Josh Kemper caught the sideline inbounds pass in the corner with 3.3 seconds to go in Triton Central’s sectional championship game at Milan Saturday night. Two dribbles later, Kemper banked in the game winner from just below the free throw line at the buzzer as the Tigers defeated South Decatur, 66-65.
Triton Central could have been down by three needing to tie the game on a final possession. But South Decatur’s Lane Lauderbaugh missed the front end of a 1-and-1 setting up Kemper’s heroics.
Lauderbaugh, the Cougars’ all-time leading scorer and rebounder, scored 24 points in the loss.
Triton Central was led in scoring by David Steele with 22. Aiden Lindsey added 21. The Tigers overcame 10 three-pointers by the Cougars to win a boys basketball sectional for the first time since 2012.
South Decatur finishes the season with a 15-8 record. The Cougars fell short of winning back-to-back sectional titles for the first time in school history.
Triton Central (13-8) advances to the Greenfield-Central Regional Saturday and will play #5 Parke Heritage (24-3). The other half of the bracket features #2 Shenandoah (24-3) and #7 Covenant Christian (22-4).
