Columbus North’s Cooper Horn shoots a contested shot while guarded by Bloomington North’s Lucas Vencel during a basketball game at Columbus North High School in Columbus, Ind., Friday, Feb. 18, 2023.
The Republic file photo
Since Indiana went to class basketball in the 1997-98 school year, Columbus North and Bloomington North have been in the same basketball sectional.
Until this year.
The IHSAA realigned Sectionals 13 and 14 in Class 4A, moving Bloomington North and Bloomington South in with Center Grove, Greenwood, Martinsville and Mooresville and moving Franklin and Whiteland to the sectional with Columbus North, Columbus East, East Central and Whiteland.
Saturday night, the Bull Dogs will meet Bloomington North in the regional for the first time since 1982 when the teams face off at 7 p.m. at Seymour.
“It was a little bit strange playing a Mooresville on a Tuesday night and a championship at Center Grove (in the sectional),” Bloomington North coach Jason Speer said. “That was a little bit different.”
Columbus North played the Cougars in back-to-back years in the regional semifinals, winning in 1981 on its way to a regional title and then falling in 1982. The teams have met seven times in the sectional in the Class Basketball Era, with Bloomington North holding a 5-2 edge.
The teams also meet annually in Conference Indiana battles. The Cougars (18-5) claimed a 49-45 win on Feb. 17 at Columbus North (17-8).
“The first thing that strikes you about Bloomington North is how well they play in transition,” Bull Dogs coach Paul Ferguson said. “They’re a very fast, athletic team, and you have to slow them down. If you let them get into their running game, I think they’re capable of really putting up a lot of points in a hurry.
“You have to stop them in transition, you have to do a great job of rebounding the basketball and then you have to control JQ Roberts,” he added. “He’s a Power Five player, and he’s a really hard guy to guard. He plays on the outside, he plays on the inside, he’s a tremendous offensive rebounder. There’s just not many guys like him here in central Indiana. He’s a tough matchup.”
Roberts, a 6-foot-8 senior, is headed to Vanderbilt. He leads the Cougars with 20.4 points and 7.7 rebounds a game.
“He’s a double-double guy,” Speer said. “A lot of things go through him.”
But Roberts isn’t the only weapon the Cougars have. Sophomore Luke Lindeman, the son of former Indiana University center Todd Lindeman, averages 11.4 points. Senior Dawan Daniels adds 10.0 points, 3.7 assists and 2.2 steals, and senior Gavin Reed chips in 9.9 points. The fifth starter is senior Lucas Vencel, who broke his wrist against Southport early in the season and returned eight games ago.
“For us to be able to be able to string some stops together, we’ve been able to do that in our last few regular-season games and the tournament,” Speer said. “When we’ve been able to do that, that helps us in our offensive rhythm.”
Columbus North’s Ty Ferguson, center, holds the ball as Bloomington North’s Luke Lindeman, left, and JQ Roberts stop his drive to the basket during a basketball game at Columbus North High School in Columbus, Ind., Friday, Feb. 18, 2023.
The Republic file photo
Columbus North starts five seniors, led by Cooper Horn at 17.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.6 steals. Point guards Luke Harmon and Ty Ferguson average 9.5 and 8.9 points respectively, while Tyler Blythe adds 7.1 and Damon Edwards 5.2. Freshman Drew Schiefer contributes 4.2 points and 3.2 rebounds off the bench.
Speer, who was head coach at Colubmus North from 2008-15 and led the school its most recent previous sectional title in 2013, characterized this year’s Bull Dogs as very solid on the offensive and defensive end.
“They’re one of the most fundamental teams we play,” Speer said. “You have to beat Columbus North. They’re not going to beat themselves.”
Columbus North beat Franklin, Columbus East and Whiteland to win its own sectional last week. In the semifinal against East, the Bull Dogs came from nine points down in the final 5 1/2 minutes to win in overtime.
“In our sectional, you saw their ability to come from behind,” Paul Ferguson said. “It’s just how competitive they are and their never-say-die attitude, and they’re going to bring that same attitude Saturday down in Seymour.”
Columbus North has played in the 8,000-plus seat gym at Seymour once this season. The Bull Dogs claimed their first win of the season with a 52-40 victory against the Owls on Nov. 26.
“We played really well in their gym,” Paul Ferguson said. “We were coming off two losses and a bunch of these guys had been in football and only practice a little bit, and some of them had gotten sick right at the end of football. So we were a little beat up, and we played really well that night. We were on the verge of maybe starting the season 0-3, so that was a big win for us. We played in that gym once, we played well and we plan on doing it again.”
Columbus North is seeking its first regional title since 1993.
“They’re so ready,” Paul Fergson said. “They’re excited, and they’ve been dreaming about this stuff for years and it’s really coming together for them.”
Probable starters for Saturday’s Seymour Regional matchup:
Columbus North (17-8);Ht.;Class;PPG
G-Luke Harmon;5-11;Sr.;9.5
G-Ty Ferguson;6-0;Sr.;8.9
G-Cooper Horn;6-3;Sr.;17.4
G-Tyler Blythe;5-11;Sr.;7.1
F-Damon Edwards;6-2;Sr.;5.2
Bloomington North (18-5);Ht.;Class;PPG
G-Dawan Daniels;5-10;Sr.;10.0
G-Gavin Reed;6-2;Sr.;9.9
G-Luke Lindeman;6-4;Soph.;11.4
F-JQ Roberts;6-8;Sr.;20.4
F-Lucas Vencel;6-4;Sr.;4.2
