Anderson —
In Kokomo’s first game at the old Madison Heights gym since the late 1980s, the Wildkats decided to play a throwback North Central Conference slugfest. Kokomo and Anderson shared identical 12-2 overall records and spotless 3-0 league records, but it was Kokomo that prevailed in their first trip to Anderson since the venerable Wigwam closed.
Tayler Persons had 23 points, including 19 in the second half, as Kokomo rallied from down nine points in the third quarter to earn a thrilling 69-64 victory. It also gave the Wildkats sole possession of first place in the NCC as the last unbeaten.
Kokomo snapped a two-game losing streak.
“This was a significant program win,” Kokomo coach Brian McCauley said. “We had faced some adversity in our last two games against some very good teams but this was a great team as well. They had won 10 straight and we challenged our players to meet and exceed their passion.”
As expected with teams that had identical records, it was a tight one. The teams battled through eight ties and 10 lead changes.
Anderson made the first major move of the game as Jalin Beard scored the Indians’ first nine points for an early 9-4 lead. LaBradford Sebree answered for Kokomo with eight straight points to move Kokomo in front, but Anderson recovered to lead 17-12 after one quarter. The Indians pushed the lead to 28-22 at the half as Kokomo slowed the tempo with their 2-3 zone.
Anderson’s athleticism showed in the third quarter as the Indians got a pair of big 3-pointers from Chris Lemon and a number of baskets by slicing through Kokomo’s zone. Anderson led 40-31 with 4:34 left in the third and was threatening to run away when McCauley changed up his defense.
“They were slicing and dicing us and really getting some open looks but the change of defense was incredibly effective,” McCauley said. “We took away their penetration, contested some shots, and prevented them from getting angles on the drive. It was a significant turning point.”
While another triple from Lemon made it 40-31, Mykal Cox got it right back with a hoop-and-harm three-point play just 16 seconds later. That spurred on a critical 11-0 Kokomo run where Persons scored six.
During the run, Kokomo forced Anderson into five straight turnovers, one of which was a coast-to-coast steal and layup by Hakim Burnett that tied the game at 40. Anderson recovered to lead 45-44 after three quarters, but the burst set the stage for a wild fourth quarter.
Both teams turned up their defensive pressure and offensive tempo to combine for 44 fourth-quarter points. The lead changed hands five times in the first three minutes before Kokomo went ahead for good on a three-point play by Persons with 5:21 left. That put Kokomo ahead 52-49 and was part of a 14-5 run that ultimately sealed the game for the Kats.
“When this team has a game like this where every single individual finds their role, we’re a tough team to beat,” McCauley said. “A guy like Mykal Cox came off the bench and was huge for us [Friday]. He’s a great passer and creates so much offense for us.”
Cox finished with seven points and six assists for Kokomo.
Sebree scored 19 points and had a career-high seven steals, while Erik Bowen had seven points and 10 rebounds. Kylee Beheler also had a nice night, filling the stat sheet with six points, six rebounds and two blocked shots.
Sports
Wildkats seize sole possession of NCC lead
Kokomo edges Anderson in hard-fought contest
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Kats drop heartbreaker
When the postseason arrives, emotions surge like a roller-coaster. One minute, it’s a long uphill, then a wild series of events offer a barrage of frights and thrills. And then, for one team, the ride ends and there aren’t any more tickets for another go around.
After two days of chills and thrills, Kokomo’s softball team ran out of tickets Tuesday night in the Class 4A Harrison Sectional. The Kats dropped a 4-3 decision to Harrison in eight innings, giving up a run in the top of the extra frame, and having a runner tagged out at home in the bottom of the frame.
“It was a great game,” Harrison coach Dick Mitchell said. “It’s always nerve-wracking to coach in one of them, but both teams played their hearts out. Nobody deserved to lose that game, but unfortunately somebody does.” -
Comets turn heads at track regional
Heading into Tuesday’s IHSAA girls track and field regional at Fort Wayne Northrop High School’s Spuller Stadium, event workers alike weren’t sure of Eastern High School’s location.
