FAIRLAND — After Tuesday the rest was just a formality.
Eastern Hancock completed all the requirements necessary and took home the girls basketball program’s first sectional title since 2017 with a 68-32 victory over Indianapolis Scecina in the championship game of Class 2A Sectional 42 at Triton Central High School Saturday.
The Royals disposed of one-win Irvington Prep 97-13 in a Friday semifinal to follow up its nail-biting 49-44 win over host Triton Central on Tuesday. The opening round game pitted the No. 8 Royals against the No. 11 Tigers, according to the Class 2A rankings by the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association.
The two schools had a combined record of 40-8, while the other three teams in the tournament had a combined 15 wins, 12 from Saturday’s runner-up Scecina.
“It’s tough to stay focused on the next step,” Eastern Hancock senior Emma Bolding said. “Something coach (Shari) Doud always tells us is not to take any team we play lightly. You show them respect like any other team we play. When we beat Triton Central, we’re looking to the next step, the regional, but we’re still in the present, we still had to play these teams. Nothing is guaranteed.”
On Saturday, the Royals scored the game’s first nine points. With 1:42 left in the opening quarter, on the first of five 3-pointers from senior Grace Stapleton, they had their first double-digit lead, 17-5.
At 6:40 of the fourth quarter, sub Camryn Andrus hit a 3-pointer to give the Royals a 61-25 advantage, moving the game to running-clock timing rules.
In the end, the Royals captured the program’s third sectional title. They also won a sectional in 2001. The win extends the school record for wins in a season to 22. It was also the team’s 13th straight win.
“Everyone knew Tuesday night was pretty much it,” Stapleton said. “Coming to play (Saturday) we still have to bring the energy. In a sectional championship anything can happen. We had to come out and do what we always do, bring our energy.”
Stapleton finished with a game-high 20 points. Junior Ruby White, the Royals 6-foot-1 center, had 15 points. All 11 Royals saw action and nine scored.
White and Stapleton both talked about watching the 2017 team win a sectional championship. It was something they both wanted to do when their time came.
That time was, officially, on Saturday.
“This is everything. So many of us have been working for this our entire basketball careers,” White said. “They were the girls I looked up to all of my middle school career. I always wanted to be them or like them. Now I think we’re continuing that legacy and I think that’s really special.”
“All of us remember when they won (six) years ago,” Stapleton added. “It means extra to do it here at Triton Central (on the home floor of a team that has knocked us out before).
“I remember how exciting it was when they did win (in 2017). They won it at Knightstown and beat Triton. To see how excited they were, that was something I want to do before I leave here.”
It’s been a special year for the Royals and coach Doud. The veteran coach won her 100th game at Eastern Hancock earlier this season. Then, picked up her 300th career victory a few weeks ago. She can add a sectional championship to the 2022-23 list of memories.
“We won such a huge game Tuesday and then you know you’re playing a couple of programs that have struggled,” Doud said. “How do you rise up? The kids did. They knew what was looming. They were able to get it done.
“This group knows they’re capable of doing great things. This (sectional championship) was on our radar and one they wanted to achieve. I told my players and told my staff, there are so many players from years past, thousands of players, that have gone through high school sports and have never been able to experience this … As a coach, I am thrilled beyond measure these kids get to experience this. Ten times more special for the players than it is for the coach.”
The Royals will play in regional competition Saturday at Southmont High School in Crawfordsville. Eastern Hancock will take on University (20-4) at 1 p.m.
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Eastern Hancock 68 , Scecina 32
Scecina;5;15;5;7;—;32
Eastern Hancock;21;15;22;10;—;68
Scecina (12-12): Molly Welborn 0 0-2 0, Anna Welborn 1 1-2 3, Abbey McCoy 4 1-4 9, Abby Moore 4 8-10 17, Ava Smith 0 0-0 0, Reggi’nae Potts 0 0-0 0, Mariangela Gascon 0 0-0 0, Mayana Navarra 0 0-0 0, Ella Wright 0 0-0 0, Sonia Lockhart 0 0-0 0, Isabelle Conley 1 0-0 3. Totals: 10 10-19 32.
Eastern Hancock (22-3): Emma Bolding 3 0-0 6, Makenzie O’Neal 3 1-3 7, Ruby White 7 1-2 15, Grace Stapleton 6 3-4 20, Sammie Bolding 3 1-2 8, Brooklyn Willis 0 2-4 2, Ellie Meyer 1 0-0 2, Sydney Springman 0 2-2 2, Camryn Andrus 2 0-0 6, Lainee Parker 0 0-0 0, Kiersten Judd 0 0-0 0. Totals: 25 10-17 68.
3-point goals: Scecina 2 (Moore, Conley); Eastern Hancock 8 (Stapleton 5, Andrus 2, S. Bolding)
