By CRAIG ADKINS
For The Reporter
NOBLESVILLE – For a later season matchup in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference, the first game of the girls-boys doubleheader on Friday pitted second-ranked Zionsville visiting number-three Noblesville. The fans got their money’s worth and more, to say the least.
The matchup of two top five teams in the best conference in the state lived up to its billing. After a tight first half made for a second half that would do anything but mirror that. Down two at halftime, the Millers found their stroke to hand Zionsville its first loss of the season, 73-64.
Noblesville found themselves down twice early on, but were able to make their first run. Reagan Wilson scored the next seven to help get the Millers up 13-9 after one.
The Eagles climbed their way back into it, taking the lead three different times in the middle of the second. Their biggest lead was eight at 23-15, but that just fueled the Millers to close the gap.
Sisters Ava and Kaitlyn Shoemaker each knocked down a triple and Meredith Tippner a layup that tied it 23-23. A pair of Emma Haan free throws helped Zionsville cling to a 25-23 halftime lead.
The Millers went on a 10-2 run to start the third. It was obvious that there was a switch that was flipped in the halftime locker room.
“Definitely defensively. That our thing, our identity,” said Noblesville junior guard Reagan Wilson on what got the Millers going in the second half to take over the game.
“Teams hate playing our 1-3-1, because it’s so deadly. We knew if we capitalized on defense and those steals, that’s what got our run going again,” continued Wilson on the Miller defense that led to their offensive successes.
Wilson grabbed her second steal of the quarter and found Brooklyn Ely on the other end for a three in the left corner, pushing the lead to 33-27. That forced Zionsville to burn a timeout with 4:40 left in the third.
“We got the ball inside. That’s something that we wanted to do and cleaned up some stuff,” said Noblesville head coach Donna Buckley on the Millers’ burst of energy to start the second half.
“We always talk about, can you play with us for 32 minutes? We felt like they (Zionsville) were a little bit tired, which led to some foul trouble for them,” stated Buckley on her team’s mentality that keeps their motor running.
In the final second of the third, Ava Shoemaker nailed one of her three from outside-the-arc, pushing the lead to 44-30 with eight minutes to go.
“You’ve got Ava hitting some threes. Shoe (Kaitlyn) hit a big three and then obviously Reagan was shooting it from everywhere. I’m not sure she wasn’t upstairs when she hit a couple of them. She was everywhere,” said Buckley on the Millers’ three-point shooting, which wound up 48 percent for the game.
Noblesville jumped to its biggest lead of 16 at 53-37 on consecutive baskets by Dani Mendez and Tippner.
The remainder of the game seemed to run through Wilson. It didn’t matter if she was scoring, stealing the ball or dishing out an assist, the junior guard made sure the Millers were securing this conference win.
“When we’re doing that, you can’t stop us. We get on a little run like that and our defense led to some things,” continued Buckley on defense setting up the Millers’ offensive opportunities.
Zionsville made another run to start the fourth, going on an 11-0 run to cut it to 53-46. Wilson scored five in a row to lengthen it back to 10 at 58-48.
From there, it was fending off any sort of last-ditch effort by Zionsville.
Despite scoring 32 points, Eagle all-state candidate Laila Hull found herself in foul trouble and eventually fouled out with 2:55 left in the game.
From that point, Noblesville would outlast Zionsville, thanks in big part to Wilson scoring eight of the final 10 points for the Millers on their way to a 73-64 win over the Eagles.
“Tippner was just awesome on the top of that 1-3-1 and really taking them out of what they were trying to do,” said Buckley on the results of Noblesville’s defense.
The loss for Zionsville ended its 18-game winning streak and is now (18-1, 4-1 HCC). The Eagles’ next game will be at home on Jan. 20 against HCC co-leader Hamilton Southeastern (17-2, 4-1).
The Millers were led by a career-high 37 points from Reagan Wilson. She was 12-for-18 shooting, including an astounding 7-of-11 from three-point range. Wilson also had five assists, five steals and sank six of her seven free throws.
“She’s that kid, she’s so good. She was just in a zone tonight,” said Buckley on Wilson and how her play affects the Millers’ play.
Meredith Tippner muscled her way to 15 points on five field goals and five free throws. Ava Shoemaker was clutch with 11 points, making three of her five from outside. Her senior sister Kaitlyn matched Wilson with five assists and five steals to her credit.
Noblesville (17-3, 4-2) travels to Benet Academy in Lisle, Ill. on Monday and then finishes up HCC play on Jan. 21 against Franklin Central.
BOYS WIN CLOSE GAME
Noblesville’s boys team also got an exciting victory in the second game of the doubleheader, edging out Zionsville 37-35.
The game was tied at 35-35 late in the fourth quarter, and the Millers took a timeout with 16.5 seconds left. Aaron Fine received the inbound pass in the backcourt, then drove in and made the game-winning basket with 4.3 seconds on the clock.
The Eagles had time to make one more play, but Noblesville’s defense stepped up, and a shot at the buzzer didn’t go. Millers coach Scott McClelland called it a “knock-down, drag-out game between two teams who really didn’t want to lose a conference game.”
The first quarter belonged to Luke Almodovar, as he scored all 13 of Noblesville’s points, including two 3-pointers. Meanwhile, Zionsville’s Logan Imes scored all seven of his team’s first-quarter points.
The Millers stayed ahead at halftime, 22-18, with four players scoring. Cooper Bean helped out with a 3-pointer. Zionsville held Noblesville to only four points in the third period, but the Millers kept ahead of the Eagles, 26-25 going into the fourth. Justin Curry made a key 3 during the fourth quarter.
Almodovar finished the game with 17 points.
“The good thing is, we found a way to win,” said McClelland. The coach said his team has played “a handful of games in a variety of different ways, so I think that’s a sign you’re growing. Those types of games put you in a position to only make you better for March.”
Noblesville improved to 2-1 in conference play and 9-3 overall. The Millers go on the road tonight, playing at Connersville.
GIRLS GAME
NOBLESVILLE 73, ZIONSVILLE 64
Noblesville FG FT TP PF
Kaitlyn Shoemaker 1-5 0-0 3 5
Ava Shoemaker 4-8 0-0 11 3
Reagan Wilson 12-18 6-7 37 3
Meredith Tippner 5-12 5-7 15 2
Dani Mendez 2-3 0-0 4 3
Brooklyn Ely 1-4 0-0 3 1
Kate Rollins 0-0 0-0 0 2
Totals 25-50 11-14 73 19
Score by Quarters
Zionsville 9 16 12 27 – 64
Noblesville 13 10 26 24 – 73
Noblesville 3-point shooting (12-25) Wilson 7-11, A. Shoemaker 3-5, Ely 1-4, K. Shoemaker 1-3, Tippner 0-2.
Noblesville rebounds (13) A. Shoemaker 4, Mendez 4, K. Shoemaker3, Tippner 1, team 1.
BOYS GAME
NOBLESVILLE 37, ZIONSVILLE 35
Noblesville FG FT TP PF
Luke Almodovar 6 3-3 17 4
Aaron Fine 3 0-0 6 1
Cooper Bean 1 0-0 3 1
Aiden Brewer 1 0-0 2 1
Hunter Walston 1 0-0 2 3
Luke Etchison 0 0-0 0 0
Preston Roberts 2 0-2 4 1
Justin Curry 1 0-0 3 3
Totals 15 3-5 37 14
Score by Quarters
Zionsville 7 11 7 10 – 35
Noblesville 13 9 4 11 – 37
Noblesville 3-pointers (4) Almodovar 2, Bean, Curry.