10 Best: Carmel vs Hamilton Southeastern
This game made a case for the biggest one in the state Tuesday night as two of class 4A’s best teams battled it out in first round sectional action. Both teams struggled from the field to start the game. Carmel…
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Continue ReadingThis game made a case for the biggest one in the state Tuesday night as two of class 4A’s best teams battled it out in first round sectional action. Both teams struggled from the field to start the game. Carmel led 11-10 after one quarter. HSE started to get hot from the field in the second quarter and took a 27-20 lead into the half.
Early in the third quarter HSE started to roll getting up 42-29 and took a 42-34 lead into the fourth quarter. Carmel came within six points with four minutes left in the game. HSE would go on to close the game out winning 51-44 to advance to play Noblesville.
MVP: Sydney Parrish
Parrish had a slow start for HSE but quickly caught fire midway through the first half. As time expired on the first half Parrish hit her defender with a beautiful move followed by a three from way beyond the arch to give HSE a 27-20 lead going into the half. She carried HSE the rest of the way finishing with 25 points and 7 rebounds.
Best Shooter: Hannah Lach
Lach was huge for Carmel in this one knocking down three big shots from downtown. Most young freshman aren’t ready to step up and hit the big shots in their first postseason game, but Lach did not back down. She went three of five from beyond the arch and found teammates with a few nice assist. Her game IQ is extremely high for her age.
Best Rebounder: Bridget Dunn
Dunn was a force down low for a Carmel team that struggled to get offense going throughout the game. Her work on the glass payed off as she finished the game with 10 rebounds. Dunn is relentless in the post and her ability to switch her game to the perimeter makes her a big matchup issue for the defense. She finished the night with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Best Scorer: Sydney Parrish
Parrish makes a case for almost every award on this list but she was no doubt the clear winner for this one. She did what she does best and dominated the game from all three levels. She struggled to get going early and shook it off to finish with 25 points and 7 rebounds shooting ten of twenty from the field. If Parrish keeps up her roll HSE has a shot to make another deep run this year.
Best Upperclassman: Jackie Maulucci
Maulucci has been a huge driving force behind HSE’s success in the last two years and it was no different Tuesday night. She came out of the gate firing hitting back to back shots to put HSE up quick. She would only go on to score 7 points total but her impact in other areas of the game made a significant impact. She added 6 rebounds and 4 assist as well. Maulucci went down with a knee injury late in the fourth quarter and you could see just how big of an impact she makes when she is in. She returned to the game shortly after and helped HSE secure the win.
Best Underclassman: Kate Clarke
Clarke who is one of the states top sophomores didn’t have her best game from the field. With that being said you could still see her impact on the game and how high her game IQ is. She finished with 12 points and three assist. Clarke did all she could to help keep Carmel in the game late but they came up just short.
Best Role Player: Lydia Self
Self stepped in and gave HSE the boost they needed to close the gap and finish the game. She went two of three from beyond the arch and they both came at a time when HSE needed a big shot to spark a run. She finished the game with 8 points and 3 rebounds.
Most Overlooked: Kiara Gill
Gill does the small things that a good team needs to win. Even though Carmel fell short I felt like Gill was giving it all she had and making the hustle plays Carmel needed to keep them alive. She spent a lot of time guarding Miss Basketball Candidate Sydney Parrish and did a good job in the time she spent guarding her. She finished with 5 points and 3 assist.
Biggest Game Changing Moment: Carmel’s Late Turnovers
Carmel got within 46-40 of HSE with 3 minutes left to play in the game after being down 42-29 at point earlier in the game. Just as Carmel got within six they then went on to turn the ball over their next three possessions in a row and HSE was able to dribble out a ton of clock in that time frame to go up eight with minute to play. HSE iced the game with free throws to take the win 51-44.
Best Coaches Decision: HSE’s Placement of Sydney Parrish In the Offense
Throughout the game Carmel struggled to guard Parrish on the perimeter and in the interior. HSE used their screeners to get Parrish the mismatches she needed to score easy buckets from the outside and on the interior. HSE is so loaded with shooters that it is hard for a team to sag off and help on any one particular player without worrying about another player.