By CRAIG ADKINS
For The Reporter
NOBLESVILLE – The Carmel Greyhounds got off to a great start defensively against the host Noblesville Millers, but they weren’t able to keep up offensively. Noblesville took advantage of Carmel miscues on the way to a Class 4A Sectional 8 first round win, 51-40 at The Mill.
It was a back-and-forth first quarter with three ties that eventually led to Carmel with a 12-11 edge heading to the second.
“It’s difficult, because there are a lot of different kinds of emotions on both teams. You’ve got seniors and then underclass and it’s not their last game. And, that’s true on both sides of the floor,” said Carmel head coach Rick Risinger.
The Millers took their first lead at 14-12 to begin the second quarter on an Ally Hutchinson three from the right.
Carmel’s Lauren Perry scored 17 points for the Greyhounds. (Julie Brown)
Carmel tied it for the fourth time 14-14 with a Lauren Perry offensive rebound putback. Kate Rollins dipped it down low to C.C. Quigley for a 16-14 lead, but the Greyhounds tied it once more (16-16) on Perry’s second straight bucket.
“Lauren is strong in certain aspects. As far as those outside shots she was taking and she absolutely wanted this game. Mall (Mallory Bourquein) was the same way. Mack (Mackenzie Woods), who is the point guard, took so much responsibility for this team. Not just as far as offense and defense, but in her leadership. I was proud of all of them,” Risinger said.
Noblesville went on an 8-0 run to get some breathing room. A pair of Meredith Tippner fast break layups were book ends in the run with two Quigley field goals in between for a 24-16 Miller lead.
A Woods lay-in with 1:27 left until halftime stopped the run. Tippner sank a left win three. Perry answered from the same spot at the other end. Rollins took a pass from Tippner through the lane, up off of the glass and in. Bourquein hit a three in the final seconds and Noblesville took a 29-24 lead to halftime.
“I felt like we had them on the ropes a couple of times in the first half and then they hit some big shots. Perry hit a couple big shots in that first half,” said Noblesville head coach Donna Buckley.
The Millers were able to slowly stretch out their lead throughout the third. After Perry hit another three to make it 34-29, Noblesville went on a 13-0 run to end the third quarter for its largest lead at 47-29.
The biggest reason for the lead growing was the senior duo of Tippner and Rollins. Tippner had nine and Rollins four to help put Carmel into a hole that they couldn’t climb out of.
“Our kids do a great job of flying around in ‘13’ and just being active. The ball comes into the paint and we have to collapse on that. I thought C.C. did a great job of patrolling the paint and then our other kids just trying to keep the ball from getting to a point where C.C. has to step up and do anything,” Buckley said.
Clogging the middle and forcing the Greyhounds to take longer shots paid dividends for the Millers.
“I think playing at that tempo kind of woke them up on offense and created some opportunities for us. Speeding them up, they didn’t shoot it nearly as well in the second half as they did in the first,” Buckley continued.
Noblesville was able to hold off the ‘Hounds in the fourth for the 11-point first round win.
Carmel ends its season at 10-13. They were led by Lauren Perry’s 17 points, followed by Taylee Fisher with eight, Mallory Bourquein seven and Mackenzie Woods six.
The Millers were led by Meredith Tippner’s 22 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Fellow senior Kate Rollins joined in double digits with 12, along with a pair of assists and two steals. Quigley had nine and pulled down eight rebounds with three steals. Ally Hutchinson had eight points on three field goals.
Noblesville (19-4) moves on to the Sectional 8 semifinals and will face Westfield (15-8) in the second game at approximately 7:45 p.m. on Friday. The first semifinal at 6 p.m. features Zionsville (10-12) against Hamilton Southeastern (23-0). The Royals won the first game on Tuesday over Fishers, 46-30.
