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SUNDAY, APRIL 3, 2016
GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016
CHRONICLE-TRIBUNE, MARION, IND.
A JOURNEY TO GIANTS SUCCESS

FROM STAFF REPORTS
The Class 3A, No.

7-ranked Marion boys
basketball team certainly
showed its depth in a 77-58
victory over Maconaquah
in its season-opening game
at the Bill Green Athletic
Arena.
Four Giants scored at
least eight points as the Giants won their sixth straight
season-opening game.
Junior guard Tim Leavell
led Marion with 21 points.
Senior guard Vijay Blackmon had 18 points, with
16 of those in the second
half. Senior forward Jordan
Smith had 16 points. Reggie
Jones scored eight points.
Blackmon was playing
with a bad back after getting
in a car accident. Marion
coach James Blackmon Sr.
said his son was showing
the effects of the back in the
first half, but loosened up in
the second half.
He was telling us he was
fine and was 100 percent,
but we could tell from his
defense and his side-to-side
movement that he was stiff
in the first half, Blackmon
Sr. said.
Marion led 23-12 after
the first quarter. Jones
scored six of his eight
points in the first quarter.
Maconaquah scored 10
of the first 14 points of the
second quarter and cut the
Giant lead to 27-22 after
Wyatt Hughes rebound
basket.
Marion scored 10 of
the final 14 points of the
second quarter to take a
37-26 lead into halftime.
Leavell hit a 3-pointer to
put Marion up 30-22. After
Hughes basket brought
Maconaquah within 3024, Leavell made another
3-pointer to put Marion up
33-24.
Leavell scored nine of
his 15 first-half points in
the second quarter. Leavell
was 8-for-10 from the field,
including 4-for-6 from
3-point range.
Seven different Giants
scored in the first half, led
By Matt Wilson / mwilson@chronicle-tribune.com
TEAM: The Marion boys basketball team takes the court.
by Leavells 15 points.
Marion came out and
scored the first eight points
of the third quarter to
extend its lead to 45-26 and
never looked back. The Giants outscored the Braves
22-12 in the third quarter to
take a 59-38 lead into the
fourth quarter.
Marion shot 28-for-48
from the field in the win.
Maconaquah was 23-for-47
from the field.
Marion 115,
North Miami 34
It was a record breaking
night for the Marion boys
basketball team at the Bill
Green Athletic Arena.
The Giants beat North
Miami 115-34 to move to
2-0 on the season. That
broke the school record for

points in a game of 108 set
in 1987 against Logansport.
The Giants also made
47 baskets. That broke the
school record of 44 set in
1987 against Logansport.
Marion also set the school
record for most dunks in a
game, which was nine in
1987 against Clay County.
The Giants had 13 dunks.
The Giants forced 21
turnovers and Marion
scored 46 points off those
turnovers.
Vijay Blackmon led the
Giants with 29 points. Reggie Jones had 23 points.
Gage Pinkerton had 14
points and Xavier Fuller
had 10 points.
The Giants outscored
the Warriors 54-15 in the
second half.
Marion went into halftime with a comfortable

61-19 lead.
The Giants had three
players in double figures
by halftime, with Blackmon leading the way with
17 points. Leavell had 14
points and Jones had 12
points.
Blackmon was 7-for-11
from the field in the first
half. Leavell was a perfect
4-for-4 from 3-point range
and was 5-for-7 from the
field. Jones was 5-for-7
from the field.
Marion came out and
scored the first 22 points
of the game and led 34-8
after the first quarter.
Smiths basket put the
Giants up 22-0 before
Zane Briggs 3-pointer
gave North Miami its first
points of the game.
Marion 79,
Lawrence North 70
The Class 3A, No.
4-ranked Marion boys basketball team passed its first
major test of the season.
Behind four double-figure
scorers, the Giants defeated
Class 4A, No. 6-ranked
Lawrence North 79-70 at
the Bill Green Athletic
Arena.
Tim Leavell led the Giants with 28 points. Jordan
Smith had 17 points, while
Vijay Blackmon had 15
points and Reggie Jones
had 14 points.
Marion ended a five-game
losing streak to Lawrence
North.
With the game tied 32-
32 at halftime, Marion
outscored Lawrence North
fourth quarter.
Marion had as big as an
11-point lead at 55-44 late
in the third quarter. Djimon
Henson hit a 3-pointer right
before the buzzer to bring
the Wildcats within eight
points.
Jones hit a basket to put
the Giants up 10 points
early in the fourth quarter.
Marion increased that lead
to 12 points at 61-49 after
Leavells basket. Lawrence
North got within nine
points on Ethan Jarretts
3-pointer, but starting with
Smiths three-point play
Marion scored the next four
points to take a 65-52 lead.
Please see next page
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GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016
in a very efficient offensive

performance.
Marions second half
surge when the Giants
outscored Richmond 4118 was triggered through
better defensive play.
Playing a 1-3-1 zone, the
Giants limited the Red
Devils to 8-of-20 shooting
for 40 percent but more
importantly was eliminated
offensive rebounds and getting into transition offense.
Jones stole the ball and
took it the length of the
court for a slam dunk as
the Giants pulled away. It
was one of three slam dunk
baskets for the 6-foot-5 senior, with another on a steal
and slam in the opening
half. Jones also contributed seven points and two
assists.
Vijay Blackmon struggled
Marion 80,
to find his 3-point shot, finRichmond 53
ishing 1-of-5 from behind
the arc and uncharacteristiTim Leavell is called
cally missed five of eight
instant offense by his
free throw attempts. Yet,
coach, but the junior guard he found a way to add 12
is working to level off his
points and made five assists
weaknesses.
and two steals.
Leavell scored 22 points
Jordan Smith contributed
and helped Class 3A third- 11 points and drew praise
ranked Marion pull away in from Blackmon for drawthe second half to an 80-53 ing three offensive fouls
North Central Conference
in the fourth quarter even
victory over Richmond in
while saddled with four
Bill Green Arena. Three
personals himself. Gage
other Giants scored in
Pinkerton had seven points,
double figures, includnine rebounds and two
ing Reggie Jones with 17
blocked shots.
points.
Even the bench made an
Marion had lost five
impression when they had
straight games to the Red
a chance to play in the final
Devils and former Giants
three minutes. Tyrese Cobb
coach Joe Luce, who left
had two transition slam
after last year for Jefferson- dunk baskets.
ville. Rick Wedlow is the
Zionsville 80,
new Richmond coach.
Marion 70
Two three pointers from
Leavell helped the Giants
The Marion boys basket(4-0, 1-0 NCC) start fast
and lead 17-7 just six min- ball team suffered its first
loss of the season with an
utes into the game. Rich80-70 setback at Zionsville.
mond (1-3, 0-1) survived
that opening salvo and was It was the Giants first road
game after four straight
in the game trailing just
18-15 after one quarter and home games.
The Class 3A, No.
39-35 at halftime.
But then Leavell knocked 3-ranked Giants dropped
to 4-1 on the season.
down two more 3s to
start the third quarter when Zionsville improved to 4-1
and has won four straight
the Giants broke the game
games.
wide open with an 18-5
run. Leavell connected on
4-of-6 from 3-point range
the first quarter but was
and 5-of-8 overall and all
outscored 23-14 in the
eight free throw attempts
second quarter to head
Lawrence North got no
closer than nine points the
rest of the game.
Marion had as big as fivepoint lead at 30-25 after
Blackmons 3-point basket
in the second quarter.
Lawrence North, however,
scored seven of the final
nine first half points to
tie the game headed into
halftime. Ethan Jarrett hit
a 3-pointer to tie the game
headed into halftime.
Marion came out strong
and scored seven of the first
eight points of the game to
take a 7-1 lead after Jones
basket. Lawrence North
scored the next nine points
to take a 10-7 lead. Marion
scored 13 of the final 20
points of the first quarter to
take a 20-17 lead after the
first eight minutes.
into halftime down 37-34.

