INDIANAPOLIS
With a sizable crowd pouring into Bankers Life Fieldhouse, especially during the second half, the atmosphere at Saturday’s girls basketball All-Star game between Kentucky and Indiana closely resembled what most of the players will encounter playing at the collegiate level.
Cassidy Hardin and Mackenzie Blazek took well to it.
Center Grove grad Hardin scored 12 points and was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player, and former Whiteland star Blazek added 10 points and eight rebounds to lead Indiana to an 83-70 victory.
“It’s really fun playing in arenas like this,” Blazek said, “but I kind of tune out the crowd and stuff when we’re playing … you’ve just got to know what to do.”
Hardin, who had come off the bench in the team’s previous games, joined Blazek in the starting lineup Saturday and immediately rewarded Indiana coach Pat McKee for his confidence in her. She scored the game’s first three points on free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt and later knocked down a pair of 3s that helped the home side go into the break with a 43-31 advantage.
Her nine first-half points led all scorers.
“I think Cass hitting them early gave the team a big lift,” McKee said. “Now they know she’s a threat and they’re stepping out to her because they know she can do it, and that opened it up for other players.”
Hardin, who also finished the night with five boards, two assists and two steals, said that being put into the starting five gave her an extra dose of confidence.
“It definitely helped me relax into the game and remember that I deserve to be here just like all the other 12 players that are on this team,” Hardin said. “I think it was good for my confidence to start. He played me a lot, so I’m thankful for that.”
The two Johnson County representatives led the Indiana contingent in playing time; Hardin logged 27 minutes, while Blazek was right behind her with 24.
Blazek got her first basket of the game on a putback with about four minutes remaining in the half, then added a short baseline jumper shortly after the intermission. She tacked on another bucket with about 11 minutes to go in the game, part of a six-point burst that restored Indiana’s double-digit lead at 62-50 with 10:37 left.
“We kind of just jelled more,” Blazek said. “It’s harder coming off of a bus from a long drive going there, and I think they had the same thing coming here. We definitely picked it up from yesterday, and obviously it turned out well.”
Kentucky fought back to within three with a 9-0 run, but Indiana scored the next six points and wasn’t seriously threatened again. Hardin fed Blazek for the game’s final points with 1:06 remaining to seal it.
Both local standouts hit the road Sunday to join their respective college programs — Blazek at Illinois, Hardin at Purdue — but Saturday offered the once and future rivals one last chance to savor their high school experience.
“It’s been a lot of fun playing with these girls the past five days,” Blazek said. “Playing with Cass today, playing against her in high school. We’re all going to be playing against each other at the next level, so it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
