Fishers beats Fort Wayne Wayne: Live score, Indiana (IHSAA) high school basketball semi-states recap (3/16/2024)

Follow along for updates as Fishers and Wayne battle for a spot in the IHSAA 4A state finals

After taking down Crown Point earlier this morning in the Indiana high school basketball semi-state semifinals, nationally-ranked Fishers is one game away from reaching the state finals.

Fishers, the top-ranked squad in Indiana and the No. 21 team in the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national rankings, will take on Fort Wayne Wayne in the IHSAA 4A semi-state finals on Saturday at Elkhart's historic North Side Gymnasium. The winner will advance to the state finals in two weeks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Fishers (27-1) won 48-37 over Crown Point in the semi-state semifinals this morning, while Fort Wayne Wayne (23-3) defeated Mishawaka, 62-47. 

The 4A semi-state finals between Fishers and Fort Wayne Wayne is being streamed by IHSAA and is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET. 

(FINAL): FISHERS 69, FORT WAYNE WAYNE 61

Refresh for latest updates

Fishers senior Keenan Garner drives in a win over Homewood-Flossmoor (Illinois) on Feb. 3, 2024 / Photo by Nate Latsch, SBLive Sports

FOURTH QUARTER

-- Fishers wins 69-61, winning a semi-state championship and earning a spot in the IHSAA 4A state finals. 

-- Down by 10 points with 30 seconds to go, Wayne chooses not to foul and try to extend the game. However, officials call a technical on Fishers with .3 seconds left for celebrating its massive victory slightly too soon. 

-- Jevon Lewis pulls up for a quick Wayne three to make it an eight-point game with under a minute to go. It might be too late for the Generals.

-- Fishers junior JonAnthony Hall goes 2-for-2 from the free throw line. The Tigers lead 66-55 with 1:29 left in the semi-state championship.

-- Wayne calls a timeout with Fishers up 64-55 and 1:30 remaining. 

-- Taden Metzger knocks down a three to extend Fishers' lead to 64-55. 

-- Jason Gardner makes a pair of free throws to give Fishers a 61-53 lead. Wayne responds quickly, as Jevon Lewis hits a mid-range jumper on the other end to make it 61-55 with less than three minutes to go.

-- Jevon Lewis hits a deep two for Wayne to cut into the lead. Fishers is up 59-53 with 3:28 remaining.

-- Keenan Garner hits a big three from the corner to give Fishers a 12-point lead.

-- JonAnthony Halls throws down a fastbreak dunk to make it 54-45 in favor of Fishers.

THIRD QUARTER

-- Wayne junior HJ Dillard lets a defender jump by him then goes up for the easy layup in the final seconds of the quarter. The Generals have cut it back to a six-point game, 51-45, entering the fourth quarter.

-- Chase Barnes goes 2-for-2 from the free throw line for Wayne, making it 50-43 with 56 seconds left in the quarter.

-- Chase Barnes puts an end to the run with a pull-up jumper for Wayne.

-- Millen McCartney makes his second three of the game and makes it a 10-0 run for the Tigers. 

-- JonAnthony Hall converts the and-one to make it a 7-0 run for Fishers to start the second half.

-- Fishers' leading scorer Keenan Garner scores a quick four points in the opening minute of the second half.

SECOND QUARTER

-- Jason Gardner goes coast to coast for a layup to give Fishers a 36-34 lead, but it's short-lived. Chase Barnes makes a pair of free throws with three seconds left in the half to tie the game. It's all knotted up at 36 after one half.

-- Wayne's Preston Comer and Fishers' Cooper Zachary trade threes. It's all tied at 34 late in the first half.

-- Justin Kirby finishes through contact to tie the game but can't hit the free throw to put Fishers back in front.

-- Chase Barnes hits another three to put Wayne ahead 24-21. 

-- Wayne ties the game at 19, as Khalyn Williams-Thomas finishes a layup in transition for the Generals to even the score.

FIRST QUARTER

-- Wayne finishes the first quarter on a high note and trails Fishers by one, 16-15, entering the second quarter.

-- Chase Barnes gets a three to go for Wayne to cut Fishers' lead to 12-9.

-- Taden Metzger drains a three to give Fishers an 8-4 lead. The Tigers just scored eight points in a bout one minute after going three minutes without any points to start the game.

-- Just as it did in the first game of the day, Fishers is still looking for its first points nearly three minutes of the game, and Millen McCartney delivers with a three. 

-- Preston Comer drops in a shot from the post to give Wayne the first points of the game.

—

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. (ET) | North Side Gymnasium, Elkhart, IN

—

LIVE SCOREBOARDS

IHSAA CLASS 4A BOYS | IHSAA CLASS 3A BOYS

IHSAA CLASS 2A BOYS | IHSAA CLASS 1A BOYS

INDIANA PLAYOFF BRACKETS

For all the latest scores, instant bracket updates and game times throughout the 2024 Indiana boys high school basketball playoffs, bookmark our Indiana boys high school basketball playoff brackets.

-- Zach Shugan | zshugan@gmail.com | @SBLiveIN