The grueling step of semi-state Saturday is over and Indiana has its eight state finalists, two in each class. Purdue had a pair of interests in the semi-state championship games tonight. 2024 commit Jack Benter was in the Class 2A South Semi-State at Southport, while Bryson Cardinal, the 2025 propsect son of Brian Cardinal, was in the Class 3A South Semi-State.
The state finals will be in two weeks at Gainbridge Fiedlhouse in Indianapolis. There is a one week delay because of the NCAA Tourney there next week.
Here is how Semi-State Saturday went down around the state.
Class 4A
Elkhart
Fishers 48, Crown Point 37
Fort Wayne Wayne 62 Mishawaka 47
Fishers 69, Fort Wayne Wayne 61
Fishers is in the state finals for the first time ever as the state's no. 1 ranked team, and theya re looking every bit like it. They handled business in the semi-state in a similar way to last week in the regional. They broke out from a 36-36 halftime tie in the night game to win behind 16 points from Keenan Garner. The Tigers are truly a complete team and I think they are a big favorite in the final in two weeks.
New Castle
Ben Davis 75, Center Grove 49
Jeffersonville 62, Lawrence North 60
Ben Davis 52, Jeffersonville 51
Ben Davis will have a chance to defend its title from last year. The Giants defended well against a last second shot to repeat as semi-state champs and get a rematch with Fishers. Fishers and Ben Davis opened the season against each other and Fishers won 74-61. Here is the final possession as they denied a last second shot attempt from Jeffersonville to get back to Indy.
Class 3A
Logansport
South Bend St. Joseph 88, Peru 80
Delta 54, Fairfield 45
South Bend St. Joseph 44, Delta 41 3OT
South Bend St. Joseph had a completely wild set of games to return to the state finals for the first time since 1993. They had a wild morning shootout with Peru in the morning game, then a defensive struggle in the night game with Delta.
Seymour
Guerin Catholic 57, Danville 52
Scottsburg 58, Evansville Bosse 45
Scottsburg 70, Guerin Catholic 54
Scottsburg knocks out Brian Cardinal's son in the title game to makes its first ever state title game. Bryson Cardinal had 18 for Guerin Catholic, but Scottsburg was just too dominant in the end.
Class 2A
Lafayette Jeff
Wapahani 48, North Judson 28
Fort Wayne Blackhawk 55, Wabash 51
Wapahani 60, Fort Wayne Blackhawk 49 OT
Wapahnai, a small school near Muncie, reaches its first state finals by beating defending state champion Ft. Wayne Blackhawk in overtime. It is a great story, as Selma, IN, where Wapahani is located, was hit by a tornado earlier in the week.
Southport
Brownstown Central 50, Park Tudor 49
Parke Heritage 64 Forest Park 54
Brownstown Central 66, Parke Heritage 56
What a day for Jack Benter. he had been battling illness all week and he had a solid all-around game in the morning session against Park Tudor. In the night game he dropped 38 points as Brownstown reached the state finals for the first time.
Class 1A
Michigan City
Liberty Christian 50, Marquette Catholic 47
Fort Wayne Canterbury 60, Elkhart Christian 51 OT
Fort Wayne Canterbury 56 Liberty Christian 53
Fort Wayne Canterbury has long had a solid girls basketball program in Class A, but this is the first time their boys' program has reached the statefinals after a pair of nail-biting wins.
Washington
Bethesda Christian 53, Greenwood Christian 35
Barr-Reeve 54, Evansville Christian 44
Bethesda Christian 63, Barr-Reeve 38
Barr-Reeve was the No. 1 ranked team in this class on the day and it got a great win over No. 2 Evansville Christian in the morning session, but it had no gas left for the night game as Bethesda Christian reached its first ever state finals.
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