INDIANAPOLIS
Bill Zych’s career coaching boys basketball spans 32 years and included 714 games prior to Friday night.
Even with that kind of mileage, Zych had never seen a shooting performance like the one his Pike squad put on against Class 4A No. 3 Center Grove.
The Red Devils made their first 12 shots on their way to an 84-44 dismantling of the previously undefeated Trojans. By night’s end, Pike converted an eyebrow-raising 33 of 44 shots (.750) from the floor.
“Ironically, Ben Davis shot almost 75 percent in the first half against us last week,” Zych said. “Tonight we really made an emphasis on defense. I know the shooting really showed up tonight, but defensively to hold that team to what it had at halftime (15 points) was tremendous.
“Jalen Johnson did a heck of a job on Trayce Jackson-Davis, and we got out on their shooters and disrupted them. The kids played really, really well. As I told (Center Grove coach) Zach (Hahn), not too many teams would’ve beaten us tonight.”
Pike’s near-perfect first half started with a perfect first quarter, storming to a 16-0 advantage before Center Grove finally scored on a Jackson-Davis basket at 3:17. Leading 25-6 after one period, the Red Devils upped the margin as much as 36 points – 49-13 with 42.9 seconds to go before the half.
The hosts built the margin to as much as 42 points on several occasions in the second half before settling in with the 40-point win.
“It’s not even about them making shots. It’s about how much they dictated the game to us,” Hahn said. “I thought (Pike) was ready to play. We weren’t. We came out lethargic. I give credit to Pike. They played a great game, and any time you play with that kind of intensity and focus like they did and you make shots on top of it, it’s tough.
“Our guys came out lackadaisical. We didn’t respond very well to the run. I called time out, and it’s one of those things where you don’t have enough time outs to save you. And the barrage continued.”
Jackson-Davis led the Trojans with 21 points and eight rebounds. Backup guard Cam Petty was next in scoring with five. The Red Devils received a game-high 26 points from senior guard A.J. White, who finished 9 of 10 from the floor, including making all four of his 3-point attempts.
It only gets tougher for Center Grove, which plays tonight at Southport Fieldhouse against LaPorte LaLumiere, the nation’s sixth-ranked squad in USA Today’s preseason poll.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