Marion outscored Zionsville 24-15 in the third
quarter to take a 58-52 lead
into the fourth quarter.
Marion, however, found
itself down by four points
with 2:21 remaining and
Reggie Jones, Gage Pinkerton and Jordan Smith all
had fouled out.
Kokomo 86,
Marion 79
The Kokomo boys
basketball team survived a
Marion fourth-quarter rally
to come away with an 8679 victory at the Bill Green
Athletic Arena.
The Class 3A, No.
6-ranked Giants suffered
their second straight loss
and dropped to 4-2 on the
season. Kokomo improved
to 3-2.
Giants with 30 points,
while Tim Leavell had 25
points. Reggie Jones had
13 points.
Kokomo led 66-52 after
the third quarter. Marion
scored the first eight points
of the fourth quarter and
after Blackmons rebound
basket had the lead cut to
66-60, forcing Kokomo
to call a timeout. After
Kokomo hit a free throw,
bring the Giants within
67-63. Marion forced a
turnover on Kokomos next
possession.
Marion was unable to
convert on its possession.
Leavell picked up his fifth
foul with 4:23 remaining
on Kokomos next possession. Jordan Smith picked
up his fifth foul with 4:08
remaining.
Kokomo took a 77-68
lead after two Matthews
free throws. With all
the points coming from
Blackmon, Marion went
on an 8-0 run and after
Blackmons 3-pointer head
the lead to 77-76. Matthews and Kenner both
went 2-for-2 from the line
to extend Kokomos lead to
81-76.
Marion got no closer than
five points the rest of the
game.
Marion was down 43-31
at halftime. The Giants
tied the game 25-25 after

Blackmons 3-pointer.
Kokomo scored eight
straight points and after
Matthews two free throws
had a 33-25 lead. Marion
cut the lead to 33-29 after a
Blackmon three-point play
followed by one Zach Randolph free throw. Kokomo
went on another 8-0 run, all
of those points from Matthews, to take a 41-29 lead.
Marion trailed 18-13 after
the first quarter. Kokomo
came out and scored the
first 11 points of the game
to go up 11-0 after Kenners basket. Marion scored
13 of the next 16 points to
cut the gap to 14-13 after
two Jones free throws. Kokomo scored the final four
points to lead by five after
the first quarter.]
control. Jones scored off a

steal, Smith had a rebound
bucket, Randolph a threepoint play, Vijay Blackmon
a transition basket and
Leavell another fastbreak
bucket and it was 20-9.
Leavells second 3 of the
quarter gave Marion a 3015 command entering the
second period.
Vijay Blackmon erupted
for 16 points in the second
quarter and the halftime
cushion was 56-27.
Indianapolis Pike 76,

Marion 49
Another slow start

equaled a second straight
home loss for the Class 3A,
No. 9-ranked Marion boys
basketball team.
Class 4A, No.7-ranked
Pike outscored Marion
Marion 92,
20-8 in the first quarter and
Elwood 47
never looked back, beating the Giants 76-49 in the
The Marion boys
final game of the Marion
basketball team was able
Basketball Classic at the
to rebound from a loss to
Bill Green Athletic Arena.
Kokomo by winning at
Marion dropped to 5-3,
Elwood 92-47.
while Pike improved to 7-2.
Marion boasted five
Combined with an 86-79
double-figure scorers, led
loss to Kokomo last Friday
by Vijay Blackmons 28
night, the Giants have lost
points, but senior classmate two straight home games.
Reggie Jones produced the Marion had opened its
most impressive numbers.
season with four straight
He scored 12 points
home wins.
on 6-of-7 shooting, also
Marion was limited to 37
collected a game-high 10
percent shooting (15-for-41)
rebounds and threatened to from the field. Reggie Jones
get a triple-double with a
led Marion with 19 points,
bucket full of assists.
while Tim Leavell had 12
Marion took advantage
points. Vijay Blackmon
of the transition scores to
had eight points and Zach
shoot 40-of-59 from the
Randolph, making his first
field, including 6-of-11
varsity start, had six points.
from 3-point range.
Marion was outrebounded
The Giants defense
36-28. Blackmon had six
rebounds for the Giants.
harassed Elwood into 16Marion also committed 21
of-46 shooting, including
1-of-13 in the third quarter turnovers to Pikes 11.
Pike went into halftime
as Marion extended its
with a comfortable 48-22
lead.
lead. The Red Devils shot
With 14 points apiece
56 percent (18-for-32) from
for the winners were Tim
the field in the first half.
Leavell, who torched
Marion was 32 percent (6Elwood for 12 in the first
for-19) from the field. Pike
quarter alone, and Jordan
was 60 percent (6-for-10)
Smith. Coming off the
from 3-point range. Marion
bench to score 10 was
sophomore Zach Randolph. was 14 percent (1-for-7)
At the defensive end, the from 3-point range.
Pike led 58-36 after the
Giants were pressuring
third quarter.
Elwood into rushed shots
Pike shot 9-for-13 in the
or turnovers.
The Giants broke that tie opening quarter, while
Marion was 3-for-10.
with an 11-0 spurt to take
SUNDAY, APRIL 3, 2016 A3
Thomas already had 10

points on 5-for-6 shooting
from the field in the opening quarter.
Marion 78,
Guerin Catholic 61
A 19-2 run between the
third and fourth quarter
helped the Marion boys
basketball team snap a twogame home losing streak.
The Giants expanded
a 47-45 lead to 66-47 en
route to a 78-61 victory
Arena.
Marion improved to 6-3
on the season, while Guerin
Catholic dropped to 4-8.
The Eagles are the reigning 3A state champions.
The Giants had lost three of
their last four games before
the win.
Reggie Jones led the Giants with a career-high 31
points. He was one of four
Marion players in double
figures. Vijay Blackmon
had 17 points, Tim Leavell
had 13 points and Jordan
Smith had 10 points.
Jones had his 31 points
on 12-of-18 from the field.
Marion went into the
fourth quarter with a 64-47
lead. With the Giants leading 47-45, Marion scored
17 of the final 19 points.
Leavell hit back-to-back
3-pointers to end the quarter. Leavell had nine points
on three 3-pointers during
the run.
Smith hit a basket to
open the fourth quarter and
extend the Giants run to
19-2 before Godfrey hit a
3-pointer to end the Giant
surge.
Marion went into halftime with a 38-35 lead.
Jones led the Giants with
21 points. He was 8-for-14
from the field, including
3-for-5 from 3-point range.
Blackmon had nine points.
the first quarter before
Guerin Catholic scored
the first nine points of the
second quarter to take a
21-20 lead after Munsons
basket. A Jones 3-pointer
put Marion up 23-21. The
game was tied 23-23, 25-25
and 27-27 before Marion
scored five of the next six
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A4
points to take a 32-28 lead

after two Jones free throws.
Marion kept that fourpoint lead at 36-32 after
Blackmons 3-pointer.
Munson came back with
a 3-pointer to bring the
Golden Eagles within 3635. Blackmon had a tip in
at the buzzer to put Marion
up three at the half.
Marion 76, Fort Wayne

South Side 65
Tim Leavell scored 31
points to lead a group of
four Marion double figure
scorers as the Giants won
at Fort Wayne South Side
76-65.
Marion moved to 7-3
on the season while Fort
Wayne South Side dropped
to 7-5.
Along with Leavell, Reggie Jones had 21 points,
points and Jordan Smith
had 10 points for the Giants. Juswon White had two
points and Xavier Fuller
had one point for Marion.
Sophomore Austin
Boucher led Fort Wayne
South Side with 34 points.
Sophomore Trejean Didier
had 15 points.
Trailing 50-45 in the
third quarter, Marion went
on a 10-0 run to take a
55-50 lead after Leavells
basket. Fort Wayne South
Side went on a 9-5 run to
cut the gap to 60-59 after
Bouchers basket. Leavell
hit a rebound basket at
the buzzer to put Marion
up 62-59 headed into the
fourth quarter.
Marion outscored South
Side 14-6 in the fourth
quarter to come away with
the victory.
Marion went into halftime
down 45-40. South Side
had as big as a 37-26 lead
in the second quarter before
Marion went on a 14-8 run
to end the frame. Leavell
made three free throws to
bring the Giants within five
points at the half.
Tech 73,
Marion 55
GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016
37-27 in the second half en

route to a 73-55 home victory over the Giants.
Marion dropped to 7-4
overall and 1-1 in the North
Central Conference East
Division. Tech improved to
9-2 overall and 2-1 in the
NCC.
Tech led 15-13 after the
first quarter and 36-28 at
halftime. Tech led 49-40 after the third quarter before
outscoring the Giants 24-15
in the fourth quarter for the
victory.
Tim Leavell led Marion
with 19 points. Vijay
Blackmon had 15 points
and Reggie Jones had 11
points. Jordan Smith had
seven points.
Marion was outrebounded
by Tech 41-27. The Titans
had a 22-7 rebounding advantage in the first half.
Marion shot 29 percent
from the field for the game.
Marion 71,
Anderson 46
After absorbing a
22-point beating four days
earlier by Indianapolis
Tech, the Marion boys
basketball team had plenty
to prove against arch-rival
Anderson.
The Giants play inspired
basketball from the start,
scoring 16 unanswered
points, and rolled to a 7146 victory over the Indians
in the Bill Green Arena.
Vijay Blackmon led a balanced attack with 18 points
and also contributed eight
rebounds and three assists.
Marion improved to 8-4,
2-1 in the North Central
Conference East Division and handed Anderson
(3-11, 1-2) its fifth straight
loss. But one of the Indians victories was 49-48 in
their gym against the same
Tech team that shellacked
the Giants.
A Reggie Jones 3-pointer
just 30 seconds into the
game started the Giants on
their roll and all five starters made contributions in
the 16-0 start. The Indians
didnt score their first
basket until 1 1/2 minutes
were left in the opening
quarter and trailed 17-4 at
the break.
Besides their offense, the
Giants had 6-foot-10 center

