By Jeremy Giggy | Sports Director, White River Broadcasting
Conference Indiana games don't hand out freebies, especially on the road -- and Columbus North proved Monday night it's ready to scrap for every possession in league play. The Bull Dogs opened CI action by taking care of business with a 76-62 win over Terre Haute South, and the biggest difference was simple: North had multiple players swinging the scoring hammer, and the Braves couldn't keep up with the balance.
North's offense had a steady rhythm all night, with Austin Perry leading the way with 20 points. That's the kind of "give me the ball when it matters" production you love in a conference opener -- not just scoring, but setting a tone. Perry was aggressive, composed, and consistent, and when Terre Haute South tried to make a push, he was one of the guys who helped keep North's lead from turning into a tug-of-war.
Right behind him, Caleb Ferguson poured in 18, and that matters because when Ferguson is scoring at that level, it usually means the Bull Dogs are playing their brand of basketball -- sharing the load, making the right reads, and turning good possessions into great ones. Ferguson is the kind of player who can impact the game in more ways than one, but on a night like this, his points were the headline.
And then there was Jack Whaley with 13, which might be the quietest loud stat line you'll see. Those "third scorer" points are the backbreakers in conference games -- the buckets that turn a manageable deficit into a long climb, the ones that make the other team look at the scoreboard and realize they're running out of answers.
The final margin tells you North controlled the night, but the bigger story is what it means moving forward: the Bull Dogs didn't just win -- they announced themselves in the CI race with a road victory and a confident offensive showing. At 5-2 overall and 1-0 in the conference, North has now put a stamp on the start of league play, and that's a big deal when you're trying to stack momentum heading into the heart of winter.
Bottom line: the Bull Dogs didn't tiptoe into conference season -- they walked in like they belonged, and they left with a win that counts double.