Fishers girls basketball ready to start season
By RICHIE HALL
The first Hamilton County girls basketball team to play this season was the last team standing from the county in the previous season.
The Fishers Tigers had a memorable 2022-23 campaign, making their way to the Class 4A state championship game before falling in a close contest to Bedford North Lawrence. While Fishers graduated some key players from last year, including superstar twins and Ball State University players Hailey and Olivia Smith, the Tigers have enough experience returning to make this another winning season.
Seventh-year coach Lauren Votaw said this year’s team is looking forward to building its own identity, “while building on last year’s success. They enjoy being around one another, so the energy has been good.”
Fishers has two reliable scorers back, both of whom are seniors. Talia Harris averaged 9.5 points per game, while Joirdyn Smith added 7.2 points per game. Harris is also the top returning rebounder, bringing back 4.3 rebounds per game.
Another key senior is Kate Thomas, who added 4.0 points per game and 3.3 rebounds. Two juniors expected to be in the starting mix are Allison Scheu and Neveah Dickman, both of whom got a varsity playing time last season.
“The culture in our practices has been excellent,” said Votaw. “The players are energetic and coachable. We are focusing on the little things that we hope will make a big difference.”
The Tigers will open their season Tuesday, Oct. 31, when they host Ben Davis, a regional champion last year. Fishers then plays at Center Grove the following Saturday (Nov. 4). The Tigers’ first Hoosier Crossroads Conference game is set for Nov. 17 at Westfield; Fishers shared the conference title with Mudsock rival Hamilton Southeastern last season. This year’s Mudsock game is set for Dec. 16 at the Tiger Den.
CUTLINE
Kent Graham/File photo
Fishers’ Joirdyn Smith is one of three seniors returning from last year’s Class 4A state runner-up team. The Tigers begin their season Tuesday, Oct. 31 by hosting Ben Davis.