UPDATED: North Central edges Lakers for sectional title

North Central's Jordan Stefancik (left) and Bobby Swaby (right) surround Shakamak senior Billy Newton during the sectional championship game at WRV Saturday. The Thunderbirds edged the Lakers 36-35 to win the Class A title. (By B.J. Hargis/Greene County Daily World). [Order this photo]

SWITZ CITY -- With three minutes remaining in their semifinal game 24 hours earlier against Clay City and staring at a double-figure deficit, even North Central boys basketball coach Ryan Kamman had his doubts about whether his Thunderbirds would get a chance at winning a second sectional championship in four seasons.

"Honesty, I am still trying to figure out how we won last night," Kamman said of outscoring the Eels 18-5 in the final 180 seconds to come up with a 60-57 victory. "...To be honest, I was making plans for tonight, which sectional was I was going to go to."

Kamman and his T-Birds happily made room on their schedule Saturday night for a third meeting this season with 2008 champ Shakamak, led by that school's all-time leading scorer Billy Newton. The Lakers had needed some late-game heroics of their own Friday to defeat host White River Valley 44-42 in double overtime.

Former Shakamak guard Ethan Stanifer gets his piece of the net after helping North Central defeat the Lakers 36-35 in championship game of Class A Sectional 57 at White River Valley Saturday.(By B.J. Hargis/Greene County Daily World). [Order this photo]

After falling to the Lakers 72-64 in double overtime on the same floor in the Greene County Invitational in January and 63-56 at Jasonville three weeks later, the third time was indeed charming for North Central.

Former Shakamak standout Ethan Stanifer's free throw with 1.7 seconds remaining provided the margin of difference as North Central defeated Shakamak 36-35 in the title game at Class A Sectional 57.

"It was really nice to be able to get them back after they got us twice in the regular season," said Stanifer. "We got the one that mattered."

Kamman said that the adage "It is hard to beat a team three times in a season" worked well for them.

"It is tough to beat a team three times. We found that out last night with Clay City," he said. "Shakamak found that out tonight with us. Luckily, we were able to pull ours out tonight."

Kamman almost had to pinch himself to make sure it was real.

"In a lot of ways, tonight was easier than last night," said Kamman. "I still don't know how we won last night.

"I am really proud of these guys. Defensively, we stepped up at the end, had a couple of big steals and Ethan made a big free throw."

The No. 12 Lakers, who were trying for a third title in five seasons after ending a 16-year dry spell in 2006, self-destructed after taking a one-point lead to the fourth quarter.

Shakamak, who shot 33 percent (12 of 36) and 20 percent from 3-point range (1 of 5), misfired on 6 of 8 shots over the final eight minutes. The Lakers committed six of 17 turnovers during that span.

"We made too many mistakes," said Shakamak coach Steve Brett, whose Lakers finished 17-8. "We didn't execute anything. We had too many turnovers, too many mistakes. When you make that many mistakes, you don't deserve to win.

"...We did not play well enough to win. We just had way too many mistakes in the second half. Just things you can't believe we were doing."

Newton had torched the T-Birds for 57 points in the first two meetings, including at the time a career-high 36 points in the overtime thriller.

But the 6-3 senior was hounded all night by Swaby early and then Jordan Stefancik in the Thunderbirds' helping man-to-man defense. Newton scored 13 points on 5 of 19 shooting, 11 points per game under his season average.

Newton, who did grab a game-best 11 rebounds, missed his final four shots and did not score over the final 9:20, after making back-to-back baskets in the paint to put the Lakers ahead 28-27 after three quarters.

"Think we forced them into 17 turnovers. I don't know if they had made that many in a game all year," said Kamman. "We did a good job of taking away what they wanted to do, getting the ball inside to Billy as much as they could. Billy wants to drive baseline and we tried to force him to the middle to our help. He is such a good player. You are lucky if you can keep him under 20.

"We were doubling Billy. We were trying to front him in the post. I thought that Bobby did a really good job at the start but he picked up two quick fouls. We moved Jordan over to him and he did a really good job too. We thought about moving Bobby back over, but Jordan said 'I want him'. Jordan was exhausted at the end."

Brett gave the game was more physical than the first two.

"They defensed us pretty good," he said. "I thought all year Billy got fouled a lot more than was called. He got bumped a lot, got hit on the arms a lot when he got shot. But he is used to that.

"They defensed him like they always have. They played better defense than we did."

North Central, who will take a 13-10 record into their regional match at Martinsville Saturday against Indianapolis Lutheran, made 4 of 6 field goals to take a 17-10 lead midway in the second quarter.

Shakamak responded with a 8-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer from the baseline by sophomore lefty Brock Dowell, giving the Lakers a 18-17 edge at intermission.

"Brock Dowell hit a big basket for us there," said Brett. It got us a little edge. That was pretty big with John (Smith) being on the bench with two fouls."

