(Waldron, IN) — In a rivalry game that lived up to its billing for intensity if not scoring prowess, the North Decatur Chargers overcame an early deficit to defeat the South Decatur Cougars 36-29 in the opening round of the Class 1A sectional Wednesday night.
The defensive battle saw neither team reach 40 points, but that didn’t diminish the drama as the Mid-Hoosier Conference foes traded leads throughout before North Decatur pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Senior Jo Whitaker led all scorers with 14 points for the Chargers (10-12), who extended their lead to seven in the final minutes after trailing 15-14 at halftime. Whitaker dominated on both ends, recording multiple steals and rebounds while battling through a leg cramp late in the third quarter.
“There’s a lot of effort going on out here,” said broadcaster Gary Sauley, who provided analysis of the game on WRBI. “They’re given all they have, and sometimes that causes some of the sloppiness.”
South Decatur (10-13) played without leading scorer Taylor Somers, who was sidelined with an injury. Despite the handicap, the Cougars led for much of the contest behind sophomore Riley Benge’s game-high 13 points.
The Cougars jumped ahead with a 9-0 run to close the first quarter after North Decatur had taken an early 8-3 lead. South held that advantage through the third quarter, but the Chargers’ pressure defense eventually wore down their opponent.
Senior Carmen Thackery added eight crucial points for North Decatur, including four straight free throws in the final two minutes that helped seal the victory. The Chargers’ 1-3-1 press forced numerous turnovers in the second half and sparked their comeback.
“They started running more sets where they were actually setting screens, coming off screens, cutting,” Sauley noted of the team’s halftime adjustments, “and I think that helped them kind of start their engine a little bit.”
Raegan Benge contributed nine points for South Decatur, while Dalilah Martin added three points. For North Decatur, Jewel Verseman scored five points and Brynlee Green had seven, including a crucial third-quarter three-pointer.
The Chargers advance to Friday’s semifinal where they will face Tri, which defeated host Waldron 60-39 in the nightcap. North Decatur had swept the regular-season series against South Decatur, though the Cougars defeated them in last year’s sectional on their way to a regional championship.
This time, the Chargers got their revenge when it mattered most.