Sophomore embracing key role for Trojans

<p><strong>D</strong>uring last year’s Class 4A girls basketball regional at Columbus North, Mary Wilson had a pretty good view of the action.</p><p>This time around, the Center Grove sophomore will be right in the thick of it.</p><p>A little-used reserve wing as a freshman, Wilson didn’t see any playing time in a 46-44 regional final loss to Bedford North Lawrence. But as the Trojans prepare to face the Stars again in Bedford on Saturday morning, the sophomore knows she’s being counted on to play a major role.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>Wilson is third on the team in scoring at 9.9 points a game, and she’s been saving her best efforts for late in the season, scoring a career-high 17 in January wins over Perry Meridian and Greenwood and adding a team-best 16 in a sectional semifinal victory over Whiteland.</p><p>Her emergence has made it a lot harder for teams to direct all of their energy toward stopping Center Grove’s star backcourt duo of Ella Thompson and Emma Utterback.</p><p>“When teams really focus on players like Emma, Mary’s done a really good job of stepping in and hitting big-time shots for us,” Thompson said.</p><p>While Wilson’s 3-point shooting has been a major weapon for the Trojans — her 36 makes behind the arc are second on the team behind Thompson — she’s been far from a one-trick pony.</p><p>Center Grove coach Kevin Stuckmeyer has watched Wilson’s game evolve over the past two seasons, and none of what he’s seen from her this season has surprised him.</p><p>“No one outworks Mary,” Stuckmeyer said. “She works as hard as anybody. She’s the first one in, the last one out. She probably takes a million shots in the summer — and I’m probably not exaggerating there — so she’s earned her success, and it’s no secret why she shoots it at a high percentage (a team-leading 47 percent from 3) and is ready to go and confident when she does that.</p><p>“What I’ve been pleased with is she’s filled out the rest of her game, and you just continue to see her, through her sophomore year, grow in that maturity of her all-around game. As she’s done that, she’s given us that third scoring option, but she’s also just been a well-rounded player.”</p><p>Wilson believes one of the biggest differences has been her physical transformation in the weight room between last year and now.</p><p>The added muscle has enabled her to become more of a factor on the boards (2.5 rebounds per game) and scoring in the paint. Only Utterback has made more 2-point buckets than Wilson has for the Trojans, and she’s third on the team in made free throws with 44.</p><p>“I’ve just gotten a lot more confidence from this year,” she said. “Getting stronger around the basket and putting on more weight, because I was a little bit smaller as a freshman, like most freshmen are. So just getting stronger and getting more savvy around the basket.”</p><p>Center Grove’s opponents are clearly still at a loss for what to do with Wilson; the Trojans have won 21 of their last 22 games heading into Saturday, with victories over the likes of North Central, Carmel, Pike and potential regional final opponent Bloomington South.</p><p>Wilson is eager to prove herself on an even bigger stage this weekend.</p><p>“I’m super excited to play regionals, because I didn’t actually play at all against BNL that second round (last year),” she said. “I’m so ready to play them and just prove that we’re better than them.”</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="If you go" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p><p><strong>Class 4A Bedford North Lawrence Regional</strong></p><p><strong>Saturday</strong></p><p>Center Grove (22-3) vs. Bedford North Lawrence (22-5), 10 a.m.</p><p>Castle (21-4) vs. Bloomington South (21-3), noon</p><p>Championship, 8 p.m.</p><p>Admission: $7 per session, $10 both sessions</p>[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title="Scouting the regionals" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p><p><strong>Class 4A Bedford North Lawrence Regional</strong></p><p>Sagarin ratings: Center Grove 95.23 (10th in Class 4A, 11th overall), Bedford North Lawrence 92.71 (12th in 4A, 14th overall), Castle 89.77 (14th in 4A, 16th overall), Bloomington South 89.33 (16th in 4A, 18th overall)</p><p>Head to head: Bedford North Lawrence won at Bloomington South, 53-50, on Nov. 13 and lost to Castle, 56-51, on Jan. 5; Bloomington South lost at Center Grove, 47-40, on Dec. 6 and beat Castle, 60-57, on Dec. 15.</p><p>Players to watch: Bedford North Lawrence — Jorie Allen, Jacy Hughes, Chloe McKnight, Madison Webb; Bloomington South — Addy Blackwell, Lauren Conner, Anya Friend, Kristen Ridner; Castle — Hannah Hood, Natalie Niehaus, Jessica Nunge; Center Grove — Ashley Eck, Ella Thompson, Emma Utterback, Mary Wilson</p><p>Outlook: This may be the most closely balanced regional field in the state, both in terms of Sagarin spread and the on-court results this season between the four teams. Center Grove will be out to avenge last year’s bitter last-second regional loss to the Stars — but the payback will have to be delivered on BNL’s home floor in front of one of the state’s most dedicated fan bases. The Trojans faced a daunting schedule and still managed to win 18 games in a row at one point; if they can stay as sharp defensively as they have been all season long and knock down a few timely shots, they’ve got a strong chance to win two here and extend their potential dream season another week.</p><p><p><strong>Class A Southwestern (Shelbyville) Regional</strong></p><p>Sagarin ratings: University 78.90 (fourth in Class A, 62nd overall), Jac-Cen-Del 69.00 (sixth in Class A, 124th overall), North Central (Farmersburg) 59.95 (17th in Class A, 191st overall), Greenwood Christian 57.14 (25th in Class A, 212th overall)</p><p>Head to head: University defeated GCA, 72-33, in the PAAC championship game on Jan. 14.</p><p>Players to watch: Greenwood Christian — Savvanah Frye, Alexis Mead, Izzy Reed; Jac-Cen-Del — Mariah Day, Anna Hubbard, Paige Ledford; North Central — Jocelyn Cox, Averi Davidson, Courtney Williams; University — Brooke Andrus, Jenna Blakley, Jhordan McGuire, Lindsey Syrek</p><p>Outlook: Led by the 6-foot-2 Syrek, who posted a triple-double in a rout of GCA last month, the Trailblazers are the heavy favorite to move through this bracket and onto the semistate round. There are no guarantees, however, and University faces a tough semifinal test in perennial power Jac-Cen-Del, which survived a five-overtime sectional final against Waldron on Monday. GCA, meanwhile, is brimming with confidence after winning its three sectional games by an average score of 89-25, and it’s got a winnable first game against the Thunderbirds. The Cougars are playing with house money after winning their first sectional title without a senior on the roster, but they’d certainly like to tack on another win or two this weekend if they can.</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]