Royals upset bid falls short in 2nd half

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MIDDLETOWN — Eastern Hancock gave a scare to the No. 2 ranked team in the state in Friday’s Class 2A Sectional 42 semifinal at Shenandoah High School.

Unfortunately for the Royals, their halftime lead evaporated in the third quarter and they lost to Triton Central, 52-27. The Tigers will play host Shenandoah in Saturday’s sectional championship.

“(In the) first half we played our game plan to perfection. We owned the first half,” Eastern Hancock coach Shari Doud said. “We knocked down some shots and that got our adrenaline going. They picked up their defensive pressure in the second half and we struggled to pick it apart. I think their physicality wore on us over time, too.”

Eastern opened the second quarter on a 10-2 run. Jocelyn Duncan and Haley Best each hit 3-pointers, while Chloe O’Neal added a couple buckets, including one on a nice assist from Jenna Smith. Duncan hit another 3-pointer with 1:44 left in the half to give the Royals a 19-16 lead. They led 19-18 at the break.

“They had a good game plan and they came out hard,” Triton Central coach Bryan Graham said of the Royals. “I thought coach Doud and her staff did a great job of putting them in position to be very competitive and have the lead at halftime.”

The second half was all Tigers. With the score tied 21-21, Triton Central went on a 23-0 run.

“You have to give them credit. They’re a very solid team, at every position,” Doud said. “They are No. 2 in the state for a reason. I was just proud of our effort. I was proud to walk off the court with those kids, regardless of the score.”

The Royals will miss senior starters Jenna Smith and Haley Best, but the future looks promising. Team leading scorer Duncan is a junior and the Royals also return two other starters. All six players that made up the Eastern bench during tourney time will also be back.

Smith and Best were part of 59 wins over four years, including a sectional championship in 2017.

“Jenna and Haley have left a bold mark at Eastern Hancock behind them in their four years,” Doud said. “I saw them come in as freshmen, just watched their last game and it has been a joy all the way.

“We return a lot. We’re excited for next year and ready to hit the off-season hard.”

Duncan led Eastern Hancock scorers Friday with 10 points. Best and O’Neal each had six. Rylie Stephens scored 22 for the Tigers, including five 3-pointers. She had 17 points in the second half.

Finishing the 2018-19 campaign at 13-11 marks the Royals eighth straight winning season.

It was the third time in the last four years the Royals and Tigers have met in the sectional tournament. Friday’s win for Triton Central broke the 1-1 tie. Triton Central edged Eastern 36-34 in the 2016 sectional title game in Charlottesville. The Royals knocked off a one-loss Tigers team 57-50 in the 2017 sectional title game in Knightstown.