When Franklin Central’s Mattie Finney hit a 3-pointer with 1:34 left in the third quarter of Friday night’s first sectional semifinal, Center Grove girls basketball coach Kevin Stuckmeyer and assistant Ryan Hendryx looked at one another with the same thought:
<em>That might be it for us.</em>
Down 25-15 after that shot and showing few signs of life to that point, the Trojans rode their trademark defense to a desperately-needed turnaround. They didn’t allow another field goal for the rest of the night, rallying to pull out a 32-27 victory over the Flashes and advance to tonight’s Class 4A sectional championship game.
Center Grove (15-10) will face host Franklin, which pulled away in the second half for a 68-31 win over Greenwood.
"We got back to our principles," Stuckmeyer said of his team outscoring Franklin Central 17-2 over the final nine and a half minutes. "We got back to our Center Grove defensive ways, toughness ways, and made them earn it. … It was just a gut check, and credit our girls for the character that they showed and the composure they showed to get back to our principles and take care of it."
The first 22 minutes or so didn’t go nearly as well for the Trojans.
The Flashes (5-13), who had upset Center Grove in the sectional title game a year ago, wasted little time in asserting themselves, dominating the paint and the glass to build an early 11-2 lead. Rayah Kincer set the tone with seven points, capping the run with a three-point play at the 2:10 mark of the opening period.
Center Grove tightened up defensively in the second quarter but couldn’t gain any ground because Franklin Central was at least equally stingy at the other end. The Trojans were held without a field goal for the final 6:18 of the half, allowing the Flashes to head into the break with an 18-9 advantage.
It was during halftime that Center Grove, which Stuckmeyer had been "teetering" on the edge of panic at times during the first half, was able to gather itself.
"We knew the game wasn’t over," said freshman Aubrie Booker, who scored a game-high 16 points for the Trojans. "At halftime, coach talked with us and it got us our confidence back, so we went out there ready to win and not let them take it away from us again."
Center Grove was still down by eight, 25-17, after a third quarter in which Booker was the only Trojan to score. It was then that Mary Wilson, scoreless through the first 24 minutes, came to life.
The senior hit a 3-pointer and followed with a steal and layup, cutting the deficit to 25-22. Classmate Emily McWilliams hit two free throws to make it a one-point game, and the Trojans finally took their first lead, 28-27, when Ella Hobson hit Wilson for a back-door layup with 3:43 to go.
Center Grove’s airtight D, along with two free throws each from Emily Karr and Booker, got the job done from there.
Greenwood (3-15) lost to Franklin by 50 and 48 points during their two regular-season meetings, but the Woodmen offered far more resistance Friday. In danger of letting it get away when they fell into a 17-5 hole, the visitors scored the last five points of the first quarter to stay afloat. The Woodmen closed the half with a similar 6-0 surge to go into the break facing a manageable 30-21 deficit.
Not until consecutive baskets from senior Lauren Sandrock near the end of the third quarter set off an 11-0 run did the Grizzly Cubs finally start to get a bit more separation. Their defense enabled them to put the game away in the fourth.
"We had to up our intensity," said freshman Scarlett Kimbrell, who scored 17 points to match teammate Kuryn Brunson for game-high honors. "We were almost giving up on the back cut, but once we upped our intensity it really worked out for us."
Lauren Klem added 12 points for the Grizzly Cubs. The Woodmen got 10 points from Jenna Sawyer, eight from Brooklyn Bell and seven from Josie Ochsner.
Greenwood coach Justin Bennett was proud of his team’s effort in defeat and hopes it can provide some momentum going into the offseason after a campaign that was interrupted by multiple quarantines.
"I thought we played with a lot of poise to start, and I thought we played confident," Bennett said. "As up-and-down a season as we’ve had, to get to the point to where we were tonight to be really competitive, especially in that first half, I’m proud of those young ladies. They gave it everything they had."
Center Grove and Franklin, meanwhile, get a chance to run it back one month after their regular-season meeting, which saw the Grizzly Cubs hang on down the stretch for a 30-29 win.
Both sides expect another tight battle tonight.
"I think it’s going to be a great matchup, and I expect it to be very similar to last game," Franklin coach Josh Sabol said. "It’s going to be a rock fight — and that’s what it should be for the championship."
