By RICHIE HALL
NOBLESVILLE – Noblesville’s young basketball players got a chance to see what a sectional schedule was like this week.
The Millers finished a busy stretch on Saturday by hosting Greenfield-Central at The Mill. It was a hard-fought game, with Noblesville prevailing 40-36 thanks to some big baskets and big plays in the fourth quarter.
This was the Millers’ third game in the past five days, after a loss to Class 4A No. 1 Northwestern on Tuesday and a win at Hamilton Heights on Friday. A Tuesday-Friday-Saturday lineup mirrors a sectional schedule, and Noblesville coach Donna Buckley said the team set up that week by design, to have its many young players see what that was like.
“It’s good to come out of that week 2-1,” said Buckley. “Obviously we learned from each of them. They were all very different games and we learned some lessons from each.”
Against the Cougars on Saturday, the Millers learned they can tough out a close win. Noblesville only trailed once (11-9 in the second quarter), but could never shake Greenfield loose, especially in the fourth period, where the Cougars stayed within four points during the final few minutes of the quarter.
The Millers led 32-30 with 2:35 left out of a timeout. They ran about a minute off of the clock, then Kailyn Ely hit a mid-range jump shot to get up 34-30.
The Cougars answered with a pair of free throws. Noblesville took a timeout with under a minute, and again got the big basket that it needed: Abby Haley drove in for a layup.
Haley would later step up again, hitting two free throws to push the Millers ahead 38-34 with 11.2 seconds left. Greenfield’s Hannah Ferrell scored on a layin and the Cougars took a timeout, but with 3.4 seconds on the clock, they had to foul right away. Ashlynn Shade was fouled with 0.8 seconds left, and her two free throws sealed the game.
“I thought that Abby was huge down the stretch and really made some plays to put it away,” said Buckley. “Kailyn Ely had three mid-range jumpers that were just huge for us and Makenna Mundy had two or three big scores. We made enough plays, especially our older kids to just give us a chance to get it.”
Noblesville was in control for most of the game. The Millers scored the first seven points, with Shade pouring in five points after Emily Wood broke the ice with a layin.
Greenfield went on an 11-2 run to take its only lead of the game, but Noblesville blasted off on its 12-0 run that lasted for most of the second quarter and put the Millers on top 21-11 at halftime. Ely nailed a pair of jumpers, Mallory Miller converted an and-1, and Shade hit a 3-pointer.
The Cougars quickly cut that lead to 23-19 in the third quarter; Crystal Peterson got hot, scoring eight points including a pair of 3s. But Noblesville always got the baskets it needed to stay ahead, with Shade and Wood making a couple shots in the fourth quarter to give the Millers a comfortable margin that held during the last few minutes.
“It was a little ugly at times, but it was good for us,” said Buckley.
Shade scored 14 points and pulled six rebounds. Miller added eight points, and Haley handed out four assists in addition to her crucial points in the game’s final minute.
Noblesville is 2-2 and hosts Brownsburg on Friday to begin Hoosier Crossroad Conference play.
NOBLESVILLE 40, GREENFIELD-CENTRAL 36
Noblesville FG FT TP PF
Ashlynn Shade 5-14 3-3 14 3
Abby Haley 1-4 2-2 4 1
Mallory Miller 3-10 2-3 8 3
Anna Kiser 0-2 0-0 0 0
Emily Wood 2-3 0-0 4 3
Brooklyn Ely 0-2 0-0 0 1
Dani Mendez 0-0 0-0 0 2
Makenna Mundy 1-2 2-2 4 0
Kailyn Ely 3-3 0-0 6 0
Totals 15-40 9-10 40 13
Score by Quarters
Greenfield-Central 7 4 12 13 – 36
Noblesville 9 12 5 14 – 40
Noblesville 3-point shooting (1-15) Shade 1-5, Miller 0-6, B. Ely 0-2, Haley 0-2.
Noblesville rebounds (19) Shade 6, Kiser 2, Mendez 2, Haley 1, Mundy 1, Miller 1, team 5.
Noblesville’s Abby Haley scored four points in the final minute to help the Millers beat Greenfield-Central 40-36 Saturday at The Mill. (Kent Graham)