Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
LAFAYETTE – Returning to the Marion Crawley Center for the semi-state round for the second straight season, the Triton boys basketball team set its sights on a Tri-County team making its first ever run this deep in the state tournament. The Trojans certainly looked like the more experienced bunch, getting out to a lightning-fast start and never looking back en route to a dominant 78-46 victory that put Triton in the 1A Final Four.
As was the case last week in the regional, the Trojans were able to get out to a quick start, going up 9-2 over the first three minutes. Triton was giving Tri-County fits with its physicality, holding their opponent to just one shot per possession on the defensive end, which was a major problem for the team last week. On the other side, the Trojans were doing a ton of damage in the paint, scoring four of their first five baskets down low.
It didn’t take long for the home team on the scoreboard to extend its lead to double figures. After making just one shot at North Judson last week, point guard Landon Patrick was in attack mode for the Trojans early, hitting three shots in the first five and a half minutes. The Cavaliers were having an incredibly difficult time cracking the Triton code, as it took nearly six minutes of game time for the team to make their first shot from the field.
Smelling blood in the water early, the Trojans remained in attack mode for the remainder of the quarter. Gage Riffle hit the team’s second triple of the quarter in the final minute, and after one more stop, Julian Swanson drained one from the midrange to put an exclamation point on a dominant first period for the home side. After eight minutes, Triton led 25-8.
“We got a great start. We got after it on the defensive end and it kind of bled into every phase of our game,” Triton head coach Jason Groves said after the victory. “We talked a lot this week about starting the game with confidence and I think we did a great job of that.”
Things didn’t get much closer in the early minutes of the second, as within two minutes, the Trojans had extended their lead to 20 points. The team was putting on a clinic on both ends of the floor, preventing Tri-County from even thinking about getting into any sort of offensive rhythm on one end, while shooting at a remarkably efficient clip at the other, which fed directly from the fact that by generating so many Cavalier misses, the Triton was able to rush down and execute the fast-break offense.
Now holding a 20-point advantage, the Trojans began to slow things down a tad, at least when they possessed the basketball. The blue and gold was still giving Tri-County all sorts of fits, and with just three minutes left in the first half, the Cavaliers had more turnovers than field goals. Even at a slower pace, the home side was still able to get whatever it wanted offensively, especially in the paint. This was made even more remarkable by the stark height disadvantage the Tritons possessed.
“We didn’t give up a single offensive rebound in the first half, which was a huge focus for us all week long,” Groves said. “Obviously last week that wasn’t the case, so I’m happy with the adjustments we made.”
If there was one aspect of the game that didn’t go the Trojans’ way in the first half, it was the team’s foul trouble. Tri-County’s ability to get to the line accounted for most of its offense in the first half, but it wasn’t nearly enough to keep pace with their opponent. As Jamison Swanson buried a three in the final seconds before the break, Triton took a 38-16 lead into the locker room.
Triton's intense defense proved to be too much for Tri-Central as sophomore Jamison Swanson of Triton scoops up the loose ball...Nieter
With their first ever trip to the semi-state round having gone disastrously so far, the Cavaliers began the second half by hitting their first three shots. However, the team actually lost ground during this stretch, as the Trojans did the same, including two more makes from deep. After a few more minutes went by, it appeared as if Triton had absorbed their opponent’s best shot and it hadn’t made much of a difference. Midway through the third, the lead was now 25.
It continued to be a total team effort, as it had been all game and season long. It felt as if the players on the court were taking turns leading the way on the offensive end. After back-to-back threes by Gage Riffle, an and-one for Patrick extended the lead to over 30 in the final minute of the third.
With the second game of the day now on his mind, Groves subbed out the last of his starters at the end of the period to try and give their legs some rest with another contest looming. With just eight minutes to go, this one was already well out of reach. Heading into the fourth, Triton led 64-33.
“Definitely wanted to give some guys some rest, we also had two guys with four fouls so we’re happy the game situation allowed us to do that,” Groves said. “I thought the guys that came off the bench did great and got some valuable experience in the state tournament.”
A technical foul called on Tri-County head coach Trev Parker in the opening minute of the fourth quarter led to the final four points the Trojans needed to initiate the running clock. Jamison Swanson and Isaac Quintana led the charge offensively here in the fourth, but with the contest having been decided long ago, the Trojans were in no rush when possessing the ball.
With the expedited clock in effect, Triton was able to run out the clock without any other drama. Now just one game away from the state finals, the Trojans showed that they are playing their best ball at the right time with a statement victory.
Riffle led all scorers with 17 points. Patrick finished with 15 points and six assists, Jamison Swanson had 14, while Jayden Overmyer and Brady Wood each scored 10.
Triton (24-3) will take on North Vermillion (17-11) at 8 p.m. with a spot in the state finals on the line. The Falcons defeated Monroe Central 63-55 in the first game of the day.
