By RICHIE HALL
FISHERS – Carmel reached the championship game of Class 4A Sectional 8 at Hamilton Southeastern by beating Westfield 53-34 in the first Friday semi-final game.
The Greyhounds were led by a solid performance from Reagan Hune. The senior scored the first six points of the game, putting Carmel up 6-0 right away. That gave the ‘Hounds momentum that carried them to a 15-6 lead by the end of the first quarter. Hune scored eight points overall in that period, with senior Macy Berglund contributing the other seven.
Carmel coach Erin Trimpe knew that Hune would be stepping up after the two saw each other before the game.
“We met at the school this afternoon and she looked right at me and said ‘I’m ready,'” said Trimpe. “When she gets that look in her eye, you can tell in pre-game warm-ups, you can tell in my pre-game speech and in huddles and the way she was communicating with people that she was ready to go tonight.”
The Shamrocks cut into Carmel’s lead in the second period, getting within 23-17 by halftime. Freshman Alyssa Crockett poured in nine points during the quarter. But the Greyhounds took control again in the third period, with four different players hitting 3-pointers: Hune, sophomore Bridget Dunn, senior Sophie Bair and freshman Kate Clarke.
In total, the ‘Hounds outscored Westfield 16-7 in the third, giving them a 39-24 lead at the end of the period. Clarke’s 3 started a 7-0 run that also included the beginning of the fourth quarter; Clarke began the period with a basket, then Berglund scored on a putback.
Crockett ended the run with a layin, but Carmel scored two more baskets, a layin from sophomore Tally Seitz and a jumper by Clarke, to take its biggest lead of the game at 47-26. Clarke and Seitz would later each hit 3s; Carmel was 6 of 10 from 3-point range from the game.
“We keep stressing to them to let it fly,” said Trimpe. “We have so much confidence in really all of our girls to hit shots. We have some really good shooters and we focus on that very heavily in practice.”
Hune finished the game with 13 points, six rebounds and four steals, while Berglund scored 11 points and also pulled six rebounds. Clarke added 10 points, including a pair of 3s. Senior Mackenzie Wood grabbed seven rebounds. Carmel is now 14-10 for the season.
Crockett led all scorers with 19 points, hitting two 3-pointers, and also grabbed seven rebounds. Sophomore Gigi Eldredge collected five rebounds.
“I thought Alyssa Crockett did a heck of a job,” said Shamrocks coach Ginny Smith. “She had 19 of our 34 points. We just didn’t give her a lot of help. And I think anytime you’re playing against a really good basketball team, you got to have some contributors, and unfortunately tonight, we just fell a little bit short.
“The kids played hard,” said Smith. “It wasn’t lack of effort. Lack of execution at times and not enough contribution across the board.”
Westfield finished the season 15-8 and graduates three seniors: Jade Shipley (who hit a 3-pointer), Regan Dimond and Zoe Pentecost.
“I enjoy these kids. I enjoy these seniors,” said Smith. “I’ll be sad to see them go. But we’ll give the kids a little time off and we’ll get back in the gym and get back at it.”
Carmel 53, Westfield 34
Westfield FG FT TP PF
Jade Shipley 1-6 2-2 5 3
Ava Henson 1-6 0-0 2 0
Ashtin DeCraene 0-6 2-2 2 1
Zoe Pentecost 1-3 0-0 2 0
Alyssa Crockett 6-11 5-6 19 1
Olivia Robey 0-0 0-0 0 0
Karley Wininger 0-0 0-2 0 2
Regan Dimond 0-1 0-0 0 0
Gigi Eldredge 1-3 2-4 4 1
Jessica Castor 0-1 0-0 0 1
Totals 10-37 11-16 34 9
Westfield 3-point shooting (3-16) Crockett 2-4, Shipley 1-4, DeCraene 0-5, Dimond 0-1, Pentecost 0-1, Eldredge 0-1.
Westfield rebounds (17) Crockett 7, Eldredge 5, Henson 2, Pentecost 1, team 2.
Carmel FG FT TP PF
Bridget Dunn 1-5 0-0 3 2
Sophie Bair 2-2 0-0 5 1
Reagan Hune 6-10 0-0 13 1
Mackenzie Wood 2-4 0-0 4 3
Macy Berglund 4-7 3-3 11 2
Tally Seitz 3-4 0-0 7 0
Lauren Gartenhaus 0-0 0-0 0 1
Kate Clarke 4-10 0-0 10 0
Riley Pennington 0-1 0-0 0 0
Brooklynn Edwards 0-0 0-0 0 0
Gracie Collins 0-0 0-0 0 0
Breanna Bolles 0-1 0-0 0 1
Totals 22-44 3-3 53 11
Carmel 3-point shooting (6-10) Clarke 2-4, Dunn 1-3, Bair 1-1, Seitz 1-1, Hune 1-1.
Carmel rebounds (29) Wood 7, Hune 6, Berglund 6, Dunn 4, Seitz 3, Bair 1, Bolles 1, Pennington 1.
Score by Quarters
Westfield 6 11 7 10 – 34
Carmel 15 8 16 14 – 53
Carmel’s Sophie Bair (left) and Westfield’s Alyssa Crockett battle for a loose ball during the Greyhounds-Shamrocks girls sectional semi-final game Friday at Hamilton Southeastern. Carmel won 53-34 and will play the Royals in tonight’s championship. (Kent Graham)
Carmel’s Reagan Hune scored the first six points of the game, getting the Greyhounds an early advantage. (Kirk Green)