WINAMAC | Boone Grove coach Matt McKay believed that senior Dean Hill would be the key to the sectional title game against Winamac.
“As Dean goes, we go,” McKay said. “We need Dean to be able to score a little and pass a lot.”
Hill did both. He had a total of 10 assists, six in the second quarter when the Wolves went on a 14-6 run. He scored 15 points, including three 3-pointers, to lead the Wolves to a 64-49 victory in the Class 2A Sectional 34 championship game.
The teams were tied 15-15 after the first quarter. Hill then took charge of the floor in the second and led the Wolves on a 14-6 run to make it 29-21 at the half.
“We knew we could run our offense if we all stayed on our game plan,” Hill said. “It was a great team effort.”
Jake Clapp was one of the benefactors of Hill’s eight first-half assists, scoring nine points.
Jon Hogg scored seven in the second quarter for the Wolves.
Boone Grove (14-8) played some good defense, too, forcing the Warriors to the arc, keeping them out of the paint and forcing shots Winamac didn’t want to take.
“We felt we had a much better chance if we kept them outside,” McKay said. “We made them play out of their element.”
Zachary Shidler kept the Warriors (10-13) within striking distance with 10 first half points.
The dagger to the heart came at the start of the fourth quarter, when the Wolves opened with a 10-2 run to make it a 46-31 lead.
“We have all played together since we were in sixth grade,” Hill said. “We waited a long time for tonight.”
McKay said it was worth the wait.
“We won three years ago when these guys weren’t front and center,” McKay said. “Tonight belongs to the seniors.”
Hogg finished with a total of 21 points, Clapp had 11, and Daniel Malouhos scored 13.
For Winamac, Shidler scored 12 points, and Parker Fox tallied 14. Joseph Garnett scored nine on three 3-pointers.
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