On Friday, two Central Indiana basketball powerhouses faced off in a game with major conference championship implications. #1 Fishers vs. #3 Avon had reporters and scouts titling this matchup as one of the year’s best games with the winner most likely to take the Hoosier Crossroads Conference championship trophy. Avon, coming into the game with only a single loss to Plainfield to begin their season, believed they could be the team to halt Fishers’ dominance this season. Avon is a team that plays fast and heavily relies on their stars to push this pace. One of those stars is DeAndre Lott-Hancock who is nearly averaging ten points and 10 rebounds this season for the Orioles. Another star for the Orioles is Keriawn Berry, whose exciting and intense play style has allowed the Orioles to gain momentum heading into the final stretch before the postseason. Stopping those two players was a key strategy for the Tigers in this matchup as well as holding onto the momentum. The fans were a critical factor in the momentum for the Tigers as over 1,000 fans were in attendance.
Big start for Fishers
A massive piece of this win for Fishers began at the tip-off. Early buckets from Sophomore Cooper Zachary and Senior JonAnthony Hall allowed the Tigers to begin the game on a 12-0 run forcing Avon to take a timeout and adjust. However, this momentum did not stop as the Tigers finished the first quarter with an 18-6 lead. This lead from the Tigers can be heavily credited to their defensive strategy. Avon averages nearly 65 points per game and the Tigers were able to hold them to a mere 17 points in the first half. This defensive momentum as well as the firepower of the Fishers offense allowed them to run up the lead going into halftime. Showstopping plays from Hall and Sophomore Jason Gardner Jr. allowed the Tigers to end the half with a 34-17 score.
Consistent shooting makes up for foul troubles
Going into the second half, gameplay riddled with fouls and mistakes allowed Avon to cut the lead down however Zachary, Senior Justin Kirby, and Senior Millen Mccartney were hot from beyond the arc. To add on, mellow performances from Avon’s stars made it very difficult to cut the lead down late in the game. Avon’s Berry, who is averaging upwards of 16 points per game, was held to single-digit points for only the third time this season. Therefore, the Tigers continued their lead for the rest of the game ending with a final score of 69 to 45.
Fishers continues to justify their case as the number one team in Indiana and proves that they have the talent and ability to be placed highly in the national rankings. The next game for the Tigers is on Friday, Jan. 31 against the Franklin Central Flashes.
