Pike ran a lot faster, jumped a lot higher, shot a lot better

By Rex Kirts

South didn't have the tools to compete in the track meet at Pike Friday night, and it came up a little short in basketball, too.
Pike ran a lot faster, jumped much higher and shot quite a bit better to earn what has become a rare distinction - a Conference Indiana victory by anyone over South. Pike's 80-74 win ended the Panthers' conference winning streak at 29.
The defeat leaves South with a 14-2 record going into next Friday's conference game against visiting Columbus North. Pike is 13-2 and takes over the CI lead at 5-0. South, winners of the last three conference championships, and Franklin Central are 4-1.
The game was similar to some others the Panthers have played this season. They jumped out to a lead, 26-12 at the first quarter, but couldn't hold it. This time, after getting behind by double digits, they couldn't rally to win.
"I DON'T KNOW HOW they can play any better," South coach J.R. Holmes said of Pike.
Pike attacks the basket in a hurry. "In the Marion Coounty tournament," said assistant coach Kyle Simpson, "they averaged 11-14 seconds per possession."
Holmes said, "We played hard, but they were more athletic than us. But I thought we battled them. They're good. They played great."
Pike simply jumped over South for rebounds and took off on fast-breaking blurs like Kentucky thoroughbreds. The Red Devils owned the boards, 33-26, and shot .609 to .433 for South, which went stone cold in the second and third quarters.
After a brilliant offensive display in the first quarter, the Panthers couldn't find the basket from outside the next two periods. And when they got inside with the ball the Red Devils swatted them
"We had eight layups blocked," Holmes said, a slight smile on his face. These Red Devils aren't big, but they can jump.
"They started making big shots," South senior Dee Davis said of Pike's rally after the first quarter. "Sometimes you can't stop it.
"But I'm proud of my guys. We played hard."
Pike Senior guard Marquis Teague is headed for Kentucky, but it will not be a surprise if he stays only one year before heading to the NBA. He dominated this game like seldom seen.
THE PANTHER DEFENSE had no answer for the 6-2 Teague. He dropped in long 3s, went to the hoop for layups and pullups and an impressive slam and made life miserable for the Panthers. He made great passes inside, and more than once he would be surrounded in the paint by three Panthers and dump the ball to the baseline for layups by teammates.
Teague scored 25 points, smooth-shooting junior R.J. Hunter 20 and sophomore guard Zavier Turner 16.
Davis was impressed with Teague, saying, "He led his team." But he liked others, too. "All of them played great."
The Devils really showed their punch in the third quarter. South still had the lead at halftime, 33-31, but that disappeared quickly in the third quarter. While South was missing its first six or seven shots of the period Pike was hitting nine straight and took a 58-45 lead into the fourth quarter.
South hung in there and crept to within three points, 77-74 with 0:33 left, but the rally ended.
WHILE PIKE took control in the third quarter, Holmes felt the second quarter was where his ball club let things get away. "They got four dunks in the second quarter when we didn't get back on defense a couple of times and had a couple of mistakes," he said.
The Panthers were led offensively by the 1-2 punch of Davis and Spencer Turner. Davis scored 29 points for the third time this season and Turner had 23. But the next best was six each by the other starters, Desmond Marks, Joey Forney and Ben Stowell, who hit a combined 7 of 29.
Overall, Holmes felt his team played fairly well. On this night, though, Pike was too good.