Gage Pinkerton serving
as rim protector and he
blocked three shots in the
opening quarter and six in
the first half. Pinkertons
towering presence altered
other shots around the basket and the Indians made
2-of-15 field goals in the
first quarter and 6-of-31 in
the half for 19.4 percent.
Pinkerton was playing
just his second game after
coming back after an injury
and although he scored two
points and collected six
rebounds played an instrumental role in putting away
the Indians early.
Marion extended the lead
to 36-13 at halftime behind
Blackmon with 13 points
but seven other Giants
making scoring contributions.
Marions lead peaked
at 48-21 following a Tim
Leavell driving layup
midway through the third
quarter. Leavell after scoring five points in the first
half picked up his offense
and hit 2-of-3 from 3-point
range and 4-of-4 free
throws to finish with 17
points.
Jones contributed 10
points, eight rebounds and
three assists and also had a
blocked shot. Ten of 12 Giants players scored at least
one point.
during the surge.

Franklin Nunn hit a free
throw to end the Giant
run, but Marion scored the
next four points and after
Blackmons steal and dunk
the Giants had a 61-46 lead
and the Giants never looked
back from there.
Blackmon said it was a
total team effort on Friday.
Zach Randolph came off the
bench and had four points
and four rebounds, three of
those offensive.
Marion led 45-44 after the
third quarter. Liberty Christian had a 40-37 lead before
Marion scored six straight
after a Blackmon free throw.
Liberty Christian scored
the next four points to take
a 44-43 lead before Xavier
Fuller hit a basket to put the
Giants up one after the third
quarter.
with a 36-33 lead.
The Giants led 19-14 after
the first quarter. Marion
then scored 11 of the first
19 second-quarter points
to take a 30-22 lead after
Leavells basket.
Marion kept that eightpoint advantage at 34-26
after Leavells basket.
Liberty Christian, however, went on a 7-0 run to
cut the Giant lead to 34-33
after Joshua Tufts 3-pointer.
Jones basket put the Giants up at halftime by three
Marion 71,
points.
Liberty Christian 53
Marion used a 7-2 run
in the first quarter to take
The Marion boys basket- the lead after the first eight
minutes. With the game tied
ball team outscored Class
12-12, Marion scored seven
A, No. 1-ranked Liberty
Christian 26-9 in the fourth of the next nine points and
quarter to come away with a after a 3-pointer from Smith
71-53 victory over the Lions and a Smith basket, the
Giants took a 19-12 lead.
Nunn hit a basket to bring
Arena.
the Lions within 19-14 after
Marion moved to 9-4 on
the season and has won four one quarter.
of its last five games.
Marion 86,
Logansport 75
Giants with 21 points. Tim
Leavell and Reggie Jones
The Marion boys basketeach had 14 points. Jordan
ball team got off to a quick
Smith had 11 points.
start and never trailed, beatLeading 45-44 after the
ing Logansport 86-75 at the
third quarter, the Giants
Berry Bowl in Logansport.
went on a 12-1 run in the
first four minutes of the
and has won five of its last
fourth quarter to take a
six games. Logansport
57-45 lead after Leavells
dropped to 10-5 and has lost
basket. Jones had two free
throws and a steal and dunk five straight games.
The Class 4A, No.

10-ranked Indianapolis Arsenal Tech boys basketball
team outscored Marion
Reggie Jones led the Giants with 25 points. Tim

Leavell had 24 points. Vijay
Blackmon had 15 points and
Jordan Smith was the fourth
Giant in double figures with
12 points.
The win avenged Marions
loss to Logansport in last
years sectional.
I took this game personal
because they knocked us out
of the sectional last year,
Jones said. We wanted to
go hard at them from the
start.
Leading 37-33 at halftime,
Marion outscored Logansport 18-13 in the third
quarter to take a 55-46 lead
into the fourth quarter. The
Giants twice had 10-point
leads in the third quarter at
51-41 and 53-43.
Marion had a 68-57 lead
in the fourth quarter after
Smiths basket. Logansport
scored six of the next eight
points to cut the lead to
70-63 after Jennings basket.
Leavell went 4-for-4 from
the line to extend the Giant
lead to 74-63. The Berries
got no closer than eight
points the rest of the game.
with a 37-33 lead.
The Giants had a 37-25
lead in the second quarter
after Jones free throw.
Logansport, however, scored
the final eight points of the
first half and after Parker
DeHavens basket had the
Marion lead cut to four
points at the half.
Marion 26-18 after the
opening quarter, but Jalen
Adaway had back-to-back
rebound dunks to open the
second quarter scoring and
bring Logansport within
26-22. Marion proceeded
to go on an 11-3 run to take
a 37-25 lead. Jones scored
six of his 12 first-half points
during the run.
Marion never trailed in the
first half. The Giants scored
the first 11 points and took
an 11-0 lead after Leavells
basket. Leavell had seven
of his 11 first-half points
during the 11-0 run to open
the game.
Marion 62,
Fort Wayne Northrop 39
Marion moved to 11-4 on
the season. With the game
tied 23-23 at halftime, the

Giants outscored the Bruins
39-16 in the second half.
Fort Wayne Northrop led
14-11 after the opening
quarter. Marion outscored
Northrop 12-9 in the second quarter to tie the game
at halftime.
Marion then scored the
first nine points of the
third quarter. The Giants
outscored the Bruins 15-4
in the third quarter to take
a 39-27 lead into the fourth
quarter.
with 20 points. Juswon
White had 10 points. Vijay
Blackmon had nine points.
Reggie Jones and Jordan Smith both had eight
points.
Marion 73,
Muncie Central 66
MUNCIE The Marion
boys basketball team
wrapped up a share of the
East Division championship with a 73-66 win at
Muncie Central.
Marion moved to 12-4
and has won seven of its
last eight games. The Giants and Indianapolis Tech
both finished 3-1 in the
East Division. Indianapolis
Tech has the tiebreaker
over Marion because it
beat the Giants during the
regular season.
with 26 points. He was one
of four Giants in double
figures. Reggie Jones had
16 points, Vijay Blackmon
had 14 points and Jordan
Smith had 13 points. Juswon White had four points
to round out the Giant
scoring.
With the game tied 6464 in the fourth quarter,
Marion scored nine of the
final 11 points of the game.
Blackmon had a steal and
basket with two minutes
left to put the Giants up
66-64. Muncie Central
was called for a charge on
its next possession, giving
the ball back to Marion.
Marion missed a jump shot
on its next possession. The
Giants were called for a
foul on the rebound.
CONGRATULATIONS
MARION
GIANTS
C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S
MARION GIANTS!
BOYS BASKETBALL
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GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016
Marion 66,
Mississinewa 51
Tournament with a 64-61

