MORGAN TWP. | After Max Everaert scored his fifth basket of the fourth quarter, the Kouts student section chanted, "You can't stop him." They could not have been more right.
Everaert scored a career-high 38 points on 16-of-21 shooting in the Mustangs' 79-62 victory against Covenant Christian in Tuesday's Class A sectional action at Morgan Township.
In the late game, Gary 21st Century outscored Washington Township 15-3 in the fourth quarter to win the school's first-ever sectional game 48-40.
Everaert scored 24 of his 38 points in the second half, and he was 7-of-7 from the field in the fourth quarter. He also finished with six rebounds and four assists.
"I was wide open, I guess, and my teammates found me, a lot," Everaert said.
The Times No. 8 Mustangs (17-3) were 18-of-30 from the field in the second half.
"I thought we had an awful lot of good looks," Kouts coach Marty Gaff said. "In the first half, we were a little impatient. We were trying to shoot the ball quick from the outside. In the second half we went inside better got some good looks and made them."
Kouts used a 10-0 run late in the third quarter to take a 53-36 lead after the Knights (7-15) had closed to within seven with a 12-2 run of their own. Everaert had two baskets during the run, and Stephen Keller and Nick Taylor also scored.
Keller scored 16 points for the Mustangs, and Matt Stewart had a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds.
Josh Lins led Covenant Christian with 23 points. Ross Hoek added 18, and Zach Bowers chipped in with 12.
In the second game, Mykel Myers scored 12 of his game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter to lead Gary 21st Century to the victory.
Myers keyed an 8-0 run at the start of the fourth quarter that gave the Cougars (9-10) the lead for good. He made 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions and then followed that up with a steal and assist to Louis Brown to give 21st Century a 41-37 lead with 6:46 to play.
"He's carried us all year long, and we expect that from him," 21st Century coach Rodney Williams said of Myers. "It didn't surprise me. He's got that kind of talent. The kid is good."
Myers was also 6-of-6 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
Brandon Atkins missed a 3-pointer with a minute left that would have given the Senators (6-14) the lead.
Brown scored 10 points for the Cougars, and Jeremiah King added eight.
The Cougars were 8-of-14 from the field in the second half after going 7-of-37 in the first half.
Jacob Holcomb scored 10 points to lead the Senators, who committed 22 turnovers.
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