GREENCASTLE GIRLS' BASKETBALL SECTIONAL: Tiger Cubs tame Wolves to win first sectional in 10 years

Greencastle won its first girls' basketball sectional title since the 2012-13 season Saturday night, defeating Parke Heritage 54-32 and ending the decade long drought in the process. The Tiger Cubs advance to the Southmont Regional where they will face Union County.

Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT

As the minutes began to tick away in the fourth quarter, the strain of what had been a hard-fought battle began to melt off the faces of Greencastle’s players and coaches.

The draw of IHSAA Girls’ Basketball Class 2A Sectional No. 44 allowed for a rematch with Parke Heritage, the top two teams in the field, though by the end of Saturday night there was one clear winner as the Tiger Cubs won their first postseason title in a decade with a 54-32 win over the Wolves.

“In the third quarter, we were fantastic from a certain point on,” Greencastle head coach Doug Greenlee said. “When you have the lead, you have the ball and Gloria Brewer at the point, in the bonus, that’s how we want things.

“We wore (Parke Heritage) down with our defense, got some big rebounds and steals and it was a total team effort. It was a wonderful win.”

A tough, physical contest was expected and was delivered early as Greencastle (22-4) got scoring going with a three-point play from Emma Hunter.

With Gloria Brewer shadowing Parke Heritage (20-6) guard Emma Simpson, the Wolves went inside to Reagan Ramsay, who provided both baskets for the team in the quarter.

Brewer would score seven points in the period, scoring off an offensive rebound and floater around a three from Evie Briones before adding a three of her own late in the quarter as the hosts led 13-4 after eight minutes.

The visitors stormed back in the second quarter as Ramsay landed a pair of jumpers while winning one-on-one battles on the inside to trim the gap to 15-12.

Brewer scored five-straight points to restore an eight-point lead at 20-12 but a Reaghan Benjamin score in transition and four points from Simpson made it a two-point game at 20-18 heading into the break.

“(Parke Heritage) used a triangle inside that was spreading us out,” Greenlee said about the Wolves’ second-quarter rally. “There was much weak-side help and they are big inside with (Benjamin) in there and Ramsay is amazing.

“They took advantage of the situation and shook us there to get within two.”

The two teams initially picked up where they left off to start the second half but a tour de force was soon arriving to alter the game.

Briones opened the scoring in the third quarter with a three with Simpson answering with a jumper on the other end.

The Greencastle junior added a second and third trey around a long Madi Plew jumper to force a timeout and nailed a fourth to force a second timeout with the lead having grown from three to 14 points.

Evie Briones lit up Parke Heritage during the third quarter of Saturday's Greencastle Sectional final, hitting four threes and scoring 12 of her 18 points during the period as a two-point halftime lead ballooned to 19 after three quarters in the 54-32 win over Parke Heritage.

Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT

“Evie really stepped up tonight,” Greenlee said. “We were taking longer in possession and that allowed her to get free, something which is in Gloria’s DNA, and she understood when it was needed.

“Stephanie Morales was also tremendous throughout the night as she didn’t get into foul trouble, played great positional defense and went after every loose ball to perfection. We had to rebound and not give (Parke Heritage) second shots, which Stephanie, Madi and Alli (Dobbs) all did well tonight.”

Brewer piled on with a layup and three-point play as a two-point halftime lead had grown into a 39-20 chasm for Parke Heritage to try and cross.

Ramsay got a late basket to make it 39-22 after three quarters but the gap reached 20 shortly into the final quarter after a Hunter putback.

Parke Heritage got five points from Ramsay and Simpson that made it 42-26 but Briones had a final three on call that lifted the crowd to its feet, knowing a sectional title was all but secured.

The Wolves could not dislodge the ball from Brewer and the rest of the Tiger Cubs, leading to a free throw processional in the closing moments as the hosts were well on their way to next week’s Southmont Regional.

“It was a wonderful feeling,” Greenlee said about watching the clock tick away. “This is something that doesn’t happen every day or every year.

“Titles are hard to win in any sport. Getting three wins this week and a title to cap it off was awesome.”

Scoring

Greencastle (8-25 2FG; 8-24 3FG; 14-19 FT) — Brewer 26, Briones 18, Hunter 8, Plew 2

Parke Heritage (14-26 2FG; 0-10 3FG; 4-12 FT) — Ramsay 19, Simpson 9, Benjamin 2, Perkins 2

Statistics