Three free throws in the final seven seconds was the difference in a thrilling 74-73 loss to North Central in Saturday night’s championship game of the Marion County Tournament.

The Panthers made three of four free throws in the final seven seconds and grabbed a crucial rebound off a miss free throw. Still, the game wasn’t decided until sophomore KJ Windham’s half court heave at the buzzer was too far left.

The loss snapped an 11-game win streak for the Giants, who now take an 11-3 record into Tuesday nights game at Decatur Central.

The Giants had cruised through the Marion County tourney, winning three games in four nights by an average of 30 points per game. They led North Central by 20 points early in the second quarter and had an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter before North Central fought back.

After playing five games in eight days, Ben Davis continues a busy stretch with games at Decatur Central (Tuesday) and Center Grove (Friday) this week. The Giants then host Camel on Jan. 28 in a game that could go a long way in deciding the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference title. The Giants currently lead the MIC at 4-0 with Carmel at 3-0 (Carmel plays Pike this Friday). This is Carmel’s last year as a member of the conference.

The Giants have 10 regular season games left, including facing top 10 teams Carmel, Cathedral, Tech and Tindley. The Sagarin Ratings — a statewide ranking system — has Carmel No. 1 and Ben Davis No. 2 in the Class 4A poll.

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