By KENZIE WINSTEAD
Content Editor

SEYMOUR, Ind. — Jeffersonville watched Bloomington South use a 12-2 run in the second quarter to take charge on its way to a 68-52 win in Saturday’s Seymour Regional semifinal.

“We got beat by a team that was better than us tonight,” said Jeff coach Joe Luce. “We didn’t play very well. We were very stagnant offensively. We had too much one on one and not a lot of ball movement.”

Luce said his team is still learning how to prepare for big tournaments.

“We didn’t listen very well this week, and didn’t take it (instruction) seriously,” the Jeff coach said. “We didn’t run guys off (the 3-point line) and you have to against that team.”

Jeff (19-6) only trailed 15-13 early in the second quarter before the Panthers (24-3) took over.

South led 35-21 at the half.

In the third quarter, the South lead grew to 40-22 before the Red Devils finally had a run of their own.

When Tre Coleman completed a three-point play, Jeff cut the lead to 40-29 with 3:19 left in the third quarter.

The Red Devils never got closer than 11.

Luce complimented South, especially at the defensive end. “They guarded us very well,” he said.

Connor Hickman, a sophomore, led South with 20 points. Jordan Meeks added 16 points, mostly in the final period as the Red Devils started to gamble.

Anthony Leal, one of the best juniors in Indiana, scored nine first-half points.

Coleman, also a junior, led Jeff with 14 points.

Will Lovings-Watts, who Luce said will transition to a guard, added 13 points.

“We were just a step slow today,” Luce said. “We got out-played. We got out-coached. That’s a team I think has a good chance to do well this evening.”

During the off-season, Luce said the Red Devils need to get stronger and put in some hard work.

“Our bodies don’t look like the other team’s bodies,” said Luce. “If we rest on anything and think we’ve arrived, it’s a problem.”

By KENZIE WINSTEAD
Content Editor

Jeffersonville High School is used to winning basketball games.

Jeff possesses a glorious basketball tradition, including 18 regional titles. The Red Devils last won a regional in 2013, when they fell to Indianapolis Cathedral in the semistate.

However, this group of Red Devils is making its first trip to the Seymour Regional.

Jeffersonville coach Joe Luce said the Red Devils (19-5) won the Seymour Sectional because the team has developed toughness and some chemistry.

“That maturity level has changed throughout the course of the year,” Luce said. “We’ve been tested in lots of different ways. . . We play very well together and distribute the ball.”

The Red Devils are led by juniors Tre Coleman, who holds a Big Ten offer from Nebraska, and point guard Jacob Jones.

“In our big wins, we saw a young man who was totally focused for 32 minutes,” Luce said of Jones.

Jeff will face No. 5 Bloomington South (23-3) at noon Saturday. South is coached by J.R. Holmes, who became the state’s all-time leader in wins in Indiana. He’s won 809 games, including 666 in 37 years at South.

South is led by one of the state’s best guards in junior Anthony Leal, who holds offers from several high-level Division I schools, including Stanford, Butler, Northwestern and others.

Center Grove (19-8) will face Jasper (16-9) in the first game. Center Grove is led by Trayce Jackson-Davis, a 6-foot-8 power forward who has committed to Indiana University.

CLASS 3A AT SOUTHRIDGE

Silver Creek has made a habit of winning its sectional. It’s something the Dragons have done five of the last six seasons.

But they haven’t won a regional since 2002, when they were in Class 2A. The school won one other, back in 1969.

The sixth-ranked Dragons (21-3) believe this is the year they’ll finally break through the regional round as they travel to historic Huntingburg Memorial Gym.

Before the season started, Silver Creek coach Brandon Hoffman said this was his most talented team.

They haven’t disappointed.

Silver Creek has a splendid combination of gritty veterans (Zane Gross, Jack Hawkins and Ty Kessinger) and talented underclassmen (Trey Kaufman and Kooper Jacobi). The talented Dragons can score at all five positions.

“I like our chances,” Hoffman said. “If we continue to play well — like we have been — I don’t see why we’re not the ones cutting the nets down.”

The Dragons are led by Kaufman, a sophomore. “I think he’s gotten better since summer.” Hoffman said of Kaufman, who has gotten attention from many NCAA Division I schools. “This sky’s the limit for him.”

The surprise entrant in the regional is Batesville, a 13-point winner over No. 2 Greensburg in the sectional final at Greensburg. It snapped Greensburg’s streak of seven straight trips to the regional.

By KENZIE WINSTEAD
Content Editor

The Paoli Regional is loaded, headed by No. 1-ranked Southwestern (25-1). The Rebels will face No. 11 Tell City (20-5). No. 8 Linton-Stockson (24-3) will take on No. 9 Paoli (23-3).

Tell City is coached by New Albany product Matt Lynch, who is 49-25 in his third year with the Marksmen.

Southwestern is led by Tyler Kramer, who is averaging 20.5 points. The Rebels own a 79-52 win over Class 4A sectional champ Jeffersonville. Southwestern’s only loss came against rival Madison in a holiday tournament.

