BB: 4A #2 North Central deals 3A #1 Danville its first loss, 76-63

INDIANAPOLIS – The fans came expecting to see a show between a pair of Purdue recruits, and they got exactly that. Senior guard Terone Johnson of North Central (Indianapolis) and Danville senior center Travis Carroll will be teammates next season in West Lafayette, but they were opponents Feb. 20 as host North Central notched a tough 76-63 win over 3A No. 1 previously undefeated Danville. 

That is not to take away from their teammates as these are two of the better teams in the state. Danville came in with Class 3A’s top ranking, while North Central trailed only Bloomington South in the 4A poll. 

Johnson seemed to take umbrage with his team losing its 11-game winning streak Friday at Center Grove in a loss that may cost the Panthers the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference crown. The Panthers put up 52 points in the second half of the big MIC road game, but they couldn’t overcome a 20-6 lead by the Trojans after one period of play. 

The 6’3″ Johnson responded by scoring a game-high 30 points and pulling down a team-high seven rebounds to power the Panthers (17-3) past Danville (18-1) and ruin its chance for an unblemished season. 

“I’m really impressed by the way Terone works to get the ball in the open court,” the 6’10” Carroll said of his future teammate’s performance. “He was flashing up high or down low, and he has a good, quick jump to get above everyone. 

“I’m not really surprised he came in the paint as much because he’s a big guy.”

Early on, this was the fast-paced game many people expected. Johnson scored 10 points in the first quarter alone, but Danville continued to work the ball inside to Carroll for points close to the basket. 

The Warriors led 18-17 after one before the teams turned up the tempo even more.

North Central used its quickness to turn the tide in the second quarter. The Panthers forced 12 first-half turnovers by Danville and caused 15 for the game. They made the most of their larceny by scoring 22 points off them while Danville managed just five points off only five North Central turnovers. 

“You can’t have any letdowns against a team like this,” said Danville coach Brian Barber. “You have to stay with them the whole game, and I feel like we did a good job of pushing through and doing that. 

“They had a little more intensity, though in the third quarter, and that helped them build a lead a bit.”

The third quarter was indeed the big difference for Danville. After North Central led 40-39 at the half, the Panthers used an early 9-0 run to push the lead to 53-43 midway through the third. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera had a pair of key baskets during the run while guard Ronnie Johnson added a big 3-pointer. 

Danville was never able to get closer than five the rest of the way, and most of that was due to North Central’s change in offensive philosophy. After playing at a breakneck pace for three quarters and attacking the basket, the Panthers slowed things down with a 58-49 lead entering the final period. 

This change allowed North Central to take its time to get a good shot and get to the foul line. 

“We needed to get two stops there, and obviously we didn’t get them,” said Barber. “Because if we get a stop or two and capitalize at the other end, it’s a different game and you get them on their heels a bit. 

“It’s a fragile thing. But they made the plays they needed to make, and I’ll give them credit.”

Another big factor in the fourth quarter came when Carroll was called for his fourth foul early in the period. He was forced to the bench for a key three-minute stretch with 6:31 left and was largely ineffective down the stretch because of his foul troubles. 

Carroll finished with 25 points and nine rebounds for the Warriors. 

Aside from Johnson and Carroll, there were several solid individual performances in this one. Forward Jordan Weidner had 19 points and eight rebounds for Danville, while Smith-Rivera – a 6’4″ guard in a linebacker’s body – finished with 19 points and Ronnie Johnson added 13 for the Panthers. 

The box score:

Danville 18 21 10 14 – 63

North Central 17 23 18 18 – 76

Danville: Michael Humphrey 9, Tyler Hall 3, Kyle Mackey 6, Jordan Weidner 19, Travis Carroll 25, Luke Fields 0, Trent Shaffer 1, Austin Chalfant 0. Rebounds: 33 (Carroll 9). 3-pointers: 4 (Weidner 2, Humphrey 1, Mackey 1)

North Central: Ronnie Johnson 13, Patrick Ingram 0, Darius Latham 2, Terone Johnson 30, D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera 19, Aaron Bluitt 7, Trip McFall 5, Micah Smith 0, Tim Bass 0, Dedric Griffin 0. Rebounds: 31 (T. Johnson 7), 3-pointers: 2 (Bluitt 1, R. Johnson 1)