By RICHIE HALL
MARION – Noblesville’s remarkable season came to an end on Saturday, as the fifth-ranked Millers fell in the semi-finals of the Class 4A Marion regional to Homestead, 62-57 in a tight overtime game.
It was a tough battle, as neither team led by more than seven points the entire way. The Spartans led for the entire fourth quarter before a last-second layin by Kaitlyn Shoemaker forced overtime. But Homestead quickly took control in the extra period, getting a lead in the first minute and not relinquishing it.
“I thought we played really hard. It was just one of those things, like a little thing here or there, it could have been a different outcome,” said Millers coach Donna Buckley.
The first quarter belonged to hot-shooting sophomore guards. Noblesville’s Ashlynn Shade scored 10 points, including two 3-pointers, while Homestead’s Alison Stephens also drained two 3s on her way to eight points. Shade’s floater put the Millers up 12-11 at the end of the period.
The Spartans were up 17-16 with 5:31 left in the second quarter, but Noblesville went on an 8-0 run to go up 24-17. Shade and Mallory Miller both hit triples and Emily Wood’s jumper gave the Millers their largest lead of the game.
Homestead then went on its own 8-0 run that stretched into the third quarter. Stephens nailed another 3 just before halftime, brining the Spartans within 24-20. Stephens then opened the second half with yet another 3, then Maggie Keinsley jumper moved Homestead in front 25-24.
Noblesville pushed back with a 6-0 run to lead 30-25. Shade made a layin, then Brooklyn Smitherman stepped up with back-to-back baskets. Later in the quarter, Reagan Wilson’s 3 gave the Millers a 35-32 lead.
But Homestead blasted back with a 10-0 stretch that bridged the third and fourth quarters. Stephens drained her sixth 3-pinter of the game to tie it up, then Molly Stock’s triple put the Spartans up 38-35 at the end of the third. Back-to-back jumpers by Amber Austin gave Homestead a 42-35 lead.
The Spartans stayed a basket or two in front during the fourth, but Noblesville stayed close. Shade helped out with six points, then Shoemaker added her own six points, including the two biggest: With 5.8 seconds left, the Millers ran down the floor and found a wide-open Shoemaker near the basket. She easily laid the ball in at the buzzer.
That made the score 49-49 and sent the game into overtime. But the Spartans gained the momentum right away. Homestead’s junior star Ayanna Patterson score on a layin, Keinsley added two free throws, then Patterson converted a steal into a basket, giving the Spartans a 55-49 lead with just under three minutes to go. The Millers cut that to one on a Shade jumper and a 3 from Jayla Jones, but Homestead finished the game from the free-throw line, making 7 of 8 shots in the final minute and a half.
“You get this far in the tournament, sometimes you got to have a little luck go your way and we did not have that today,” said Buckley. “But we played our butts off and gave ourselves a chance.”
Shade scored 27 points for the Millers, including three 3-pointers, and collected five rebounds. Wilson led the rebounds with six, while Smitherman collected five.
Stephens led Homestead with 20 points and Patterson scored 19. The Spartans would later fall to seventh-ranked Fort Wayne Carroll in the championship game 66-58.
Noblesville finished the season 21-5, the most wins for the Millers since they had back-to-back 23-win campaigns in 2014-15 and 2015-16. Noblesville also won its first sectional championship since 2015.
“I’m so proud of our kids,” said Buckley, who described her players as “kids you want representing your school and your community, and that’s this group. They’re really, really good kids.
“That’s what makes me the saddest about it all is I just love coaching them,” said Buckley, who also said the appreciated the support from the community during the season. “I love coming to work every day, knowing that I get to end my day with them. You couldn’t ask for a better group.”
HOMESTEAD 62, NOBLESVILLE 57
(overtime)
Noblesville FG FT TP PF
Ashlynn Shade 9-26 6-6 27 4
Reagan Wilson 2-10 0-0 5 5
Mallory Miller 1-4 0-0 3 4
Brooklyn Smitherman 4-5 0-1 8 3
Emily Wood 1-2 0-0 2 1
Kaitlyn Shoemaker 2-6 3-4 7 3
Dani Mendez 0-1 0-0 0 4
Jayla Jones 1-3 2-2 5 2
Brooklyn Ely 0-0 0-0 0 0
Totals 20-57 11-13 57 26
Score by Quarters
Noblesville 12 12 11 14 8 – 57
Homestead 11 9 18 11 13 – 62
Noblesville 3-point shooting (6-26) Shade 3-10, Wilson 1-5, Miller 1-4, Jones 1-3, Shoemaker 0-4.
Noblesville rebounds (28) Wilson 6, Shade 5, Smitherman 5, Jones 3, Shoemaker 2, Miller 2, Mendez 2, team 3.