Hall of Fame Classic Recap: NorthWood 58 North Daviess 53
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The annual Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic is always one of the premier events of the Indiana High School Basketball season. Hosted by New Castle High School in the Largest and Finest High School Fieldhouse in the World, this…
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Continue ReadingThe annual Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic is always one of the premier events of the Indiana High School Basketball season. Hosted by New Castle High School in the Largest and Finest High School Fieldhouse in the World, this even attracts basketball fans from all across the state to watch four of the best teams you can find. This year, fans were treated to a pair of semifinal matchups featuring Class 3A #2 North Daviess vs. Class 3A #3 NorthWood followed by Class 4A #1 Ben Davis vs. Class 4A #3 Penn. That is a lot of star power under one roof. I had boots on the ground covering the event in New Castle earlier today. Let’s take a look at how the semifinals turned out.
NorthWood 58 North Daviess 53
It was clear from the opening tip that the size and length of NorthWood was going to give the Cougars some problems. They missed a few shots around the basket, looked a little hesitant at the end of their drives, and weren’t as aggressive squeezing off three-point attempts. The Panthers held North Daviess star Jaylen Mullen Jaylen Mullen 6'0" | PG North Daviess | 2023 State IN without a field goal until late in the second quarter and held onto a 29-24 advantage going into the halftime break. At the time it looked like we had the barn-burner you would expect from two of the best teams in Class 3A.
However, to begin the third period, NorthWood jumped out on a 10-0 and didn’t allow North Daviess to get on the board until about 3:45 to play in the quarter. Ian Raasch Ian Raasch 6'6" | PF NorthWood | 2023 State IN was dominating on both ends of the floor as the Panthers opened up a 15-point lead. As has been the case many times this season though, the Cougars were not going to away quietly. Despite trailing 43-30 heading to the final period, North Daviess just kept competing and climbed all the way back in the game. Eventually, a Logan Wilson Logan Wilson 6'3" | SF North Daviess | 2023 IN three cut their deficit to just 54-51 with 58.9 seconds remaining. Unfortunately for the Cougars, that would be as close as they would get. NorthWood handed North Daviess their first loss of the season 58-53 to advance to the Hall of Fame Classic championship game. The Cougars will take on Penn in the consolation matchup.
Leading the way for the Panthers was Grace College commit Ian Raasch Ian Raasch 6'6" | PF NorthWood | 2023 State IN with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. Along with his excellent game offensively, Raasch was also a force on the defense end and a major reason North Daviess struggled to score in stretches. Huntington signee Cade Brenner Cade Brenner 6'3" | SG NorthWood | 2023 State IN added 20 points and 6 rebounds in the win.
For North Daviess, Lance Wilson Lance Wilson 6'2" | SF North Daviess | 2023 IN scored a team-leading 16 points while Oakland City bound Jaylen Mullen Jaylen Mullen 6'0" | PG North Daviess | 2023 State IN added 14 points.