Whiteland girls thump Beech Grove

<p>There was nothing flashy or fancy about Whiteland’s win Thursday night against Beech Grove.</p><p>The Warriors used a matter-of-fact, workmanlike effort to defeat the visiting Hornets, 61-35.</p><p>It was a nice homecoming for Whiteland (7-5), which had played its three previous games on the road.</p><p>“(Beech Grove) was struggling a little bit,” said Whiteland coach Kyle Shipp. “We just wanted to worry about ourselves and get better. We have three games this week, so it’s a long week for us.”</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>The week might seem shorter now that the Warriors are 2 for 2, having also beaten Indian Creek on Tuesday.</p><p>The Warriors went on a 9-0 run in the second quarter to increase the lead to 29-10 before Beech Grove, which never led, found the basket again.</p><p>The Hornets themselves went on a mini-run with seven straight points to let Whiteland know there was still a game to be played.</p><p>The Warriors then responded by taking control of the game, outscoring the Hornets 15-6 in the third quarter.</p><p>“We got going in the second half,” Shipp said. “I’m proud of the girls. We got a lot of people in the game. We found some holes in their zone and knocked down our shots.</p><p>“It was a decent night shooting.”</p><p>Whiteland was led by seniors Megan Harlow and Natalie Stuck, who each had 14 points.</p><p>One who got hot late was sophomore Gracie McCullars, who hit her final three shots—all from 3-point range. The Warriors connected on 10 shots overall from behind the arc.</p><p>Beech Grove, whic dropped its third straight game, was led by 6-foot-1 senior Alexianna Blakely with 15 points. Blakely was also a force on the boards, grabbing 18 rebounds.</p><p>Whiteland returns to action Saturday afternoon, hosting a Mid-State Conference matchup against Perry Meridian.</p>