PLAINFIELD – Ian Macon might not be one of the big names in the Pike lineup.
But in the Pike locker room, the respect level for the senior guard is through the roof. When the Red Devils needed a spark in Friday’s showdown of top-5 Class 4A teams on Friday night in a Sectional 11 semifinal in front of a sellout crowd, Macon was front and center.
“Ian Macon, man,” Pike coach Jeff Teague said when asked how the third-ranked Red Devils were able to rally from a 14-point deficit for a 56-53 win over No. 5 Plainfield. “He came in and made things happen. But (the whole team) just played with energy and effort. They didn’t want to go home.”
Nobody wanted to go home, certainly not the hundreds of Plainfield fans wearing read t-shirts with the words “The Time Is Now” on the back. It certainly looked like it was Plainfield’s time … for about 2 ½ quarters. The Quakers’ 15-point lead melted, coinciding with Noah Smith picking up his third foul, to turn the anticipated showdown into a back-and-forth battle for the final 12 minutes.
Who knows? Maybe a couple of months ago, Pike does not win this game. They might have been too young and too inexperienced to overcome the deficit, the crowd, and the emotion.
Pike (22-3) will play Brownsburg (15-9), a 77-73 winner over Ben Davis in the second semifinal, for the sectional championship at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
“We’ve got some of the toughest kids in the city,” Teague said. “When it comes to basketball, these kids have no ‘no’ in them. They don’t give up. In practice, you should see the second team go against the first team or however the teams are mixed up. They compete at a high level against each other every day. I know they are going to compete.”
Macon was at the forefront of that second-half surge, scoring eight of his 14 points. Pike, which trailed 10-0 before the crowd even got settled, took its first lead at 41-40 on the first basket of the fourth quarter on a shot by Landon Lampley. The lead changed hands four more times until Macon made one of two free throws and Jahari Miller scored on a driving bank shot to give the Red Devils a 51-49 lead with 1:16 left.
Plainfield (22-3) had a chance to tie it again when the 6-9 Smith snared a missed free throw and somehow put it back and got fouled with 30 seconds remaining. But his missed free throw left the score 52-51 Pike. On the next possession, Miller missed the second of two free throws, but Macon hustled down the rebound and made one of two free throws to put Pike up four with 17.7 seconds remaining.
On the next Plainfield possession, Macon jumped into the passing lane for a game-sealing steal. It was a spotlight moment for Macon on a big stage.
“It was a big crowd,” Macon said. “But I’ve been playing since I was young. We just have to keep this energy going to (Saturday).”
Sophomore Landon Lampley matched Macon with 14 points to lead Pike, shooting 6-for-7 from the free-throw line. Miller added 10 points, five steals and four rebounds. The Red Devils won despite shooting 2-for-18 from the 3-point line and 14-for-27 from the free-throw line.
Pike was able to overcome a massive game from Smith, who finished with 23 points and nine rebounds in his final high school game. The Quakers were hurt by 19 turnovers and 5-for-11 shooting from the free-throw line. Harper Baker-Lands added 14 points.
“Give Pike credit,” Plainfield coach Andy Weaver said. “Nineteen turnovers is so uncharacteristic for us. We’re less than a 10-turnvoer team per game on average. We had some opportunities, but they have many dudes who are going to play at a high level after high school. But I’m so proud of our group. I thought Noah was spectacular tonight against Division I talent.”
The second game had more twists and turns than the Diamondback at King’s Island. Brownsburg jumped out on Ben Davis early, leading 20-9 at the end of the first quarter. Ben Davis, flummoxed by a 1-3-1 zone that Brownsburg unveiled for the first time all season, rallied to get it tied 36-36 early in the third quarter.
“We’ve had leads, lost leads and haven’t been able to recover,” Brownsburg coach Steve Lynch said.
Brownsburg did recover this time, scoring the game’s next 10 points and pushing the lead out to 16 points. Ben Davis (15-7), seemingly intent on playing from a deficit, rallied again to cut it to seven points by the end of the third quarter.
Brownsburg seemed fully in control, leading by 11, until the Giants made one more run. A 3-pointer by JaShawn Ladd with 2.2 seconds left made it a 74-73 game. But Brownsburg inbounded to Branden Sharpe, who was fouled with 0.4 seconds left and made both free throws. Ben Davis was then called for a technical foul, which sealed the game.
“Our energy was really good and our focus and concentration at the end of the year the last two years has been pretty good,” Lynch said. “Our kids mature and grow through the end of the season and get to this point and understand how much energy and effort is required. I think losing some really hard basketball games grows us as much as we don’t like it. You learn from losses and I thought the collective effort was phenomenal.”
Sharpe led Brownsburg with 21 points, five rebounds and four assists and Brandon Addison added 19 points. Chrishon Woodward (14 points) and Chris Brandon (11) were also in double figures for the Bulldogs, who will attempt to win their second consecutive sectional title.
Ladd scored 16 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter for Ben Davis. Sherman Moss-Wright added 19 points.
Brownsburg lost to Pike 69-55 on Jan. 3.
“They are very talented,” Lynch said. “If we can rebound and contain and share the basketball, I’m optimistic. They had to go to the wire (against Plainfield) so both of us will have to get some rest and get ready to do this again.”
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pike rallies from 15 down in top-5 showdown vs. Plainfield, will face Brownsburg
Reporting by Kyle Neddenriep, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