win over Lafayette Jeff at
McCutcheon.
Marion laid a trap on Miswhile Lafayette Jefferson
sissinewa in its intra-county
dropped to 10-8.
boys basketball matchup at
The Giants led 16-15
Bill Green Arena that led to
a bounty of easy baskets and after the opening quarter
and outscored the Bronchos
ultimately the Giants 13th
17-8 in the second quarter
victory.
The Giants full-court pres- to take a 33-23 lead into
sure helped create 28 Indians halftime. Lafayette Jeff
turnovers in the 66-51 victory outscored Marion 13-6
before more than 3,000 fans. in the third quarter. Both
teams scored 25 points in
Vijay Blackmon led with 26
points and Reggie Jones had the fourth quarter.
a double-double of 12 points
Giants with 24 points. Jorand 11 rebounds.
Marion (13-5) took control dan Smith had 15 points.
from the very start with their Reggie Jones had 11 points
and Juswon White had 10
defensive pressure and traps
and led 14-3 just five minutes points.
Tim Leavell didnt play
into the game. Mississinewa
due to an ankle injury.
(10-8) had a six-game win
Jones and White both
streak come to an end but
had seven rebounds. Smith
outscored Marion 33-27 in
and Blackmon had six
the second half.
Blackmon scored 10 points rebounds.
in the opening quarter when
Marion 72,
the Giants went ahead 22-6
Oak Hill 69
but it was the quick hands of
Jones in the press and traps
that helped set the defensive
MIER The Marion
tone. Besides his points and
boys basketball team needrebounds, Jones contributed
ed a 16-3 run over the final
six steals and six assists. The four minutes to extended
6-foot-5 senior also had four its winning streak over Oak
slam dunks.
Hill to 13 games.
Mississinewa had point
With Oak Hill leading 66guard Jerod May for about
56, Marion ended the game
five minutes and his absence on a 16-3 run to come away
hurt against the pressure.
with a 72-69 victory in
May picked up two early per- front of a sellout crowd at
sonals and remained saddled Mier.
in foul trouble the rest of
When we were down
the game, eventually exiting
10 points, me and Reggie
after his fifth foul with 5:34
(Jones) just pulled the team
to play.
together and said that we
Indianapolis Attucks
Marion shot well, connect- needed to come together
72, Marion 69
ing on 15-of-32 attempts
as a team and we were not
in the first half with Jones
going to lose this game,
The Marion boys basket- had two slam dunks, and
Marion senior Vijay Blackball team saw its five-game were ahead 39-11 with two
mon said. That was our
minutes before halftime. The mindset.
winning streak end after a
72-69 loss at No. 8-ranked Indians came back to score
Five players scored all
the final seven points of the
Indianapolis Attucks.
of Marions points. Blackhalf.
Marion dropped to 12-5
mon led the Giants with 19
The Giants were comforton the season, while Atpoints. Reggie Jones had
ably ahead much of the
tucks improved to 13-4.
17 points. Tim Leavell had
Attucks hit a 3-pointer with second half, leading 53-34
14 points, Jordan Smith
three seconds remaining for after the third quarter before
had 12 points and Juswon
Blackmon pulled his starters. White had 10 points.
the win.
The Indians outscored the GiMarion led 38-37 at
With the game tied 56-56,
ants 17-13 in the final quarter. Oak Hill went on 10-0 and
halftime.
Vijay Blackmon led
after two Livingston free
Marion 64,
Marion with 25 points.
throws had a 66-56 lead. A
Lafayette Jeff 61
Tim Leavell had 16 points.
Jones basket finally ended
Reggie Jones had 14 points.
the Oak Hill run.
The Marion boys basJordan Smith had seven
The Jones basket started
points and Gage Pinkerton ketball team opened the
Marion on a 12-0 run.
had five points.
Back-to-baskets from
Trenton Hatfield hit a free
throw to bring the Bearcats
within 66-65. After Hatfield
missed the second free
throw, Andre Jones was
called for his fifth foul on
the rebound. Reggie Jones
hit two free throws to put
Marion up 68-65.
The Giants then forced
the Bearcats into a turnover. Reggie Jones hit two
free throws to put Marion
up 70-65 with 58 seconds
left. Muncie Central got no
closer than four points the
rest of the game.
Muncie Central took a
51-49 lead into the fourth
quarter. Muncie Central
had as big as a six-point
lead at 47-41. Marion
scored eight of the next 10
points and tied the game
49-49 after two Reggie
Jones free throws. Corthen hit two free throws
to give the Bearcats the
lead headed into the fourth
quarter.
Muncie Central went into
halftime with a 31-28 lead.
The two teams were
tied 15-15 after the opening quarter. The Bearcats
opened a 28-21 lead in the
second quarter after Corthens 3-pointer. Marion
scored the next seven
points and after a threepoint play from Leavell
and a Jones basket tied the
game at 28.
Andre Jones converted on
a three-point play with two
seconds to put the Bearcats
up 31-28 at half.
CONGRATULATIONS
Blackmon tied the game

66-66 with under two
minutes remaining. Marion
took a 68-66 lead on
Smiths basket. Blackmon
was called for his fifth foul
on the Eagles next possession. Oak Hill hit one free
throw to get within 68-67.
Jones hit two free throws
to get a 70-67 lead. The
Eagles proceeded to go
2-for-4 from the line to get
within 70-69. After Oak Hill
missed the second of two
free throws, White grabbed
the rebound and was fouled.
White hit two free throws to
end the game.
I have to give these guys
credit because they were
focused for 32 minutes,
Marion coach James
Blackmon Sr. said. We
knew they were going to
make a run and I was glad
with the way we responded.
We extended our defense
and forced them into some
turnovers.
Oak Hill outscored Marion 20-7 in the third quarter
to take a 49-46 lead into
the fourth quarter. With
Marion leading 46-38, the
Eagles ended the quarter on
an 11-0 run. Middlesworth
scored nine of those points,
including a 3-pointer that
put the Eagles up 49-46 .
Marion opened the fourth
quarter with back-to-back
3-pointers from Jones and
Blackmon to take a 52-49
lead. Oak Hill responded
on a 7-0 run, with five of
those points from Ballinger,
to go ahead 56-52. Marion
scored four straight points
to tie the game 56-56 and
set up the dramatic finish.
Marion went into halftime with a 39-29 lead. The
Giants had a 32-20 lead in
the second quarter after a
Jones dunk.
Oak Hill scored seven
straight points to cut the
lead to 32-27 after a Middlesworth basket. Marion
led 34-28 before ended the
first half on a 5-1 run to
take the 10-point lead into
halftime.
the first quarter. The Giants
had a 15-8 lead after Blackmons basket. A 3-pointer
from Livingston brought
Oak Hill within 15-11 before Marion scored four of
the next six points and had

a 19-13 lead after Blackmons basket. David Arens
hit a free throw to bring the
Eagles within 19-14 after
the first quarter.
McCutcheon 82,
Marion 53
INDIANAPOLIS The
McCutcheon boys basketball team used a strong
3-point shooting first
quarter to advance to the
championship game of the
Tournament at Indianapolis
Tech.
The Mavericks went
7-for-11 from 3-point range
in the first quarter and
never looked back, beating
Marion 82-53.
McCutcheon improved
to 20-3, while Marion
dropped to 15-6
with 13 points. Vijay
Blackmon and Jordan
Smith both had nine points.
McCutcheon also denied
Marion a record 21st
championship. Marion and
Muncie Central remained
tied with 20 NCC titles.
McCutcheon also handed
Marion its biggest loss of
the season.
McCutcheon went into
halftime with a comfortable
46-25 lead.
The Mavericks used a
7-for-11 performance from
the 3-point line to lead
27-13 after the first quarter.
Collins hit five 3-pointers
in the first quarter for the
Mavericks.
Leading 12-7, McCutcheon outscored Marion 15-6
the rest of the first quarter.
Collins hit three 3-pointers
during that stretch.
Leading 29-16, McCutcheon went on a 7-0
run to take a 36-16 lead in
the second quarter. McCutcheon let Marion get no
closer than 16 points in the
second quarter.
The Mavericks had
extended its lead to 62-36
after the third quarter.
Marion 78,
Logansport 62
The Marion boys basketball team beat Logansport
78-62 in the third place

game of the North Central
Conference Tournament at
Kokomo.
on the season. Logansport
dropped to 14-8.
Giants then outscored the
Berries 40-34 in the second
half to come away with the
victory.
Vijay Blackmon and Tim
Leavell led the Giants with
18 points each. Jordan
Smith and Reggie Jones
both had 15 points. Juswon
White had eight points.
Fort Wayne Snider 65,

