By RICHIE HALL
Reporter Sports Editor
Sectional games tend to bring out the best in basketball teams, and that was true about the Carmel-Noblesville girls game at Class 4A Sectional 8 in Fishers Friday night.
The Millers threw everything they could at the Class 4A No. 2 Greyhounds before Carmel was able to escape with a 50-45 victory. The ‘Hounds will play Hamilton Southeastern at 7 p.m. tonight for the sectional title.
Noblesville came to play from the beginning, jumping out to a 6-2 lead after Mallory Johnson hit a pair of free throws, and Emily Kiser and Maddie Knight made layins. Jumpers from Reagan Hune and Blake Smith brought Carmel back to tie at 6-6, and the game was on.
No lead was safe. Amy Dilk’s basket got Carmel up 12-10 late in the first period, but the Millers scored seven unanswered points in a run that extended into the second quarter. Johnson hit a 3-pointer and Kiser scored on a floater to end the first period, then Abby Haley added a couple free throws in the first minute of the second.
The Greyhounds answered with an 8-0 run of their own to go up 20-17. Dilk made the first of two free throws, missed the second, but Tomi Taiwo was there to get the rebound back in the basket. Taiwo was fouled on the shot, and made the free throw for a 3-point play.
Seconds later, Dilk made a layin to put Carmel in front, then Smith drained a couple free throws. On it went, until Dilk’s 3-pointer gave the ‘Hounds a 25-22 lead, and that would be the halftime score.
“We knew it’d be a battle,” said Carmel coach Tod Windlan. “Sectional game like that, it’s going to be a tough battle. Our kids have been in some really tough games this year. I knew they’d find a way to try and win it. We did.”
Things looked precarious for the Greyhounds in the third quarter when, after the teams had been trading leads for the entire period, Dilk took a hard fall on to her knee. She had to leave the game and then briefly left the gym for treatment.
Carmel led 34-32 at the time. Noblesville the last five points of the quarter, including a 3-pointer from Johnson. Olivia Morales’ jump shot gave the Millers a 37-34 lead.
The ‘Hounds got the first points of the fourth period, two free throws by Jasmine McWilliams to get within 37-36. Dilk was back in the game to start the fourth, and she made her presence known – her 3-pointer put Carmel back up 39-37.
“It was a valiant effort to come back after it didn’t look like she was coming back,” said Windlan. “She’s a very competitive kid. She willed us to victory tonight.”
Kiser answered with a ‘3’ to give the Millers a 40-39 advantage, but Carmel went on a 6-0 run to take the lead for good. Dilk scored four of those points, with a McWilliams layin in between. After that it was free throw time, and the Greyhounds made 5-of-6 over the last 35 seconds of the game.
Dilk finished the game with 23 points, including three 3-pointers, five rebounds, five steals and four assists. McWilliams had a solid game with 12 points and five rebounds. Carmel had 37 boards on the game, with Smith pulling nine, Taiwo collecting seven and Hune grabbing six.
Kiser, who is headed to the University of Michigan, finished her career as a Miller in a familiar fashion: A double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds. She also made two 3-pointers. Johnson’s 11 points included three 3s. Haley dished out four assists and Madison Whetro made two blocked shots.
“I thought we played extremely well,” said Noblesville coach Donna Buckley. “So proud of our kids. They played their butts off and did everything we asked of them. They’ve been such a joy to coach.”
Carmel is now 23-2 for the season and will take on Southeastern for the second year in a row in the sectional championship game.
“It’ll be another great Hamilton County rival game like last year,” said Windlan. “(Sydney) Parrish had a great game tonight and looked good. We expect it to be a battle like it was last year.”
Noblesville finished its season 15-8; the Millers had come into the sectional semi-finals on an eight-game winning streak.
“The switch just flipped and since December 2, this is only our third loss,” said Buckley. “We were undefeated in January. We played as well as anybody in the state.
“We played one of the toughest schedules in the state and just had a great year.”
Carmel 50,
Noblesville 45
Carmel FG FT TP PF
Amy Dilk 8-19 4-7 23 3
Jasmine McWilliams 4-8 4-4 12 4
Blake Smith 3-6 2-2 8 1
Reagan Hune 1-6 2-4 4 4
Tomi Taiwo 1-6 1-1 3 0
Maddi Sears 0-6 0-0 0 1
Molly Gillig 0-1 0-0 0 1
Mackenzie Wood 0-1 0-0 0 0
Tally Seitz 0-2 0-0 0 1
Sophie Bair 0-2 0-0 0 0
Totals 17-57 13-18 50 15
Carmel 3-point shooting (3-20) Dilk 3-7, Sears 0-5, Taiwo 0-3, Seitz 0-2, Bair 0-2, Gillig 0-1.
Carmel rebounds (37) Smith 9, Taiwo 7, Hune 6, Dilk 5, McWilliams 5, Wood 3, Gillig 1, team 1.
Noblesville FG FT TP PF
Mallory Johnson 3-9 2-2 11 4
Maddie Knight 3-9 0-1 6 2
Madison Whetro 0-3 1-2 1 4
Abby Haley 2-4 2-3 7 2
Emily Kiser 6-12 4-6 18 2
Olivia Morales 1-1 0-0 2 0
Anna Kiser 0-0 0-0 0 1
Totals 15-38 9-14 45 15
Noblesville 3-point shooting (6-13) Johnson 3-5, E. Kiser 2-2, Haley 1-1, Knight 0-3, Whetro 0-2.
Noblesville rebounds (29) E. Kiser 15, Knight 3, Haley 3, Whetro 2, Johnson 1, Morales 1, team 4.
Score by Quarters
Carmel 12 13 9 16 – 50
Noblesville 15 7 15 8 -45
Noblesville’s Maddie Knight looks up to the basket while being guarded by Carmel’s Jasmine McWilliams during the Greyhounds-Millers sectional semi-final game Friday at Fishers. Carmel won 50-45 to advance to tonight’s final. (Kent Graham)
Carmel coach Tod Windlan talks to his team before tipoff of the Greyhounds’ sectional semi-final game with the Millers. (Kirk Green)