INDIANAPOLIS — With Friday’s semifinal win over Triton Central all-but-guaranteeing Eastern Hancock another sectional title, Saturday’s championship game was a celebration of one of the most important senior classes in program history.
In front of a crowd made up of nearly all Eastern Hancock fans, the Royals five seniors — Ruby White, Brooklyn Willis, Mackenzie O’Neal, Sydney Springman and Sammie Bolding — were on the court together and received a standing ovation as the buzzer sounded on the Royals fourth sectional title in program history.
As key members of the Royals program for the past four seasons, the 2024 senior class has had a special final season. Along with the sectional championship, they went undefeated at home and won their second straight Mid-Eastern Conference title.
“That was planned, and it was very special. I wanted them all to be on the court together when the horn sounded,” Eastern Hancock head coach Shari Doud said. “This is their last ride and we want to make it as memorable and enjoyable as we can.”
At Indianapolis Scecina Memorial High School, the Royals (23-1) defeated the host Crusaders (8-17) 67-11.
The win secured Eastern Hancock not only its fourth-ever sectional title but its first back-to-back championships in program history. The Royals other two titles came in 2001 and 2017.
“Any of them are special. I didn’t know it was the first back-to-back until tonight, so that puts a little asterisk on it,” Doud said. “It was a lopsided win but whenever that horn sounds it is always exhilarating to know that the kids made history again.”
The Royals wasted no time putting things away.
They began the game on a 10-0 run, and after a pair of Scecina baskets made things 20-6 midway through the second quarter, the Royals reeled off a 27-0 run over the next eight minutes of play.
Freshman Kenzie Koch scored the final four points of the first quarter to cap off an eight-point period for her and help push the Royals lead to 16-2 after one.
She handed things off to the senior class in the second.
The seniors combined for 19 of the Royals 21 second-quarter points and helped grow the lead to 37-6 entering halftime.
A Springman layup in the closing seconds of the half pushed the Royals lead over the 30-point mark for the first time all night.
Springman scored six points in the quarter, Bolding scored five, and both White and O’Neal had four.
“Experience took care of tonight. We didn’t have a gameplan for tonight, all of that was spent on Triton Central,” Doud said. “We just told them to go play their game and play hard.”
In the third, Koch, White and Bolding combined for all 16 of the Royals points, while the Eastern Hancock defense limited Scecina to just one made basket.
Two White baskets, a Bolding 3-pointer and a free throw, and Koch layup to open the third pushed the Royals lead to 41 before an Ainsley Brown basket ended the run.
Defensively, the Royals forced 31 turnovers and finished with 19 steals. Ten different players recorded a steal led by Bella Sotelo’s four in the final quarter.
After a hard-fought game the night before, the Royals core starting five of Koch, White, Bolding, Willis and O’Neal had big nights in limited minutes.
Bolding led all scorers with 17 points, Koch had 14 points, five rebounds and four assists, White had 12 points, five rebounds and three blocks, O’Neal had six points and three steals, and Willis had two points and two steals.
“Physically we were spent after last night. That was a physical game, and we didn’t get deep into our bench, so our core starters were tired for this one,” Doud said. “They might not show it, but I know them well enough to know that they were fatigued and dealing with some soreness but they stepped up.”
Eastern Hancock plays Parke Heritage (23-3) this Saturday in the Southmont Regional championship. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
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Eastern Hancock 67, Scecina 11
Eastern Hancock;16;21;16;14;—;67
Scecina;2;4;2;3;—;11
Eastern Hancock (23-1): Kenzie Koch 6 1-2 14, Ruby White 5 2-4 12, Makenzie O’Neal 3 0-0 6, Sammie Bolding 4 7-8 17, Brooklyn Willis 1 0-0 2, Sydney Springman 3 0-0 6, Ellie Meyer 0 0-0 0, Camryn Andrus 1 0-0 2, Bella Sotelo 4 0-1 8, Lainee Parker 0 0-0 0, Kiersten Judd 0 0-0 0, Clara Wallace 0 0-0 0. Totals: 27 10-15 67.
Scecina (8-17): Mariangela Gascon 1 0-0 2, Ainsley Brown 2 0-0 4, Mia Miller 1 0-0 2, Reggi’Nae Potts 0 0-0 0, Hannah Comley 1 1-1 3, Journee Thomas 0 0-0 0, Mayanna Navarra 0 0-0 0. Totals: 5 1-1 11.
3-point goals: Eastern Hancock 3 (Bolding 2, Koch).
