(Batesville, IN) – Batesville is back in the Ripley County Tournament championship game after defeating Jac-Cen-Del 66–49 in Wednesday night’s opening-round matchup at the Dog Pound.
The Bulldogs used strong second- and third-quarter stretches to pull away and secure a spot in Saturday night’s title game, where they will face South Ripley. It marks the fourth straight year the two programs have met in the boys championship game.
Despite the comfortable margin, Batesville head coach Aaron Garrett made it clear afterward that he was not satisfied with the overall performance.
“I just told the guys, and this is nothing against Jac-Cen-Del, but don’t ever take a win for granted. They’re too hard to come by, but I’m not happy about that win from the starters all the way through every guy that played,” Garrett said.
Garrett cited lapses in urgency, defensive execution, and fundamentals as concerns that must be addressed before Saturday night.
“We just got to have more urgency, and that’s where I’m frustrated tonight in terms of not being connected well enough and getting out and passing lanes, being on the line up the line, and offensively, just being more fundamental,” he said.
South Ripley advanced earlier in the evening with a 60–56 win over Milan, setting up another familiar championship matchup. Garrett noted that while his team has already seen South Ripley this season, the Raiders present new challenges that will require sharper focus.
“It’s a special, special tournament,” Garrett said. “All the county comes together, and everybody wants to win it.”
The Ripley County Tournament continues Friday night with the girls consolation and championship games, followed by the boys consolation and championship games Saturday night. All games will be broadcast on 103.9 FM, WRBIradio.com, and The WRBI App.