After starting 1 of 10 from 3-point range early, North Central made 3 of 5 to close the game and close out the sectional favorite.

Tyler Howkinson buried a trey from the right wing, tying the game at 24-all at the 2:50 mark of the third quarter. Stanifer made another 3-pointer from the top of the key as NCHS took a 27-24 lead.

Kamman said those two shots from distance led to a trey by Bobby Swaby, which put the Thunderbirds ahead for good at 32-30 midway in the fourth period.

"Tyler made a big three then they started to go cover him and then they left Ethan wide open," said Kamman. "A little bit later, they left Bobby open because they were worried about Tyler and Ethan.

"So they just kind of took turns there stepping up and making big shots for us. We had to make threes to win it. We just had to wait for them to fall. We knew eventually they were going to go."

North Central's defense came up with three straight stops, the first on steal by Robert Horn and another on a theft by Stanifer, which led to three key points.

Horn's pilfer of Tyler Richardson led to a foul shot and a 33-30 advantage with 2:10 to play.

Laker guard Tyler Richardson answered with a short jumper in the lane, making it 33-32 with 109 seconds left and then he drew a charge on Swaby.

Stanifer then stole the ball from Smith and raced to the other end, but missed the layup. Stefancik grabbed the rebound and was fouled.

Stefancik missed the free throw, but Stanifer swooped into the lane and grabbed the offense rebound. His short putback gave the T-Birds a 35-32 advantage with 63 seconds to play.

"I knew that we struggled with free throws every once in a while. So I was ready to get a rebound if I had to get a rebound," said Stanifer. "And it just bounced off right and I was able to get it and put it back in."

Laker sophomore Justin Crody tied the game at 35-all after making an old-fashioned three-point play with 46.7 seconds remaining.

"It was just a battle." said Kamman. "Shakamak is a good team. It took everything we had. I know they were tired from last night. We were tired from last night too."

On the final North Central possession, Smith was called for a foul on Stanifer, who made the second of two fouls shots.

"I went off the screen and I felt like I had an open shot and Johnny got me and I was able to go to the line," said Stanifer. "Honestly I was not as nervous as I thought I might be. I went up there and thought I had the first one. It felt good. I was pretty confident that I was going to hit the next one."

The Lakers, who failed to get off a shot in the final 1.7 seconds as Stanifer and Swaby knocked the ball away on consecutive in-bounds plays from midcourt, tied for the Southwestern Indiana Athletic Conference and Tri-River Conference titles and won the Greene County Invitational, but fell short of their ultimate goal.

"We had a pretty good year, but this was the one we wanted," said Brett. "It is disappointing to see them go out this way."

Notes: Stanifer, Swaby, Stefancik, Newton, David McNeal of WRV and Logan Higgins of Clay City were named to the All-Sectional team.

Unofficially, Newton finished his career with 1,904 points, eclipsing the previous Laker-leading total of 1,822 by Michael Allen.

That total would place him fifth all-time among area players and fourth-most by a boys player from Greene County.

Class A

White River Valley Sectional

Championship game

Saturday

NORTH CENTRAL (36) -- Corbin Rehmel 1-2 0-0 2, Bobby Swaby 2-6 0-0 6, Jordan Stefancik 3-5 2-7 8, Ethan Stanifer 4-11 1-3 10, Tyler Howkinson 4-8 0-0 9, Matt Hinesley 0-0 0-0 0, Robert Horn 0-1 1-2 1, Aaron Bellgraph 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 14-33 4-12 36.

SHAKAMAK (35) -- Jarred VanHorn 0-3 3-4 3, Billy Newton 5-19 3-4 13, Justin Crody 3-4 1-2 7, Tyler Richardson 3-6 2-4 8, John Smith 0-1 1-2 1, Brock Dowell 1-3 0-0 3, Jordan Langford 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 12-36 10-16 35.

North Central 9 8 10 9 -- 36

Shakamak 8 10 10 7 -- 35

3-point shooting -- North Central 4-15 (Swaby 2-4, Howkinson 1-3, Stanifer 1-7, Stefancik 0-1), Shakamak 1-5 (Dowell 1-3, Newton 0-2). Fouls -- North Central 14, Shakamak 12. Fouled out -- None. Technical foul -- Rehmel. Rebounds -- North Central 14 (Stefancik 4), Shakamak 26 (Newton 11). Assists -- North Central 11 (Stefancik 3), Shakamak 5 (Richardson 3). Steals -- North Central 7 (Stanifer 3), Shakamak 3 (Richardson, Dowell, Newton). Turnovers -- North Central 12 (Howkinson 6), Shakamak 17 (Newton 7). Blocks -- North Central 3 (Howkinson, Stefancik, Stanifer), Shakamak 2 (Richardson, VanHorn).