By RICHIE HALL
CARMEL – The Carmel girls basketball team is trending in the right direction.
The Greyhounds have shrugged off a slow start and are now above .500 for the first time this season, having won three straight games. Carmel ran its win streak to three with a 54-48 victory over Fort Wayne Carroll last Saturday at the Eric Clark Activity Center.
The ‘Hounds started strong, leading 16-9 after the first quarter. Izzy Shepherd scored six points, with Lauren Perry and Madison Wallace both hitting 3-pointers.
Shepherd
The Chargers used an 8-0 run to lead 17-16 in the second period, but Carmel answered that with a 7-0 spurt to take a 23-17 halftime lead. Mallory Bourquein hit two free throws, Izabella Ramsey made a layin and Shepherd finished the half with a triple.
“We had a pretty good rotation,” said Greyhounds coach Rick Risinger. Carmel had to deal with adversity when promising freshman Catherine Bassi was injured in the first quarter and didn’t return to the game.
A Perry jumper pushed Carmel ahead 25-17 at the start of the third quarter. Carroll went on a 7-0 run, but the ‘Hounds were able to hold the Chargers off until they took a 32-30 lead midway through the quarter.
Carmel again separated itself with another period-ending run, going up 38-32 at the finish of the third. Mackenzie Woods started it with a layin, then Shepherd and Ramsey both hit 3s. Carroll opened the fourth quarter with a triple, but baskets from Bourquein and Perry sandwiched two Shepherd free throws.
With that, the Greyhounds enjoyed their largest lead of the game at 44-35. Carroll came back in the fourth quarter, but Carmel stayed ahead of the Chargers for the entire period. Shepherd took over with nine points in the fourth, including a 5-of-6 effort from the free-throw line.
“They grinded it out and did what we needed to do, hit some critical free throws,” said Risinger.
“I think our team has been playing well,” said Shepherd. “We’ve been picking up the pace.”
The ‘Hounds began their season by playing defending Class 4A state champion Lawrence Central, which was a tough opener.
“But after winning three in a row, we kind of found our groove,” said Shepherd. The senior Huntington University commit said Carmel’s freshmen “have been helping us out tremendously, so it’s just been real nice.”
Shepherd finished the game with 21 points, while Ramsey scored 11. Perry, a Lewis University commit, added seven points.
Carmel is 3-2 and plays Tuesday at Noblesville.
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