INDIANAPOLIS – Neither Triton Central boys basketball team found the basketball rims at Roncalli High School very friendly Wednesday night.

Class 2A, No. 15 Triton Central shot just 35% from the field and made just one three-pointer in a 51-33 loss to the Royals.

The Tigers’ defense kept the game close midway through the second quarter while the offense struggled. A Sam Collier steal and layin cut Roncalli’s lead to 16-15 with 5:06 left in the first half.

The Royals scored the final 10 points of the quarter to take a 26-15 halftime advantage and Triton Central never recovered.

“We couldn’t throw it in the ocean,” quipped Triton Central head coach Mark James. “It affected us mentally when the ball wouldn’t go in.”

Eli Sego, Triton Central’s leading scorer at 17.2 ppg, scored his first points midway through the third quarter which ended a more than 9-minute scoreless drought for the Tigers (10-4). And it gave the Tigers a glimmer of hope.

Triton Central got within 10 points, 37-27, early in the fourth quarter but a turnover led to a Luke Greene 3 at the other end of the floor and the Tigers never got the lead under double digits.

Joe Taylor, a 6-7 sophomore, led Roncalli (7-4) with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Drew Kegerreis, Roncalli’s leading scorer at 18.4 ppg, finished with 10 points.

No Triton Central player reached double figures in the scoring column. Silas Blair led the Tigers with nine points and three rebounds.

Collier (photo) finished with eight points, two rebounds and two steals and Sam Kemper came off the bench to score six points.

Sego ended the game with six points, three assists and three steals.

“We just couldn’t hit (shots) and that it affected the kids big time,” said James. “That is the first time that has happened to them all year. We’ve had quarters like that but never a whole game.”

In the junior varsity game, Triton Central scored just four points in the first half and suffered a 36-15 defeat. Brody Ciriello led the Tigers with five points.

Of Triton Central’s final eight games of the regular season, six come against Indiana Crossroads Conference opponents. The first is Saturday in Fairland against Class A, No. 8 Indianapolis Lutheran (8-4, 3-1 ICC).

The Shelby County Post is a digital newspaper producing news, sports, obituaries and more without a pay wall or subscription needed. Get the most recent Shelby County Post headlines delivered to your email by visiting shelbycountypost.com and click on the free daily email signup link at the top of the page.