Parke Heritage brings end to Triton Central's record-breaking season

INDIANAPOLIS – Class 2A, No. 6 Triton Central thrived all season on getting the lead and forcing the opponent to shut them down.

On Saturday at Southport High School in the opening 2A semistate game, the Tigers led 2A No. 4 Parke Heritage for less than 30 seconds.

A Brayden Hoover three-pointer put Triton Central up 19-18 early in the third quarter. The Wolves, playing in their fourth consecutive semistate tournament, responded with a 7-0 run and never trailed again.

Indiana All-Star candidate Treigh Schelsky sank 6 of 8 free throws inside the game’s final minute to seal a 44-38 victory and bring an end to Triton Central’s most successful season to date.

Schelsky finished with a game-high 19 points and added five rebounds and three assists. Carter Crum had 10 points and seven rebounds. Isaac Pickel had four points and 10 rebounds.

The size advantage of Crum (6-4) and Pickel (6-9) led to a 26-13 rebounding advantage for Parke Heritage (25-4). Of their combined 17 rebounds, eight came on the offensive end.

“I thought the biggest thing was their length,” said Triton Central head coach Mark James. “We couldn’t quite get over that hump. The ball would be right at our fingertips and they would hit it and get it out and they would get the ball and another possession. They wore us out on the boards. That has not happened all year.”

Jackson Faust and Brody Hartman each hit a pair of 3s in the first half and Triton Central shot its way to a 16-all tie at halftime.

“We hit some shots early in the first half,” said James. “In the second half we didn’t hit shots. We were shooting a lot more 3s than them and we weren’t getting offensive rebounds. I thought the rebounds were huge.”

Triton Central’s first lead of the game was short lived. Brenden Goins hit a 15-foot jumper for Parke Heritage to retake the lead. Schelsky and Crum each added a free throw and Leyton McMullen closed the 7-0 run with a wing 3.

Eli Sego (photo), Triton Central’s career scoring leader, missed his first five shots before finally connecting on a 15-footer late in the third quarter. The senior kept his team within striking distance, scoring 12 fourth-quarter points. His first made 3 of the game pulled the Tigers within 35-33 with 3:06 to go.

“The first part of the game, (Parke Heritage) started knocking down shots. We fought back the whole way,” said Sego. “I am proud of all of our guys for knocking down shots and playing good defense. It was fun to be a part of.”

Schelsky answered back with a backdoor cut reverse layin and the Tigers never got closer than four points the rest of the way.

Sego finished with a team-high 18 points and added four rebounds and three assists. He closed out his record-breaking career with 1,687 points – sixth best all-time in Shelby County.

“It was a great career. It was great being with all my teammates and teams I’ve been part of, especially this team with all these guys that wanted to be here and wanted to win,” said Sego. “It was awesome.”

Hartman added nine points and four rebounds. Faust finished with six.

Parke Heritage had been held under 50 points just three times prior to Saturday’s second ever meeting with Triton Central. It lost two of those three.

“Triton Central is one of the best defensive teams we’ve played all season,” said Parke Heritage head coach Rich Schelsky. “Honestly, probably the best other than Fishers. They held us to 44 points. Our guys didn’t freak out. They stayed composed. They understood what it took to win.”

Triton Central finished 23-4 – a single season program record for wins.

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