BACK TO BACK. Kokomo Defeats Legends To Move On To Semi-State
The highly touted atmosphere of the Berry Bowl did not disappoint on Saturday night as the Kokomo Wildkats defeated the Fort Wayne North Side Legends 68-55 in a one-game Regional.
For the Wildkats, this game felt similar to most of the games they’ve played recently. The Kats started the game off by scoring the first seven points and never lost the lead. The Legends got within four in the fourth quarter, but that is as close as they could get.
Kokomo’s leaders were names you’re probably used to seeing on the final stat sheets, however the leading scorer for the Kats was not someone who is normally the leader in points scored. That Wildkat was Zavion Bellamy.
Bellamy finished with a season high of 22 points and added five rebounds and two assists. Bellamy did what a senior does; he showed up big when his team needed him most. Two of Kokomo’s main offensive players, Flory Bidunga and Patrick Hardimon, got into foul trouble early, which lead to them sitting on the bench more than normal. Bellamy stepped up and held the offense in check and kept the Legends from taking advantage of the moment. This was a special night for Bellamy. He is a quiet and humble player on the court who, in our opinion, deserves to have his name in lights for a night.
Speaking of Bidunga, the 6-foot 10-inch junior played less than 20 minutes in the whole contest and still finished an 18 point 10 rebound double-double. He was on the bench for most of the second and fourth quarters due to being in foul trouble. The Legends’ defensive plan for Bidunga was a very physical one. All night long, the Kokomo fans screamed for more fouls to be called on Fort Wayne North Side’s centers. However, this still didn’t keep Flory from being Flory. There were plenty of big dunks and alley-oops to enjoy on Saturday night.
Shayne Spear had another stellar performance as well. The senior, who has committed to the University of Findlay to play football next fall, finished with 18 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Spear was once again extremely proficient from beyond the arch. Nine of his total 18 points came from 3-point-land.
Kokomo will have to wait until 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon to see who they will play next in a newly IHSAA-designed semi-state round, which now will include two games. However, whoever the Kats are paired with, they are looking like a tough team to beat at the moment. The Kats have won 15 straight games and now have an overall record of 22-4 on the season.
