By RICHIE HALL
FISHERS – The Fishers girls basketball team got off to a splendid start in its first game of the season.
The Tigers hosted Ben Davis on Tuesday. Fishers, last season’s Class 4A state runner-up, jumped out to a big first-quarter lead and rode that momentum to a 65-49 victory over the Giants. It was a marquee game for the first week of the season, as the Tigers are ranked No. 5 in the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association’s (IBCA) one-class rankings and Ben Davis is receiving votes. In the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association’s (ICGSA) Class 4A poll, Fishers is also rated No. 5.
It was all Fishers from the outset. The Tigers scored the first seven points of the game and held a double-digit lead four minutes into the first quarter. Joirdyn Smith opened with a 3-pointer, Allison Scheu scored with a layin, and Talia Harris added another layin after Fishers had made two offensive rebounds.
Smith and Harris are seniors, while Scheu is a junior who got significant minutes last year. Their leadership carried the Tigers to a 24-9 first-quarter lead, with Harris scoring eight points. Smith (two 3s) and Scheu both had six points.
“I thought we did a really nice job defensively to start the game and that gave us some opportunities for transition buckets,” said Fishers coach Lauren Votaw. “I thought we converted well on those transition buckets. We were taking high-quality, balanced shots in transition and then we were able to use that to build our lead. So then when we had some lulls later in the game, we were okay.”
Fishers was in front by at least 13 points during the remaining 24 minutes of the game. Ben Davis battled for the entire game and made things interesting with hot outside shooting (the Giants drained five 3-pointers in the second half.) But the Tigers never BD get back into the game.
Case in point: Fishers led 37-21 at halftime. Zoe Wheeler opened the second half with a three-point play and the Giants had cut the Tigers’ lead to 37-24. Fishers responded with a 7-0 run to put their lead at 20 points for the first time. Nevaeh Dickman scored four points of that run, with a Harris 3 in between.
“We talked before the game about the fact that Ben Davis is going to thrive off of those runs, and we have to make sure that we remain poised,” said Votaw. “If we turn it over, if they get a few buckets in a row, it’s okay, grab the ball, take a deep breath. And I thought we did a really good job of doing that.”
Dickman wound up as the leading scorer with 18 points. She scored in each of the four quarters and was solid from the free-throw line, making 8 of 9. Dickman was one of four Tigers that reached double-digit scoring: Harris had 15 points, Scheu scored 12 and Smith had 11.
Four seniors are on this year’s Fishers team: Harris, Smith, Kate Thomas and Morgan Roberts.
Senior Morgan Roberts hit a 3-pointer for the Tigers right before halftime. (Richie Hall)
“They know what our schedule is like, they know what our competition is like,” said Votaw. “I think the best way that they lead is they aren’t as fazed by it. And so they’re able to stay calm in those situations.
Freshman Alanna Anthony played her first varsity minutes in the fourth quarter and made the most of them, scoring four points. Votaw said she was pleased with how Anthony played.
“Alanna is just willing to do all the things,” said Votaw. “She’ll defend, she’ll rebound and she always wants to learn, and she asks really good questions.”
Fishers will play at IBCA No. 11 Center Grove on Saturday.
FISHERS 65, BEN DAVIS 49
Fishers FG FT TP PF
Joirdyn Smith 4 1-2 11 2
Talia Harris 7 0-0 15 1
Kate Thomas 1 0-0 2 3
Nevaeh Dickman 5 8-9 18 1
Allison Scheu 6 0-1 12 3
Morgan Roberts 1 0-2 3 1
Olivia Brookshire 0 0-0 0 1
Alanna Anthony 2 0-0 4 1
Natalie Thomas 0 0-0 0 1
Totals 26 9-14 65 14
Score by Quarters
Ben Davis 9 12 14 14 – 49
Fishers 24 13 18 10 – 65
Fishers 3-pointers (4) Smith 2, Harris, Roberts.