Experience & trust help Royals complete their opening assignment

(LEFT) Hamilton Southeastern’s Maya Makalusky scored 31 points for the Royals during their season-opening game Thursday against Lawrence North. (RIGHT) Southeastern’s Kennedy Holman scored 13 points for the Royals. (Julie Brown)

By RICHIE HALL

sports@readthereporter.com

FISHERS – The Hamilton Southeastern girls basketball team has quite a bit of talent, and there’s a couple of intangibles the Royals have going for them as well.

Experience and trust. Both of those things helped the No. 2-ranked Royals through a tough opening assignment at their gym on Thursday. Southeastern broke out of a close game with No. 4 Lawrence North in the second half and came away with a 66-53 victory.

The first quarter was tight, ending in a 13-13 tie. Senior Maya Makalusky and junior Kennedy Holman both scored four points; Holman hit two free throws and a layin to finish the quarter and bring the Royals back from a 13-9 deficit.

Both teams traded baskets in the second quarter, a fast-paced period that included a combined seven triples. Antonette Green, Makalusky, Maine Hooks and Holman all knocked down 3-pointers for Southeastern. That helped the Royals keep pace with the Wildcats, who finished the half ahead 29-27 after Ke’Adriah Butler made a free throw.

Action slowed down during the first few minutes of the third quarter. Kayla Stidham nailed a 3 to put HSE up 30-29, and a pair of Holman free throws pushed the lead to 32-29. But LN answered that with an 8-0 run, with Butler taking over. She tied the game with a triple, then made a traditional three-point play with three minutes left.

A Winston layin put the Royals down 37-32, their biggest deficit. But Southeastern sprung back with an 8-0 run to lead 40-37 and would never trail again. Holman began the spurt with a layin, Makalusky threw in a layin and two free throws, then Abigail Brown made a layin.

“I think they got us a little bit out of our game early on, especially that first half,” said Royals coach Brian Satterfield. “But I thought we settled down and played a little bit better the second half.”

Makalusky said the run actually began before the Royals started scoring.

“It started when we got down in the game,” said Makalusky. “We all gathered together, we knew who we were, we know what type of team we are. So for us, we hit our second motor when we were down and that gave us that extra push.”

Makalusky elaborated on that further: “It’s the little plays, the box-outs, the rebounds. When the ball’s on the ground, diving after it. Those little hustle power plays that fuel us.”

Chemistry and experience also play a role, as Makalusky, Holman and Stidham have all been starters since their freshman years, and this is their third season of playing together.

“They’ve done a tremendous job of starting to trust each other,” said Satterfield.

Kalea Bently hit a 3 to tie the game, but Makalusky answered that with her own triple for a 43-40 lead. Southeastern stayed in front from that point forward, finishing the third quarter up 45-42 and steadily increasing its lead in the fourth quarter.

Southeastern solidified its defense in the fourth quarter; Holman said the Royals “had to play really good help-side defense, just to help Addison (Van Hoesen) down there.” Holman said that in the second half, “the help side was way better and that’s what really helped us get all those steals and stops.”

Makalusky took over during the fourth, pouring in 13 points, including two 3s. She finished with 31 points for the game, totaling four triples. Holman added 13 points and Stidham scored 10.

Southeastern plays at home again Saturday afternoon, welcoming Ben Davis for a 12:30 p.m. game.

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