By CRAIG ADKINS
For The Reporter
NOBLESVILLE – As was anticipated with the two highly-touted semifinal matchups that pitted four of the top five teams in Class 4A, The Mill was packed beyond capacity.
FISHERS 67, NOBLESVILE 64, 2 OTs
Third-ranked Fishers did everything it could to push the reigning state champion and No. 2 Noblesville and were able to upend the Millers in double overtime, 67-64.
The intensity throughout was like a pressure cooker and the room for error was zero as the biggest lead for both teams would be just five points.
“I reminded our players tonight and asked them, how lucky are we that we got to play in front of a full house, in a double-overtime game against the defending state champs,” said Fishers head coach Lauren Votaw on the sellout atmosphere at The Mill in Noblesville on Friday.
Noblesville got off to their biggest lead in the first at 11-6 before Talia Harris hit a three from the left corner and Olivia Smith scored on a fast break layup to tie it 11-11 after on.
The Tigers scored a couple more baskets in a row from Kate Thomas and Hailey Smith for a 15-11 lead.
It was a back-and-forth affair from start to finish and a game of different mini runs.
“I knew it 100 percent. They would hit a big shot and the Miller crowd would go nuts and it made us almost go faster,” stated Votaw on her team feeding off of the crowd at different points in the game.
Three-pointers were falling on both ends with Fishers sinking two, while the Millers nailed three to get within two at halftime, 24-22.
The Millers tied it twice again at 24 and 26 and then Olivia Smith had a 6-0 run herself for the Tigers’ largest lead at 32-26.
Noblesville went on an 11-4 run to end the third, thanks to two threes from Reagan Wilson and another from Ava Shoemaker. That last from Wilson gave the Millers a 37-36 slight edge through three.
“Reagan is definitely a Miss Basketball kid. She made so many plays to give us a chance and it was obviously a game where either team could have won. Reagan made huge plays. She just carried us with Tippner making big plays,” stated Noblesville head coach Donna Buckley on the impact junior Reagan Wilson has and the accolade of Miss Basketball being very possible in 2024.
Fishers figured out ways in the fourth to keep the Millers from taking over fully. A 16-15 advantage helped the Tigers propel the game into overtime.
Noblesville’s Brooklyn Ely (right) drives the ball as Fishers’ Talia Harris defends. (Kent Graham)
The first overtime didn’t include much scoring. Fishers made four of their six free throws to account for theirs and Noblesville a free throw from Kaitlyn Shoemaker and a crucial right corner three from Ava Shoemaker that sent it into a second overtime quarter.
The Tigers were able to force multiple turnovers and kept at it in the second extra frame, edging the Millers after 40 minutes of play, 67-64.
Down the stretch in the second overtime, it was the Smith twins, Hailey and Olivia that gave the Tigers the opportunities that resulted in the semifinal win over the host Millers.
“They are two really good basketball players, who are relentless and made some huge plays,” said Buckley on Fishers twins Hailey and Olivia Smith and their impact on this game.
“This crew, like no team I’ve ever seen before, just in their chemistry, has a big role to play,” Votaw said on her team’s chemistry and it being a big part of the Tigers’ 16-game winning streak.
Noblesville (21-4) and its quest to defend the state championship came to an abrupt halt.
The Millers were led by Wilson’s game-high 26 points. Meredith Tippner had another double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Ava Shoemaker also had a solid offensive night with 14 points.
Fishers was led by Olivia (22) and Hailey (15) Smith, as they paced the Tigers’ scoring. Talia Harris had nine and Joirdyn Smith seven.
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 46, ZIONSVILLE 42
Semifinal number two was opened up early and the Royals were in a comfort zone for a majority of the first half.
This game, too, was a game of runs and it was a late run that would lift Hamilton Southeastern to the win over Zionsville, 46-42.
HSE started off on a 9-2 run out of the gates, including seven of the first nine from Riley Makalusky that forced a Zionsville timeout with 4:15 left in the first.
The Eagles made it interesting in the second, going on an 11-0 run that would pull them within striking distance at halftime, down just 23-18.
Zionsville achieved something special in the second. It was with Laila Hull’s first two-point field goal that helped her break the all-time career scoring record in Eagles’ girls basketball.
“One thing that’s been special about this group, we’ve had a lot of runs in our favor and some that haven’t been. When those runs happen against us, we have found ways to get things turned around,” said Hamilton Southeastern head coach Brian Satterfield on how Zionsville’s run didn’t affect his team much.
The game stayed close throughout the second half and was sloppy at times with turnovers on both sides.