CLASS A AT LOOGOOTEE

Lanesville will be going for its first regional title since 2007, when it won its only title.

The Eagles (14-11) advance to Loogootee with a thrilling 64-62 win over Christian Academy.

The huge favorite in the regional will be No. 2-ranked Barr-Reeve. Barr-Reeve has won six regionals and four since 2010.

The Vikings have won 14 straight, losing only to No. 1 Fort Wayne Blackhawk in overtime and Linton-Stockton, a top-10 Class 2A team.

Silver Creek spurted out to a 25-7 lead over Corydon, and cruised to its fifth sectional championship in six seasons.

The No. 6-ranked Dragons (21-3) were led by Jack Hawkins‘ 20 points and 13 rebounds. Kooper Jacobi (18 points), Zane Gross (15) and Trey Kaufman (11) also reached double figures for Silver Creek.

Bradley Nalley, an American University signee, paced the Panthers (12-14) with 22 points. Joey Wiseman, who will golf at Ball State, added 14.

Silver Creek will face Evansville Memorial (15-9) Saturday at the Class 3A Southridge Regional. In the other game, Batesville (15-10) will face Princeton (20-5).

CLASS A AT BORDEN
Lanesville 64, Christian Academy 62: Connor Nolot hit a 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds left to lift the Eagles to the sectional crown.

Tripp Dillon finished as Lanesville’s top scorer with 24 points.

In defeat, the Warriors (16-8) were led by Bailey Conrad‘s game-high 31 points.

Lanesville (14-11) will take on West Washington (10-15) Saturday at the Class A Loogootee Regional. The other semifinal will feature Evansville Day (11-11) vs. favorite Barr-Reeve (23-2).

By KENZIE WINSTEAD
Content Editor

SEYMOUR, Ind. — Jeffersonville finally broke through and won its first sectional title in six years with a commanding 60-42 win over New Albany Saturday night.

The Red Devils (19-5) will face Bloomington South (23-3) next Saturday in the Class 4A Seymour Sectional. In the other regional semifinal, Center Grove (19-8) will face Jasper (16-9).

“Our guys are buying in,” said Jeff coach Joe Luce, “not just buying in to play ball but to win championships.”

Trailing 27-26 early in the third quarter, Jeff took control with a 12-2 run for the rest of the quarter.

“We got some transition going and forced them to miss some shots,” Luce said.

Kenzie Winstead interviewed @Trecoleman13 moments after his Jeffersonville team won the Seymour Sectional: pic.twitter.com/bvepk5xsip

— Matt Denison (@HoosierHills) March 3, 2019

Jacob Jones, who hit 8 of 9 free throws, led the Red Devils with 19 points. Darin Starks added 14 points and Tre Coleman had 12.

“In the big games we’ve won, he’s been the man that’s gotten everybody going,” Luce said of Jones. “It’s well-deserved for him to cut down some nets tonight. He was fantastic (tonight).”

“Man, it’s a good feeling,” Jones said after winning the sectional. “But, we want to stay focused and win a regional.”

New Albany coach Jim Shannon said his team ran out of gas. “It took everything we had to beat Floyd last night,” he said. “We just didn’t have enough to get through four quarters.

“We couldn’t keep (Jacob) Jones in front of us to save our lives,” Shannon said. “He’s so quick.”

Shannon credited Jeff: “Our hats are off to them,” he said.

For New Albany, sophomore Jordan Thomas had 14 points, all in the first half. Derrick Stevenson also had 14.

CLASS 4A REGIONAL
At Seymour
Saturday, March 9, 2019

Jasper (16-9) vs. Center Grove (19-8)
Bloomington South (23-3) vs. Jeffersonville (19-5)

By KENZIE WINSTEAD
Content Editor

Silver Creek avenged its only conference loss with a 64-45 drubbing of Brownstown Friday night at the Class 3A Charlestown Sectional.

The Dragons (20-3), ranked No. 6 in Class 3A, hit better than 60-percent of its shots and were led by a balanced attack. The sophomore duo of Trey Kaufman and Kooper Jacobi led Silver Creek with 15 and 14 points, respectively.

Silver Creek will face Corydon in Saturday night’s final.

Corydon 65, Salem 48: Down by 14 points in the first half, the Panthers bounced back to down the Lions.

CLASS 2A AT CRAWFORD COUNTY
Paoli 64, Providence 44: Hayden Burke scored 22 points but the Rams pulled away in the second against to turn back the Pioneers (8-17). Ashton Minton had 17 points for Paoli.

Paoli (22-3) will face Crawford County (20-5) in the sectional final Saturday night. The Wolfpack beat Austin 72-62.

Last week, Paoli beat Crawford County 67-60.

CLASS A AT BORDEN
Lanesville 55, South Central 35: Conor Nolot led the way with 18 points as the Eagles dumped county-rival South Central.

They will face Christian Academy in the sectional final.

Christian Academy 70, Borden 39: Bailey Conrad had 17 points and nine rebounds as the Warriors (16-9) rolled over the outmanned Braves (4-12).