Jim Gordillo The Herald-Times
Coach J.R. Holmes records win number 900!
When Zach Sims came down the floor and swished a 3-pointer with 2:43 left, he was just getting started.
The party was starting to go flat Friday after a 14-0 Terre Haute North run threatened to put the 900th win for Bloomington South boys' head coach J.R. Holmes on hold. Sims had other plans. Starting with that 3, the senior guard had 18 of the Panthers' last 21 points.
His off-balance 3 with 42 seconds left and two free throws with 22.2 left sent the game into overtime. Then his layup and two free throws in the final 40 seconds rallied South again to a 60-56 win, certainly among the more thrilling of Holmes' 900 wins.
"We were in good shape, bad shape, good shape, bad shape and then finally fortunate enough to win," Holmes said. "We stuck in there. They didn't quit."
After the handshakes, the game ball was presented to Holmes, and it will join several others in his office marking memorable wins. As a bonus, J.R.'s son Jon was on hand as a member of the 1998-99 final four squad that was recognized at halftime, and they shared a big hug surrounded by the current Panthers.
"I appreciate the people who came out," said Holmes, who keeps breaking the state record with each win. "I didn't know when I got 810 and set the record, I didn't know how many more years I was going to go. Don't know how many more I'm going to go after (this year).
"It's nice to be the first one to get (to 900). The stability of the program over the years. We had a run of really good high school players. Then the stability of my assistant coaches. Fortunate, and I appreciate it.
"The good Lord has taken care of us. The family moved up here from Mitchell. Didn't know what they were getting into, and it ended up being a really good situation for my family. It's been a very good run for us."
The usual after-game dinner with his wife and assistant coaches would follow later that night following his 1,262nd game. And they'll have a big milestone to toast.
"It was a very emotional moment for coach Holmes," Sims said. "He's been doing it for 54 years. He means a lot to us. We have his back. He has our back. And for his son's team to come, we had to win. There was no losing. So we did everything in our power to come back and take the W."
Wild second half
The past three seasons, these two teams have been entangled in low-scoring slugfests, and it looked like it was headed for another.
A sluggish first half ended with South up 24-13. Patriots coach Todd Woelfle always seems to have South well scouted, and that was the case again as Vincent Moutadier and Sims were covered pretty well early on.
So point guard TJ Spears took advantage to score 15 points.
"It felt good getting us on the board," Spears said. "Coach told us they saw the last game, Vincent and Zach did really well, so other guys would have to step up. But I wasn't just looking to score."
Holmes tried to warn his team not to get complacent, but they did. THN stormed out of the gate, hitting two 3s in 51 seconds. The Panthers managed to hang on to a 39-31 lead late in the third. Then the wheels came off.
Over the next six minutes, the Patriots went on a 14-0 run, helped by trapping full-court and half-court defenses. South got sped up, missed some shots and turned it over a half-dozen times, and all of a sudden, THN led 45-39.
"It was more of a mental thing," Sims said. "We thought we had a good lead, and I felt like we let up. We didn't really focus in on what we needed to do. We started getting a little selfish there, and we just had to come together as a team.
"They played harder than us in the third."
South, once playing not to lose, had to get back in attack mode again.
A corner 3 by 6-foot-9 reserve Bryce Renn, who was a pain on both ends in the second half, blocking three shots and scoring all 11 of his points after halftime, made it 48-42. From there, the Patriots tried to take the air out of the ball but went only 3 of 6 at the line to open the door.
Sims takes over for South
It was 50-46 when Sims knocked down an off-balance prayer of a 3-pointer after sprawling to the floor after making contact with Braden Walters on the way down, with 42 seconds left.
"I was shocked when it (went in)," Sims said. "I thought I was fouled, but it went in. I don't really care."
After THN split a pair, Sims went to the basket, drew a foul and made both, sneaking both over the rim, to tie it. Then THN's Kavish Reedy missed on a tough 3 from 25 feet to send it to OT, tied at 51.
Both teams missed chances early before four Sims free throws put South up 55-54 with 1:19 to go. Renn scored inside, as did Sims off a nice feed from Spears with 44 seconds left. South got a stop with 20 seconds left, and Sims was fouled with 16.1 to go.
"He had that hot hand," Spears said. "He wanted to take us to the win. He knew he could. I was proud of him."
Again, Sims nestled both tries through the nets for a 59-56 lead. THN went back to Reddy again and his quick pull up 3 from the right wing was off. Jack Clark was fouled with 1.1 second left. He missed the first but made the second to clinch it.
"As a four-year varsity player, I know when it's time to go, you have to go," Sims said. "In the first half, they weren't giving me nothing. Vince nothing. TH stepped up.
"So I've always wanted that moment, and I was like, 'I can't lose this. This is for Holmes. So I need the ball in my hands.' I wanted to dictate whether we win or lose."
Said Holmes, "He was huge for us. TJ was huge early. (Cruz) Sanchez was huge. He had six rebounds for us."
Overall, South was 17 of 20 at the line to just 11-for-24 for the Patriots.
THN was 9 of 19 on 3s, with seven players making at least one. South countered with 7 of 14 from distance as Sims went 3-for-4, Spears 2-for-3 and Vincent Moutardier 2-for-4 to make sure Holmes left with a nice, round number.
"It was awesome," Spears said. "I hope he's got one more year in him. I want to see him one more year."
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 60, TERRE HAUTE NORTH 56 (OT)
Terre Haute North (56): Halls f 1-1 0-0 3, Klopfenstein f 1-3 0-0 3, Walters g 5-8 2-7 12, Baker, g 1-4 3-6 6, Reddy g 4-10 3-6 14, Fennell 1-2 1-1 4, Renn 4-5 2-4 11, Woelfle 1-4 0-0 3. Totals 18-37 11-24 56.
Bloomington South (60): Shaevitz f 0-4 0-0 0, Spears g 5-7 3-3 15, Sims g 5-7 10-10 23, Sanchez g 3-4 1-1 7, Moutardier f 3-11 0-0 8, Elsesser 0-3 0-2 0, Jk.Clark 1-2 3-4 5, Tierney 0-0 0-0 0, Combs 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 18-41 17-20 60.
