BB: 3A #13 Mississinewa dumps Taylor in OT, 71-68

GAS CITY – Class 3A No. 13 Mississinewa now stands 10-0 for the first time in over a generation. 

The Indians reached that milestone Jan. 9 with a 71-68 overtime victory over Taylor. As the score indicates, it did not come easily. 

Coach Chance Young’s squad had to call on all of its considerable experience and guile to overcome the 28-point outburst of Taylor’s Reomey Northington. The vast majority of those buckets came in a second-half barrage that carried the Titans to the brink of pulling the upset. 

In the end analysis, however, it was one of the game’s most fundamental skills that carried the day for Mississinewa. The Indians, you see, are an exceptional passing team.

The passing came into play from the outset of the contest. Coach Jeff Fisher had his Titans open in a 2-3 zone. The high-post passing of Indians’ 6’7″ center Josh Cook made that strategy backfire almost immediately. 

Cook repeatedly found his trio of talented guards for open jump shots in the first quarter, and Mississinewa ran to a 17-7 margin at the first stop.

Taylor quickly decided its best option was to begin mixing defenses. Combining a switching man-to-man in with the zone, the Titans were able to slow the Mississinewa attack in the second quarter. 

That coincided with the Titans finding the range from the perimeter. As a result, Taylor fought back within three in the closing seconds of the half. When Mississinewa committed the cardinal sin of fouling a 3-point shooter at the buzzer, Taylor found itself in a 29-29 tie at intermission.

Ole Miss started the second half with a quick 6-0 run, and that set the precedent for most of the final two quarters. Taylor, though, immediately fought back as Northington began his heroics. 

Repeatedly through the final two quarters, Mississinewa made short runs only to have Northington shoot the Titans back into the game. The Indians had stretched the lead to eight points at 49-41 by the final seconds of the third quarter, but Northington’s third three of the period closed the gap back to five at the end of the stanza.

The final quarter of regulation was a microcosm of the entire game. Mississinewa seemed to score at every critical juncture by delivering assist after assist – the Indians had 22 on the night – for easy baskets. Yet every time it appeared the Indians would finally seize clear control, Northington struck again. 

His drive down the lane brought the Titans within 61-58 with 48 seconds to play. Mississinewa moved the ball well, as it had all night, and eventually got to the foul line with a chance to ice the outcome. But the Indians missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving Taylor one last chance. 

Déjà vu nearly kicked the Indians right in the backside. Northington drove to the right wing, where he launched a difficult shot from beyond the arc. It was blocked, but contact was made and, for the second time in the game, Mississinewa had fouled a 3-point shooter in the closing seconds. 

Northington stepped to the line and sank the first two free throws. Coach Young attempted to ice him by calling a timeout, but the Titan guard calmly walked back to the stripe and sank the tying charity toss with seven seconds to play. 

Mississinewa then compounded its problems by committing a turnover while inbounding the ball. Suddenly, Taylor had a chance to steal the game. 

But the Titans never got a decent look as time ran out, and the two squads headed to overtime tied at 61.

Cook made the big play for the Indians in the extra session. With the score tied at 63, Cook received a pass in the lane, scored, and was fouled. He finished the three-point play from the stripe, giving Mississinewa a lead it never relinquished. 

The Indians put the ball repeatedly in the hands of senior guard Chris Birky down the stretch. The crafty Birky is almost impossible to pressure, not only because of his excellent ball-handling skills but also his ability to fire darts to open mates. 

He drew the fifth foul on Northington with under two minutes left in the extra session, and that was the last gasp for the visiting Titans.

Cook led Mississinewa with 23 points for the evening. Senior guard Brandon Cragon added 13 points, while Birky had nine points and more assists than this poor reporter could keep track of. 

The secret is quickly getting out on Mississinewa, which returns to action Jan. 15 with a Central Indiana Conference game against Blackford. This is a quality basketball team. The Indians have several offensive threats, pass the ball exceptionally well, rebound well, and play solid if not flashy defense. 

Taylor, which next hosts the Howard County Tournament Jan. 15-16, falls to 5-4 on the year after a tremendous effort on the road.