Giants outlast Kokomo, 109-104, in latest chapter of storied rivalry
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Now matter how good or bad the teams are in any given year, one thing is certain about the basketball rivalry between Kokomo and Marion: both teams treat the games like no others. It’s more than records. It’s bragging rights in a conflict that stretches back decades.
Tom Schwartz to Pat Klein. Jimmy Rayl to Dave Colescott. Jay Edwards and Lyndon Jones to Flory Bidunga, with guys like Goose Ligon and Zach Randolph sprinkled in along the way. Kokomo and Marion have produced some all-time great players to go with some even greater rivalry games.
With that history to build upon, the 2024 match-up between the two teams promised to be a classic, and it did not disappoint. Well, maybe it disappointed the home crowd at Memorial Gymnasium on Dec. 20 as their beloved Wildkats came up short against the Giants in overtime, 109-104.
Despite Kokomo’s sparkplug, Zion Bellamy, hitting a three to open the evening, the Kats trailed most of the first quarter. Bellamy literally willed his team to stay in the battle, hitting two more shots from long range in the quarter, but Marion managed to stay in front, ending the first stanza with a 26-24 lead.
The second quarter was the low point of the evening for Kokomo. Bellamy continued to command the offense, dropping in 9 more points, but Marion stretched its legs and sprinted past the senior guard, outscoring Kokomo 28-14 in the period. At the half, things looked grim as the Giants led, 54-38.
But the Wildkats weren’t about to throw in the towel. Korbyn Hammel and D.J. Nash found the basket repeatedly in the third, taking part in a 31-point explosion that more than held serve against Marion’s offense. Thanks to good fundamentals at the free throw line, the pair scored the final five points in the quarter to close the gap to six points, 75-69.
With a close score and the pressure mounting, the fourth quarter kept the crowd on the edge of its seats. Marion spent the first three minutes of the quarter rebuilding a lead. With less than five minutes to play, the Giants led by 14, holding the Kats to a single field goal during the stretch.
That’s when Kokomo turned up the heat. Bellamy hit a three to start the comeback. Nash sank a pair of free throws, followed by a two from Hammel. Shortly after, Bellamy hit a free throw and then a deuce, followed immediately by a goal from Max Feuerle.
Less than three minutes. A 12-2 run. Marion called timeout while clinging to a 90-86 lead. When the two teams returned to the court, things got physical. The Kats and Giants took turns stepping to the free throw line as each possession became urgently contested. Still, Kokomo managed to stay close. With 23 seconds to play, the score was 94-89.
But the Kats weren’t finished. Bellamy drove down the court and hit a three with 15 seconds remaining to cut the lead to two. The goal pushed his point total to 40. Kokomo fouled Marion on the ensuing in-bounds, but the Giants hit just one of its free throws.
Bellamy took the in-bounds pass with 13 seconds to play and frantically dashed down the court. The Kats quickly passed around the perimeter from Erivon Burks to A’dayveon Young, but his three was an airball. Feuerle easily rebounded and fired the ball out Bellamy behind the arc. The senior guard, putting together the best game of his career, sank the three with two seconds remaining.
The score was tied at 95, and the game went to overtime. Unfortunately for the Kats, there just wasn’t enough left in their tanks. Three Kokomo players were consigned to the bench due to fouls. While Young hit a two in the first minute, giving Kokomo its first lead since the first quarter, Marion steadily walked away from the Kats.
Most importantly, Bellamy was held scoreless in overtime. The hot hand that served him so well in regulation went cold. As the game neared its end, Nash managed a basket to set the final score at 109-105. The Giants went home with the win.
Bellamy led all scorers with a career-high 43 points, sinking eight threes on 17 attempts. He added six assists and three steals. Nash was good for 21 points to go with 10 rebounds and five assists. Hammel dropped in 20 with seven assists. Young also found double digits with 10 points.
The loss was Kokomo’s first of the season, but the phyical toll of the game carried over to the Kats’ contest against Carmel the following night, resulting in a second loss. The Wildkats entered this weekend’s Phil Cox Memorial Holiday Tournament needing a win, and they found one on Dec. 27 with a win against New Haven. They face Merrillville (3-4) today in the second round of the tourney.
See additional photos from this game, along with photos of the dance team, the band, and the crowd, courtesy of Goad Sports Media, on the Lantern’s Facebook page or group.