by
Richie Hall
Sports Editor
Hamilton County Reporter
Westfield – The Class 4A Sectional 8 girls basketball championship game will be a Mudsock rematch.
Fishers and Hamilton Southeastern both advanced to the final after semi-final wins Friday night at Westfield. The third-ranked Tigers won an exciting first semi-final over the host Shamrocks 58-56 on a last-second layin by Katie Burton. In the second game, the No. 5 Royals beat Noblesville 59-42 with an outstanding defensive effort in the middle quarters.
Tonight’s game will tip off at 7:30 p.m.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Fishers and Westfield were tied at 56-56 with seconds to go, the result of a Shamrocks comeback in the fourth quarter. Alyssa Crockett had just made two free throws to tie the game, and the Tigers had the ball. Tamia Perryman took the ball across the 10-second line and handed it off to Burton, who rushed in to the lane and laid it in as the clock wound down.
Making the game-winner is something a basketball player dreams of doing. But it never hurts to practice when the moment becomes reality, and Burton was prepared for it.
“Hailey Smith, Olivia Smith and Katie Burton stay after practice almost every day, and they play one on one against each other,” said Fishers coach Lauren Votaw. “They have put themselves in those situations. It’s a great testament to what hard work will do for you.”
“We just play one on one, basically, to get better at our craft around the rim,
finishing with contact,” said Burton. “We don’t play with fouls. We just get better
and so when moments like this happen, we know the ball needs to be in one of our
hands and just attack it.”
Both teams were in attack mode from the start. There were several lead changes in the first quarter, which finished with the Tigers ahead 16-15. Three players from each team made a 3-pointer, with Kaitlynn Feagan’s triple putting Fishers in front at the end of the period. Audra Emmerson had five points for the Tigers in that quarter, with Ava Henson scoring
five for the ‘Rocks.
Burton took over in the second period, starting it with back-to-back 3s, then making a layin to get Fishers up 24-15.
Crockett ended the run with a pair of free throws, but a basket by Olivia Smith and
another Burton 3-pointer moved Fishers ahead 29-17.
Westfield responded with an 8-0 run, as Henson nailed two 3-pointers, with an
Ashtin DeCraene basket in between. Lydia Stullken’s two free throws gave Fishers
a 31-25 lead at halftime.
The Tigers stayed in front by a three to eight-point margin in the third quarter.
Hailey Smith took over during the last portion of the period, scoring eight points
in a span of about two minutes.
A layin from Burton gave Fishers a 47-35 lead in the fourth quarter. Westfield promptly went on a 9-0 run, which included five points from Crockett, to get within 47-44. With two minutes left in the game, Olivia Smith made a pair of free throws, and then it became a contest from the line. Both teams were outstanding, as the Tigers made 9 of 10 and the Shamrocks were 8 of 9.
“Credit to Ginny Smith and her Shamrocks,” said Votaw. “I mean, goodness gracious. They would not go away. They’re well-coached, they’re resilient and they hit free throws. It was a freethrow battle there down the stretch. That was good basketball, both teams knocking them down.”
Burton finished the game with 25 points, including three 3-pointers, and pulled four rebounds. Hailey Smith added 10 points. Tamia Perryman collected nine rebounds.
Crockett scored 28 points, with seniors Henson adding 13, including three
3s, and DeCraene scoring 12. Both had four rebounds. Crockett earned a double-double as she also pulled 12 rebounds and handed out five assists.
“I don’t have any words for what I feel for what my kids did tonight,” said Westfield coach Ginny Smith, as her team finished the season 14-11. “They were relentless, they were inspiring, they were gritty, they were tough. They were amazing. We got down 10, 12 points at one point. My team of November or December would have laid down and quit. My kids kept fighting tonight. They believed they could win that basketball game and I think it showed.”
Fishers is now 22-1, setting a new school record for season wins.
“They are just such a fun group to coach,” said Votaw. “And that’s what I
was so excited about. I’m excited I get to coach these kids for one more day. And
yes, 22 wins is fun and this is a special team, I’ve said that all year, but they’re
special because of the way they love each other. It’s just so fun to be a part of.”
DEFENSE TAKES OVER
Noblesville started the second semi-final game strong, leading Southeastern 12-7 after the first quarter. Ashlynn Shade scored nine of those points, including a 3-pointer that gave the Miller a 7-5 lead midway through the period.
But the Royals took control in the second quarter, outscoring Noblesville 16-2. Jackie Maulucci got Southeastern within one after hitting a 3-pointer, then a
layin moved HSE ahead 13-12. The Royals would not trail again. Lauren Morris
made a 3-pointer, then Makayla Hinshaw scored on back-to-back baskets, following that up with a 3.
Shade hit a putback at the end of the quarter, making the halftime score 23-14. The Royals then cruised through the third period, going on a 15-4 run. Ryan Viele helped out with five points, including a triple. Morris and Maulucci also added 3-pointers.
The fourth quarter was mostly free throws. Sydney Parrish made 13 of 18 foul shots in that period, which helped the Royals keep their lead around 15 points. Lydia Self hit a 3-pointer midway through the quarter.
Parrish finished the game with 15 points and also pulled seven rebounds. Maulucci added 12 points and Hinshaw scored 11. Morris had five rebounds, with Self and Viele both collecting four; Viele also had four steals. Southeastern is now 22-2 for the season.
Royals coach Chris Huppenthal said his team did a much better job in the second quarter, and noted that in the third quarter, his team didn’t turn the basketball over.
“When you’re talking about tournament basketball, you put a team’s back to the wall, they’re going to come out swinging, they’re going to come out fighting,” said Royals coach Chris Huppenthal. “That’s what Noblesville did. We told our kids every year, Coach Buckley
does a great job of getting her kids ready at this time, two years ago they almost upset a Carmel team on Friday night. We knew they were going to be ready. We knew they were going to box-and-1 us. I just don’t think we did a very good job of identifying what we needed to identify. But, with all that being said and everything, we’re playing tomorrow.”
Shade scored 24 points, while Mallory Miller pulled seven rebounds. Anna who finished 10-13.
“I thought we had a strong year,” said Noblesville coach Donna Buckley. “Record-wise, it doesn’t really look like that, but Sagarin, I think had us in the top 20 in the state. We’re young. We played one of the toughest schedules and it’s exciting to know that we bring a lot back next year. The future’s really bright. I’m proud of our seniors and what they did for us. Their leadership was amazing. I feel like we’re headed in a really positive direction, so it’s really exciting.”