Two different threes from Allie Caldwell and a third from Mallory Heerdt were the return punches the Eagles needed to stay in the game. They were able to tie the game at 38-38 with 2:45 left on Heerdt’s uncharacteristic three.
Two more free throws from Teegan Acres made it 40-38 with 1:23 remaining. Then, it was Lauren Stewart who took a pass all alone down low for a layup that would ice the cake and put the Royals the sectional championship with a 46-42 win over Zionsville.
“You have different people step up to do different things that we needed to win the game,” stated Satterfield on different players stepping up that helped guide them to the win.
Hamilton Southeastern’s Maya Makalusky had 11 rebounds for the Royals during their
sectional win over Zionsville on Friday. (Kent Graham)
“It’s just a meat grind trying to make it through this sectional,” continued Satterfield on how tough it is to get through Sectional 8.
Zionsville bows out at 20-3 on the season. They were led by Laula Hull’s team-high 11 points, with Allie Caldwell added 10. Faith Leedy and Jordyn Coleman each chipped in with six.
Hamilton Southeastern (21-2) advances on to face Fishers for a sectional championship. The Tigers won the regular season matchup for the Mudsock at HSE on Dec. 17, 49-48, so it should be quite the showdown.
“It’s a great rivalry game. You’re playing in this atmosphere and it’s one of those special games that you have to come out and play your best basketball,” Satterfield said on the championship game against rival FIshers.
The Royals were led by Riley Makalusky with a game-high 20 points. Olivia Brown had nine and Maya Makalusky eight to go along with her 11 rebounds.
Fishers is looking for their first sectional title since 2020 and HSE last won in 2019 when they won the Class 4A state championship.
FIRST GAME
FISHERS 67, NOBLESVILLE 64
(double overtime)
Noblesville FG FT TP PF
Kaitlyn Shoemaker 0-4 1-4 1 4
Brooklyn Ely 0-1 0-0 0 1
Ava Shoemaker 5-10 0-0 14 3
Reagan Wilson 8-17 4-5 26 2
Meredith Tippner 8-14 0-2 18 5
Dani Mendez 2-7 1-2 5 5
C. C. Quigley 0-1 0-0 0 0
Kate Rollins 0-1 0-0 0 1
Totals 23-55 6-13 64 21
Noblesville 3-point shooting (12-23) Wilson 6-10, A. Shoemaker 4-7, Tippner 2-4, K. Shoemaker 0-1, Ely 0-1.
Noblesville rebounds (29) Tippner 12, Mendez 5, K. Shoemaker 3, A. Shoemaker 2, Ely 1, Wilson 1, Rollins 1, Quigley 1, team 3.
Fishers FG FT TP PF
Joirdyn Smith 2-5 2-2 7 3
Talia Harris 3-7 1-2 9 2
Alycia Triplett 2-6 1-6 5 2
Hailey Smith 6-9 2-3 15 4
Olivia Smith 8-17 6-10 22 2
Karina Scott 1-2 1-2 4 0
Kate Thomas 2-6 1-2 5 1
Allison Scheu 0-1 0-0 0 1
Totals 24-53 14-27 67 15
Fishers 3-point shooting (5-17) Harris 2-4, J. Smith 1-4, H. Smith 1-3, Scott 1-2, O. Smith 0-4.
Fishers rebounds (36) Triplett 8, Harris 7, Thomas 7, H. Smith 4, J. Smith 3, O. Smith 2, team 5.
Score by Quarters
Noblesville 11 11 15 15 4 8 – 64
Fishers 11 13 12 16 4 11 – 67
SECOND GAME
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 46, ZIONSVILLE 42
Southeastern FG FT TP PF
Maya Makalusky 3-5 1-2 8 1
Teegan Acres 1-2 3-4 5 2
Riley Makalusky 5-11 8-8 20 3
Olivia Brown 2-4 5-8 9 3
Lauren Stewart 1-3 0-1 2 1
Kennedy Holman 1-3 0-0 2 2
Kayla Stidham 0-0 0-0 0 0
Maine Hooks 0-3 0-0 0 0
Kayla Brinley 0-0 0-0 0 0
Totals 13-31 17-23 46 12
Score by Quarters
Southeastern 17 9 7 13 – 46
Zionsville 7 11 11 13 – 42
Southeastern 3-point-shooting (3-13) R. Makalusky 2-4, M. Makalusky 1-2, Hooks 0-3, Stewart 0-2, Brown 0-1, Holman 0-1.
Southeastern rebounds (24) M. Makalusky 11, Brown 5, Acres 3, Hooks 2, R. Makalusky 1, Holman 1, Stewart 1.