Marion 58
Senior Night can be a
mixed bag as the Marion
Giants boys basketball team
found. Ft. Wayne Snider
were the party crashers as
they handed the Giants a 6558 defeat at the Bill Green
Athletic Arena.
Class 3A, No. 11 Marion
(16-7) started the game on
an 8-0 run, but the Panthers
(14-8) went on a 19-7 run
to finish the quarter en route
to a 19-15 lead after the first
eight minutes.
The momentum shifted
in the second quarter as the
Giants inched their way
back into the game, and Tim
Leavell hit a lay-up as the
buzzer sounded to knot things
up at 30-30 at the half.
Marion regained the lead
in the third quarter and
looked to be slowly and
methodically taking control
taking a lead as big as seven
points midway through the
quarter, but Snider again
put together a run and just
three points separated the
two teams as the Giants led
48-45 heading into the final
stanza.
There seemed to be no
answers for the Panthers inside attack and after Marion
took a 56-51 lead, Snider
clawed their way back to the
tune of a 14-2 run in turn ruining Senior Night for Vijay
Blackmon, Reggie Jones,
Jordan Smith and Juswon
White.
One of the Giants that
seemed to be locked in was
Leavell as he led all scorers
CONGRATULATIONS
MARION
GIANTS
MARION
GIANTS
2015-16
STATE CHAMPIONS
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with 25 points to go along

with six boards. Jones was
the only other double-figure
scorer for Marion with 12
points and six caroms.
Marion 80,
Blackford 41
The Marion boys basketball team opened the first
half on an 18-0 run and
started the second half on a
20-0 run en route to an easy
80-41 victory over winless
Blackford in the opening round of the Class 3A
Sectional at the Bill Green
Arena.
on the season while Blackford finished the season
0-23.
The Giants forced the
Bruins into 25 turnovers.
Vijay Blackmon led a
balanced Giant attack with
15 points. Jordan Smith
had 13 points, Tim Leavell
had 11 points and Reggie
Jones had 10 points. Gage
Pinkerton and Tyrese Cobb
both had eight points.
A win is a win, Vijay
Blackmon said. Our goal
is to win the sectional and
we were able to win tonight
and now we have two more
games to go to reach that
goal.
Giants played their reserves
the entire second quarter
after leading 20-8 after the
first quarter.
Marion never trailed in
the game after scoring
the first 18 points of the
contest. Pinkerton had
two rebound baskets and
Leavell added two 3-pointers during the opening
stretch.
Marion opened the
second half on a 20-0 run
to take a 53-17 lead after a
Jones basket. Marion took
a 68-34 lead into the fourth
quarter. Blackford scored
13 of his 15 points in the
third quarter.
Marion brought back
in its reserves to play the
fourth quarter.
Marion 74,
Hamilton Heights 67
Leading 28-8 after the
opening quarter, things
were looking good for
the Marion boys basketball team. After watching
Hamilton Heights go on a
48-24 run and take a 56-52
lead midway through the
fourth quarter, the crowd at
the Bill Green Arena was
stunned.
But Marion ended the
game on a 22-9 run to
come away with a 74-67
victory in Class 3A Sectional semifinals at Marion.
Giants with 24 points.
Leavell had 18 points
and Jordan Smith had 16
points. Reggie Jones had 12
points and Gage Pinkerton
had four points.
Hunter Crist led Hamilton
Heights with 26 points.
Sterling Weatherford had
19 points and Caymn Lutz
had 12 points.
Down 49-44, Hamilton
Heights scored 12 of the
first 15 fourth-quarter
GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016
Arena. Mason Degenkolb

led Tipton with 19 points
and Sam Gutierrez had 16
points.
Marion took a 66-64 lead
in the overtime on Jones
rebound basket. Tipton
missed two free throws
with 1:52 left. Jones hit a
basket with 1:30 left to put
Marion up 68-64.
Degenkolb hit a basket to
bring Tipton within 68-66.
Jones hit a rebound basket
to put Marion up 70-66.
The Blue Devils missed
a 3-pointer and committed
a turnover on their next
two possessions. Blackmon
Marion up 72-66 before
Gutierrez hit a 3-pointer to
get Tipton within 72-69.
Jones hit two free throws
for the final margin.
Marion had a chance to
end the game in regulation.
before Gutierrez scored
four straight points to give
Tipton a 64-62 lead. Jones
had a rebound basket to tie
the game 64-64.
Tipton missed a basket
on its next possession and
Marion held for the final
shot. The Giants missed the
shot to end regulation and
send the game into overtime.
Down 39-27 at halftime,
Marion went on a 22-9 run
to open the third quarter
and took a 49-48 lead
after a Jones basket. Jones
scored 10 points during the
run. Jones had 12 points
in the third quarter were
Marion outscored Tipton
26-14 to tie the game 5353 headed into the fourth
quarter.
Tipton went into halftime
leading 39-27. The Blue
Devils led 20-12 after the
first quarter and outscored
the Giants 19-15 in the
second quarter.
Tipton never trailed in the
first half. The Blue Devils
scored the first seven points
of the game and had as big
as an eight-point lead in the
first quarter. With the Blue
Devils lead 11-9, Tipton
scored six straight points to
take a 17-9 lead.
Tipton had as big as a
14-point lead in the second
Marion 74,
quarter at 37-23. Marion
Tipton 69 (OT)
trailed 23-17 before Tipton
scored seven of the next
eight points 30-18 lead.
Reggie Jones wasnt going to let the Marion boys Marion had the lead cut to
32-23 after Juswon Whites
basketball team lose the
rebound basket, but Tipton
sectional championship
scored five straight points
game on their home court.
to take a 37-23 lead after a
Jones scored a gamehigh 32 points, leading the Sam Gutierrez 3-pointer.
Marion scored four of
Giants to a 74-69 overtime
the last six second-quarter
victory over No. 7-ranked
points to get within 39-27
Tipton at the Bill Green
at halftime.
Athletic Arena. Marion
Marion shot 7-for-25
won its first sectional since
2009 while playing the sec- from the field in the first
tional on its home court for half.
the first time since 2008.
Marion 67,
Jones scored 27 of his
Columbia City 39
32 points in the second
half and overtime, helpMarion boys basketball
ing the Giants overcome a
39-27 deficit and outscored coach James Blackmon Sr.
Tipton 47-30 in the second said it was a total team effort as the Giants defeated
half and overtime.
Tim Leavell had 16 points Columbia City 67-39 in the
opening round the Class 3A
and Vijay Blackmon had
Regional at Marion High
13 points for the Giants.
School.
We did a great job of
and will host Columbia
playing to our strengths
City in the regional on
and we are trusting our
Saturday at the Bill Green
after Crists 3-pointer. A

3-pointer from Jones followed by a Leavell basket
put Marion up 57-56. Crist
Hamilton Heights up 5857, but that would be the
last lead the Huskies would
have.
put Marion up 60-58. Crist
hit two free throws to tie
the game before Jones hit a
basket to put Marion up 6260. Crist hit a shot to tie the
game 62-62 with 2:20 left.
Smith hit a layup to put
the Giants up 64-62 and
started the Giants on an 8-0
run that put them up 70-62.
The Huskies got no closer
than five points the rest of
the way.
Marion led 35-23 at
halftime and Hamilton
Heights cut that margin to
as little as four points in the
third quarter. With Marion
leading 46-38, baskets
from Austin Sauerteig
and Weatherford had the
lead cut to 46-42. Marion
opened a 49-42 lead after
Smiths basket before
Weatherfords basket
brought Heights within 4944 after the third quarter.
Marion shot 6-for-8 from
3-point range and 10-for18 overall from the field to
take a 28-8 lead after the
first quarter.
Hamilton Heights
outscored Marion 15-7 in
the second quarter to cut
the Giant lead to 35-23 at
halftime.
The Giants were the aggressor in the first quarter.
With Hamilton Heights
leading 7-6, Marion went
on a 15-0 run to take a
21-7 lead after two Leavell
free throws. Blackmon hit
three straight 3-pointers to
start the run and scored 11
points during the surge.
A Lutz free throw ended
the 15-0 run, but Marion
scored the final six points
of the quarter and after
Gage Pinkertons rebound
basket had a 28-8 lead.
in the second quarter before
Hamilton Heights scored
eight of the final nine
points of the quarter.
Way To Go Giants!
Laurel R Gabbard Agency
1317 W 5th St
Marion, IN 46953-1316
(765) 664-7527
lgabbard@amfam.com
teammates, Blackmon Sr.

