What do Caitlin Clark, Lebron James and EHS have in common?
They’ve all played a basketball game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis, home to the Indiana Pacers and the Indiana Fever.
“Nobody on the team is used to playing on a stage that big, so you could feel the excitement buzzing throughout the locker room before the game,” sophomore Rowan Weller said. “Once we got on the floor the feeling really hit me because I realized I was playing where some of the greatest players in the world have played.”
Despite being separated by only 14 miles, EHS boys basketball faced off against Madison High School in a city 228 miles away Feb. 1. The Tigers came out on top 53-34, extending their win streak to five and moving to 21-2. They’ve since added another win, tying their most in a season since 2016-17 when they went 30-2 and made the IHSA state quarterfinals.
The Indianapolis arena, which can host over 17,000 fans for a basketball game, was a completely different type of venue for the team to be competing in, especially when compared to the stadiums typically found in Southwestern Conference play.
“Playing at the Pacers stadium definitely had a different feel and atmosphere, since the gym was so much larger than here at EHS,” junior Miccah Butler said. “It threw off the perspective of the rims and such, but it was definitely a great experience and fun to play in.”
The Tigers were not originally scheduled to play in the game, but when both EHS and Madison’s opponents canceled, the schedule change was made to face off against each other in Indianapolis, according to head coach Dustin Battas.
“We were looking for some games [after] a couple of teams canceled on us,” coach Battas said.
“There was a different team scheduled to play there. They had a last minute change. So Madison High School is who we played against. They reached out to us about joining them and we said ‘sure.’”
Despite facing a non-conference opponent they hadn’t faced in over three years, it was a totally unique feeling for the Tigers simply because of the arena.
“The feeling I got was unreal. It felt too good to be true. It was great and obviously exciting,” senior Bryce Pryor said. “[I was] just in shock and couldn’t really process what was going on. It was a lot to take in. I’ve never been in that situation or had that experience before.”
After the game, the Tigers watched the 132-127 Pacers win over the Atlanta Hawks, which gave the team another opportunity to bond over a unique shared experience.
“I will definitely remember the team bonding we had on the trip,” Butler said. “Hanging out in our hotel rooms, listening to music on the bus ride back home, and being together watching the Pacers.”
That team bonding has been a crucial part of the Tigers’ dominance this season, with the game in Indianapolis marking their 13th win by at least 18 points.
“The key to our success is really how much we bond,” Pryor said. “We have a great group of guys, and we all get along very well. We know how to play with each other, and it makes it easier when you have a good group of guys.”
For the team, the trip to Indianapolis was about more than adding another commanding win on the same court where some of basketball’s greatest have done the same – it was about creating moments they will remember long after the season ends.
“It was a really neat experience for our guys,” coach Battas said. “The whole weekend, you’re traveling on a charter bus and staying in a nice hotel, playing in the NBA arena. [It was] a great weekend for our guys to still play basketball but to take in … a real-world experience.”