After the dust settled, they may feel compelled to get a map out and find out where Greentown is located.
Led by seniors Sarah Wagner, Brittany Neeley and Bethany Neeley, the Comets qualified for the state finals in six separate events to finish fourth as a team with 55.5 points, behind host and champion Northrop (78), Bellmont (68) and Carroll (Allen) 66. -
GASKINS: Hibbert’s block was thing of beauty
For the better part of the NBA season, ESPN devoted all kinds of time on SportsCenter episodes to replays of two dunks. Anyone who watches any ESPN at all surely knows the two to which I’m referring: 6-foot-11 DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers posterizing 6-3 Brandon Knight of the Detroit Pistons, and 6-8 LeBron James of the Miami Heat hammering home a dunk over 6-2 Jason Terry of the Boston Celtics.
Day after day, ESPN commentators lavished endless praise, which quickly grew tiresome. The dunks were strong, but Jordan and James were much taller and heavier than Knight and Terry and the dunkers also caught perfect alley-oop passes with the defenders in poor positions to defend. Still, ESPN commentators loved these plays.
I kept wondering if a great defensive play would receive the same kind of love. -
Coons, Walker, Glassburn reach Victory Lane
When the dust settled Sunday evening at the Kokomo Speedway, a pair of drivers who have visited Victory Lane in the past at the local oval found themselves there once again while a talented up-and-comer hit the hallowed ground for the first time.
Jerry Coons Jr. had his way in the sprint car feature and Craig Walker seemed to get faster as the laps wound down to win the Street Stock main event, however Kokomo High School sophomore Kory Glassburn had to scratch and fight before scoring the first feature win of his career in the Thunder Car A-main. -
Field is set for Indianapolis 500
After being bumped from the starting field while sitting on the qualifying line on pole day, Josef Newgarden turned the fastest time on bump day, assuring himself a spot in the Indianapolis 500.
The field of 33 cars will have one final opportunity to practice on Friday before next Sunday’s 97th running of the 500.
One year ago the Sarah Fisher Racing Team withdrew Newgarden’s entry on the first day of qualifying and had to qualify on bump day. This year the team decided not to make another qualifying run and got bumped. -
Athlete of the week
Cole led the small-school Comets to the Kokomo Sectional title, their first title since 1998.
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Kats regain tennis throne
At 10:51 a.m. Saturday morning, the bulk of Kokomo’s girls tennis team sprinted from the viewing hill to the east entrance of the tennis courts to mob No. 1 singles player Morgan Mohr as she came off the court following her 1-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory over Eastern’s Courtney Clark.
The No. 3 singles match was still raging, but the team match was already won. The Wildkats had reconquered the throne from two-time defending champion Eastern and were once again champions of the Kokomo Sectional. -
Eastern boys track claims first sectional title since 1998
The boys track and field coach at Eastern High School from 1987 until last season, Paul Nicholson’s parting message to his team was simple: “Don’t deny the gift.”
That motto left such a lasting impression on the Comets’ returning athletes that they had it screen printed on their 2013 season T-shirts.
With Nicholson in attendance to celebrate with them, new coach Austin Roark and the Comets outlasted host Kokomo to win their first sectional title since 1998 Thursday night, topping the Wildkats by 3.5 points, 124.5-121.
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Eastern, Kokomo favored in boys track sectional
Some of the names and faces have changed, but the plot remains much the same.
The Kokomo boys track and field sectional, much like last year, will likely be a two-horse race between the host and three-time defending champion Wildkats and Eastern, a team looking to break through and win its first sectional title since 1998. -
Cole to jump at Miami University
Eastern athlete Grant Cole has only been a long jumper for two seasons, but being turned on to the event late in his career has landed him a scholarship to Miami University.
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