LAFAYETTE — A Northwest Indiana-on-Northwest Indiana Class 1A northern semistate matchup ended with Marquette Catholic fortunate to have survived a 55-50 win and Kouts wondering what could have been.
“It’s all heart now, baby,” Marquette Catholic coach Ray Tarnow said. “You’re living on steam. You do what you’ve got to do. I’m proud of what we did. We didn’t play exceptionally well, and Kouts had a lot to do with that, but we did what we had to do in the second half to win.”
Kouts coach Kevin Duzan said, “I told these guys in the locker room, you’ll forever be a regional champ. There’s only four in Kouts history, and you know what? You’re one of those four. I couldn’t be prouder. They battled all day.”
Blazer senior Jason Kobe knocked down a mid-range jumper with 6:15 remaining in the third quarter for what proved to be a go-ahead bucket Marquette Catholic would hold onto the remainder of the game. The two teams exchanged the lead a dozen times in the opening half.
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Marquette Catholic ran out ahead as many as eight points three minutes into the fourth quarter but Kouts battled back to hang around within a possession or two until the final horn. Kobe led the Blazers with 18 points while fellow seniors Lukas Balling and Adam Tarnow added 16 and nine, respectively.
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Marquette Catholic’s win propelled the Blazers (21-7) into a semifinal championship matchup with Southwood (14-12), who got the better of No. 2 Fountain Central (23-5) earlier in the day.
“We got better defensively, and then nobody was forcing anything,” Kobe said of Marquette’s second half. “It’s not a two-man team. Everybody can score.”
Kouts senior Matthew Baker — the lone Mustang with significant contribution to their 2021 state runner-up team — scored his team-high 14th point with a meaningless layup just before time expired. He walked expressionlessly through the handshake line before turning and staring down the scoreboard with a grimace.
“It just hurts,” Baker said postgame, struggling to put into perspective the end of his high school career. He was one of six seniors who he and Duzan both said grew incredibly close over the course of their careers.
Baker was the first to join the varsity rotation. The others followed up at their own pace. Along the way, they found ways to play together whether it be stealing extra minutes after practice or running to Baker’s house to put up shots.
“Us as a group were looking forward to this since middle school,” Baker said. “We won everything together. We’ve just been together forever. Our senior year was what we were always looking forward to.”
Less than four hours after their season ended, that same group was off on the school’s senior trip. They’d have skipped it if they made the championship game, foregoing the payments their families already made.
Next Sunday five of them leave together for a trip to Mexico.
“It’s not easy to spend every day together with the same people and not be unhappy,” Kuzan said. “Those guys were always so close and supported each other and lifted each other up. That’s something I want the younger kids to see and experience and realize it can take you places people don’t think they can.”
This year’s Kouts team didn’t have the talent the 2021 title team did. Kuzan freely admits that.
Even so, they found a way to upset Morgan Township in the sectional final after losing twice in the regular season to their Porter County Conference rival. The Mustangs (17-10) made enough plays to beat Bethany Christian by four in the regional.
Marquette Catholic was just too much at the wrong time.
“We proved something together,” Baker said before pausing.
“It’s just sad,” he continued. “I never thought it would end.”
PHOTOS: Kouts plays Marquette Catholic in Class 1A boys basketball semistate
Marquette Catholic’s Gary Lewis (11) holds off Kouts’ Japheth Anweiler (3) in the third quarter at the Class 1A semistate semifinal game Saturday afternoon at Lafayette Jefferson High School.
Kouts’ Gabe Matthes (14) gets a shot off under the basket against Conner Bakota (14) in the first quarter at the Class 1A semistate semifinal game Saturday afternoon at Lafayette Jefferson High School.
Kouts’ Matthew Baker (30) is fouled at the basket by Marquette Catholic’s Cameron Best (1) in the second quarter at the Class 1A semistate semifinal game Saturday afternoon at Lafayette Jefferson High School.
Kouts’ Gabe Matthes (14) tries to get around Marquette Catholic’s Adam Tarnow (15) in the first quarter at the Class 1A semistate semifinal game Saturday afternoon at Lafayette Jefferson High School.
Marquette Catholic’s Lukas Balling (12) and Gary Lewis (11) try to stop Kouts’ Colten Hamann (12) at the basket in the fourth quarter during the Class 1A semistate semifinal game Saturday afternoon at Lafayette Jefferson High School.
Marquette Catholic’s Jason Kobe (24) goes up to the basket against Kouts’ Matthew Baker (30) as Marquette Catholic’s Lukas Balling and (12) Kouts’ Colten Hamann (12) position themselves in the third quarter of the Class 1A semistate semifinal game Saturday afternoon at Lafayette Jefferson High School.
Marquette Catholic’s Lukas Balling (12) gets his shot off under the basket against Kouts’ Landon Garrett (42) and Matthew Baker (30) in the fourth quarter of the Class 1A semistate semifinal game Saturday afternoon at Lafayette Jefferson High School.
Marquette Catholic’s Lukas Balling (12) gets a shot off against Kouts’ Matthew Baker (30) in the third quarter of the Class 1A semistate semifinal game Saturday afternoon at Lafayette Jefferson High School.
Kouts’ Gabe Matthes (14) tries to get the last second shot off against Marquette Catholic’s Cameron Best (1) at the end of the second quarter with Kouts leading 26-25 at the Class 1A semistate semifinal game Saturday afternoon at Lafayette Jefferson High School.
Marquette Catholic’s Adam Tarnow (15) passes the ball off against Kouts’ Gabe Matthes (14) and Tristan Ballas (24) in the second quarter of the Class 1A semistate semifinal game Saturday afternoon at Lafayette Jefferson High School.
Kouts’ Tristan Ballas (24) holds back Marquette Catholic’s Jason Kobe (24) in the third quarter of the Class 1A semistate semifinal game Saturday afternoon at Lafayette Jefferson High School.
Kouts’ Matthew Baker (30) passed the ball off under pressure from Marquette Catholic’s Conner Bakota (14), Lukas Balling (12) and Adam Tarnow (15) in the first quarter of the Class 1A semistate semifinal game Saturday afternoon at Lafayette Jefferson High School.
Marquette Catholic head coach Ray Tarnow coaches from the sideline in the first quarter of the Class 1A semistate semifinal game Saturday afternoon at Lafayette Jefferson High School.
