SOUTH PUTNAM GIRLS' BASKETBALL SECTIONAL: Wolves survive Mounties, set up finals rematch with Tiger Cubs

In a game fitting for a final, Parke Heritage advanced to the championship game of IHSAA Girls’ Basketball Class 2A Sectional No. 44 with a 65-61 win over Southmont Friday night.

The second of two semifinal contests, the No. 13 Wolves started off with an 11-3 lead but saw the Mounties reel off the next 13 points into the second quarter, ending the first period with a 14-11 lead before adding a pair of free throws to start the second stanza.

Southmont made use of eight Parke Heritage fouls in the opening eight minutes, making six trips to the foul line and going 10-of-13 at the stripe.

The Wolves scored five-straight to tie the game at 16-16 but never took the lead as the Mounties constantly countered as all five starters, including Emily Link, Cheyenne Shaw, DeLorean Mason, Chloe Jenkins and Layla Gomez, scored baskets in the period to take a 30-28 lead into the halftime break.

Parke Heritage made an expected run to start the second half, scoring the first 11 points of the third quarter with all five of its starters, including Addison Jenkins, Addilee Jenkins, Emma Simpson, Cate O’Brien and Andrea Perkins, scoring in the period.

The Mounties swung back hard, however, turning the nine-point deficit back into a lead by the end of the quarter after an 11-2 run tied the game at 41-41.

Another eight-point burst gave Southmont a 49-44 lead before three late free throws helped Parke Heritage trim the gap to 49-47 after three quarters of play.

After Claire Kessler converted a three-point play for the Mounties to start the final period, the Wolves scored the next eight points, with both Jenkins scoring baskets and Simpson adding a bucket off a steal, along with two free throws.

Mason hit a three to tie the game at 55-55 and scored on a driving layup to answer an O’Brien basket but Addilee Jenkins hit a three and added two more free throws to help push the lead to 63-57.

Shaw scored inside the final minute and Olivia Gray added a basket off a steal to close the gap to 63-61 but Addison Ramsay hit two key free throws in the closing seconds and Southmont could not find another basket as Parke Heritage advanced to the sectional final Saturday night for a rematch of last year’s final with Greencastle at 7 p.m.

Scoring

Parke Heritage (16-39 2FG; 6-20 3FG; 15-24 FT) — Addilee Jenkins 20, Simpson 16, Addison Jenkins 10, Perkins 8, O’Brien 7, Ramsay 2, Benjamin 2

Southmont (18-41 2FG; 3-12 3FG; 16-20 FT) — Mason 19, Gomez 14, Shaw 12, Link 6, Jenkins 5, Kessler 3, Gray 2

Statistics