By RICHIE HALL
FISHERS – Hamilton Southeastern fought to the end against Brownsburg Friday night before the Bulldogs held on for a 51-50 win in a Hoosier Crossroads Conference game at the Royals’ gym.
Both teams came to play from the beginning, which was evident in a first quarter that had nine lead changes. Nathaniel Orr scored seven points in the opening period, making a layin that put Southeastern up 11-8. Michael Griffith helped out with four points. Later, Donovan Hamilton erased a 12-11 Brownsburg lead with consecutive baskets and the Royals were up 15-12.
The Bulldogs came back to lead 17-16 by the end of the quarter, then used a 7-0 run in the waning minutes of the second period to lead 27-20 at halftime. Spencer Porath scored the last four points of that run on two layins.
Southeastern came out on fire in the third quarter, using a 13-4 spurt to take a 33-31 lead midway through the third. Hamilton drained a 3-pointer, then Braeden Totten hit the first of his five triples during the second half. Totten made two 3s and scored eight points in that run, then another 3 put the Royals up 37-35 late in the quarter.
“We dug ourselves a hole at halftime and I thought we did a good job of bouncing back and fighting back and really made it a game there at the end,” said HSE coach John Ashworth.
Porath’s layin at the end of the quarter tied the score at 37-37. Totten began the fourth quarter with an and-1. Later, with the Royals up 40-39, Deion Miles made a layin and Totten drained another 3 to give Southeastern its biggest lead of the game at 45-39. But Brownsburg went on an 11-0 run to lead 50-45 with 38.6 seconds left and held on from there.
“That was a good game for us as we get prepared for sectionals, because you need to have those close games where you have to execute, you have to try to find ways to win the game,” said Ashworth.
Totten finished the game with 22 points, followed by Hamilton with 10. Orr collected four rebounds and handed out four assists.
Southeastern finished conference play 2-5 and is 15-7 overall. The Royals’ next game is Tuesday at Lawrence North.
BROWNSBURG 51, HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 50
Southeastern FG FT TP PF
Donovan Hamilton 3-5 3-4 10 3
Nathaniel Orr 4-8 0-0 9 1
Braeden Totten 7-13 3-4 22 3
Michael Griffith 3-8 0-0 6 2
Kameron Anthony 0-2 1-2 1 0
Maverick Young 0-3 0-0 0 2
Deion Miles 1-2 0-0 2 2
Jack Jacobs 0-0 0-0 0 0
Totals 18-41 7-10 50 13
Score by Quarters
Brownsburg 17 10 10 14 – 51
Southeastern 16 4 17 13 – 50
Southeastern 3-point shooting (7-17) Totten 5-9, Orr 1-3, Hamilton 1-2, Young 0-3.
Southeastern rebounds (18) Orr 4, Anthony 3, Hamilton 2, Jacobs 1, Young 1, Griffith 1, team 6.