Millers drop finale to Arabians, Tippner moves into second on scoring list

By RICHARD TORRES

For The Reporter

NOBLESVILLE – With 5.7 seconds left on the clock Thursday night, the Class 4A sixth-ranked Noblesville Millers trailed 66-65 and put the ball in the hands of their senior leader.

For the first time in eight weeks, things didn’t fall into place.

Instead, Noblesville lost for just the third time inside The Mill this season, as Meredith Tippner’s last-second jumper sailed long, and the Millers watched their 14-game winning streak close against a fiery 4A Pendleton Heights Arabians team.

“It’s a learning experience for all of us. At the end of the day, it’s not that possession. It was the two-to-three minutes before that. As the leader of this team, I should have had our team under control,” Tippner remarked after the Millers’ first loss since Dec. 4. “They went on a run, but it’s a game of runs, so we could have got ourselves going again, and you just kind of need that stop.”

Up by as many as 15 points early in the second half, Noblesville (18-4) charged back from a 7-2 deficit to start and battled through three first-half ties.

The Arabians (17-6), however, led by senior Kaycie Warfel’s 26 points and sophomore Adah Hupfer’s 22 points and 23 rebounds deadlocked the game twice more in the final 4:45.

A bucket by freshman Maia Blower with 12 seconds remaining put Noblesville ahead 65-63, but Warfel, who became Madison County’s all-time career leading scorer by halftime, answered with a layup six seconds later.

With both teams in a timeout after Warfel’s shot, the game’s officials charged the Millers’ bench with a technical foul, which sent Pendleton Height’s Olivia Jones to the free-throw line where she sank one to put Noblesville behind, 66-65.

The Arabians, which entered with a 10-game winning streak, were awarded possession afterwards, but a turnover provided the Millers with a chance.

“The girls did a really good job of responding to that official’s call right there. They turned it over, and we gave ourselves a chance to win it. Given the circumstances, obviously, not ideal, but with how they handled it, very encouraging going into sectional time for sure,” the NHS staff remarked.

“It was frustrating, but our team has done a great job of handling the lowest of lows and the highest of highs. You would never be able to tell if we’re winning or losing because they’re the same every single time.”

The Millers showcased their composure with several storylines looming throughout the game.

Warfel carried 2,016 career points as Pendleton Heights’ all-time leader, chasing Alexandria’s Jodi Howell (2,026) to become Madison County’s all-time leading scorer in girls’ basketball.

The Taylor commit scored 10 points in the first quarter to tie the mark and surpassed it late in the second quarter with a steal and a transition layup to cut Noblesville’s lead, 32-28.

“I didn’t know where I was at to be honest with you, and I heard the fans cheering, my parents cheering, so knowing after I heard that, I was like, ‘Oh my, gosh. I did it,’” Warfel said. “It’s such a great honor.”

Warfel finished with 2,042 career points after the regular-season finale with current Alexandria senior Jacklynn Hosier in pursuit (2,030) after becoming her school’s all-time leading scorer on Thursday.

Beyond both team’s winning streaks, Tippner’s game-high 31 points propelled her to second all-time in Noblesville girls’ basketball history for career points. Tippner now has 1,724 points, which ranks her second behind Courtney Cox’s 1,869, set in 1989.

The Miami (Florida) commit only needed five points against Pendleton Heights to tie Ashlynn Shade (1,698) for second and her seven points by the end of the first quarter achieved the feat.

“It’s a pretty cool thing. To know all the amazing players that have gone through this building and have done the things that they’ve done. It’s an honor to be a part of that list, but job’s not over,” Tippner said.

Not with Sectional 8 starting next week at The Mill against Carmel on Tuesday for the Millers following Thursday’s stinging loss.

“This was a tournament feel, and this was a close game, and it’s O.K. we didn’t win this one because we want to win the next couple at sectional next week,” Tippner said.

“They’re a really nice team. They have the guard aspect. They have the shooters and then Adah’s great down low. She’s really tough to guard, and that’s what you’re going to face in Sectional 8.”

Hupfer, who stands 6-foot-3, and 5-10 Warfel powered a 12-2 run to nearly erase Noblesville’s 15-point lead in the third quarter. The duo chipped away in the fourth quarter with Hupfer tying the game 56-56 at the 4:45 mark, and Warfel doing the same twice at 63- and 65-all in the final minute.

“Again, it’s a game of runs, so we just have to get that stop, and once we have that lead at the end, we have to learn how to keep that going into those last couple of minutes,” Tippner said.

“We’ve experienced winning, and we’ve also experienced what losing feels like. I always say, the season doesn’t start until Zionsville because Zionsville is always a tricky game, and in the past, we lost, and we’ve had to regroup and rebuild. For us, this is our Zionsville. We felt what losing is, and it’s how we bounce back.”

Junior Ally Hutchison backed up Tippner with 17 points, six rebounds and two assists. Tippner converted 15 of 16 free throws and led the Millers with seven rebounds and seven assists. Kate Rollins, a senior, added five points.

“Pendleton Heights is a very talented squad. They’re definitely going to do some damage in their sectional, and they might win it,” the Millers staff commented. “We’ve got three days to turn our sights to Carmel, then two days to Westfield (in semifinals), so we’re excited for it. We’re up for the challenge, and the Mill is definitely excited to host Sectional 8.”