by
Richie Hall
Sports Editor
Hamilton County Reporter
The Fishers girls basketball sectional began with a reversal of fortune for the host.
The Tigers dropped a close overtime game to Westfield early in the regular season. On Tuesday, Fishers came out on top, overcoming the Shamrocks 41-36 in the first game of Class 4A Sectional 8. The Tigers advanced to the semi-finals to play Mudsock rival Hamilton Southeastern on Friday.
The two teams were tied at 12-12 after the first quarter, then Fishers edged out to a 24-22 lead by halftime. Skylar Fulton hit two 3-pointers in the second period, while Kenedi London helped out with five in the first quarter. Ashtin DeCraene also scored five points in the first for Westfield.
Meanwhile, free throws were also key: The Shamrocks’ Sophia Kreag went 4-for-4 in the first period, then the Tigers’ Toni Grace made all four of her foul shots in the second. Grace added four straight points for Fishers to close out the third quarter, with a layin and two more free throws.
That run helped the Tigers achieve some separation, as Westfield had gotten to within 27-26 midway through the period. Cierra Tolbert made a free throw, then Grace’s run pushed Fishers ahead 32-26 at the end of the third.
Ryann Bunting opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer, and Kreag drained another pair of free throws to get the ‘Rocks within 34-31. But Grace stepped up again, with two more foul shots (sensing a theme here?), and Fishers’ lead never dropped below four points after that.
Tigers coach Lauren Vail believes that experience helped her team get through the fourth quarter. She noted that earlier in the year, Fishers would’ve folded in that situation.
“And quite honestly, against Westfield the first time, we did,” said Vail. “It was a very similar game. We were up late in the fourth and we had some breakaways the first time, and we turned the basketball over. And tonight we found ways to hold on to it.”
The free-throw shooting also was key: The Tigers went 9-of-12 from the line in the fourth period.
“That’s going to win you some ball games if you’re going to hit free throws like that down the stretch,” said Vail.
Grace scored 14 points, including an incredible 12-of-13 performance from the line. Fulton finished with seven points, and London’s six points were accompanied by seven rebounds. Lydia Stullken corralled six rebounds, with Grace and Tamia Perryman both grabbing five.
DeCraene finished with nine points for Westfield, while Kreag scored eight. Bunting made two 3-pointers for six points. Kreag and Annabelle O’Hair both pulled seven rebounds.
“I felt like defensively, we did everything that we had prepared and prepped for,” said Westfield coach Ginny Smith. “Actually, we did an amazing job defensively.” The coach was proud of the fact that her team had just held Fishers – “a really good basketball team – to just 41 points.
“It’s been the same problem we’ve had all year long, just being able to score,” said Smith. “We hit those long spells where we just can’t put it in the hole. In big games against good teams, you’ve got to find a way to consistently score, and we didn’t do that.”
Westfield finished its season with a 14-9 record, while the Tigers are now 13-11. Fishers will now get ready for Mudsock Part 2, with a spot in the sectional championship on the line this time. Southeastern coach Chris Huppenthal and members of the Royals team were indeed at the game.
“I don’t know that it could get more exciting than this,” said Vail. “The first time you play them, it’s always a huge game. And Coach Hupp and I talk about that all the time, how anything can happen in a game like that because it’s a rivalry game. It doesn’t matter how good they are, how good we are. Anytime you play each other, that happens.”