said. It was a team effort
today.
Reggie Jones led the
Giants with 29 points. Tim
Leavell had 15 points and
points.
Jones points came on
7-of-15 shooting from the
field. He was 9-for-10 from
the foul line. Jones had
nine rebounds and nine
steals.
With Reggies performance, you could tell it
was team effort, Blackmon
Sr. said. Reggie didnt
force any shots and we had
great ball movement.
Brachen Hazen led
Columbia City with 13
points.Parker Hazen had 12
rebounds.
The Giant defense forced
Columbia City in 21 turnovers. Marion scored 35
points off those turnovers
and outscored Columbia
City 35-7 in points off
turnovers.
We wanted to be aggressive on defense, but we also
didnt want to leave holes
in our defense, Blackmon
Sr. said. When we are
aggressive on defense like
we were, that causes teams
to sometimes float passes
over the top of the defense
which leads to steals.
The Giants shot 47 percent (21-for-45) from the
field in the win. Columbia City shot 32 percent
(14-for-44) from the field.
Columbia City had a 35-28
rebounding advantage over
Marion.
the opening quarter and
outscored Columbia City
25-16 in the second quarter
to take a 38-26 lead into
halftime.
Jones had 22 points at
halftime. Along with those
points, he also had seven
steals. Columbia City has
12 turnovers in the first
half compared to one for
Marion. The Giants outscored the Eagles 23-3 on
points off turnovers.
After Columbia City had
cut a 24-16 Marion lead to
26-25 in the second quarter,
Jones scored all the points
during a 10-0 run Marion
run that gave the Giants a
36-25 lead.
With Marion leading 4430 in the third quarter, the
Giants went on a 5-0 run to
end the quarter and take a
49-30 lead into the fourth
quarter.
Marion then outscored
Columbia City 18-9 in the
fourth quarter.
Marion 66,
NorthWood 62
Regional championships dont come quite as
frequently for the Marion
boys basketball team, and
they often are hard earned.
For their 37th title, the
Giants had to hold off No.
1-ranked NorthWood 66-62
on the Bill Green Arena
court and never could
breathe easy until the final
13 seconds. Sharpshooter
Tim Leavell was huge in
the fourth quarter with two
critical 3-point baskets.
and equaled Lafayette
Jeff for the most IHSAA

regional tournament titles,
including one class (191197). However, it was the
Giants first since 2008.
Reserve Juswon White
had the biggest basket with
a rebound tip that gave the
Giants a 64-61 advantage
with 22 seconds to play.
After NorthWoods Luke
Zurcher made 1-of-2 free
throws, Reggie Jones sank
two free throws at the
13.3-second mark, and
NorthWood misfired on two
desperation 3-point shots in
the waning seconds.
NorthWood, which
finished up a 23-3 season,
had leads of 50-47 and
52-51 in the final quarter,
and standout guard Vincent
Miranda knocked down a
3-pointer to whittle a fivepoint Marion lead (61-56)
and keep the Panthers in
the game.
Leavells first 3-pointer
gave the Giants the lead
for keeps at 54-52 with
3 minutes to play. After
that, the best NorthWood
could do was tie it at 54and 56-all but then Leavell
knocked won his second
3-point dagger for a 59-53
advantage.
Leavell led the Giants
with 21 points that included 5-of-8 shooting
from 3-point range. Vijay
Blackmon was next with 19
points and Jones added 12
points and seven rebounds.
Mirandas deep 3-point
shooting kept NorthWood
in the game often when the
Panthers were on the brink.
The junior guard finished
with 22 points that included
6-of-10 from 3-point range.
Dakiyron Fox added
13 points and nine rebounds despite being in
foul trouble from the start
of the game. Point guard
Braxton Linville hurt the
Giants with his penetration
until he picked up a fifth
foul with 1:43 to play. His
absence hurt the Panthers
down the stretch.
The Giants dialed up their
3-point shooting to begin
the game with Tim Leavell
and Vijay Blackmon both
hitting a pair to open a 15-4
lead. NorthWood actually
fell behind 10-2 just three
minutes into the game, but
then crept back to make it
17-9 at the break.
A three-point play from
Blackmon in transition
gave the Giants their
second double-digit lead at
21-11 early in the second
quarter. At that point, Miranda heated up with three
straight 3-point baskets
that pulled NorthWood to
within 34-33 at halftime.
The game was tied 46-all
heading into the fourth
quarter and the Giants
struggled from the field
after a hot shooting start.
Marion 60,
Griffith 58
LAFAYETTE Gage
Pinkertons only made one
basket during the Class 3A
Northern Semistate game
against Griffith. But that
one basket came at the
perfect time.
Pinkerton hit a rebound
basket with one second
Wishes to Congratulate Marion High School

and the Marion Giants Boys Basketball team
on their 8th State Championship!
All of Marion couldn't be more proud of you!
You played a wonderful game, showed great
poise, and represented the hard work
that resides here in Marion, Indiana.
Enjoy your success. You earned it!
Stop in to order yours or visit us at:
http://hjpscreen.com/collections/marion-sectional-champs
Shirt orders will be available for pickup April 14.
You will receive an email when your order is complete.
left, leading Marion to a

60-58 victory over Griffith.
I just knew that I had to
put the ball in the basket
with time still left on the
clock, Pinkerton said.
Luckily, the basket was
with enough time left because we won the game.
on the season while No.
3-ranked Griffith finished
25-4.
Pinkertons putback completed a 14-3 run to end
the game for Marion. The
Giants trailed 55-46 early
in the fourth quarter.
With the game tied 5858, Griffith had the ball
with 1:30 left. In a strange
possession, Griffith committed a turnover, Marion
committed a turnover, and
Griffith committed a turnover, giving Marion the
ball with 55.5 seconds left.
Marion missed a shot and
Griffith missed a shot, giving Marion the ball with
44.1 seconds left. Marion
missed a 3-pointer but
forced a jump ball on the
rebound, retaining possession with 18.4 seconds
left.
Reggie Jones took the
ball to the basket and
missed a shot. Pinkerton
was there for the rebound
and game-winner.
It was an unbelievable
feeling when Gage hit that
rebound basket, Jones
said. Its unbelievable.
We are going to state.
Vijay Blackmon led
Marion with 15 points,
with 14 of those in the second half. Tim Leavell had
13 points, Jones had 12
points and Juswon White
had nine points. Tremell
Murphy led Griffith with
20 points.
What Gage did a great
job of was getting that
rebound without fouling, Marion coach James
Blackmon Sr. said. That
guy did a great job of
blocking him out and Gage
went up there and got the
rebound and had the presence of mind to make the
basket also.
Griffith took a 55-46 lead
early in the fourth quarter
before Marion went on a
12-0 run to take a 58-55
lead. Blackmon 3-pointer
with 5:38 remaining to cut
the Griffith lead to 55-52.
The Blackmon 3-pointer
forced Griffith to call a
timeout.
Coming off the timeout,
the Giants got a defensive
stop and Blackmon hit
two free throws to bring
Marion within 55-54. After
a Griffith turnover, Jones
hit a layup to give Marion
up 56-55 with 4:54 left.
Jordan Smith then scored
to put Marion up 58-55
before two Murphy free
throws ended the Giant
run.
Giants Fight Never
Die, Smith said. Giants
Fight Never Die. That is
our slogan and we go by
that every day.
Kelston Haden hit a free
throw to tie the game 5858. Jones was called for a
charge on the Giants next
possession, giving Griffith
the ball with 1:30 left.
GIANT PRIDE
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2016 Boys Basketball
STATE CHAMPIONS
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GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016
Griffith ended the third

quarter on a 9-4 run to
fourth quarter. With the
Panthers leading 40-38,
Anthony Murphy hit two
free throws to start the
Panthers on the 9-4 run to
end the quarter.
The game was tied 30-30
at halftime.
Griffith jumped to a 9-4
lead before Marion scored
seven of the final eight first
quarter points to take an
11-10 after the first quarter.
Jones came out and
scored seven of Marions
first nine second-quarter
points to give the Giants a
20-17 lead. Griffith scored
eight of the next 12 points
to take a 25-24 lead after
Martin Schieles 3-pointer.
Smith scored four straight
points to give Marion a
28-25 lead. Marion had a
30-27 lead after Leavell
hit two free throws, but
Schiele hit a 3-pointer to tie
the score at halftime.
Blackmon was limited to
one point on 0-of-5 shooting from the field in the
first half.
Murphy had 11 points for
Griffith at halftime. Schiele
had six points.
Matt Wilson / mwilson@chronicle-tribune.com
LEAVELL: Marions Tim Leavell takes the ball to the basket.
Marion 73,
Evansville Bosse 68
Things did not look good

