Indiana all-stars top Kentucky boys, girls in Indianapolis to close annual rivalry series

The Indiana all-stars held home court against Kentucky on the final night of this year’s annual all-star basketball rivalry series between the neighboring states.

Both the Indiana boys and girls teams were victorious in Saturday night’s games, which were played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis, the home of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers.

Flory Bidunga powers Indiana boys to victory

On Friday night, the Kentucky boys all-stars scored their biggest win against Indiana in more than 25 years.

On Saturday, Indiana ensured that this year’s series would be split with a narrow 92-89 victory.

Indiana was led by its Mr. Basketball, future Kansas Jayhawk Flory Bidunga. The 6-foot-9 former UK basketball recruit, went for 31 points and 15 rebounds. He also blocked six shots. Those were all game highs.

In Friday night’s game — which Kentucky won 103-82 — Bidunga was called for a technical foul while celebrating a dunk and subsequently fouled out of the game midway through the second half.

Other Indiana standouts from Saturday night’s game in Indianapolis included Purdue-bound Jack Benter (16 points), Northwestern-bound K.J. Windham (13 points), Eastern Kentucky-bound Micah Davis (11 points), Butler-bound Evan Haywood (10 points) and IU Indianapolis-bound Keenan Garner (nine points and 11 rebounds).

Kentucky was led for the second straight night by Oldham County’s Max Green, who will be playing in college at Holy Cross. After he exploded for 36 points on Friday, Green followed that up with a team-high 25 Saturday.

Green was joined in the double-digit scoring club for Kentucky by Seneca’s Quel’Ron House, a future Jacksonville State player who had 24 points, and Lyon County’s Travis Perry, who is Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball. Perry, an incoming UK basketball player, had 17 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the field.

Perry, the all-time leading scorer in Kentucky boys high school basketball history, was a perfect 3-for-3 on 3-pointers.

Three Kentucky boys all-stars didn’t play in Saturday’s game: Warren Central’s Kade Unseld (Western Kentucky), Christian Academy-Louisville’s Jackson “BB” Washington (Florida Gulf Coast) and Hopkinsville’s Antonio Williams (Three Rivers College).

Indiana leads the all-time boys series over Kentucky 104-46. Kentucky hasn’t swept Indiana in the two-game series since 1986, and Kentucky has just four wins in the boys series since 1998.

Indiana girls complete sweep of Kentucky

In the girls’ contest, Indiana completed a sweep of Kentucky with a 66-64 victory on Saturday. Indiana had three girls score in double figures in the contest.

Indiana Miss Basketball Chloe Spreen (who is going to Alabama) led the way with 19 points on 5-for-12 shooting from the field.

Juliann Woodard (who is Michigan State bound) added 15 points, including a perfect 11-for-11 night from the free-throw line. Woodard, a 6-foot forward who scored 23 points in Friday night’s Indiana victory at Lexington Catholic High School, had a double-double with 13 rebounds.

Faith Wiseman (who will play at Indiana) contributed 10 points to the winning cause.

On Saturday, Kentucky was led by Sacred Heart’s Reagan Bender, who is going to Louisville. Bender had a game-high 21 points, which included 5-for-10 shooting from 3-point range. Kentucky’s Shaelyn Steele, a 5-foot-6 guard from Russell who scored 25 points on Friday night, went for 17 points in Saturday’s game.

Boyd County’s Jasmine Jordan (who is going to the University of Rio Grande in Ohio) had 12 points and shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the field.

Kentucky’s Miss Basketball, Pikeville’s Trinity Rowe (who will play at Southern Mississippi), didn’t play in Saturday’s game. Rowe logged 34 minutes in Friday night’s game at LexCath, which was the most among all Kentucky players in that game.

Indiana now leads Kentucky in the girls series 55-41.

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