Trojans to play at Bankers Life on Saturday

Have you always wanted to take in a basketball game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse but found the tickets a tad too expensive?

Here’s your chance to catch a couple for free.

Saturday marks the first-ever Basketball Day in Indiana, an all-day celebration of the state’s unofficial religion. As part of a 15-hour broadcast marathon on Fox Sports Indiana, there will be three high school games, one college game and an NBA nightcap.

Tipping off the day will be the No. 17-ranked Center Grove girls, who will meet their Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference rival, No. 3 Carmel, in a 10 a.m. showdown at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. That will be followed by a noon boys game between Lapel and New Castle. Admission to both of those games is free.

At 2 p.m., Romeo Langford and defending Class 4A boys champion New Albany will take on North Central at Southport High School.

Butler hosts Cincinnati in a men’s basketball game at Hinkle Fieldhouse at 4:30 p.m., and the Indiana Pacers round out the celebration with a 7 p.m. home game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Fox Sports Indiana begins its all-day hoopfest with a pair of taped specials at 8 a.m., followed by a live tip-off show outside Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Georgia Street at 9 a.m.

The live show will also be on at 4 p.m. before the Butler game, and it will return following the Pacers game until 11 p.m.

Fans can participate not only by attending the games or the live show (where they can shoot free throws for prizes) but also by watching on Fox Sports Indiana and posting on social media with the hashtag #BasketballDayIndiana.