LEO-CEDARVILLE – Bishop Dwenger’s Demitra Burns started the big inning that put Wednesday’s 15-3 victory over Leo in the Leo softball sectional semifinals out of reach.Class 3A No. 7 Concordia will face No. 3 Andrean in a boys basketball semistate Saturday at Huntington North.
The Cadets (22-4) will play the 59ers (22-3) at 3 p.m., after the 2A game between Bowman and Tipton.
“We were very fortunate to get that site,” Concordia coach Josh Eggold said of going to Huntington North as opposed to Lafayette Jeff for the semistate. “For our fans, it will be a great trip, and I expect to have as packed of a house as Concordia fans will pack it. It is a great opportunity to be close.”
Concordia will be playing in its first semistate in 13 years after beating 2012 3A state runner-up Norwell 67-58 in the finals of the Blackford Regional.
The winner will advance to the 3A title game at 6 p.m. March 23 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The southern semistate will be No. 1 Mount Vernon (Fortville) and No. 2 Greensburg.
In an interesting twist, the last time the Cadets were in the semistate in 2000, they lost 77-57 to Andrean. That was also the last time the 59ers were in a semistate. Andrean lost in the 2000 state championship to Brebeuf 72-56.
The Cadets have won three regional titles – 1989, 2000 and 2013 – with no state finals appearances. The 59ers have been in six semistates, also winning in 1980.
“(Andrean) seems to me pretty comfortable making some runs in the postseason,” Eggold said. “This is pretty familiar territory for their program. They are a quality program that has been established for years.”
When the teams met 13 years ago, the Cadets’ coach was Tim Reinking, who now serves as an assistant to Eggold.
Concordia has won five straight and 11 of its last 12. The Cadets beat Hamilton Heights 65-49 in the regional semifinals.
Against Norwell, the Cadets committed only two turnovers to the Knights’ 13.
“That was the number of the night when we got back to the locker room,” Eggold said. “I thought I can remember both of them, but I can’t remember anything else when we were in trouble or throwing the ball around. They did a great job taking care of the basketball.”
Andrean has won seven straight and won the Plymouth Regional by beating Gary Wallace 71-56 in the semifinals and the host Pilgrims 70-60 in overtime in the final.
