FAIRMOUNT, Ind. —
Jeremy Johnson was mad, and John Irwin was glad.
After being demoted from the starting lineup, Johnson took out his frustrations on Central Indiana Conference leader Alexandria, scoring a career-high 27 points, including the game-winner, as Madison-Grant defeated the Tigers 58-56 on Friday night in Fairmount.
“He’s playing better since we brought him off the bench, but he still doesn’t like it,” Madison-Grant coach Irwin said. “We played pretty well.”
Johnson hit 11 of 17 field goals in the game, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range. He also had five rebounds and four steals in 27 minutes off the bench. His biggest shot came off a pass from Brady Franklin with 30 seconds left as he sank a 3-pointer from the corner to give the Argylls a two-point lead.
“It made me mad more than anything,” said Johnson, who acknowledged that he was motivated after the demotion. “It was a big win for us.”
Alexandria got three shots in the final 10 seconds, but all three missed their mark. Mitch Yeagy missed a running jumper in the lane, followed by a Jordan Allen layup and finally another Yeagy layup just before time expired.
“They hit the last shot and they won,” said Alexandria coach Steve Brunes, who suffered his first CIC loss this season in six games. “We were trying to get a shot off the inbound pass, but they had it covered. We told Mitch to penetrate and either put it up or kick it.”
Landon Breese led the Tigers with 25 points, four rebounds and three assists, hitting 7 of 10 field goals and 8 of 9 free throws, including three 3-pointers. Yeagy finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
“We had won two in a row and five in a row in the conference and we were too smart and thought we were invincible,” said Brunes. “I’m not very happy. They forced some turnovers, but we really didn’t execute very well. Madison-Grant turned up the pressure and we didn’t handle it very well.”
Brady Franklin had 11 points, five rebounds and two assists, and Tyler Young added seven points, three rebounds, two assists and four steals.
Statistically, the teams were nearly even with Madison-Grant shooting 52 percent to Alexandria’s 45 percent shooting. The Argylls had a slight edge in assists (13-12), turnovers (12-14) and second chance points (10-5) while the Tigers had the lead in rebounds (26-25) and 3-pointers made (8-6).
Madison-Grant led 15-14 after the first quarter, but the Tigers took a 32-26 lead into the locker room at the half. The teams were knotted at 45 after three quarters and the game was tied for the ninth and final time at 55 with a minute left, setting up Johnson’s game-winner.
Alexandria (9-8, 5-1 CIC) hosts Muncie South next Saturday (7:30 p.m.) and their final CIC game is against Frankton on Feb. 17. The Tigers can still clinch the CIC title with a victory over the Eagles.
Madison-Grant (10-8, 5-2 CIC) hosts Southwood next Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Local Sports
Related Photos
-
Madison Grant junior Jeremy Johnson takes a jump shot from the foul lane during the Argylls' home game against the Alexandria Tigers. The Herald Bulletin
Discussion
Madison-Grant outlasts Alex
Johnson scores career-high 27 points for Argylls
- Local Sports
-
-
Triumphant Tribe
Seventeen years of frustration and disappointment for the Anderson Indians baseball team ended in a jubilant dog pile atop junior pitcher Curtis Wilson on Monday night at Pendleton Heights’ Field of Dreams.
-
Argylls squeeze into crown
Madison-Grant coach Ben Rodriguez liked his squeeze play so much that he called it again in the pivotal inning of the Class 2A, Sectional 39 championship game at Eastern High School on Monday night in Greentown.
-
Bulldogs’ comeback falls just short
Not even a heroic seventh-inning rally could save the Lapel baseball team in the Class 2A sectional title game at Frankton on Monday afternoon.
The Bulldogs scored four runs in the seventh inning but still came up a run short as the Wapahani Raiders won the championship 9-8. -
Tribe rallies past Pendleton Heights into final
This is the stuff of legend.
The kind of game that defines a rivalry.
The kind of victory that breathes new life into a program.
And the kind of defeat that won’t ever be forgotten. -
Tyler runs away with second Little 500 win
Deuces were wild at the 64th running of the Pay Less Little 500 as Brian Tyler recorded his second win and brought team owner Larry Contos win No. 2 at Anderson Speedway.
-
Rick Teverbaugh: Spectacle lacking on local TV
The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, on television, is a myth in its own backyard.
-
Tipton bedevils Madison-Grant
The Madison-Grant softball team dug a deep hole on Friday night in the championship game of the Class 2A, Sectional 39 at Eastern High School in Greentown. Trailing 5-0 after four innings, the Argylls scratched their way back into the game, but were on the short end of a 5-4 decision against the Tipton Blue Devils.
-
Nominate an athlete for Madison County Area's 100 Greatest Athletes book
Nominate an athlete to be included in The Herald Bulletin's coffee table book, "The Madison County Area's 100 Greatest Athletes."
-
Indians’ Dabney headed to state
The North Central Boys Track Regional is traditionally one of the toughest in the state with powerhouses Lawrence Central, Ben Davis, Pike and the host Panthers among the competitors
But that didn’t faze Anderson senior Derrick Dabney, who turned in two brilliant performances in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles at Thursday’s regional to advance to the state meet at Indiana University in Bloomington next Saturday. -
Roller coaster ride comes to end for Lapel
The Lapel Bulldogs couldn’t overcome one more hurdle in their roller-coaster season on Thursday as they fell to Wapahani 4-1 in the softball championship game of the Class 2A, Sectional 40 at Shenandoah High School.
- More Local Sports Headlines
-
