SELMA — Wapahani’s seniors made it their mission to leave Raider Gymnasium for the last time as winners.
Mission accomplished.
Wapahani boys basketball capped off the regular season with a 58-48 win over Shenandoah on Friday, Feb. 27. The Raiders honored six senior players and a manager with a pregame ceremony, and it was the Class of 2026 that would lift them to victory on senior night.
Four seniors did the bulk of the scoring for Wapahani. Just as he has in all but one game this season, Camden Bell led the charge with a game-high 22 points. Caleb Lewis scored a season-high 12 points and nearly posted a double-double with nine rebounds. Eli Andrews scored 10 points and Layton Spence added nine, as the two combined for five of the Raiders’ seven 3-pointers. Bell, Lewis and Andrews were also a combined 13-for-13 from the free-throw line.
“It was great because I know they have it in them,” Wapahani coach Jeff Andrews said. “I told them, ‘You guys have accomplished so much on this court. Just go out there and leave it on a great note. If we don’t win, we don’t win, but if you leave it all out there, you have nothing to hang your head about.'”
Both offenses started slowly before getting into a groove in the second quarter, which saw a combined 35 points and seven 3-pointers between the two Raider teams. Shenandoah held a 26-25 lead at halftime but lost its own senior star for the rest of the game when Aiden Coffey twisted his ankle going for a rebound in the final seconds of the first half. Despite Coffey’s absence, Shenandoah kept it close throughout the third quarter with senior Maddux Davis heating up from long range.
Meanwhile, the third was Wapahani’s highest-scoring quarter of the game despite the rare scoreless quarter for Bell and just three points from Eli Andrews. The Raiders scored 20 points in the period, capping it off with a Bell-to-Bell assist as Camden found sophomore brother Carter Bell for a 3-pointer that put Wapahani up 45-41.
After a 13-point loss to Monroe Central on Feb. 14, Jeff Andrews said the Raiders needed bigger contributions from players other than Eli Andrews and Camden Bell in order to improve. Friday night’s third quarter showed how good they can be when they do get those contributions. Lewis scored half of his dozen points, Spence hit two of his three triples, and Carter Bell had all five of his points in those eight minutes that saw Wapahani claim the lead for good.
“Those 17 points from our other guys, they just did what they were supposed to do,” Jeff Andrews said. “They made the open shots, they hustled and got rebounds, and it was obviously the key to the game.”
After his little brother’s 3-pointer to end the third shifted momentum in Wapahani’s favor, Camden Bell gave them even more juice with a converted and-1 to start the fourth quarter. It was an emotional senior night for one of Wapahani’s most accomplished players, and he wore his heart on his sleeve throughout his final quarter at Raider Gym, pumping up his teammates at every turn and embracing each one on the bench when he subbed out for the last time.
“There was a few times before the game where it kind of hit me,” Bell said. “I had some emotions come out, but it’s great. I tried to take time to soak it in, I knew I had to get ready for the game, but it was awesome. The fans were electric, and it was a great final home game.”
Wapahani finishes the regular season with a record of 12-10, while Shenandoah heads into the postseason at 18-5. The game also had big implications in the Mid-Eastern Conference. A Shenandoah win would have given them a share of the conference title, but Wapahani’s victory gives Monroe Central an opportunity to clinch the conference title outright with a win over Blue River Valley on Saturday, Feb. 28.
While they won’t be bringing home the MEC title this season, Wapahani has positive momentum heading into a Sectional 40 bracket where it received a favorable draw to reach the final. These Raiders may not be as dominant as has become their custom in recent years, but the pieces are in place for another postseason run — a bona fide star, role players starting to click, and a coach who believes.
“I’ve said this, and I mean it,” Jeff Andrews said. “I wouldn’t want to coach anybody else in the state. I love these guys. I know what they can do. We’re going to be a problem the next few weeks.”
Contact Cade Hampton via email at cbhampton@usatodayco.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CadeHamp10.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Wapahani boys basketball celebrates senior night with win over Shenandoah
Reporting by Cade Hampton, Muncie Star Press / Muncie Star Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
