Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Please purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Your current subscription does not provide access to this content.
Sorry, no promotional deals were found matching that code.
Promotional Rates were found for your code.
Sorry, an error occurred.
do not remove
Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 58F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph..
Cloudy with periods of rain. Low near 40F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected. Locally heavy rainfall possible.
Updated: March 6, 2022 @ 12:13 pm
The Sullivan boys basketball team, coaches and cheerleaders pose with the sectional championship trophy.
The Sullivan boys basketball team, coaches and cheerleaders pose with the sectional championship trophy.
PRINCETON — For the second time in as many nights, Sullivan was on the verge of elimination from the boys basketball state tournament when Randy Kelley stepped front and center.
The senior guard scored in the lane with 2.3 seconds left in regulation, tying the game at 50-all.
Kelley then scored all five SHS points in overtime, including the go-ahead basket with 7.2 seconds to play, as Sullivan defeated Pike Central 55-53 to repeat as Class 3A sectional champs on Saturday night, this year at Princeton.
Even Kelley, Sullivan’s all-time leading scorer, had a hard time believing what had happened in the span of 24 hours, including hitting the game-winner as the Golden Arrows defeated Washington 53-51 in overtime on Friday.
“This is unbelievable,” said Kelley, who scored eight of his 18 points in the fourth quarter as the Arrows avoided losing a nine-point lead in the final minutes of regulation. “I can’t believe this happened two nights in a row.”
Sullivan coach Jeff Moore, who won his 10th sectional championship, knew it wouldn’t have happened without Kelley.
“Randy did what Randy does,” said Moore. “After a while, you come to expect him to make another big shot. After Jackson (Hills) fouled out at the end of the fourth quarter, it was going to be up to Randy to carry us. He makes me look smarter than I am, but I am smart enough to put the ball in his hands.”
Sullivan led 16-15 after the first quarter and 23-20 at intermission,
Kelley, who also is the SHS all-time assists leader, delivered a pass from the backcourt to Luke Adams, who scored and was fouled as time ran out in the third quarter.
Adams free throw completed the three-point play and gave the Arrows a 33-26 lead going to the fourth.
“Randy made a great pass and all I had to do was put the ball in the basket,” said Adams.
Adams then hit a 3-pointer to start the Sullivan scoring in the fourth, giving the Arrows a 36-28 lead at the 6:05 mark.
“Those were huge plays,” Moore said. “I thought we were in control of the game at that point, but Pike Central wouldn’t go away.
“We were up nine with about three minutes remaining.”
Kelley, who made 6 of 8 free throws in the fourth, hit two freebies as Sullivan led 40-31 with 2:59 remaining.
Senior guard Rocco Roshel, who scored nine points, made two free throws as Sullivan led 46-39 with 64 seconds remaining.
“I don’t even know what I am thinking right now,” said Roshel. “To win two in a row is something special.
“Randy was great.”
Pike Central connected on 9 of 14 shots in the fourth quarter, outscoring Sullivan 24-17 in the final eight minutes of regulation.
Sophomore Julian Gish scored half of his 18 points in the fourth quarter for Pike Central.
His hoop, set up by a steal from Braden Howald, gave the Chargers a 49-48 lead, their first since 15-14 late in the first quarter.
Kendric Sorgius, a 6-6 junior, made 1 of 2 free throws to give the Chargers a two-point lead, setting up Kelley’s heroics to force overtime.
“They only won two of their first eight games,” said Moore. “They came into this game having won 9 of 13.
“They are a very young and talented team. We were fortunate to have Randy Kelley on our side.”
The lead went back and forth in overtime before Kelley’s foul shot tied the game at 53-all with 2:28 remaining.
After Sullivan survived a three-shot possession by the Chargers, the Arrows called a time-out with 1:44 in OT and put the ball in the hands of Kelley.
He was double-teamed and forced to call their final time-out with 46 seconds remaining.
“It was agonizing having to watch the overtime from the bench,” said Hills, who was called for his fifth foul with 7.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter. “I wanted to be out there so badly to help.
“It was amazing to watch Randy to take over the game, not only at the end of the fourth quarter and in overtime.”
After scoring his final basket, Pike Central had to bring the ball the length of the floor in the final five seconds, getting off a contested 3-pointer at the buzzer.
“It is great to be part of winning a second straight sectional championship,” said senior forward Jack Ridgway. “When you put the ball in Randy’s hands, good things are going to happen.”
Sullivan (23-2) will now face North Harrison in the second game of the Washington Regional at approximately noon Saturday.
SULLIVAN (55) — Rocco Roshel 3-6 2-2 9, Luke Adams 2-4 1-1 6, Randy Kelley 5-11 8-12 18, Eli Gettinger 1-5 0-0 2, Jack Ridgway 2-2 0-0 4, Jackson Hills 8-12 0-0 16. Totals 21-40 11-15 55.
PIKE CENTRAL (53) — Kendric Sorgius 5-9 4-5 16, Peyton Howald 3-9 0-0 7, Braden Howald 1-1 0-0 2, Quade Morton 4-8 2-2 10, Chase Ridao 0-1 0-0 0, Julian Gish 7-11 1-2 18, Alex Clark 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-39 7-9 53.
h
q
Sullivan 16 7 10 17 5 — 55
Pike Central 15 5 6 24 3— 53
3-point shooting — Sullivan 2-14 (Adams 1-2, Roshel 1-4, Kelley 0-4, Gettinger 0-4), Pike Central 6-15 (Gish 3-5, Sorgius 2-4, P. Howald 1-6, Morton 0-1.). Fouls — Sullivan 14, Pike Central 10. Fouled out — Hills. Rebounds — Sullivan 20 (Hills 7), Pike Central 24 (Gish 7). Assists — Sullivan 14 (Kelley 6), Pike Central 9 (B. Howall 4). Steals — Sullivan 3 (Ridgway 2), Pike Central 3 (P. Howall 2). Turnovers — Sullivan 14, Pike Central 10. Blocks — Sullivan 0, Pike Central 2 (Gigg).
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.
