It’s been a process for Munster senior guard Sean Kimble.
“As a junior, he didn’t play a whole lot,” Munster coach Mike Hackett said. “He was one of the last guys off the bench. Now we hardly take him off the floor. He waited for his time, and now he’s taking advantage of his time.”
Kimble reached a peak in a Class 4A Lake Central Sectional opener on Wednesday, scoring a career-high 25 points as the Mustangs topped West Side 77-44.
“Sean’s had a nice season for us,” Hackett said. “He’s a good player. I’m pretty proud of Sean because he’s paid his dues.”
Kimble made 10 of 15 shots from the field, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range, to lead Munster (20-4), which will play Hammond Central (16-7) in a sectional semifinal at 7 p.m. Friday. The Wolves defeated Highland 70-47 on Wednesday.
Kimble, who surpassed his previous best of 17 points, worked diligently all summer to prepare for moments like these.
“I’ve been motivated and hungry,” he said. “I wanted to prove to everybody I could do it. It’s just confidence.
“It’s my last year, and I can’t go out without giving it my all. I just want to keep going with these guys. I can’t think about this one too much. I just have to keep going to the next game.”
The Mustangs controlled the game against West Side (7-14). Senior guard/forward Joshua Hardy scored the opening basket for the Cougars before Kimble hit a 3-pointer.
“We were focused from the get-go,” Kimble said. “We’re trying to make it far. We’re trying to get better every game and keep building that momentum.”
Junior forward Brandon Trilli continued his outstanding debut season after moving from Arizona, finishing with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists. Sophomore point guard David Cundiff had 11 points, making 3 of 4 shots from 3-point range, and seven assists.
Hardy had a team-high 17 points for West Side, which lost to Munster 58-41 on Feb. 11. Junior guard Kelvin Hines added 10 points.
Munster started three sophomores: Cundiff, Jermaine Coney and Nolan Kinsella.
“Coming into this game, I was concerned because I know how hard Gary West Side plays,” Hackett said. “And more than that, I was concerned about our youth. We have a team full of kids who have never been in a sectional game before, in a sectional atmosphere with the bright lights.
“I didn’t know how those young sophomores were going to react. Obviously, I’m pretty pleased with how they reacted.”
In the other game, sophomore guard Matthew King led Hammond Central with 19 points. Junior guard Jordan Woods had 17 points, and junior guard Kenneth Grant had 12.
Sophomore guard Kristijan Zekavica led Highland (6-17) with 17 points, including five 3-pointers. Freshman forward Walter Glover Jr. added 13 points.
“We’re glad to get this first sectional game under our belt,” Hackett said. “We’re glad we get to play on Friday. We play probably the best team in the sectional in Hammond Central on Friday. They’re the highest-rated team. We’re going to have our hands full. But we’re going to prepare (Thursday) and come into Friday and compete.”
