TERRE HAUTE —
For Terre Haute South High School girls basketball fans, it might sound good that the Braves did not miss a shot in the first four minutes of their Class 4A Terre Haute North Sectional championship game Saturday.
But statistics can be deceiving.
Even though Kaylee Ellis converted a layup and Dallas Butts fired in a 3-pointer to make the Braves 2 for 2 in the early going, they also committed five turnovers — all on Mooresville steals — during that span.
South managed to pull within one point late in the third quarter, but turnovers became too common for the Braves in a 62-44 loss that enabled Mooresville to claim its fourth straight sectional title.
Mooresville will move on the Decatur Central Regional.
“Give Mooresville credit,” first-year South head coach Cara Stuckey emphasized. “They’re a championship team and there’s a reason why… Their players stepped up tonight, both defensively and offensively. They made shots and they created turnovers for us, which was our biggest problem… Turnovers have been a problem for us all year.”
“Our girls played really well tonight,” Mooresville coach Mark Hurt assessed after cutting down a piece of the net from atop a ladder.
“We played some zone [defense]. Sometimes it was passive and sometimes it was active … Terre Haute South, they just kept coming after us. You’ve really got to credit them. They made run after run. But our girls stepped up and made plays.”
Tasia Brewer tallied 13 points and Ellis chipped in with 12 to pace the Braves, while Mooresville’s top scorers were Morgan Settle with 15 points, Brett Green and reserve Kellie Cavanaugh with 13 apiece and Jessica McFarland with 11.
The Pioneers also helped themselves by connecting on 27 of 39 free-throw attempts and registering 20 steals, including five each by Settle and Cavanaugh. South finished with 25 turnovers.
Thanks in large part to six South miscues in the first quarter, the Pioneers owned a 15-9 lead that ballooned to 19-9 on a 15-foot jumper by Settle and two free throws by Green in the opening minutes of the second quarter. Mooresville padded its cushion to 29-15 late in the second period after a free throw by Settle and two pairs of charity tosses by McFarland.
Trailing 29-20 entering the second half, South cut its deficits to 31-24 on back-to-back fielders by Brewer and Ellis and 33-29 on a three-point play by Ellis and an inside bucket by Kaylee Compton.
A Labrea Joyner trey — her only points of the night — helped South claw within 33-32 with 3:21 left in the third quarter.
“Our defensive pressure stepped up,” Stuckey said of South’s third-quarter charge that included five Mooresville turnovers. “But we just couldn’t get over that hump.”
After that, Mooresville rattled off eight unanswered points to take a 41-32 advantage into the final frame.
The Pioneers dominated the fourth period to the tune of 21-12, ending South’s season at 13-11.
Brewer, Ellis, Butts, Kayla Ennen and Claire Bailey are the five seniors who played their final high school game for South.
“From Day 1, our seniors came in and gave us the commitment that we asked for,” Stuckey reflected, “so I’m proud of the heart all of our players showed. They have nothing to be ashamed about.”
MOORESVILLE (62) — Green 4-8 4-4 13, Viles 2-4 2-4 6, Settle 3-10 8-14 15, Fisher 2-3 0-2 4, McFarland 2-6 5-6 11, Cavanaugh 2-5 8-9 13, Corbin 0-0 0-0 0, Williams 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-36 FG, 27-39 FT, 62 TP.
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH (44) — Ellis 5-9 1-3 12, Fendrick 0-1 0-0 0, Lee 3-7 1-2 7, Brewer 3-5 6-7 13, Joyner 1-1 0-0 3, Bell 1-4 0-0 2, Butts 2-5 0-0 5, Ennen 0-2 0-0 0, Bailey 0-2 0-0 0, Compton 1-1 0-0 2, Shanks 0-0 0-0 0, Buchanan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-37 FG, 8-12 FT, 44 TP.
Mooresville 15 14 12 21 — 62
Terre Haute South 9 11 12 12 — 44
3-point shooting — M 5-13 (McFarland 2-3, Green 1-3, Cavanaugh 1-3, Settle 1-4), THS 4-10 (Joyner 1-1, Brewer 1-2, Ellis 1-2, Butts 1-2, Ennen 0-1, Bell 0-2). FG Pct. — M .417, THS .432. 3-pt. FG Pct. — M .385, THS .400. FT Pct. — M .692, THS .667. Rebounds — M 23 (Viles, Settle and McFarland 4), THS 28 (Brewer 7, Lee 5). Steals — M 20 (Settle and Cavanaugh 5, Fisher and McFarland 3, Green 2), THS 10 (Lee 3, Ellis 2). Turnovers — M 12, THS 25. Blocks — M 3 (Viles 2, Settle), THS 2 (Brewer and Lee). Total fouls — M 14, THS 23. Fouled out — Butts.
