'We still have to finish the job.' Crispus Attucks beats Princeton to reach semistate final
INDIANAPOLIS – Sixth-ranked Princeton tied the score twice and took a brief 13-12 lead in the second quarter against eighth-ranked Crispus Attucks during Saturday’s Southport Semistate semifinal.
Then, Attucks (21-6) flipped the switch with a 17-3 run and never lost the lead again.
Four Tigers finished in double figures led by Iowa commit Dezmon Briscoe’s 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Crispus Attucks advanced to the semistate finals with a 61-55 victory.
“We knew what the game plan was. We just wanted to make sure they were uncomfortable,” Attucks coach Chris Hawkins said. “For the most part, they were, but we just have to finish the game a little bit better.”
Attucks led 8-0 to start the game before Princeton (24-3) roared back to deadlock the game 8-8 and 10-10 to end the first quarter.
A 3-pointer by senior Jace Jenkins put Princeton up 13-12, but Attucks’ defense fueled its offense, as the Tigers built a 29-16 lead by halftime and went up 43-24 in the third quarter.
“Overall, I’m very satisfied with how we played this first game,” Hawkins said.
Senior Che Brownlow had 12 points and five rebounds to go with four assists for Attucks. Senior Chris Hurt had 11 points and six steals, while sophomore Ajalon Jones provided 10 points off the bench.
Jenkins posted a game-high 30 points with seven 3-pointers made, which helped Princeton chop down a 19-point deficit to five points in the final seconds.
Princeton trailed 58-44 with 1 minute, 26 seconds left in the game, but a 10-2 run in just over 70 seconds tightened the margin.
The Tigers held on to win their 11th straight game even with Hurt and Briscoe both fouled out in the fourth, but the former supplied plenty before exiting by blocking eight shots and dishing out four assists.
Crispus Attucks will face No. 3 New Palestine (26-3) in the semistate final at 8 p.m. with a shot at the program’s seventh title and first since winning the 3A state championship in 2017.
“What we’re doing is a testament to our players. Briscoe was just coming back from his ankle injuries, but we stayed the course,” Hawkins said. “Every player has played up to his potential and then some. I think the biggest thing is remembering we still have to finish the job.”