By CRAIG ADKINS
It didn’t start out pretty, but the host Millers were able to bounce back from an early first quarter hole to defeat an extremely tough, physical second-ranked Greensburg squad to win the Noblesville Holiday Tournament on Friday night at The Mill, 58-53.
Bailey Meyer nailed a 3-pointer from the left wing to get the Pirates on the board first at 3-0, but a pass from Maddie Knight to Emily Kiser got the Millers’ first two.
Greensburg would go on an 8-2 run, highlighted by Ashlynn Meyer and Aliyah Evans treys, to take an 11-4 lead, forcing Noblesville head coach Donna Buckley call her first timeout with 3:47 left in the first.
Following the timeout, sophomore spark Sarah Etchison sank a 3-point bomb from the right to bring it to 11-7 and a pair of Mallory Johnson free throws made it a two-point game, 11-9.
The Pirates used two straight 3s by Kyra Whitaker and Aliyah Evans to pump get their largest lead of the game to 17-9, but back came the Millers again with an Etchison swish from downtown. Reghan Day tossed in a six-footer at the buzzer for a 19-12 Greensburg lead at the end of the first.
Etchison drilled a 14-foot jumper to start the second and Emily Kiser got fouled, converting the old-fashioned three-point play, cutting the gap to two at 19-17, but Micha Morrison found a way through the lane to get Greensburg back up by four, 21-17.
With the game tied at 21-21, the Millers got two huge baskets from sophomore Anna Kiser that tied it at 23 and 25 before the elder Kiser, Emily would score two straight field goals to give the Millers a 29-25 halftime lead, which they would not give up the rest of the night.
Greensburg didn’t give up the fight throughout, but only got within two on three different stints during the remainder of the game.
The Millers would lead 42-38 after three periods, but they knew the Pirates would make this a physical battle until the end.
It seems to be a trend lately for the Millers that the junior tandem of Mallory Johnson and Maddie Knight come up big in the second half and that’s exactly what happened against Greensburg and that had help from fellow junior Madison Whetro. The three juniors would combine for 23 or Noblesville’s 29 second half points, including 10 from Knight.
“Those juniors played well for us all day. They did so many good things. Mallory and Maddie are kids who’ve played three years of varsity basketball and like I said, we expect a lot from them and they’ve answered that,” said Noblesville head coach Donna Buckley on the junior trio that stepped up to a big challenge versus Greensburg and early Friday against New Palestine.
Mallory Johnson’s three from the right side was simply the dagger that the Pirates couldn’t handle in the final minutes that gave the Millers a 53-46 lead and left Greensburg forcing things from that point.
Noblesville would earn its final five points at the foul line and a last-ditch effort three by Kyra Whitaker would make for the final score of 58-53, giving the Millers the title Holiday Tournament Champions.
“They ended up just making a few more plays than we do in key moments and you gotta give ’em credit for that,” Greensburg head coach Jason Simpson tipping his hat to Noblesville in a hard-fought championship game.
Greensburg (13-3) played a great pair of games Friday at Noblesville that will only help the remainder of their season. Aliyah Evans led the Pirates with a team-high 14, while Kyra Whitaker joined her in double-figures.
Noblesville (9-7) has now won five of its last six games. Their scoring was highlighted by a 15-point, 17-rebound, seven-assist and four-block night from Emily Kiser. Just another night at the office for the Indiana All-Star candidate. She was joined in double-digit scoring by Knight (10) and Madison Whetro (10), while Johnson netted nine and Etchison pitched in another great night off the bench with eight.
Emily Kiser was voted Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, while Johnson also made the all-tournament team.
The Noblesville girls basketball team won its own Holiday Tournament on Friday. The Millers defeated New Palestine 69-60 in the semi-finals and Class 3A No. 2 Greensburg 58-53 in the championship. (Photo provided)
The New Palestine Dragons didn’t have it easy, but they were able to take third place in the Noblesville Holiday Tournament with a 59-52 Consolation game win over Southport.
Southport led 16-12 after one, but a big 19-10 second quarter gave New Pal a five point edge at halftime, 31-26.
They extended their lead in the third to fourteen points, outscoring the Cardinals 17-8.
Southport didn’t give up in their pursuit of a win on Friday, but fell short, despite taking the fourth quarter 18-11, dropping the Consolation game to the speedy Dragons, 59-52.
New Palestine (11-3) was led by Lead Seib’s game-high 18 and Megan Jolly’s 17. Jolly earned herself a spot on the all-tournament team.
Southport (3-12) plays much better than their record. The Cardinals had a balanced effort in their second game of the day, led by Andrea Vidaurre’s team-high 14, along with two 10-point scorers in Ashley Raisor and Tiana Wright, who also made the all-tournament team.