GREENCASTLE BOYS' BASKETBALL SECTIONAL: Cougars sweep Clovers, advance to face Mounties Friday

North Putnam's Brady Barber eyes up a three during the first half of the opening game of IHSAA Boys' Basketball Class 2A Sectional No. 44 play against Cloverdale. Barber led all scorers with 18 points, helping to guide the Cougars past the Clovers for a third time this season 60-43 and into Friday's first semifinal game against Southmont at 6 p.m.

Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT

After holding double-digit leads through eight minutes in the first two meetings, North Putnam had to wait until the second quarter to finally get separation from Cloverdale in the opening game of IHSAA Boys’ Basketball Class 2A Sectional No. 44 Tuesday night.

The Clovers used North Montgomery’s blueprint from the week prior, trying to limit paint touches but the Cougars had the answers this time, using transition baskets to help spark an 11-0 run in the second quarter and eased into the semifinals with a 60-43 win.

“At this point, you just want to survive and advance,” North Putnam head coach Vince Brooks said. “The win can be pretty or ugly and may not have any bearing on the next game but we’re happy to get out of here with a win and play Southmont on Friday.”

“I give a salute to our crew,” Cloverdale head coach Karl Turk said. “The first quarter tonight was probably the closest we’ve played (North Putnam) all season and a lot of that is due to continuity.

“We were as healthy as we have been all year, allowing us to put in some work on double-teaming the post and scrambling out. Attrition got us in the second quarter as they were able to put more bodies in and turn the pace up. Scottie McGuire was under the weather; he gave it a go tonight but had to come out quick tonight.”

A quick 7-0 run turned a 2-2 start into a 9-2 lead for North Putnam as Brady Barber hit a three and free throw while Nolan Hackleman converted a three-point play.

Cloverdale hit back with an 8-2 run as Houston Jobe hit a three, Eli Kelley hit two free throws and Levi Johnson hit a three to trim the gap to 11-10.

Isaac Pickel and Kaden Helderman added late baskets to make it 15-10 after a quarter of play with Jobe starting the second quarter with a jumper.

Barber replied with a three to kickstart the 11-0 run with Pickel scoring on a putback, Barber adding two free throws and Hackleman scoring twice to make it 26-12.

Zach Thomas hit two free throws and a three but threes in reply from Jaylen Windmiller and Barber helped the Cougars take a 33-17 lead into halftime.

“We’ve demonstrated that we can play with some high tempo and play methodically,” Brooks said about getting several baskets on the run. “We like to identify what is going to be most helpful for us in a given game and go for that approach.

“Cloverdale did a good job of making it difficult inside and rotating to not give up wide-open looks early. We’ll be able to see that on film and learn from that, too.”

North Putnam scored the first seven points of the second half with a Pickel putback, Helderman three and Hackleman basket on the break.

Johnson hit a jumper and Artrevion Henderson added a three but the Cougars scored the last 11 points of the quarter as Nolan Augusta hit two threes, Barber added a third and Pickel scored on a tip-in at the buzzer, extending the lead to 51-22.

A near 30-point lead was unassailable in the final quarter but Cloverdale provided an entertaining end to its season with a 21-point fourth period.

Jobe scored five points to open the final eight minutes with Barber getting four back to finish the night with 18 points.

After a trade of free throws, the Clovers swung for the fences and landed a surprising number of connections from deep.

Liam Ramsay hit back-to-back threes to start the finale, followed by a Kelley dunk in transition and a three from Thomas.

After the seniors had departed, Desmond Alexander added yet another three, the team’s fifth of the quarter, to cap a thrilling end to the year as North Putnam advanced to the first semifinal Friday against Southmont.

“The moment we’ll remember was, when we called a timeout (in the fourth quarter), we asked the seniors what they wanted the last chapter to look like,” Turk said.

“Liam answered by hitting two threes. Eli answered by dunking the ball on whoever was in the vicinity. Zach hit a three and played with passion. Scottie gutted it out to be on the floor. That was how they wanted to go out.”

Scoring

Cloverdale (5-22 2FG; 9-25 3FG; 6-6 FT) — Jobe 12, Thomas 8, Ramsay 6, Johnson 5, Kelley 4, Alexander 3, Henderson 3, Schabel 2

North Putnam (14-26 2FG; 8-18 3FG; 8-11 FT) — B. Barber 18, Hackleman 12, Pickel 8, Augusta 6, Helderman 5, Windmiller 5, Starr 2, Farrington 2, Asher 1

Statistics