By RICHIE HALL
Reporter Sports Editor
Carmel held off a second-half challenge from a good Fort Wayne South Side team Saturday afternoon, eventually winning 75-62 at the Eric Clark Activity Center.
The game was close in the first quarter, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Amy Dilk and Tomi Taiwo pushed the Class 4A No. 2 Greyhounds ahead 22-13 by the first-period buzzer. The Archers opened the second quarter with a ‘3,’ but Carmel skipped off on a 17-2 run to jump ahead 39-18.
During the run, Taiwo scored eight points, including a rare four-point play: Taiwo drained a 3-pointer while being fouled, then made the subsequent free throw. Dilk also helped out with an assist to Reagan Hune, a triple and a basket off a steal.
The ‘Hounds were up 41-21 with 30 seconds to go in the half before Fort Wayne South scored the final three points to get within 41-24 at halftime. That turned out to be the start of a 15-0 run that got the Archers to within 41-36 with 3:25 left in the third period.
“We got good looks, we didn’t shoot the ball very well for about five minutes in the third quarter,” said Carmel coach Tod Windlan. “It was like we couldn’t buy a basket.”
A jumper by Dilk with three minutes to go stopped the run, but Taniece Chapman’s three-point play edged Fort Wayne South to within 43-39. Carmel didn’t allow the Archers another basket in the period, and that helped get them back ahead 50-42 by the end of the third quarter.
From there, the Greyhounds began to re-build their lead. Taiwo scored eight points to push Carmel’s advantage from 54-44 to 62-45; that included a 3-pointer and a traditional three-point play. Dilk wound up with nine points in the fourth quarter.
“We were able to run some sets against their zone and get shots, and we finally started knocking some shots down like we were in the first half,” said Windlan.
Taiwo finished the game with 29 points and totaled five 3-pointers, also making four steals. Dilk scored 22 points and wound up with a triple-double by handing out 10 assists and making 10 steals. Hune added 10 points.
Jasmine McWilliams led Carmel’s rebounding with eight, followed by Blake Smith with six and Dilk with five.
The ‘Hounds are now 18-1 for the season and host Anderson on Wednesday.
