By RICHIE HALL
FISHERS – Anyone that has watched the Hamilton Southeastern girls basketball team for a while is aware of the parade of talent that marches through the program year after year.
Every player that joins the Royals team wants to be part of that parade. As a result, when it’s time for them to step in, those players make the most of it.
This year’s Southeastern team is making the most of its opportunities, to the tune of a 3-0 record. The Class 4A No. 6 Royals got to play at home for the first time this season on Saturday, beating Columbus East 52-37 in an abbreviated Hamilton Southeastern Shootout. (Terre Haute South withdrew from the tournament earlier in the week.)
“I think those kids had to wait their turn, only because of what was in front of them,” said Royals coach Chris Huppenthal. Southeastern has had several talented players on its team over the last few years, so now this year’s group is showing what it can do – and it can do many good things.
“We’ve got a lot of kids in our program that would be starting at other schools,” said Huppenthal. “And it’s hard to get minutes here because of some of the talent we do have.”
The Royals were involved in a battle with the Olympians in the first quarter. Southeastern trailed 4-0 before Lydia Self got her team on the board with a three-point play. Makayla Hinshaw added five points (a 3-pointer and a jumper).
Columbus East led 10-8 with 1:48 left in the first before HSE went on an 8-0 run that lasted into the second quarter. Teegan Acres tied the game up with a pair of free throws, then Riley Makalusky’s layin pushed the Royals ahead for good, giving them a 12-10 lead at the end of the first.
Southeastern would never trail again, although the Olympians tied the game up at 20-20 with a 3-pointer. Self hit two free throws to get the Royals back in front, and they would stay there for the remainder of the game.
Self finished the game with 16 rebounds, the second time this season she has collected that number, doing so in HSE’s first game of the season against Ben Davis. Self also had 13 rebounds in the Royals’ second game, against Center Grove.
Self made news earlier in the week by committing to play soccer at Northern Kentucky University, and Huppenthal believes Self has greatly benefitted from playing both sports.
“A lot of people think they need to play one sport,” said Huppenthal. “Lydia’s soccer skills and what she does in soccer has just brought over to basketball and has elevated her in this game.”
A 3-pointer by Koryn Greiwe got Columbus East within one, 26-25, at halftime. The Royals went up 36-27 at one point during the third, with Ryan Viele hitting a pair of 3-pointers. But the Olympians finished the quarter on a 7-0 run, keeping them within 36-34 going into the fourth.
That final period was all Southeastern, as it outscored Columbus East 16-3. Olivia Brown played well, scoring seven points, while Hinshaw added five points.
“These kids, they really, really work hard. They have such a competitive spirit about them,” said Huppenthal. The coach said it was evident in “how they attack the offensive boards, how they play defense, how they look for each other, share the basketball.”
Southeastern had 16 assists as a team, with Hinshaw and Brown both dishing out four. Viele was the leading scorer with 13 points, followed by Brown with 11 and Hinshaw with 10. Hinshaw also had six rebounds while Brown had five.
The Royals will go back on the road Friday, traveling to Franklin Central to play their first Hoosier Crossroads Conference game of the season.
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 52, COLUMBUS EAST 37
Southeastern FG FT TP PF
Lydia Self 2-3 4-5 8 3
Makayla Hinshaw 4-11 0-0 10 1
Riley Makalusky 3-7 2-2 8 0
Olivia Brown 5-8 0-2 11 0
Ryan Viele 5-12 1-2 13 1
Lauren Stewart 0-3 0-0 0 1
Brin Bair 0-0 0-0 0 0
Teegan Acres 0-0 2-2 2 2
Gabi Layman 0-0 0-0 0 0
Shalyn Rathbun 0-0 0-0 0 0
Zoe Bolding 0-0 0-0 0 0
Totals 19-44 9-13 52 8
Score by Quarters
Columbus East 10 15 9 3 – 37
Southeastern 12 14 10 16 – 52
Southeastern 3-point shooting (5-17) Viele 2-8, Hinshaw 2-3, Brown 1-2, Makalusky 0-2, Stewart 0-2.
Southeastern rebounds (34) Self 16, Hinshaw 6, Brown 5, Makalusky 4, Viele 2, Stewart 1.