This game had all the feels of a main event fight in Vegas. There are high major coaches scouts and VIP’s all around and it is literally standing room only in the historic Gainsbridge Fieldhouse. This has all the feels of that one game where 50k plus watched a kid from Heltonville who played for BNL, and then went on to have an amazing college career at hometown Indiana University. Yall know who I’m talking about. Undefeated and nationally ranked Ben Davis vs Flory Bidunga and Kokomo. This is Indiana basketball folks and it is absolutely amazing. Ben Davis would go on to win this prize fight 53-41.
Here’s how it all went down…
Both teams started off a bit slow, just trying to figure each other out. Giant’s center Zane Doughty would score 4 early points taking it right at Junior sensation Flory Bidunga. SISN co-founder Corey Hall spoke with Zane before the game and asked him how confident he was in going against maybe the most sought after prospect in the nation. He said, “I got him.” He was not wrong early. He bodied him up down low adding 4 points and helping his Giants out to an early lead. Senior guard Zavion Bellamy would lead the way early for the Wildkats scoring all 6 of their points heading into the first media timeout. Ben Davis came out looking like the 10th best team in the nation. Shaun Arnold would drain 2 first quarter 3’s and the Giants D would hold Bidunga and Kokomo to only 10 first quarter points. After 1 Ben Davis led 18-10. The Giants would shoot over 60% from the field and behind the line. Talk about execution.
Zane Doughty would continue to dominate Flory Bidunga down low adding another quick 4 points by simply out muscling him. Kokomo just simply did not have an answer to the speed, athleticism, and determination displayed by the Giants. Ben Davis is a very well coached team and it showed in droves tonight. The Giants were diving and fighting for every lose ball, and beating the Wildkats by playing team basketball. They would build a 13 point lead coming out of the under 4 media timeout. A very controversial charge would be called on Bidunga at the end of the half and the Giants would take an 11 point lead into the locker room, 28-17.
Play resumed after an extended half time and Ben Davis continued right where they left off. Mark Zackery IV would hit a transition 3 followed by a thunderous dunk by none other than Zane Doughty. Doughty would pick up his third foul midway through the 3rd quarter and have to sit. It was at this point when Kokomo began to feed Flory in the post. He would score 4 straight to get the Wildkats deficit back down into single digits. Ben Davis would go over 3 minutes without a field goal while Kokomo reeled off 9 straight to bring it down to just a 3 point game. Bidunga showed why he is such a sought after prospect during this run. He simply dominated whoever was matched up against him and almost single-handedly brought his team back into the game.
Ben Davis would regain control coming out in the fourth starting off the quarter on an 8-0 run. The Giants began to slow things down and feed Doughty in the post and their defense stepped up right when they need it to. Forced turnovers led to easy fast break buckets and the lead ballooned back to 11 at the under 4. It was easy street from there. Kokomo would throw in the towel with a little over a minute left and Ben Davis would complete the perfect season with a State Championship 53-41.
