It’s hard to beat the same team three times in a season.
That was the assignment for the Carmel girls basketball team Saturday afternoon in the second semi-final of the Class 4A Kokomo regional. The No. 2-ranked Greyhounds played No. 10 Zionsville, a team they had beaten convincingly in their other two meetings this season.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go Carmel’s way in the regional. The Eagles upset the ‘Hounds 54-49, ending the Greyhounds’ season at 24-3. Zionsville won the regional Saturday evening over Fort Wayne South Side 67-50.
The Eagles led 18-11 after the first quarter and were up by as much as 35-21 in the second period before Carmel cut that lead to 35-27 by halftime. The ‘Hounds chipped away at the Zionsville lead, snipping it to 41-40 by the end of the third period. Carmel took its first lead of the game at 44-43 with 3:48 remaining, but the Eagles scored four straight points and held on to the lead from there.
The Greyhounds’ loss meant the end of high school careers for three sensational Carmel seniors. Blake Smith, who has committed to Ball State University, reached double-double status with 11 rebounds and 10 points. Tomi Taiwo, who will play at the University of Iowa, scored five points. Amy Dilk, a University of Michigan commit, played incredible in her final Carmel game, with 26 points.
Sophomore Jasmine McWilliams led the Greyhounds’ rebounding with 14, while junior Reagan Hune had five rebounds.
Carmel finished its season at 24-3, a record for most wins in a season, and its third consecutive sectional championship.
Zionsville 54, Carmel 49
Carmel FG FT TP PF
Amy Dilk 9-24 7-8 26 5
Blake Smith 4-12 2-4 10 1
Tomi Taiwo 2-10 1-2 5 4
Jasmine McWilliams 3-15 0-1 6 4
Reagan Hune 1-4 0-0 2 4
Maddi Sears 0-1 0-0 0 1
Molly Gillig 0-0 0-0 0 0
Mackenzie Wood 0-0 0-0 0 1
Sophie Bair 0-0 0-0 0 0
Macy Berglund 0-0 0-0 0 0
Totals 19-66 10-15 49 20
Score by Quarters
Zionsville 18 17 6 13 – 54
Carmel 11 16 13 9 – 49
Carmel 3-point shooting (1-11) Dilk 1-7, Taiwo 0-2, McWilliams 0-1, Hune 0-1.
Carmel rebounds (39) McWilliams 14, Smith 11, Hune 5, Dilk 2, Gillig 1, Taiwo 1, Wood 1, Berglund 1, team 3.