Hauser’s Madelyn Poe shoots a reverse layup over North Decatur’s Madelyn Bohman Tuesday at Hauser High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
HOPE — For one-and-a-half quarters Tuesday night, Hauser played like the better team, but as the game wore on, North Decatur showed why it was undefeated in the Mid-Hoosier Conference.
The Chargers made a huge run late in the first half and to start the second half to grow a double-digit lead and claim the title outright with a 63-49 girls basketball victory.
“We started fast tonight, and that was one of our keys. If we could get out and start fast, we would be in the thick of things,” Hauser coach Kyle Shipp said. “We had a little lull late in the second quarter that we couldn’t get out of.”
The Jets (9-10, 4-2) played unselfish to begin the game. They made the extra pass and extra screen to find the open person They also kept things out the middle as much as possible defensively with a size disadvantage. It led to Hauser leading 9-6. A couple of drives to the basket from Madelyn Poe gave the Jets their largest lead of the game 18-12. A missed defensive assignment at the end of the quarter led to a 3-pointer from Kelsey Haley at the buzzer to help North Decatur cut the deficit to 18-15.
The Chargers (16-5, 6-0) went on an 8-4 run to start the second quarter to take a 23-22 lead. After Adrianna Musillami converted two free throws to give Hauser the lead back, North Decatur turned up the intensity with the Jets in foul trouble to finish out the first half on a 9-2 run to lead 32-26 at the break.
“Their girl Madi Allen got going in the second quarter, and we couldn’t get her under control,” Shipp said. “On our end, we are just trying to maintain on the offense end and couldn’t find baskets. With (Ella) Kunz on the bench in foul trouble, we needed to be up by six instead of being down by six.”
In the second half, Hauser couldn’t muster an offensive run, but the Chargers started out the quarter on a 7-0 run to lead 39-26, and eventually seal the game and conference title.
For the Jets, Bella Kilps led the scoring with 13 points. Poe had 12, and Musillami added nine for the Jets.
North Decatur was led by Allen with a game-high 23 points.
Hauser travels to Shelbyville for the regular season finale on Thursday.
“We‘ve just got to find our groove here as we end the season and move into sectional, but I thought tonight was a step in the right direction,” Shipp said.
North Decatur 63, Hauser 49
North Decatur;15;17;17;14;—;63
Hauser;18;8;10;13;—;49
North Decatur (16-5, 6-0): Kinker 2 2-5 6, Allen 8 6-7 23, Haley 4 1-2 12, Bohman 4 0-2 8, Kunz 2 1-2 5, Rohls 1 3-5 5, Barker 1 2-4 4. Totals: 22 15-27 63.
Hauser (9-10, 4-2): Kyliegh Parrott 1 2-2 5, Norah Berkenstock 3 0-0 8, Adrianna Musillami 3 3-4 9, Madelyn Poe 4 4-4 12, Jaden Sims 1 0-1 2, Bella Kilps 6 1-1 13, Erykah Everroad 0 0-1 0. Totals: 18 10-13 49.
3-point goals: North Decatur 4 (Haley 3, Allen); Hauser 3 (Berkenstock 2, Parrott).
