by
Richie Hall
Sports Editor
Hamilton County Reporter
Once again, the annual Mudsock boys basketball game lived up to the occasion.
Fishers held off a fourth-quarter comeback by Hamilton Southeastern, then made its own comeback in overtime to score its second consecutive Mudsock trophy. The Class 4A No. 8 Tigers won 54-51 Friday at the Royals’ gym, keeping their record unbeaten at 7-0.
It was the second overtime game of the evening, as the Fishers junior varsity team won its game 42-39, also needing an extra period. That was followed by a Unified game between the Tigers and Southeastern, so it was a night filled with exciting basketball from start to finish.
The Royals provided the excitement in the fourth quarter, as they rallied from a 38-28 deficit to force overtime. John McCall started the run by scoring on a floater, then Elliott Robinson made two free throws to cut the Fishers lead to 38-32.
The Tigers still led 41-37 with under four minutes left. HSE’s Mabor Majak drained a pair of free throws, then tied the game on a layin. Fishers responded when
Justin Long hit a 3-pointer to get the Tigers back on top, 44-41.
Vinny Buccilla’s basket brought the Royals back within one, then Charlie Smith extended the lead to two, 45-43, with a free throw at the 1:28 mark.
That would be the last point until Majak scored on a rebound basket with under 10
seconds left to tie the game at 45-45.
Southeastern was in control during the first part of the OT, with Sam Jacobs
and Buccilla both making layins and Majak hitting a free throw to put the Royals
up 50-45 halfway through the period.
But Fishers would finish the game on a 9-1 run. Sophomore Jeffrey Simmons
threw in a 3 to cut HSE’s lead to two, then Simmons converted a traditional threepoint play to give the Tigers a 51-50 lead.
Buccilla tied the game with a free throw, but Charlie Smith put Fishers in front for
good with a layin. The Tigers held the lead from that point forward. Dominic
Castellani finished it off with a free throw.
“I thought our guys, in the moments where we were back against the wall, they made the play they needed to make,” said Tigers coach Matt Moore. “Justin hits a big 3, Dom gets a big steal, Isaac (Farah) gets a steal, Jeff hit some shots. It just shows the character and the poise that these guys have and that’s something that is fun about them. You’re never down and you’re never out.”
Fishers led 9-8 after the first quarter and 22-17 at halftime, with Simmons scoring nine first half points. The Royals took a 24-22 lead with 4:55 left in the third quarter after Buccilla drained a 3-pointer. But Simmons tied the game with a layin, and that started a 16-6 run
that lasted into the fourth period.
Simmons scored 22 points to lead all scorers, with Smith adding 12 points.
Both players collected seven rebounds as well. Isaac Farah handed out four assists.
Buccilla led Southeastern with 17 points, while Majak earned a double-double of 16 rebounds and 10 points. Robinson had two blocked shots.
“They won the toughness battle the first three quarters,” said Royals coach Brian Satterfield. “In the fourth quarter, we won the toughness battle and it allowed us to get back in the game and get into overtime.” But the coach said his team “had too many errors and you got to give them credit.”
The undefeated Tigers are off until next Friday (Dec. 27) when they play at
the Bedford North Lawrence tournament.
Southeastern is 3-4 and will next play on Monday, Dec. 30 when it hosts Pendleton
Heights.