The Indiana All-Star resume of Damien King got another boost Friday night.
King scored 20 of his game-high 32 points in the first half to lead three Indians in double figures as Anderson clinched the outright North Central Conference title with an 84-69 win over Kokomo on Phil Buck Court.
The 4A sixth-ranked Indians improved to 20-2 overall and completed a perfect 5-0 conference schedule.
“We won the outright title, but the bigger thing is that we played good basketball today,” coach Donnie Bowling said. “I’m just happy the way the kids played tonight. For senior night, they played really well.”
Kokomo fell to 15-6 (2-3) with the loss.
With his team trailing 19-17 in the first quarter, Titus Hunter scored on a rebound basket for Anderson to forge a tie going into the second period.
The second stanza was all Anderson.
King hit a free throw and a transition layup before Don Bowling hit a free throw line jumper and King scored again for a 26-19 lead. Hunter hit a baseline jumper before Kokomo finally broke the drought on a Zion Bellamy drive.
But King scored again in transition with a nifty reverse layup and drove for two more and a 32-21 lead.
Consecutive 3-pointers by Baris Moore and Korbyn Hammel pulled the Wildkats back within five, but another Hunter jumper sparked a 9-0 run to close the half. Ray Bowling hit an Anderson 3-pointer during the run, capped by a Javon Warfield’s drive at the buzzer for a 41-27 halftime advantage.
It was possibly the best eight minutes the coach has seen from his team this season as Anderson outscored Kokomo 22-8 in the period.
“I thought it was great,” Coach Bowling said. “We play multiple defenses, we trap, and whatever. But (Kokomo) averages 28 threes per game, so we just needed to guard them and play man-to-man.”
The Indians kept their feet on the gas the second half, maintaining a double-digit lead throughout with Kokomo able to get only as close as 13 points.
Hunter finished with 16 points and Don Bowling added 10 points off the Anderson bench while Collin Lewis handed out seven assists for the Indians.
For the game, Anderson had a total of 20 assists to just 11 turnovers as the team looks to continue playing its best basketball just over a week prior to sectional.
“We’ve always had that chemistry,” King said. “We play great team basketball. We’re ready, we’re coming to compete and we’re going to shock a lot of people.”
All five Anderson seniors scored on their Senior Night, led by King and Hunter. Aaron Morgan added nine points, Javon Warfield scored six points with eight rebounds, and Abram Holt brought the student section to its feet with a late rebound basket, just the seventh field goal of the season for the senior reserve.
“The message is that we have to keep getting better, and we’ve got to stay healthy,” Coach Bowling said. “I’m proud of these seniors. This is the first group that came in and that I had for all four years.
“I’m just proud that they believed in me to stay, because I’m not a perfect person.”
The IHSAA will hold the sectional draw Sunday afternoon.
Anderson will close out its regular season next Saturday with a 3:30 p.m. road tilt at Fort Wayne Wayne.
This article appeared in The Herald Bulletin.