for us. But this is a team
INDIANAPOLIS The that understands that 10
Marion boys basketball
points is something that we
team had been in a similar can get back quick. In the
situation throughout the
second half we took care
postseason.
of the ball and played great
The Giants found themdefense without fouling
selves trailing Evansville
and that is what allowed us
Bosse 35-25 at halftime of to win the game.
Saturdays Class 3A state
Marion finished the seachampionship game at
son 23-7, while Bosse finBankers Life Fieldhouse in ished 19-11. Reggie Jones
Indianapolis. The Giants,
led the Giants with 25
however, flipped the switch points, while Juswon White
in the second half, outscor- came off the bench for 17
ing the Bulldogs 48-33 to
points. Tim Leavell had 14
come away with a 73-68
points and Vijay Blackmon
victory.
had 12 points.
The Giants won their
Mekhi Lairy led Bosse
state-record tying eighth
with 28 points. Javi Langstate championship and
ley had 15 points.
their first in Class 3A.
After outscoring the
The first half I thought
Bulldogs 31-15 in the third
our guys were nervous and quarter to take a 56-50 into
our shots did not go down, the fourth quarter, the GiMarion coach James
ants had to hang on for the
Blackmon Sr. said. Bosse victory.
came out with a great game
Marion had a 62-51
plan. They executed well
lead after a Jones basket.
made us turn the ball over. Bosse, however, went on a
13-1 run and took a 64-63

lead after Ethan Thomas
3-pointer. Leavell hit two
free throws to put Marion
up 65-64, but Lairy came
back with a basket to put
Bosse up 66-65.
That would be the last
lead the Bulldogs would
have. Two free throws from
Jones put Marion up 67-66,
then two free throws from
White extended that lead
to 69-66. Lairy came back
with two free throws to
bring Bosse within 6968, but Jones hit two free
throws with 17.9 seconds
left to put Marion up 7168.
Leavell then allowed four
seconds to go off the clock
before fouling and putting
Bosse on the line for a oneand-one foul opportunity.
That is what we wanted
to do, Blackmon Sr. said.
We were good with allowing them to make two free
throws and us still being up
one with the ball and forc-
ing them to foul us.

As it turn out, Bosse
missed the first free throw
of the one-and-one. Jones
grabbed the rebound and
was fouled. He hit two free
throws with 9.2 seconds
left to end the scoring.
At halftime coach told
us that we played our worst
basketball and they played
their best basketball, Jones
said. We knew that we
were going to make a run
in the second half.
Marion outscored Bosse
fourth quarter. Marions 31
points broke a state record
for points in a quarter. The
previous record was 30 by
Bosse in 2007.
(9-for-10) in the third
quarter.
We scored 31 points in
that third quarter, Vijay
Blackmon said. We were
getting the same shots that
we were getting in the first
half, but they just started

falling. And we just stayed
aggressive.
Down 35-25 at halftime,
Marion opened the second
half on a 16-5 run and took
a 41-40 lead after Whites
basket. Jones scored the
first five points of the third
quarter. He scored seven
points during the Giant run.
Leavell and Jordan Smith
also hit 3-pointers during
the run.
With Marion leading 4846, the Giants scored eight
of the final 10 third quarter
into the fourth quarter after
White 3-pointer.
down 35-23. Evansville
Bosse outscored Marion
18-8 in the first quarter.
The Giants shot 37 percent (11-for-30) from the
field in the first half. Bosse
shot 43 percent (13-for-30).
Down 18-8, Marion
opened the second quarter on a 15-6 run to cut
the Bosse lead to 24-23

after Jones basket. Bosse
outscored Marion 11-2 the
remaining of the quarter to
take the 10-point lead into
halftime.
Bosse jumped to a 12-4
lead before baskets from
Jordan Smith and Leavell
led Marion on a 4-2 run to
cut the Bosse lead to 14-8.
Bosse scored the final four
points of the quarter.
Two baskets from Jones
and another from White
led Marion on a 6-0 run
to open the second quarter
and bring the Giants within
18-14. Bosse scored four
straight points to take a 2214 lead before Marion went
on a 9-2 run to cut the lead
to 24-23 after Jones basket.
(22-for-46) for the game.
The Giants outrebounded
the Bulldogs 34-29. Jones
led the Giants with eight
rebounds.
Thomas received the Arthur L. Trester Award.
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1800 E Havens Ct
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Fax: 765-626-0009
Email: mope@iquest.net
1808 East St Road 18

Marion IN 46953
Phone: 765-651-9811
Fax: 765-651-9813
2280 Westfield Road

Noblesville IN 46062
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*See dealer for details. Document fees & taxes not included. See dealer for full financing exclusions and details.
A8
GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016
8-time State
Champs.
Way to go
Marion Giants!
Youre
the best.
Give
it your
best shot.
<RXUKDUGZRUNWKLVVHDVRQKDVSDLGR
:HDUHYHU\SURXGRI\RX
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
Nick McKinley, Agent

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GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016
B1
Seniors guide Giants to state title

Leadership key
during Marion
postseason run
1987 and 2000. Also during

the postseason run, the Giants won their 67th overall
sectional title, which ranks
fourth in the state. The Giants
also won their 38th overall
regional title, which is tied
BY MATT WILSON
mwilson@chronicle-tribune.com
with Lafayette Jefferson for
most in the state. They also
coach James Blackmon Sr.
won their state-leading 15th
said seniors Vijay Blackmon, semistate with a 60-58 victory
Reggie Jones, Juswon White over Griffith.
and Jordan Smith all entered
And Blackmon Sr. said
the season with one goal in
the seniors played a big part
mind.
in the Giants success this
This group of guys from
season. Blackmon, Smith and
day 1 had the goal of winning Jones were all starters for the
a state championship and that 23-7 Giant team. White came
was their mentality, Blackoff the bench and played a
mon Sr. said. When we sat
key role, including a 17-point
down with the four seniors
effort in the state championbefore the season and asked
ship game against Evansville
them about their goals, they
Bosse.
all had the same goals and
I really have to credit these
that was to win state. And
seniors because they led by
that just shows so much about example, Blackmon Sr.
them and this team.
said. The seniors were great
The Giants went out and
role models for the younger
accomplished that preseason players and they were great
goal. Marion defeated Evans- examples both on and off the
ville Bosse 73-68 to win the
court.
Class 3A state championship
Blackmon finished second
at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in on the team with his average
Indianapolis. With that win,
of 17.4 points per game. He
the Giants tied Muncie Cenalso averaged 4.2 rebounds,
tral with eight overall state
2.9 assists and 1.9 steals per
championships.
game. Blackmon said he is
The Giants also won state
unsure where he wants to
Matt Wilson photos / mwilson@chronicle-tribune.com
championships in 1926,
continue his basketball career,
WHITE: Marions Juswon White dribbles during a game this
1975, 1976, 1985, 1986,
Please see next page SMITH: Marions Jordan Smith looks for an open teammate. season.
JONES: Marions Reggie Jones controls the ball against Evansville Bosse.
BLACKMON: Marions Vijay Blackmon shoots during the state finals.
CONGRATULATIONS
MARION
GIANTS!
2015-16 IHSAA CLASS 3A BOYS BASKETBALL
STATE CHAMPS!
1420 N. BALDWIN AVENUE, MARION | NEXT TO SOUTHWORTH FORD

MARION | ANDERSON | FISHERS | KOKOMO | MUNCIE | WESTFIELD
COLLISIONCURE.COM
GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016
Photo look back

at the Marion boys
basketball season
From staff reports
The Marion boys

basketball up-and-down
season ended with a state
championship.
The Giants won eight of
their last nine games and
finished the season 23-7
after winning the Class 3A
state championship with a
73-68 victory over Evansville Bosse.
Marion won its first state
title since 2000.

This was a real up-anddown season for us and it
was a learning process,
Marion coach James
Blackmon Sr. said. But
the one thing I will remember about this season
is how we started to trust
each other more as the
season went along. And we
started playing more as a
team, which helped us win
the state championship.