Next — Mooresville (13-9) will advance to the Decatur Central Regional next Saturday to face either Anderson or Pendleton Heights. South finished 13-11.
High School
Related Photos
-
Stuffed: A Mooresville player has her shot blocked by South's Hannah Lee (35) and Kaylee Ellis (24) during sectional championship action.
-
Score: South's Hannah Lee (35) shoots and scores in the post during the sectional championship game against Mooresville Saturday evening.
-
Inside game: South's Emily Bell (30) looks to score during action against Mooresville in the sectional final.
-
Long shot: South's Dallas Butts (10) launches a long shot during the sectional game against Mooresville Saturday night.
Discussion
TERRE HAUTE NORTH SECTIONAL: Mooresville tops South for fourth straight title
- High School
-
-
New route leads to same place for South girls tennis
For so many years, the road to the IHSAA girls tennis state finals for local teams ran through Vincennes (regional) and Jasper (semistate). In other words, south and more south.
This year, their trip was re-routed through Greencastle (regional) and Center Grove (semistate). So it cnahged to east and more east. -
PREP ROUNDUP: Robinson tops Greenville in sectional semifinal
Robinson jumped to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, then cruised to a convincing 12-3 victory over Greenville in a IHSA Class 2A Vandalia sectional semifinal game on Thursday.
Ashlyn Sullivan was 2 for 3 with a double, home run and three RBIs to lead the winning Maroons. -
West Vigo baseball falls in sectional to Owen Valley
West Vigo overcame the odds to win 20 high school baseball games this season with a lineup that often included four freshmen and few seniors.
-
South Vermillion softball's late-season surge comes to end
A late-season surge by South Vermillion wasn’t quite enough to halt a high school softball sectional winning streak by the host team Thursday night, as Edgewood got on top early and held on for a 5-2 win in the championship game of the Class 3A Edgewood Sectional.
The loss was just the second in the last 12 games for the Wildcats. The Mustangs, however, haven’t lost a sectional softball game for eight years in a row. -
South takes second, North third at boys track regional
Terre Haute South finished second and Terre Haute North third on Thursday night at the boys track and field regional at Evansville Central, with 11 individuals and three relay teams qualifying for the state finals June 2.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: White River Valley baseball holds off Eminence
Three Eminence errors in the top of the sixth inning finally enabled White River Valley to score in high school baseball Thursday night, and the Wolverines went on to a 5-0 win in Class A Shakamak Sectional action.
-
Feeling cursed: South bitten in sectional final again
Terre Haute South softball is not even close to being as cursed as a certain northside baseball team in Chicago, but it might just seem like it.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: Mundy, Porter, Knight individual regional winners
Chanli Mundy and Keirra Porter of Terre Haute North were among the individual winners in the IHSAA Evansville Central girls track and field regional that ended late Tuesday night.
-
Thornton puts away South Vermillion
Cody Thornton’s three-run blast over the left-field fence was the finishing touch to West Vigo’s 10-3 victory over South Vermillion in the opening game of the Class 3A Greencastle Sectional on Wednesday.
-
Lakers triumph, go home for regional
Shakamak took Class A Clay City Sectional honors in high school softball for the first time since 2009 Wednesday, defeating White River Valley 9-5 in the title tilt.
-
North Vermillion avenges losses
North Vermillion avenged two high school softball losses during the regular season to win the Class A Riverton Parke Sectional championship Wednesday with a 3-2 triumph over the host Panthers.
-
Pats, Knights will meet in sectional
Adler Ingalsbe pooh-poohed his lack of velocity Wednesday night, yet the Terre Haute North pitcher was throwing BBs in the first game compared to Mooresville’s Brandon Topie in the nightcap.
-
South outbattles Northview to reach sectional final
Even the best of high school softball pitchers can’t keep all the batters in the middle of Terre Haute South’s lineup down.
-
Panthers get 20th win in sectional
Riverton Parke will face North Vermillion in the Class A softball sectional championship at Riverton Parke today, with action commencing at 6 p.m.
