ELNORA — Barr-Reeve rallied in the waning seconds of the game to upend host North Daviess 38-37, rounding out a solid day of Southern Indiana hoops Tuesday at the Graber Post Buildings Holiday Classic.
Local Class 2-A powers, Brownstown and Forest Park, also were first-round winners, as was Springs Valley.
Top players
- Brownstown senior Spencer Allman, a 6-foot-3 guard, managed to score 20 points despite great defensive attention throughout the game from South Knox. Allman, who told us his recruitment is “wide open,” listed Southern Indiana and IU Southeast as his main suitors. “I visited IUS for a game and to tour the campus,” he said. “I’ve had calls from Southern Indiana recently, but that’s a wait-and-see situation.”
- Evan Eggersman, a 6-1 guard and Allman’s senior running mate, connected on 10-of-11 free throws and totaled 17 points.
- Senior Issac Swarzentruber, a 5-9 guard, netted 12 points and seemed to be the go-to offensive player for the Cougars. Swarzentruber scored on numerous key possessions, and helped North Daviess maintain slight control until the final minute of the game.
- Forest Park was led by Ben Braunecker, a 6-4 junior forward. He scored 12 points and helped push the Rangers to a convincing second-half romp.
- Forest Park’s Nathan Bromm scored only two points. But the 6-4 senior guard does so many other things for the Rangers. Combined with our past views of Bromm, it’s safe to say he’s a legitimate small-college prospect.
- Austin Jarrett, a 6-0 senior guard, poured in a game-high 23 points in defeat for Washington Catholic.
- Barr-Reeve’s junior guard, Ashton Wagler, scored 13 points, leading all scorers in the Vikings’ come-from-behind win over North Daviess.
- Trent Whitton, a 6-3 junior, led South Knox in their loss to Brownstown.
- Springs Valley senior Sylas Morin had a nice game, scoring 17 points to help the Blackhawks beat Washington Catholic. Morin, a 6-4 swing-type player, has the ability to play Division III or NAIA ball at the next level.
- Gage Gadau, a 6-2 junior guard at Springs Valley, was a nice surprise. Gadau totaled 16 points for the Blackhawks.
Future stars
- Brownstown has a duo of freshmen logging substantial varsity minutes that show promise. Chase Klinge and Chaz Schneider are names to watch.
- Nick Crays, a sophomore at North Daviess, scored 10 points and showed flashes of being a strong, aggressive guard. He clearly understands the fundamental of the game, and will serve a key role in coming years for the Cougars.
First round results
- Springs Valley 64, Washington Catholic 42
- Forest Park 64, Clay City 37
- Brownstown 63, South Knox 52
- Barr-Reeve 38, North Daviess 37