Tuesday night’s girls basketball tilt between Whiteland and Indian Creek didn’t offer up much in the way of offensive fireworks.
For a Warriors team in need of a pick-me-up after consecutive road losses, style points didn’t matter.
In a game defined by missed shots and intense battles on the boards, Whiteland managed to take control late and escape with a hard-fought 40-32 victory.
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“Our defensive effort was there,” Whiteland coach Kyle Shipp said. “Giving up 32 points is right where we want to be. The points came as the game kind of opened up a little bit, but I was proud of our defensive effort.”
The Warriors (6-5) owned the final eight minutes, opening the fourth period with six consecutive points to reclaim the lead after the Braves had surged ahead at the end of the third. Indian Creek got back to within two, 32-30, on a Caitlyn Snyder basket, but Megan Harlow answered with a layup at the other end and sank four free throws in the final 2:14 to help seal the outcome.
Harlow (10 points, seven rebounds) and Toni Joyner (eight points, nine rebounds) each had a pair of key offensive boards in the last quarter of the game.
“We just had to refocus again on rebounding,” Shipp said, “and Megan had a couple of huge offensive rebounds.”
Up 12-10 after a first half that saw both teams struggle to get anything going offensively, the Warriors created a little space by opening the third quarter with a Taylor Klenner putback and a Gracie McCullars 3-pointer. Another McCullars trey later in the period made it 25-18, but the Braves (5-6) clawed back with an 8-0 run to take a one-point lead into the fourth. Heather Maddox grabbed an offensive rebound and fed Ali Harris for a layup just before the horn to put the hosts in front, 26-25.
That lead proved to be short-lived. McCullars opened the fourth quarter with a steal and layup, and baskets by Natalie Stuck and Harlow gave the Warriors a 31-26 edge that held up the rest of the way.
“Fourth quarter, we had some defensive breakdowns,” Indian Creek coach Brian Ferris said. “Harlow takes it to the hole strong a couple of times and misses, but we don’t block her out.”
McCullars scored 15 points to lead all scorers. Snyder paced Indian Creek with 10 points, while Harris had eight and Jessie Hart added seven.
