Galloway, Culver Win 4A-3 Sectional Opener

Indiana signee Trey Galloway played well in his first postseason game, scoring 20 points as Culver beat South Bend Adams in the sectional quarterfinals.

LA PORTE, Ind. — Trey Galloway had to navigate through a night of foul trouble, but he was able to do enough damage to help his Culver Academies team win its first Class 4A sectional game Tuesday.

Galloway, an Indiana signee, scored 20 points to help the Eagles beat South Bend Riley 62-41 in the first round of the Class 4A-3 sectional at LaPorte High School.

"We had to come out strong and fast early, that was our main goal,'' Galloway said. "And then everyone did a good job of closing it out, too. It was a good win.''

Culver (17-4) never trailed, jumping out to a quick 8-0 lead and keeping Riley’s Blake Wesley, the No. 6-ranked player in Indiana in the 2021 class, in check. Wesley, an explosive guard who scored 34 points in an earlier loss to Culver, had only seven first-half points as the Eagles jumped out to a 29-19 halftime lead.

Galloway got the assignment guarding Wesley and, with help, kept the Riley star in check. A 9-0 run to start the third quarter blew the game open.

"We had to be poised and handle the pressure well, and I thought we did that pretty well,'' Galloway said. "Guys stepped up and made their free throws when I was sitting down with foul trouble. Everyone was ready to compete. It was good.''

Galloway picked up his third foul two minutes into the third quarter and then got his fourth on a charging call with 1:24 left in the third. Culver was up 16 at the time, but with Galloway, Culver's primary ballhandler, in trouble, coach Mark Galloway, Trey's father, had to manage the game seconds at a time, subbing Trey in and out for offensive possessions. 

"It's tough (to sit and watch), because you always want to be in there and help,'' Trey said.

After Galloway's fourth foul, Riley pressed constantly and fouled on almost every possession in the third. Culver made 11 free throws in a row to keep Riley at bay. And when Galloway blew by Wesley with the floor spread, he threw down a thunderous dunk and was fouled, adding a free throw himself to give Culver a 54-34 lead.

Culver moved up to Class 4A this season because of their success the past two years. They won the Class 3A state title in 2018 and finished runner-up a year ago.

Mark Galloway was thrilled to get through the first game of sectional without incident, even handling Trey's foul trouble well.

"It's part of the game and you have to manage those minutes, but the good thing is they have experience and I trust him. He's an extension of me out there,'' Mark Galloway said. "Once we spread them out, I knew we could get vertical on them, and that dunk he had was a big play.

"I thought he had a good game overall. One thing about Trey, he's going to get other guys involved. He got the ball to our big guys, and he set down in the post, too.  

The Eagles advance to the semifinals Friday night at 6 p.m. ET against Plymouth. Culver still hasn't lost a game all season with Galloway in the lineup. He missed four games with a wrist injury, and Culver lost all four games. 

Notre Dame coach Mike Brey was in attendance, as was Indiana assistant coach Bruiser Flint.

Class 4A, Sectional 3 results, schedule

Tuesday, March 3

• Culver Academies 62, South Bend Riley 41

Wednesday, March 4

• South Bend Adams vs. Mishawaka, 6 p.m. ET
• Michigan City vs. LaPorte, 8 p.m. ET

Friday, March 6 (Semifinals)

• Culver Academies vs. Plymouth, 6 p.m. ET
• Wednesday's winners, 8 p.m. ET

Saturday, March 7 (Finals)

Championship game, 7 p.m. ET

Related 'Next Generation' stories on Indiana recruits

• Meet Culver's Trey Galloway: It's been a family affair on Trey Galloway's journey to Indiana. CLICK HERE
• Meet Bloomington South's Anthony Leal: His team in unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in the state, so he wants a state title run before heading off to Indiana. CLICK HERE