Regional loss comes with new expectations for Harrison basketball

MARION − Nineteen minutes passed between when Harrison's girls basketball team entered, then exited a locker room postgame for the final time this season.

In those 19 minutes, there were laughs. And tears.

But mostly pride.

Not only had the Raiders played in their first regional in 37 years, they proved they belonged against a quicker, more athletic team with a better record that many thought would run Harrison out of Bill Green Arena Saturday night.

Twice in the final minute-plus, Harrison had the ball down five but couldn't convert.

Fort Wayne Snider made seven free throws in the final 57 seconds to end the Raiders' season 67-55.

"We belong here as much as Fort Wayne Snider belongs here," said Harrison senior Riley Flin, who scored a team-high 19 points. "Whatever way the ball is bouncing, we just have to make sure our tank is empty at the end of the game.

"At the end of the day, we played our hardest and all of our tanks were empty."

In between all those postgame laughs and tears was a message.

Come back next season.

And win a regional championship.

"They need to come back and prove they belong here again," Flinn said. "I believe in them. They can get here again."

Flinn and Campbell Moore won't be a part of that team next season.

But they were instrumental in the transition from a program learning how to win to one that never lost a North Central Conference championship during their high school careers.

And now, for the first time since 1986, have a sectional trophy attached to the Harrison girls basketball program.

"Riley Flinn, she is not going to be No. 1 in everything, fifth in scoring, No. 2 or 3 in rebounding, No. 1 in assists and steals. Her name is littered all over the record book," Harrison coach Rush McColley said. "You don't get as many kids as big and mobile who can do stuff like Cam.

"Talk about a kid that could anchor our defense and wipe out mistakes our guards made defensively protecting the rim. Those two meant the world to us the last four years."

Now it's on to next year's group of seniors to take the raised bar and try to push it a little higher.

"They showed us the expectation of Harrison basketball that we can compete with anyone," junior Riley Whitlock said. "They left a very big impact that will be remembered for years to come. They were a great example for the younger kids coming up."

Moore had three blocks to go with 12 points and 12 rebounds in her final game. Elsie Ahnert and Whitlock each scored 10 points and Ava Ahnert had six assists for the Raiders (16-10).

There were lapses Saturday that had Harrison trying to dig its way out of deficits most of the game.

Snider scored the first six points, which proved to be the distance between the Panthers and Raiders after the first quarter.

Harrison fell behind by nine midway through the second quarter before taking the lead in the final minute of the first half, only to see Snider score four points in the final seconds. Ultimately, trying to play catch up wasn't in the cards.

Snider (21-4) capitalized on 23 Harrison turnovers and turned them into 31 points.

"They feast off of live ball turnovers and we knew it," McColley said. "They also would tell you we got a much bigger fight out of that team than what we were expecting."

Given that, it's impressive at all Harrison was able to hang with a team as talented as Snider.

But that was the game plan all along, stressed before the Raiders took the floor Saturday night.

No matter what, don't back down.

For 32 minutes, Harrison didn't, making Snider earn every bit of its eighth regional championship.

"We gave ourselves a chance down the stretch," McColley said. "I don't care what game it is, if you can put yourself in a position down five with a minute something left against a team ranked in the top 20, you say I will roll the dice and play out the last minute. We did that and unfortunately it didn't go our way."

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.