Vikings Beat Warriors For Sectional TitleSYRACUSE – Tippecanoe Valley boys basketball coach Chad Patrick and his players heard the naysayers, they just didn’t pay attention to them.
With much of the same squad that won just five games last season, the Vikings have done quite a job silencing their critics, and Saturday night they beat the host Warriors 43-31 to win the Class 3A Sectional 21 title game at Wawasee High School.
The 12-point victory improved Valley to 15-9 and gave the Vikings their first sectional championship since 2013.
“That made us want to win more, that people were doubting us,” said Valley senior Wes Melanson, who was 5 of 5 from three-point range in Friday’s semifinal win over NorthWood, and who along with classmate Cameron Parker pulled down a game-high eight rebounds against Wawasee.
“I know its the same roster from last year, but we’ve improved so much. It’s night and day how good we are this year compared to last year. We’ve improved so much, and we wanted it more than ever. This was a big win.”
The Warriors, who were looking for their first sectional title since 2010, finished the season with a record of 6-17.
Valley, winners in eight of its last nine games, will play No. 1 Delta (26-0) at noon Saturday in a four-team regional at Marion High School.
Angola (20-5) and the host Giants (17-7) will play in the other semifinal game.
“It gives me chills thinking about it,” said Patrick when asked about the team’s turnaround from a year ago. “I seriously thought we were gonna have to be young again. I was hoping to win eight to 10 games.
“Our goal was to win half our games, win the TRC and win the sectional ... those were our goals this year. I thought we could finish in the top half of the conference, and have a shot at the sectional, but I wasn’t sure about being .500.
“These four seniors just gelled and came to life and played amazing. I’m telling you, our practices are going to be legendary in the Valley basketball program from this year for the next 20 years. Every night it’s a bloody lip, busted nose, and they just loved it. There’s three competitive drills we do, and they go at it for 35 to 40 minutes. They go at it, and they love it ... and that’s the difference between this year’s team and last year.”
That intensity from practice – minus the bloody lips and noses – has carried over to the game floor.
In Saturday’s win, the Vikings held Wawasee scoreless from the field in the second quarter and to just one field goal – a three-pointer from senior Aaron Evans – in the fourth quarter.
Valley led 14-10 after one quarter of play, 24-15 at halftime and 32-27 heading into the final frame.
Wawasee made eight three-pointers, five by senior Bennett Hoffert, in a 65-43 semifinal win over West Noble Friday.
Parker did a defensive number on Hoffert, who finished Saturday’s title tilt 2 of 14 from the floor overall and 1 of 7 from the arc.
As a team, the Warriors were just 10 of 41 from the field, including a 4-of-22 effort from three-point range.
“We’ve worked hard,” said Parker, who tallied eight points and eight rebounds. “Defense and rebounding, that’s what we pride ourselves on, and if we do those things we find ourselves winning at the end of the day.”
Valley senior Parkur Dalrymple scored a game-high 16 points, while senior Jalen Shepherd and Tanner Trippiedi scored six points each.
Wawasee was led by the nine points and five rebounds of junior Ethan Hardy.
Junior Austin Miller tallied eight points and six rebounds, Hoffert netted seven points, and Evans finished with five points and five boards.
