The first game of the Bobcat Classic at North Daviess features Evansville Christian Eagles against the Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian Braves. The Braves won this tournament last year, under the leadership of Coach Marc Davidson, who sadly passed after last season. FW Blackhawk is now led by formed Indiana Hoosier sharpshooter, Matt Roth.
Both teams are full of talent and the opening game should pan out to be an exciting one. Please keep reading for our in-game coverage from North Daviess.
Evansville Christian vs Ft. Wayne Blackhawk Game Recap
The gym was about thirty percent full at the start, and it was a quiet environment for a gym that is typically packed. Evansville looked a little sluggish coming out of their player introduction, whereas Fort Wayne looked ready and energized.
The Braves took advantage quickly, utilizing a full court press from the start. Fort Wayne set the tone early on, a quick scoring offense that saw plenty of early three’s fall. FW Blackhawk took an early 11-4 lead. But Evansville Christian would slow down the game and climb back, pulling the game back to 17 to 18 at the end of the first.
The second quarter belonged to Fort Wayne Blackhawks. The Braves were hitting it from everywhere. Fort Wayne’s 6’8” Sophomore Kellen Pickett (#4) was a threat. Nailing a few threes, dominating down low, and making big plays on the floor. Senior Gage Sefton was also on fire, and it was all Braves with a 41-27 lead going into half.
The Eagles looked off most of the game, struggling to hit shots, or taking smart ones. It looked like the Eagles wanted to play a slower game, but were disrupted by the athletic pressure from Fort Wayne, who wanted to score often and quick.
Evansville Christian’s Josiah Dunham showed why he’s a respected player in Southern Indiana, but it took him awhile to find his shot, and was found taking quick forced shots often. Dunham and Senior Jack Schnepper battled to keep the game close for Evansville.
Fort Wayne came out strong in the third quarter. They kept up the press and hit a pair of threes early on. Evansville looked uncomfortable again, forcing anything to happen, but it just was not going their way.
Fort Wayne takes the win 66-54.
Sefton and Pickett both finish with 21 points for FW Blackhawk. Dunham finished with 21 points for Evansville.
Thoughts on the Game
FW Blackhawk Christian looks like a solid team. I was most impressed with their sophomore Kellen Pickett. He’s 6’8”, tall and lengthy, but has some agility to cut, can shoot outside and downlow. Has a good post game, and great a defense. He looked solid on a team full of good players. FW’s Gage Sefton also looked tough out there.
Fort Wayne is going to be contender for State this year.
Evansville Christian looked sluggish, but there were moments where they shined, especially when they ran their offense and didn’t force shots. I can see them being really good against any team in 1A.
Next up, we have Paoli Rams taking on the South Knox Spartans in the second game of the Bobcat of Daviess County Classic. Stay tuned for a post after the game.
