Riffle's Late 3-Pointer Sends Triton to Class 1A State Final

Senior guard Gage Riffle hit a corner 3-pointer in the final minute to lift No. 4 Triton to a 51-45 victory over North Vermillion in the Class 1A semistate championship Saturday night at Lafayette Jefferson's Marion Crawley Center, sending the Trojans and their 23-3 record to the Class 1A state final.

Triton's seniors have been the story of this postseason run, delivering in the moments that matter most. One week before Riffle's semistate-winner, he and point guard Landon Patrick authored an equally improbable finish in the Class 1A North Judson regional on March 14. Patrick forced a steal and Riffle converted the ensuing layup with just 1.4 seconds on the clock to edge Marquette Catholic, 53-51, and punch Triton's ticket to the semistate round.

"It was incredible," Patrick said of the regional clincher. "There were so many ups and downs in that game. We just found a way to win. I could do nothing except smile when I saw Gage make that layup Saturday."

Riffle, one of five seniors on the Triton roster, credited his teammate first when reflecting on the regional's final sequence.

"I give big props to Landon for making that play on defense," Riffle said. "It was just a great team effort. It's a blessing."

The regional win over Marquette Catholic came despite a staggering free-throw disparity. The Blazers went 16-of-17 from the line; Triton was 0-of-2. Sophomore Brady Wood carried the offensive load with 18 points, senior Julian Swanson added 13, Riffle contributed nine, Jayden Overmyer eight, and Patrick three.

Coach Groves has leaned heavily on the Patrick-Riffle tandem throughout the postseason, and his praise for both seniors is direct.

"The impact of those two on our team has been huge," Groves said. "Landon just creates so much at both ends of the floor for us. He's our vocal leader as our point guard. He just makes everyone around him better. Gage is a great asset for us. He's always been a threat as a 3-point shooter. He's long and can run forever on the floor. The big thing this season for him is that he's doing the little things for us too."

Riffle has now delivered late-game heroics in back-to-back postseason rounds: the layup with 1.4 seconds to steal the regional, then the corner 3 in the final minute to claim the semistate. For a team that has built its postseason identity around its senior class, Saturday night at Marion Crawley Center was the ultimate confirmation. Triton now stands one win from a Class 1A state championship.