Check out highlights from Ben Davis' overtime win against Center Grove. Joe Spears / IndyStar Sports
GREENWOOD – It’s not easy to knock off the champs.
The Center Grove basketball team found out Friday night just how relentless Ben Davis can be. Leading by seven points just inside one minute to play in regulation, the Giants stormed back to force overtime and ultimately prevailed, 56-53, in a Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference thriller.
Ben Davis senior Aaron Henry, a Michigan State recruit, carried the Class 4A No. 5 Giants on his back in the closing minutes. He scored 19 of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to lead the Giants’ comeback.
“He did everything for them in the final three minutes,” Center Grove assistant coach Brian Keeton said.
The Giants (13-3, 3-1), the defending Class 4A state champions, used an 8-1 run in the final 50 seconds to tie the score at 48 and force overtime. Henry scored six of the eight points during that span, including a three-point play with 22 seconds remaining that tied the game.
In overtime, a Henry dunk gave the Giants a 56-53 lead with 26 seconds left. Center Grove junior guard Spencer Piercefield threw up a long 3-point attempt with two seconds remaining that missed.
“I think we played really well in the fourth,” Ben Davis coach Mark James said. “We didn’t execute early, and a lot of that had to do with Center Grove. I think Aaron came up big in the fourth and overtime. I think he played better in the second half and played with more focus. It’s a big win for us.”
Aaron Henry, Ben Davis High School, a member of the IndyStar High School boys Super Team. Matt Kryger/IndyStar
For No. 13 Center Grove (11-3, 1-2) it was a stinging defeat. Off to their best start since the 2009-10 season, the Trojans had several chances to put the game away late.
Leading 48-42 with 32 seconds remaining, Center Grove was called for a foul on a shot by Henry. Keeton disagreed – thinking it was a charge – and was called for a technical. Taylor made one free throw, and sophomore Jalen Windham hit both technical foul shots to cut the lead to 48-45.
Center Grove missed the front end of a one-and-one on its next possession, leading to Henry’s three-point play. Trojans’ junior Trayce Jackson-Davis also missed the front end of a one-and-one with 8.4 seconds left that would have given his team the lead.
Center Grove was just 1-of-7 from the foul line in the fourth quarter.
“I screwed up; it’s on me,” Keeton said of the technical foul. “I can’t hold the kids accountable – that’s on me. We didn’t make the free throws and didn’t execute down the stretch.”
“Our guys did everything we asked them to do tonight,” he added. “The kids’ effort was tremendous.”
The Trojans played well throughout the game and led 14-8 after the first quarter and 24-17 at halftime. The Giants’ offense picked up in the second half. They used a 7-0 run to tie the game at 26 with 4:38 to play in the third quarter. It was close the rest of the game.
“It was a good game,” James said. “We knew it would be tough – it’s a MIC game. We’ve been down heading into the fourth before, and tonight our kids found a way to make plays. It takes a little luck, too.”
Windham added 11 points for the Giants. Four players scored in double figures for the Trojans, led by Piercefield’s 15.
BEN DAVIS 56, CENTER GROVE 53 (OT)
Ben Davis 8 9 15 17 7 — 56
Center Grove 14 10 11 13 5 — 53
Ben Davis — Maul 1 0-0 2, Windham 3 3-3 11, Henry 12 5-6 29, Jones 4 0-0 8, Clayton 2 0-0 4, Day 1 0-0 2. Totals 23 8-9 56.
Center Grove — Jackson-Davis 5 4-8 14, McLain 3 3-4 10, Piercefield 6 0-1 15, Klaasen 5 0-0 10, Nicoson 1 0-0 2, Doyle 1 0-0 2. Totals 21 7-13 53.
3-Point Goals – Ben Davis 2 (Windham 2). Center Grove 4 (Piercefield 3, McLain 1).
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