-
Plainfield Sectional all about parity
Considering Terre Haute South has won five consecutive Class 4A sectional titles in high school baseball, naming the Braves as favorites to capture the 2012 Class 4A Plainfield Sectional would not seem far-fetched.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: North Vermillion in title game
Casey West had a triple and three runs scored to help North Vermillion softball advance to the championship game of the Class A Riverton Parke Sectional on Tuesday.
-
North takes second in track regional
Terre Haute North finished second with 74 points, six behind team champion Evansville Reitz, during the Evansville Central girls track and field regional that ended late Tuesday night.
-
Wildcats advance to sectional softball final; West Vigo falls
Patience, patience.
South Vermillion exhibited great patience, being very selective at the plate and it paid off royally in the fourth inning. -
South, Crawfordsville win in regional tennis semis
Terre Haute South outlasted Fountain Central 4-1 in the first round of the girls high school tennis regional Tuesday, advancing the Braves into today’s championship match against Crawfordsville.
-
Braves, Knights open with wins
It was an excellent night for starting softball pitchers to help their own cause Monday night in the Class 4A Northview Sectional.
-
Lough dreamt about McMillan
A two-time state finalist in wrestling and a two-time all-Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference football player and wrestler, Tsali Lough of Terre Haute South was named the male recipient of the 2012 McMillan Award on Monday night at South’s Senior Awards Night.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: Panthers cruise in sectional opener
Sarah Burnham pitched a two-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts in high school softball Monday evening as host Riverton Parke defeated defending champion Rockville 10-0 in opening-round action at the Class A Riverton Parke Sectional.
-
Notable tradition bodes well for Riverton Parke
Located practically in the shadow of a high school that sets one state standard in track and field, Riverton Parke has a tendency to be overlooked in that sport.
-
Vikings get 18th win over Shakamak
West Vigo began a busy week of high school baseball Monday on a winning note, defeating Shakamak 6-3.
-
Greencastle new site for girls tennis regional
The starting times might prove to be a bone of contention, but otherwise coaches Bill Blankenbaker and Emily Goff are thrilled their respective girls high school tennis teams will begin play today at the Greencastle Regional.
-
Northview sectional groups 3 20-win teams
Three teams with 20-plus victories will attempt to claim the Class 4A Northview Sectional crown for high school softball this week, and most of the other Wabash Valley sectional fields also appear to be wide open.
-
Terre Haute South softball takes Riverton Parke tournament
Terre Haute South is going into the Class 4A Sectional at Northview on Monday with momentum, confidence, a deep bench and a healthier pitching staff than it has had in quite a while.
-
North baseball splits doubleheader with Indy North Central
Some of their incentive could have been sapped a couple of nights earlier, when Center Grove achieved an eight-inning victory over Warren Central to clinch the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school baseball championship.
-
Robinson takes regional softball crown
Robinson’s Maroons came from behind in the last two innings Saturday to defeat top-seeded Newton 3-2 and win the Illinois Class 2A Lawrenceville Regional.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: Terre Haute South baseball sweeps, takes second place in MIC
Terre Haute South rallied for a tie in the bottom of the seventh and won the game in the bottom of the eighth in Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school baseball Saturday, coming behind for a 3-2 win over host Lawrence North.
- More High School Headlines
-
New route leads to same place for South girls tennis
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Astronauts Enter World's 1st Private Supply Ship
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Dragon Arrives at Space Station in Historic 1st
Passenger Restrained on Flight to Miami Arrested
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Today in History
Police: Gunman Has Hostages in Realty Office
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Shell Readies Arctic Drill Ship
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
Beer Here!: An Historic Exhibit
FAMU Bandmates: Victim Volunteered to Be Hazed
Texan Ranchers Remain Wary of Drought
Sudden Storm Topples Wisconsin Trees
Wild weather for Memorial Day weekend
Inspiration for the class of 2012
Colorado College Student Shot While Trespassing
Will Smith & Josh Brolin on "Men in Black 3"
80-Year-Old Skydiver's Nightmare Jump
JWoww Sizzles in a Black Bikini
Sliders on the Grill
Cruise ship crunch
Backstage With Beyonce
Ultimate Creamy Potato Salad
Pope's Personal Butler Under Arrest
Jenny McCarthy's New Man
Tyler's Classic Coleslaw
Britney Spears Under X Factor Fire
Flesh-Eating Bacteria Victim Hits Milestone
Hurricanes and Heat Waves Across America
Kristen Stewart Is Red Hot
Shark Attacks Australian Fishing Boat
Bradley out for playoffs
Kayaker Survives Trip Over Washington Waterfall
