Class 3-A Salem Section | Brownstown downs Silver Creek; Corydon cruises past Charlestown

SALEM, IND. — Brownstown needed a late basket and a long miss from Silver Creek to escape with a 52-50 win Wednesday night in the first round of the Class 3-A Salem Sectional.

In the nightcap, Corydon cruised past Charlestown 59-46.

Brownstown (20-2) now will face Corydon (12-10) in the semifinals Friday night at 7:30. In the first game, Scottsburg (3-17) will take on host Salem (12-10) at 6.

Brownstown-Silver Creek: After Silver Creek’s Caleb Sprigler drove to the basket and hit a layup with 24 seconds to tie the game at 50, the Braves brought the ball down the floor and put it in the hands of guard Jalen Snodgrass.

Snodgrass, who finished with 17 points, drew some attention just inside the 3-point line and then fed inside to 6-foot-4 Skylar Thompson, who hit a layup with two seconds left.

“I feel like we’ve got the best point guard in Southern Indiana,” said Brownstown coach Dave Benter. “I wanted the ball in his hands and just let him make a play. The play broke down and he just made a great pass to Skylar.”

Silver Creek (13-8), which handed the Braves one of their two losses during the regular season, had 1.8 seconds for its final shot. The Dragons got the ball to Grant Meyer, who took a 30-footer at the buzzer. His shot banged off the right side of the rim.

Meyer, a senior, said he thought the shot had a good chance to win the game, “It felt good,” he said of his final shot at Silver Creek.

Meyer finished with 19 points and Sprigler added 17 points for the Dragons.

“It was a great Indiana high school basketball game,” Benter said. “I thought if both teams played well, it could be like this.”

Silver Creek coach Brandon Hoffman said the pace of the game wasn’t quick enough for the Dragons. “We wanted to get up and down the floor a little bit more. The difference was the pace of the game.”

Still, Hoffman credited Brownstown’s .”great program.“

“They deserve a lot of the credit,” he said. “They keep winning championships. That’s our goal — to be where they are, and we’re on 

Corydon-Charlestown: The Panthers got off to a quick start and breezed to a 31-13 halftime lead before coasting in the second half.

 “In the first half, we were like a deer caught in the headlights,” said Charlestown coach Sean Smith, whose team finished 10-11.

With Indiana University coach Tom Crean on hand to watch him, Corydon freshman Bronson Kessinger led the Panthers with 15 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots.

Corydon coach Jamie Kolkmeier also pointed to the play of Tyler Ross, who added 10 rebounds and nine points.

“We need those two (Kessinger and Ross) to play well to win,” Kolkmeier said.

Smith said he believes the Panthers can play toe-to-toe with Brownstown. “I think they’ll give Brownstown a heck of a game,” he said. “They have a talented freshman who is playing well. They’re playing well at the right time.”

Kolkmeier said the Panthers must defend Brownstown’s shooters. “They’ve got nine shooters, maybe 10 or 11,” he said. “It’s not going to be easy, but it’s not supposed to be.”

Silver Creek (13-8) — Taylor 1, Meyer 19, Sprigler 17, Ricketts 3, Brooks 8, McCall 2.Brownstown (20-2) — Schneider 3, Toppe 2, Snodgrass 17, McCory 10, Payton 11, Thompson 9.3-point goals: Sprigler, Schneider, Payton, Thompson.

Corydon (12-10) — Ross 9, Lander 13, Shewmaker 8, Kessinger 15, Yates 3, Jensen 2, Burton 2, Hinton 7.Charlestown (10-11) — Cissell 8, Odle 6, Reich 2, Conrad 10, Braun 2, Martin 3, Thompson 7. Daniel 4, Cester 2, Jackson 2.3-point goals - Shewmaker 2, Hinton 2, Cissell 2, Martin, Conrad 2.