A fast start is always preferred, and Class 4A No. 3 Center Grove put one together on Friday night.
Scoring the game’s first eight points, the Trojans were able to put immediate distance between themselves and visiting Bloomington North before going on to win, 55-44.
Senior center Will Spellman led the way with 14 points and a game-high nine rebounds for Center Grove (3-1), while senior guard Dylan Meador came off the bench to add 11 points.
Like a lot of early-season games, the Trojans and Cougars combined to put together good and not-so-good stretches of play. Center Grove shot well and dominated the boards, but commited 19 turnovers.
“I was pleased with the entire game,” Center Grove coach Zach Hahn said. “The focus on the game was effort and intensity, and we did that. You’re going to make mistakes. Guys get in foul trouble.
“It’s hard to even call the second half a game. There was no tempo. When they’re going down and shooting two free throws every time down, and then we have to walk the ball up the floor, it’s hard to get in a rhythm. It was a physical game both ways, but I was really pleased with our effort and togetherness.”
The Trojans-Cougars series began in the 2008-09 season, with the Trojans now holding a slim 10-7 advantage.
In Friday’s matchup, Center Grove led by as many as many as 19 points in the first half and eventually settled in with a 33-18 halftime advantage.
The first points came on a two-handed flush from 6-foot-7 wing Peyton Byrd off a Spellman bounce pass only 10 seconds in. Spellman then scored in transition, junior post Michael Ephraim delivered in close and Spellman again produced an interior hoop before Cougars coach Jason Speer signaled timeout at the 5:26 mark.
Meador also played a big role in Center Grove’s early dominance, knocking down a trio of 3-pointers — all in the final 2:45 of the opening quarter.
Bloomington North attempted only 14 first-half field goals, making five. The Trojans converted 13 of 23 tries, but also committed 13 personal fouls before halftime, enabling the Cougars to score eight of their points from the free throw line.
The Cougars trimmed the once-sizable to as low as eight points, 50-42, at 2:09 of the final stanza on sophomore forward Jalen Williams’ putback. Trojans’ senior guard Joey Schmitz made five of six charities in the game’s final 61 seconds to keep Bloomington North at a safe distance.
Junior forward Luke Lindeman converted 10 of 12 free throws to finish with a game-high 16 points for the Cougars, while Williams chipped in 13. Schmitz tallied seven points for the Trojans, but also helped on the boards with eight rebounds.
Center Grove returns to the court this evening when the Trojans take on 4A No. 9 Crispus Attucks in an 8:15 p.m. start at Brownsburg.
“Obviously, they’re super talented,” Hahn said of the Tigers. “They’ve got a couple Division I guys, and they have the best athletes we will have seen up to this point. It’s going to be a lot like tonight. It’s going to be physical, it’s going to be up and down.
“It will be good for us to be challenged this early by another good opponent. Back-to-back nights … this is what it takes to win tournaments. I’m looking forward to seeing how we respond.”
