SOUTHMONT BOYS' BASKETBALL SECTIONAL: Wolves close out Cougars to claim title

North Putnam senior Brayden Monett (1) looks around for an opening in the Parke Heritage defense during Saturday night's IHSAA Boys' Basketball Class 2A Sectional No. 44 final. The Cougars led 27-25 with four minutes to play but a 12-0 close led the Wolves to their second sectional title in three years with a 37-27 win.

Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT

NEW MARKET – With four minutes left in Saturday’s championship game of IHSAA Boys’ Basketball Class 2A Sectional No. 44, North Putnam had its biggest round of momentum after taking a 27-25 lead over Parke Heritage.

The Wolves took what had been an 11-2 run in stride and finished the game on a 12-0 run of its own to deny the Cougars a sectional title with a 37-27 win.

Parke Heritage (18-9) opted to open the game in its 1-2-2 press and the decision paid early dividends as three steals led to three baskets for Treigh Schelsky, Adam Carrington and Max Down for a 6-0 lead.

North Putnam (16-10) responded calmly as Jaylen Windmiller scored under the basket, Nolan Hackleman hit a three and Brady Barber scored on a drive to take a 7-6 lead.

Hackleman scored on a second-chance basket but would trail 12-9 at the end of the quarter after Renn Harper scored and Schelsky added two late free throws.

Despite plenty of pressure from the Wolves, the Cougars remained patient, looking for ideal openings and keeping the game within a point after baskets from Matt Farrington and Brayden Monnett.

Parke Heritage wasn’t able to convert the steals it picked up in the second quarter but created a five-point gap after a Brayden Luce three made it 18-13.

Farrington scored late to trim the gap to 18-15 as halftime brought a temporary reprieve for both teams.

Defensively, neither side was willing to give an inch, meaning possessions drifted toward 30 seconds or longer frequently, forcing both teams into patient, probing play.

Luce briefly gave the Wolves a 23-16 lead with a three but Monnett and Kaden Helderman hit threes in reply, bringing the lead down to a point at 23-22 with eight minutes to decide the sectional title.

After the first three minutes were spent on three possessions, Windmiller scored to give North Putnam a 24-23 lead though Ethan Tidwell scored shortly thereafter to regain the lead for Parke Heritage.

Helderman would nail a three midway though the period in reply, pushing the Cougars ahead 27-25.

What no one knew at the time was it was the last points of the season for North Putnam.

Schelsky tied the game with two free throws and Harper would take the lead for good with a three with 2:30 to play.

The Cougars looked for an opening but the Wolves’ zone defense was giving away nothing and after a missed shot, Luce scored to make it 32-27.

Parke Heritage only converted one of the three one-and-one free throw attempts but a pair of late steals kept North Putnam hemmed in as Harper added two free throws to ice the game in the closing seconds, handing the Wolves a second sectional title in three seasons.

Scoring

Parke Heritage (8-14 2FG: 3-14 3FG; 12-18 FT) — Schelsky 10, Luce 8, Harper 7, Carrington 6, Dowd 4, Tidwell 2

North Putnam (7-17 2FG; 4-14 3FG; 1-4 FT) — Helderman 6, Monett 5, Windmiller 5, Hackleman 5, Farrington 4, Barber 2

Statistics