South Putnam cruises in season-opening win over South Vermillion

South Putnam's Danae Cline flicks the ball to a teammate after recording one of the 26 Eagle steals Tuesday night in a 61-10 season-opening win over South Vermillion.

Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT

Opening night of the 2023-24 girls’ basketball season happened to fall on Halloween, a night for plenty of South Putnam treats and unfortunate tricks played on an already understaffed South Vermillion side.

The Eagles scored 17-straight points to open up an unassailable gap while the Wildcats saw one of their key seniors go down early, leaving the team with seven players to finish what turned into a 61-10 win for the hosts Tuesday night.

“We played OK,’ South Putnam head coach Brian Gardner said. “This wasn’t a great game for us.

“We were a little rusty early and didn’t attack the way I’d like for us to but, it doesn’t matter the scenario, playing your first game of the year, regardless of experience, there are some nerves to get out. We had 11 girls score tonight, which was good, and getting a bucket in the first game is always good.”

Joscelyn Pilcher scored the opening basket of the new basketball season for South Putnam though Dakota Fonner was able to reply at the other end.

It would be the only South Vermillion field goal for the next 10 minutes as the hosts recorded eight steals on defense while the visitors coughed the ball up an additional four times.

The Eagles weren’t entirely in sync on offense but started to warm up as the first five baskets were scored by five different players as Chlara Pistelli and Danae Cline both hit jumpers, Lyla Rissler notched a three and Drew Gardner scored off a steal for an 11-2 advantage.

Pistelli scored twice more and Madison Gardner converted a three-point play before Wildcat Mikailyn Klyaic went down with a knee injury and did not return.

South Putnam took a 22-3 lead out of the opening frame following a Lilly Emmerich free throw and three to end the first period but struggled after getting five points from Rissler and a basket from Pistelli, missing a long string of shots through the middle of the second quarter.

“The intensity level went down after the injury happened,” Gardner said about the sluggish second quarter. “There wasn’t a lot of energy in the gym as, with it being Halloween, there weren’t as many people here, so there was a quietness in the air and it was hard to create energy in that situation.”

The Eagles eventually reached halftime with a 36-8 lead and a more ruthless side took advantage of a string of loose passes from the Wildcats to start the second half.

Cline scored the first two baskets of the third quarter directly off steals before the hosts looked inside to Madison Gardner for a pair of baskets.

“We came out in the second half looking to play solid, halfcourt, man-to-man defense,” Gardner said about the rapid succession of extra possessions to start the half on a night the Eagles had 26 steals. “(South Vermillion) made some passes that were right to us and you don’t want to tell the girls to not get steals when they’re there.

“We did a good job of staying in position, not gambling to get those steals when it’s easy to overcommit for those.”

Pistelli scored twice before a Madison Gardner putback as the home side hit 9-of-10 shots inside the arc during the period, an 18-0 whitewash that made it 54-8 after three quarters.

Reserves began to roll in through the shortened fourth quarter with Lexi Phillips and Katherine Kempf scoring baskets while Tessa Mullin added a three in the final period.

“We didn’t do a good job of closing out on shooters in the first half,” Gardner said about the uptick on the defensive end. “Even though (South Vermillion) only scored eight points in the first half, they were too wide open and we did a better job of that, even when we went to our JV girls.”

South Putnam shot 62 percent (23-of-37) from inside the arc on the night with Pistelli leading all scorers with 16 points, followed by Rissler with 11 points of the bench.

The Eagles return to action Friday night with a road trip to Cloverdale, who fell on Tuesday night at Riverton Parke 38-22.

Scoring

South Vermillion (3-19 2FG; 1-4 FT; 1-5 FT) — Fonner 4, C. Richardson 3, Russell 3

South Putnam (23-37 2FG; 4-20 3FG; 3-9 FT) — Pistelli 16, Rissler 11, Cline 9, M. Gardner 6, Emmerich 6, Mullin 3, D, Gardner 2, Wells 2, Pilcher 2, Phillips 2, Kempf 2

Statistics