Triton Edges Marquette Catholic 53-51, Captures North Judson Regional Title

Landon Patrick had been hunting a steal all game long. He finally got one with less than 10 seconds left, and what followed will be talked about in Bourbon until the end of time.

Patrick's late deflection triggered a sequence that ended with senior Gage Riffle outrunning the Marquette Catholic defense to score the game-winning basket with just 1.4 seconds on the clock, lifting Triton to a 53-51 Class 1A North Judson Regional championship victory on Saturday, March 14. The win gives the Trojans back-to-back regional titles and sends the 23-3 squad to the IHSAA semi-state round.

"I still can't fully comprehend it, man. The second I made that shot I was ready to get back on defense and then the buzzer sounded," Patrick said. "I can't even describe how I was feeling. It was something I never thought was possible and I'm so grateful for it."

The finish was stunning precisely because Marquette Catholic had fought hard enough to make it feel winnable right to the end. The Blazers entered at 19-7, a program that, like Triton, had built its season around guard play, experience, and defense, with no starter taller than six feet on either side. Preview coverage from the La Porte County Herald-Dispatch described the matchup as a "throwback game of sorts featuring teams without a solitary starter over 6-foot who know what it takes to win in the post-season."

That stylistic parity showed up on the scoreboard throughout the night. Marquette Catholic actually held a 33-29 advantage at halftime, a lead built in dramatic fashion: with Triton appearing poised to grab a two-point edge heading into the locker room, Blazer center Jayden Overmyer hit a shot inside with roughly 15 seconds left in the second quarter, narrowly beating the buzzer to flip the margin back in Marquette's favor. Sophomore Brayden Wood was active for Triton in that first half, shown fading back for a shot over two Marquette defenders during the second quarter.

Triton clawed back in the second half, setting the stage for the frantic final seconds. Patrick's steal with under 10 seconds left erased whatever cushion remained, and Riffle's conversion with 1.4 seconds left closed the deal.

Triton now advances to the IHSAA semi-state, scheduled for Saturday, March 21. Semi-state pairings will be determined by a lottery-style draw Sunday afternoon. The Trojans join fellow Michiana-area regional champions Northridge, which beat South Bend Saint Joseph 73-67 in Class 4A, and Westview, which edged Gary 21st Century 63-59 in Class 2A, in next weekend's four-team semi-state fields.

For Marquette Catholic, the buzzer-beating loss ends a 19-8 campaign short of where the Blazers hoped to finish. For Triton, back-to-back regional banners and a trip to semi-state represent the clearest possible proof that Bourbon's program belongs among Indiana's Class 1A elite.