Game Takes: Carmel 57, Barr-Reeve 55 OT

In the 1992 Final Four, with Indiana struggling to keep up with Duke, Todd Leary, a star player from Lawrence North, averaged 3.8 points per game, playing just over 7 minutes per game, played one minute.  In that minute of action in the second half, Leary amassed three 3pters and brought Indiana back from the dead before finally falling short 81-78. 

His son, Will, a senior guard, played more than one minute for Carmel tonight, doubled his father's production, and for a couple of stretches was the only Carmel player looking to aggressively score.

• As Carmel narrowed their 15 point deficit to five, Peter Suder picked up his energy level and became much more assertive on both ends.  He was extremely productive in OT, sandwiching two baskets around a steal, as well as scoring what was ultimately the game winning basket.
  • Playing without starting point guard, Connor Goia, Suder has much more responsibility as a primary ball handler, and he's been passive in spurts.  He came through down the stretch.
• Barr-Reeve's Curt Hopf had to feel pretty good about tonight's game.  While Carmel possesses length and bodies, they don't really have that interior post presence that matches up well physically with him, and with Carmel's starting center, Charlie Williams, being out due to illness, that was a 6'9" body out of the lineup.
• Turnovers ultimately cost Barr-Reeve, as Carmel started to press full court, trap ball screens and dabble a bit with an extended 1-3-1.  However, guards Hagen Knepp and Brycen Graber were having great games until the final few minutes of the game.  
  • Both were excellent and attacking ball screens wide enough to create separation from the screening and opening up back action opportunities, leading the 3pters.  A couple by Hopf.
• However, it was Leary's 18 points and double digit production of Sam Orme, a 6'7" sophomore forward, that led Carmel back.  Orme continued into OT providing a huge corner 3, before Suder sealed the deal.
  • Credit too to Nick Frische, 6'4" senior forward, and Jared Bonds, 6'5" sophomore forward, for making Hopf work for every catch.