MISHAWAKA ― It may have been unexpected that the lesson came in the first round of the playoffs, but South Bend Adams boys basketball needed to prove to itself that it could win ugly.
That’s exactly what the Eagles did in a 57-55 IHSAA Class 4A first-round sectional contest vs. Mishawaka Tuesday, March 3 at The Cave.
Adams beat the Cavemen 76-66 in the regular season. Mishawaka hadn’t won a game since January, but the home team gave the Eagles all they could handle. In fact, the Cavemen led by nine points at the end of the third quarter.
Adams outscored Mishawaka 21-10 in the fourth quarter thanks to a late press defense that forced turnovers on the Cavemen’s final three inbound passes of the game, each with a chance to take the lead at stake. Junior Drew Dixon forced one of the turnovers and hit a free throw that gave the Eagles a 56-55 lead.
“No one wants to go home, but I feel like we have that fight in us,” Dixon, who had 11 points, said. “We’ve been going through adversity, and we just fought until the end. It came down to the team who wanted it more, and I felt like we wanted it more.”
The final point of the game came courtesy of Adams senior Jarvis Tolbert, whose free throw gave him a game-high 25 points. He hit numerous clutch shots for the Eagles and said his ability to rise to the occasion came from playing under the reality that Adams’ next loss will mark the end of his high school career.
“We just came together as a family,” Tolbert said. “It motivated me very much, because this game could’ve been my last with my brothers, and I didn’t want it to be.”
Tolbert said head coach Chad Johnston’s message to the Eagles’ defense in the fourth quarter was to play aggressive without fouling. The key to doing so, Tolbert said, was also keeping their composure, which Johnston said has been a problem at times for them this season.
It’s part of the reason why Adams went into sectional play 15-7 after starting the year 10-0.
“I haven’t seen that in a while ― since Christmas,” Johnston said. “The kids know what’s at stake here, and I’m really pleased how they played for each other.”
The victory marked the Eagles’ first in sectional play since winning a sectional championship in 2022. After winning at least one tournament game between 2016-22, Adams had gone one-and-done each of the last three years before Tuesday.
The Eagles are 12-7 in sectional play in nine seasons under Johnston. It marked the first-ever sectional triumph for Tolbert and three other Adams seniors.
“It’s a good win for our program,” Johnston said. “It means a lot for myself, but it’s more about them.”
Adams will play No. 8 South Bend Saint Joseph in a sectional semifinal Friday, March 6 at 6 p.m.
Mishawaka takes building blocks into future
From the sideline, first-year head coach Will Coatie was an extension of Mishawaka’s heart displayed for all 32 minutes of play despite the loss. He was constantly shouting ‘Let’s go!’ or ‘Come on Mishawaka!’ in an effort to encourage the Cavemen to finish off what looked to be an underdog victory in the making.
It wasn’t to be, but Coatie was very pleased with his squad’s effort and summed up his message to the Cavemen before, during and after the sectional opener.
“Play with pride; play with passion,” Coatie said. “Just come out and give everything you have, that way you can never second guess yourself.”
The Cavemen finished their season 6-17, losers of nine straight and 13 of their last 14 games. However, their two-point loss to Adams marked an eight-point improvement over their previous game against the Eagles Feb. 17 and was Mishawaka’s closest margin of defeat all season.
The future is bright as well, despite losing four seniors. Sophomore Le’Jordan Fowler stood out this season and dropped 11 points in the season finale, while fellow 10th grader Amir Dean scored a team-high 18 points.
Although he never wants to end the season on a loss, Coatie said the way it happened will be beneficial for the Cavemen’s future, one about which Coatie is optimistic.
“It shows the character of our guys we have in our program,” Coatie said. “We’ve been hit hard with a lot of adversity, and it’s all about how you handle it. In order to be successful at something, you have to go through some trials and tribulations.”
Kyle Smedley is a sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email at ksmedley@usatodayco.com or follow him on X @KyleMSmedley.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend Adams beats Mishawaka in IHSAA boys basketball sectional thriller
Reporting by Kyle Smedley, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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