One way or another, a losing streak was coming to an end Tuesday night.
The Whiteland girls basketball team put its seven-game slide in its rear-view mirror with a 53-40 defeat of Greenwood. Meanwhile, the Woodmen’s skid has been extended to 10 games.
Sophomore guard Emma Piercy led the Warriors (5-13, 1-4 Mid-State Conference) with 13 points, while junior forward Braylyn Clendenen had 11 points and seven rebounds. Leading Greenwood (1-11, 0-5) was junior forward Quinn Kelly with a double-double of 19 points and 18 boards.
First-year Whiteland coach Ashley Fouch liked the effort that put her squad back in the win column for the first time since a 72-52 victory at Edinburgh on Dec. 21.
“I love the fact that we came out and fought,” said Fouch, who doesn’t have a senior on her roster. “The one thing about this team that I told them in the locker room before we even came out here is, only winning four games, your perspective could be really bad, but they are looking at the bigger perspective here.
“I don’t feel like we’re playing like a team that’s won only four games. The bigger picture here is that this is the team I’m playing with next year, for sure. They’re starting to understand we’re going to win if we outwork people. I thought it was incredible tonight how everyone came off the bench and they all did their jobs, and that’s what I need them to do.”
Greenwood led early, scoring the game’s first two baskets and holding the upper hand until a hoop by Warriors forward Muskaan Ghuman tied it at 9-9 late in the opening quarter.
The Warriors held control at the half, 25-19, using a 9-0 scoring run in the second quarter to put some distance between themselves and the Woodmen. Piercy started the burst at the 5:48 mark with a basket and followed it with a 3-pointer. A layup by junior center Debbie Hill and a pair of charities from backup guard Tatyanna Oliver made for the largest lead of the half.
The Warriors led, 40-30, through three and widened the advantage to as many as 16 points in the final stanza. Oliver and Hill were huge off the bench for Whiteland with eight points apiece. Freshman forward Brooklyn Bell added eight for Greenwood.
“This was the first game that we had four of our main kids together,” said Woodmen coach Justin Bennett, whose club has been hit hard by the pandemic this season. “That is as close as we’ve come to having everyone together. We had some good moments, but obviously I think getting in shape is a big part of it.
“Before we went on our quarantine the first time, Quinn was playing at a really good level. Quinn has been steady for us all year. We look to her for a lot of scoring just like we do with Ella Stivers, Brooklyn Bell and Jenna (Sawyer). Quinn is our go-to. She does a good job of putting herself in position to get touches on the basketball.”
Both teams play again Thursday night. Whiteland hosts Shelbyville and the Woodmen are at Class 2A No. 5 Triton Central.
