The Sectional round of the IHSAA Boys’ Basketball State Tournament is underway.
Here is a look at how the local schools performed in their opening round games.
1A Sectional 54 – Clinton Central
3/3 – Carroll 58, Traders Point 33
Carroll Downs Traders Point In Sectional Opener
3/4 -Bethesda Christian 47, Clinton Prairie 28
The Patriots of Bethesda Christian defeated the defending Sectional 54 champion Clinton Prairie Gophers 47-28 on Wednesday night.
Clinton Prairie struggled on offense early, getting just three points in the first quarter.
The Patriots got big contributions from their seniors. Brandon Roberts, Liam Swan and Caleb Endress all finished in double figures.
Clinton Prairie leaned on freshmen Jackson Miller and Xander Dean. Miller connected on three triples and finished with 14 points, while Dean added nine points and four assists.
The Gophers hung around in the second and third quarters, holding the deficit around ten points. But Bethesda turned up the defensive intensity in the fourth quarter and held the Gophers to just two points in the final frame, winning 47-28.
After winning their first Sectional in over 40 years and making the State Finals in 2025, the Gophers cannot escape in the first round of Sectional 54 in 2026.
Nick Ewing, Evan Smock and Connor Rios played their final game for the red and black. Their impact on the program will not be forgotten.
Bethesda advances to play Frontier in the late game on Friday at 8:00 p.m.
3/4 – Frontier 73, Clinton Central 34
After playing less than a week ago, the Falcons and Bulldogs rematched in the first round of Sectionals.
Frontier won the final game of the regular season against Clinton Central by 15. This time, the Falcons cruised to a dominant victory over the Bulldogs.
Clinton Central couldn’t find any rhythm offensively, scoring just two points in the first quarter and four points in the second, trailing 37-6 at halftime.
Frontier star Chase Winkler had an impressive showing, scoring 21 points in the win.
The Falcons were lights out from distance, connecting on 13 three-pointers. Junior Cole Kesler and freshman Kale Federer each hit four.
Central hit shots down the stretch, but the game was already out of hand as Frontier won 73-34.
Brady Boone finished with eight points, Alex Davison added seven and Amrin Barrett had six.
For seniors Boone, Barrett, Creed Mennen and Nicholas Young, they ended their Bulldogs basketball careers with a standing ovation from the home crowd.
Frontier advances to the Semi-Final against Bethesda Christian on Friday at 8:00 p.m.
3A Sectional 25 – Frankfort
3/3 – Brebeuf 59, Tri-West 35
3/4 – Danville 75, Crawfordsville 61
3/4 – Guerin Catholic 81, Frankfort 36
3/6 – Lebanon vs Brebeuf – 6:00 p.m.
3/6 – Danville vs Guerin Catholic – 7:30 p.m.
2A Sectional 37 – Delphi
3/3 – Western Boone 63, Delphi 55
3/3 – North Montgomery 50, Seeger 41
3/6 – Rensselaer Central vs Western Boone – 6:00 p.m.
3/6 – Benton Central vs North Montgomery – 7:30 p.m.
Coverage of brought to you by:
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