opponent twice in a season can be a tough trick, and Indianapolis Lutheran almost found that out the hard way Saturday night.

It took a clutch basket and four free throws in the final two minutes, plus four late misses by Greenwood Christian, to lift the host Saints to a hard-fought 48-41 win in Class A sectional championship play.

The Cougars’ season ends at 17-10.

“Down the stretch we made a few mental errors, but we played hard the entire time,” Greenwood Christian coach Jackson Williams said. “A few shots fall here and there and we’re looking at a different game.”

Back on Dec. 11, Lutheran smashed GCA 57-32 on Dec. 11 in what was the Cougars’ worst loss of the season at the time. And it looked to be a repeat in the first minute of Saturday’s game when the Saints stole three Cougar passes and converted all of them into points and a lightning-quick 6-0 lead.

Greenwood Christian could have folded up there, but patiently played its game, passing to the open man for the high percentage shot.

“They did a great job of moving the basketball around,” Williams said. “I was really happy with our response.”

That response was not letting the game get away from them, and even taking the lead by a point midway through the second quarter before ultimately going into halftime tied at 23. GCA took better care of the ball and defensively they frustrated the Saints, preventing them from getting into a running game that could have really blown the contest apart.

Greenwood Christian had a mini run of its own to open the second half and counter the Saints’ first-quarter outburst. The Cougars took a 28-23 lead to silence the home crowd and send the Cougar faithful into a frenzy. They couldn’t sustain it, but they still kept pace with Lutheran and kept the game within two points entering the fourth.

A 3-point shot by sophomore Max Booher gave the Cougars a one-point advantage, 39-38, with 3:55 left, but that was the last lead for GCA, who except for another Booher basket went stone cold from the floor in the final minutes.

Down three with less than two minutes to play, Greenwood Christian missed a layup (which would have put them within one) and three 3-point shots that sealed their fate.

The Cougars were led by junior Ian Reed’s 12 points. Booher added 11, while junior Blake Shewmaker scored 10.

“We had a decent night from everybody,” Williams said.

The end was agonizing for Williams, his players and the GCA fans, but looking back on the season, it was a fruitful one.

Greenwood Christian had a nine-game winning streak and improved dramatically after a 2-6 start, coming close to winning their third sectional in four seasons.

And it could get better in the future as the Cougars only lose two seniors, starter Matt Teike and reserve guard Aden Sloan.

“I’m so unbelievably proud of this group and I couldn’t be any happier with how they worked this whole year,” Williams said.