The Southsider Voice
Visit us at these places!
  • Home
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • Sports
    • Car Nutz
    • Stilley Goes Trackside
    • Southside Deaths
    • Personal Recollections
    • Reminiscing
  • About the Voice
  • Advertising
  • Contact
  • Newspaper Archive
  • Classifieds

Scrappy Roncalli is a handful for Pike

1/18/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
SOUTHSIDER VOICE PHOTOS BY NATHAN PACE Roncalli center Collin Sonderman corals a rebound against Pike in the first quarter.
PictureKegan Owen drives to the hoop against two Pike defenders.
​By Al Stilley
Senior staff writer

All scrappy Roncalli needed was just a few more points in its first semifinal appearance in the Marion County boys basketball tourney Friday at Southport Fieldhouse.

The Rebels evenly battled 4A No.17 Pike in many ways but came up short, 48-41.

Coach Michael Wantz’s charges fought against the Red Devils (11-3) despite being without injured Christian Stewart for most of the second half. Pike’s rugged defense held 6-10 Collin Sonderman to nine points and seven rebounds.

Nonetheless, the determined Rebels (10-3) held Pike to a mere 48 points on 37 percent shooting and outrebounded the Red Devils – factors that the Rebels normally could take to the bank.

“They always say you can’t beat a team like Pike by scoring 50 points, but we could have,” Wantz said. “We have to figure out a way to avoid those long scoring droughts.”

Wantz was referring to a crucial five-minute drought in the final stanza. Sonderman powered underneath to give the Rebels a 36-34 lead with 5:22 left. The Rebels did not score again until Reese McGinsie canned a 3-point shot, the team’s first after 13 misses, to cut the lead to 45-39 with only 35 seconds to go.

Pike’s quickness and length on defense along with bothersome full-court pressure throughout the second half doomed Roncalli.

Roncalli trailed 26-18 at the half but rallied and trimmed the lead to 34-32 after three quarters.

“We tried to set our offense higher and wider to get more spacing against them,” Wantz said. ‘We did get some back cuts and scored. Our third game in four days might have worn us down a bit. Their pressure might have added to that.”

Connor Gore, 10 points, was Roncalli’s only double-figure scorer. Meek and Keegan Owen each grabbed seven rebounds.

“The guys know we were right there with Pike, but we know we need to get better,” Wantz said. “We have a lot to look forward to.”

Roncalli reached the finals by defeating Perry Meridian (4-7) and Beech Grove (7-5).

Franklin Central (7-3), Southport (1-9) and Lutheran (6-5) dropped their first-round games.

Pike, coached by former Center Grove coach Bill Zych, handed 4A No. 1 North Central their first loss of the season, 71-64, for the Red Devils’ third consecutive county crown.
​
Key upcoming games (7:30 p.m., unless indicated): Wednesday, Beech Grove at Southport, Perry Meridian at Greenwood; Friday, Decatur Central at Greenwood (6 p.m.); Saturday, Danville at Beech Grove, Roncalli at Center Grove, Bloomington South at Franklin Central, Triton Central at Lutheran, Columbus North at Perry Meridian, Terre Haute North at Southport.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    February 2021
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    RSS Feed

 DROP OFF: The Toy Drop 6025 Madison Ave., Suite D
Indianapolis, IN  46227  |  317-781-0023
MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 17187, Indianapolis, IN 46217

ads@southsidervoice.com | news@southsidervoice.com
Website by IndyTeleData, Inc.