Jackson-Davis’ 40 Points Lead Center Grove To Class 4A Regional Title
Seymour, Ind. - Five-star Indiana signee Trayce Jackson-Davis dominated in the regional final at Seymour (Ind.) High school, leading his Greenwood (Ind.) Center Grove Trojans to a 64-41 victory over Bloomington South.
South features four-star guard in the 2020 class, Anthony Leal who finished with five points and three rebounds. Leal and the Panthers couldn't come back from a 12-point halftime deficit that was built on the back of Jackson-Davis, who finished with 40 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks.
He entered the half with 21 of Center Grove's 32 points, outscoring the Panthers all by himself at the time. The Panthers didn't have an answer for the senior forward who finished at the rim using his left hand on numerous occasions.
Jackson-Davis, who didn't see as many successful double and triple teams as he usually does, said it felt great to not go against that kind of defense.
"I was able to focus on the rim and not focus on where the next guy was coming from," Jackson-Davis said. "It was just a great night for me and my school."
Jackson-Davis didn't score as prolifically in the second half as he did the first half, but he was close to it. He put up 19 second-half points, including a monstrous dunk to put the game away with less than three minutes to play that put him at 40 points.
Center Grove head coach Zach Hahn said there wasn't a big explanation for Jackson-Davis' performance.
"He decided to go get it," Hahn said. "When he wants to be the best player in the state and one of the best in the country, he is. He carried the load (offensively), he rebounded, he defended, and I thought he really carried us emotionally too, which is big."
As Hahn said, the Indiana signee wasn't just a force as a scorer.
He used his length and athleticism to crash the boards. The IU signee also deterred opponents from attacking the rim.
While he only had the two blocks, the Panthers didn't attack the rim much when Jackson-Davis was near it, a sign of his interior presence.
Earning a regional title was big accomplishment for Jackson-Davis and the Trojans, especially because they lost in regionals last season.
"We worked really hard for this," he said. "Last year, New Albany and Romeo (Langford) bounced us out in the regional championship, so getting over that hump and getting to semistate was big for us."
Jackson-Davis and the Trojans will take on Ben Davis in semistate action next Saturday at a time and location to be determined.
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