Greencastle, North Putnam split in Putnam County Girls' MS Basketball Tournament

Both Greencastle and North Putnam will have a chance at a county title on Thursday as the Tiger Cub seventh grade and Cougar eighth grade teams won in the opening round of the Putnam County Girls’ Middle School Tournament Tuesday.

In the opening game, Greencastle used a 9-2 second quarter to create the space it needed to secure a 29-23 win while in the second game, North Putnam scored with 20 seconds remaining to knock off the hosts 27-25.

Seventh Grade

The Tiger Cubs used a 6-of-8 total at the foul line to help push past the Cougars as Kaylee Ames and Megan Cox knocked down three free throws each in the opening half.

Brooklyn Boyd bookended the second quarter with baskets while Ames added a putback as Greencastle led 14-5 at halftime.

Bella McElhany scored all six North Putnam points in the third quarter as the visitors started to get into the game though the lead remained at nine as Boyd, Marley Stokes and Reagan Labhart all scored for the hosts.

A 7-0 run helped the Tiger Cubs put the game away as Cox and Greenlee scored from the floor while Ames and Labhart added three free throws.

The Cougars finished well as Brook Hamstra scored five points, McElhany scored off a steal and Bree Black added a three in the closing minutes.

Scoring

North Putnam (8-36 2FG: 2-4 3FG; 1-3 FT) — McElhany 9, Hamstra 7, Buescher 4, Black 3

Greencastle (10-38 2FG; 0-1 3FG; 9-17 FT) — Cox 7, Boyd 6, Ames 6, Greenlee 4, Labhart 4, Stokes 2

Eighth Grade

Greencastle started the second game strong with a 9-2 start as Sarah Simmerman scored the hosts’ first basket, followed by a free throw and three-point play from Emily Hunsinger and a Jacey Call three.

Ruby Young kept the Cougars afloat, scoring six points in the period while Ellie Burdine added a basket to help close the deficit to three at 11-8 by the end of the quarter.

A 7-0 run between Burdine and Young saw North Putnam take a 15-13 lead before Call hit a free throw and Madilyn Hiatt scored a late jumper to send the home team into halftime with a 16-15 lead.

Shots wouldn’t fall in the third quarter but Greencastle held on to the lead as Kamrin Holley and Call scored baskets to match Tori Detro and McElhany.

Call started the fourth quarter with a three but Burdine scored twice to tie the game at 23-23.

Simmerman hit a free throw to nudge the Tiger Cubs back in front but a smart move inside by Detro gave the Cougars a 25-24 lead.

Hunsinger tied the game at 25-25 at the line and, in a frantic final minute, Burdine found a gap to drive into for a layup and a lead with 20 seconds remaining.

Greencastle had three chances late to tie or win the game in the last five seconds but couldn’t get a basket to fall as North Putnam advanced to Thursday’s county final.

Scoring

North Putnam (12-37 2FG; 0-1 3FG; 3-12 FT) — Burdine 12. Young 9, Detro 4, McElhany 2

Greencastle (7-40 2FG; 2-13 3FG; 5-11 FT) — Call 11, Hunsinger 7, Simmerman 3, Holley 2, Hiatt 2

Statistics

South Putnam v Cloverdale

Seventh Grade

The Eagles and Clovers played it close across four quarters but the hosts had a little bit more offense on hand for a 23-17 win.

South Putnam shutout Cloverdale to start the game but could only get baskets from Kamilah Mason and Sophia Helton, holding a 4-0 lead after a quarter of play. Elliana Cox

Cloverdale answered back well as Adelaide Meyerrose scored four points, Norah Frye and Morgan Peters scored a basket each and Chloe Smith hit a free throw to make it a 10-9 game at halftime with Mason, Helton and Elliana Cox scoring for South Putnam.

The hosts were able to extend the lead by a point after three quarters as Helton and Cox had baskets matched by Smith and Aliecia Renner with a Mason free throw the difference.

Mason and Cox added baskets in the fourth quarter, along with makes from Reece Wallace and Elaina Cash, to push the Eagles on to the final.

Mason led all scorers with seven points while Cox and Helton had six points each and Wallace and Cash had two points for South Putnam.

Meyerrose led Cloverdale with six points while Peters had four points, Smith scored three points and Frye and Renner had a basket each.

Eighth Grade

The Eagles got scoring from seven different players and bottled up the Clovers in a 38-8 win to advance to the county final, looking to defend their title as seventh graders.

Four of the five South Putnam starters scored in the opening period with Drew Gardner scoring four points, Lyla Rissler hitting a three and baskets from Tessa Mullin, Kloee Pastore and Mia Wells helping the hosts to a 13-4 lead after a quarter.

The Eagles stretched the lead a bit to 15-6 at halftime before a good third quarter saw the home team stretch the lead to 27-8 after Rissler and Joslyn Bumgardner scored four points each.

Rissler reached double figures with four more points in the fourth quarter for a game-high 11 points while the South Putnam defense shut out Cloverdale to complete the win.

Gardner finished with nine points, Bumgardner six points, Pastore and Wells four points and Mullin and Adrie Burge with two points each for the Eagles.

Gracie Lee scored four points to lead the Clovers while Erin Rubeck and Keely McSwine scored a basket each.