Marion finished its
season by averaging 72.2
points per game while
allowing 61.6 points per
game. The Giants won
their first sectional since
2009 after beating Blackford 80-41, Hamilton
Heights 74-67 and Tipton
74-69 in overtime. Marion
then won its first regional
since 2008 with a 67-39
DUNK: Marions Reggie Jones dunks during a game.
win over Columbia City

and a 66-62 win over No.
1-ranked NorthWood.
The Giants beat No.
3-ranked Griffith 60-58 to
win its first semistate title
since 2008.
Marion trailed in the
fourth quarter in its wins
over Hamilton Heights,
Tipton, NorthWood,
Griffith and Evansville
Bosse.
B3
FULLER: Marions Xavier Fuller goes in for a layup.
BLACKMON: Marions Vijay Blackmon raises the semistate plaque.
BLACK: Marions Cam Black dribbles.
COBB: Marions Tyrese Cobb dunks during a game.
Great Job Marion Giants!
CREST LANES
2014 W. 2nd Street
765.662.7673 765.669.2031
crestlanespc@yahoo.com
Giants Fight, Never Die!
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Congrats
EIGHT IS
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Marion Giants
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B4
GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016
A look back at the state finals

From staff reports
The Marion boys basketball team won the programs

eighth overall state championship after a 73-68 victory
over Evansville Bosse.
With the 3A state championship, the Giants are now
tied with Muncie Central
for the most state championships in state history.
Marion has won six state
titles in a non-class system,
one in Class 4A and one in
Class 3A.
The Giants trailed the
Bulldogs18-8 after the first
quarter and 35-25 at halftime. Marion then outscored
Bosse 48-33 in the second
half to come away with the
five-point victory.
Reggie Jones led the Giants with 25 points. Juswon
White had 17 points off the
bench. Tm Leavell had 14
points and Vijay Blackmon
had 12 points.
HUG: Marion coach James Blackmon Sr. receives a hug from Marion High School Principal Keith Burke following the game.
BAND: The Marion band came to Bankers Life Fieldhouse for the Class 3A state championship game.
PERFORM: Marion High School cheerleaders perform during a timeout.
Were Marion Giants Proud! Great Job!
Wereolling Out t for

R e C arpe n
th e Mario
th iants!
G
Great
Job
State
C hamps!
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OF GRANT CO., INC.
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Marion, IN 46952
PH: 765-662-1552 FAX: 765-662-7085
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Saturday 10am - 2pm
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Located at the corner of 14th and South Adams Streets

1317 South Adams Street Marion, Indiana 46953
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MARION GIANTS!
Great Job!
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5 Stars Salon
504 N. Baldwin Ave. Marion
For Hair & Nails, Call 6627827
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GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016
B5
BENCH: The Marion bench reacts during a play.
CHEERLEADERS: The Marion High School cheerleaders prepare to lead the Giants on to the court.
CHEER: Marion High School fans cheer during the state finals game against Evansville Bosse.
GIANT PRIDE!
GIANT PROUD!
Locally Owned FREE Estimates

+RPH$FFHVVRULHVDQG*LIWV
We salute the
Marion Giants!
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STORE HOURS:
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Over 30 Years
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We are located at:

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765-384-4340
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Owners, Tom & Mary Wheeler
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John R Claxon ChFC CLU, Agent
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The greatest compliment you
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MARION GIANTS
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SOUTH MARION
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The Best Place In Town To Take A Leak!

Serving Grant County Since 1946
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217 E. 31st St. Marion, IN 46953
B6
GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016
A look back at the Marion student section

From staff reports

coach James Blackmon
Sr. praised the work of the
Marion student section M
Club during the Giants run
to the state championship.
You cant talk about
Marion basketball without
thanking the M Club for the
energy they gave our guys,
Blackmon Sr. said during a
community celebration.
The Marion students
helped bring a good atmosphere to the home games
this season. The Giants
hosted both the sectional
and regional tournaments
and a strong group of students were there to support
the team.
With Marion trailing in
sectional against Hamilton
Heights and Tipton and in
the regional against NorthWood, Blackmon Sr. said
the energy provided by the
M Club helped the Giants
win those games down the
stretch.
STUDENTS: Members of the Marion High School M Club cheer during the state championship game.
STUDENTS: Marion students cheer on the Giants.
M CLUB: Marion students cheer at the state finals.
STATE: Marion students at the state finals.
CHEER: Marion students cheer at the state finals.
CHEER: Marion students cheer with the cheerleaders.
YELL: Marion students yell during the regional.
GIANTS FIGHT,
Giants, You Were

On FIRE
during your bid for
the State Title!
CONGRATS!
Serving the county for 30 years.
Fire & Safety Supplies, Inc.
Paul F. Thompson, Jr.,

PRESIDENT 765-664-4503
212 W. 4th Street

Marion, IN 46953
Paul F. Thompson, III
SALES AND SERVICE MANAGER
State Champs 2016 Congrats on State Victory!
GO
Marion Giants!
Emergency: 765-669-0104
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS & SUPPLIES
AUTOMATIC HOOD SERVICE
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Congratulations Giants!
FROM YOUR
FRIENDS AT THE
GREEN OLIVE PUB!
112 E. Bra
Bradford St., Marion 765-668-8030 Open Mon.-Sun.
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GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016
B7
CONGRATULATIONS
MARION GIANTS!
WERE
PROUD
OF YOU!
JONES: Marions Darrick Jones is announced at the state championship game.
Contact Sheryl at South Central Company

for all your Kitchen and Bath Projects
3015 South Valley Avenue, Marion
765-664-2384
9:30-4:00, Monday-Friday
Email: swarner@SouthCentralCo.com
SMITH: Marions Jordan Smith dribbles.

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CONGRATULATIONS MARION GIANTS!

From Opening
Tip-Off
to the
Final Buzzer
We are with You
All the Way!
The C-T Sports team was there
from the very start bringing
you the previews, the post
game stories as well as the
celebrations. We are proud of
our Sports Team with years
of experience providing the
Best in Sports Coverage for all
the Grant County High School
Athletes.
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B8
GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016

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Chronicle -Tribune

Serving Grant County since 1867.

SUNDAY, APRIL 3, 2016

GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016

CHRONICLE-TRIBUNE, MARION, IND.

A JOURNEY TO GIANTS SUCCESS

The Class 3A, No.

By Matt Wilson / mwilson@chronicle-tribune.com

TEAM: The Marion boys basketball team takes the court.

broke the school record for

Marion went into halftime with a comfortable

points of the game.

Kellys The Florist

GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016

CHRONICLE-TRIBUNE, MARION, IND.

in a very efficient offensive

into halftime down 37-34.

tied the game 25-25 after

control. Jones scored off a

Indianapolis Pike 76,

Another slow start

SUNDAY, APRIL 3, 2016 A3

Thomas already had 10

It takes a 5 star performance

729 W. 35th St. Marion,, IN 46953 - (765)674-3371

Living Well Changes Everything.

SUNDAY, APRIL 3, 2016

points to take a 32-28 lead

Marion 76, Fort Wayne

GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016

CHRONICLE-TRIBUNE, MARION, IND.

37-27 in the second half en

Giants had 6-foot-10 center

during the surge.

The Class 4A, No.

Reggie Jones led the Giants with 25 points. Tim

tied 23-23 at halftime, the

GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016

CHRONICLE-TRIBUNE, MARION, IND.

Tournament with a 64-61

Blackmon tied the game

the next six points and had

SUNDAY, APRIL 3, 2016 A5

78-62 in the third place

Fort Wayne Snider 65,

Great Job Bringing Home

CHUCKS SEWER & DRAINS

Call to schedule your FREE

INDIANAPOLIS MUNCIE COLUMBUS

3820 S. LINCOLN BLVD. MARION, IN 46953-5501

Not only do we stand behind our

SUNDAY, APRIL 3, 2016

with 25 points to go along

GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016

CHRONICLE-TRIBUNE, MARION, IND.

Arena. Mason Degenkolb

after Crists 3-pointer. A

teammates, Blackmon Sr.

Jeff for the most IHSAA

Wishes to Congratulate Marion High School

left, leading Marion to a

GIANTS TRIBUTE 2016

CHRONICLE-TRIBUNE, MARION, IND.

Griffith ended the third

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