by

Richie Hall

Sports Editor

Hamilton County Reporter

Don’t be fooled by the final score in Hamilton Southeastern’s Friday afternoon win over Carmel.

The Royals had to fight to get the victory against the Greyhounds, which was played in front of a nice-sized crowd at the Southeastern gym. It was a back-and-forth game for three quarters, but the Class 4A No. 7 Royals pulled away in the fourth period to win 52-36.

“We knew it was going to be a scrappy game,” said Southeastern coach Chris Huppenthal. “You’re not going to run away and hide from Carmel. It’s going to be hard to. Coach (Erin) Trimpe does a really good job. They’re a young basketball team. They got a lot of youth over there and we’re starting four seniors.”

The Greyhounds scored first in the game, with Bridget Dunn making a layin. The Royals answered by scoring the next 10 points, which included 3-pointers from Lauren Morris, Bailee Poore and Sydney Parrish.

That got HSE ahead 10-2 and established a pattern that held for most of the game. The Royals would make a run to build a comfortable lead, but Carmel would come right back and get within shouting distance.

“They got some really good players,” said Huppenthal. “Dunn was a real big presence inside in the first half.

The first quarter ended with Southeastern up 12-7. Parrish opened the second with a jumper, and baskets from Makayla Hinshaw and Parrish put the Royals ahead 18-9. Kate Clarke scored on a layup in between.

“The girl can score, she’s a great scorer,” said Huppenthal. “Their other kids, they’re good players.”

Emily Roper’s basket and a 3-pointer from Clarke cut HSE’s lead to 18-14, but Jackie Maulucci’s basket stopped that run. Dunn scored consecutive layins to get Carmel within 20-18.

“We’ve really been pushing her to do that,” said Trimpe. “Her inside presence is great. We’ve been getting on her about being physical inside and finishing through contact. So she’s getting good rebounds, putting herself in a good position. She’s a leader on the floor for us, and we’re just going to keep pushing her to be better.”

Parrish hit a jumper to end the half with the Royals ahead 22-18. As the third quarter began, Riley Pennington had some good minutes for the ‘Hounds, scoring the first basket of the period, then a layin that got Carmel within one point, at 25-24.

But Southeastern answered with a 9-0 run. Parrish scored six of those points, with Ryan Viele also making a 3-pointer. Morris had hit a 3 earlier in the period.

While his seniors have been stepping up like they always do, Huppenthal was pleased with how his younger players are coming along.

“Mikayla Hinshaw just keeps getting better and better,” said Huppenthal. “Lauren Morris is getting better with each game, gaining confidence shooting the ball. Ryan Viele comes off, hits a 3 for us in the second half. We got kids that continue to just grow into their roles and they’re getting better.”

Carmel made one last push late in the third quarter, getting the lead down to 36-32 after Dunn hit a layin. A putback from Parrish pushed Southeastern’s advantage back up to 38-32 at the end of the period.

The Royals’ defense then took over in the fourth, allowing the Greyhounds only four points. After Roper hit two free throws early in the period, the Royals finished the game on a 14-2 run. Morris and Parrish both made 3s; Morris totaled three 3-pointers for the game.

“I thought defensively, we played great,” said Huppenthal.

Parrish scored 31 points, with Morris totaling nine points. Maulucci and Parrish each collected four rebounds and Maulucci dished out four assists.

Dunn was Carmel’s top scorer with 15 points, and also led the rebounds with nine. Clarke collected seven rebounds and handed out four assists, with Hannah Lach also providing four assists.

“They just took us out of rhythm,” said Trimpe. “They were physical. They’re never out of position, they play hard, so that’s a tough team to play against and we have some adjustments to make from it.”

Southeastern is 7-1 and hosts Noblesville Wednesday in a Hoosier Crossroads Conference game. Carmel is 3-3 and travels to Lawrence North on Tuesday for a Metropolitan Conference game.