By BRAD BAUGHMAN, for The Democrat
After carving out wins over West Vigo and South Vermillion in the opening rounds of the IHSAA Girls Basketball 3A Sectional 26, the Brown County Eagles found themselves in the championship game facing the defending champions.
While the Eagles were frigid from the field, the hot-shooting Brownstown Central Braves asserted themselves early, burying five three-pointers in the first quarter on their way to a 59-35 win, squashing any hopes the Eagles had of dethroning the reigning champs.
“We knew that Brownstown was a great team and would be a challenge. They have an excellent three point shooter in Maddy Hackman and a fantastic overall player in Katherine Benter. We wanted to shut those two down immediately. However, Brownstown’s other players proved they were not to be forgotten,” said Brown County Coach Emily Lewellen.
Hackman torched the Eagles with five three-pointers, while Benter and Emma Klinge would each knock down three of their own. As a team, the Braves were 12-27 from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, the Eagles fought mightily to put the ball in the basket, shooting only 24 percent from the field for the contest that included an ice-cold 3-16 from long range.
The Eagles’ leading scorer and most reliable offensive weapon, Abby Fleetwood, never seemed to find any offensive rhythm and had trouble converting on shots she customarily makes. She was the only Eagle in double figures, finishing with 13 points.
“Last night was not our most effective night on offense. We struggled with shots we normally make quite easily,” Lewellen said.
Down 19-11 after the first quarter, a 3-pointer by Anna Fleetwood and two free throws from Maddie Huff cut the deficit to three early in the second quarter. That was as close as the Eagles would get.
A series of empty possessions filled with missed shots or turnovers ensued and plagued the Eagles, who would hit the halftime break trailing 32-18.
Brown County could only muster eight points in the third quarter, never having any real success attacking the Braves’ zone. “The pressure of being in a sectional championship game, combined with our difficulty making shots while Brownstown continued to shoot the lights out, led to some stress that we struggled to overcome,” Lewellen said.
Offensive issues were not the case for the Eagles in their opening-round 63-52 victory over West Vigo, as Brown County put four players in double figures for the first time this season.
The Eagles and Vikings traded baskets the first quarter, but West Vigo grabbed a 14-13 lead behind four three-pointers. Neither team would lead by more than three in the second quarter, and the game was tied at 28 at the half.
Anna Fleetwood, Brown County’s top defender, held Kylee Stepp, the Vikings’ leading scorer, to two first-half points and earned some praise from her coach. “Anna Fleetwood is an exceptional defender. She has the ability to lock in on her opponent and shut them down,” Lewellen said.
A 20-point third quarter gave the Eagles a bit of a cushion, but it was West Vigo’s frigid fourth-quarter shooting and a Brown County 9-2 run in the last 2:49 of the game that sealed the win.
“After the first half of the game, the girls were determined to come out in the second half and be a more productive, efficient team. We talked at halftime about what we needed to do to win the game, and the girls listened and executed,” Lewellen said.
Brown County’s 21-28 performance from the stripe was instrumental in offsetting the Vikings’ 10 three-pointers.
West Vigo’s long-range success caught the Eagles by surprise. “We did not know they were that effective from the arc as a team. When we played them before, we did not see them shoot with that accuracy,” Lewellen said.
What didn’t shock her was her team’s response to the Vikings’ long-range output. “It doesn’t surprise me that we were able to still win even with their great three-point shooting, simply because we are a diverse team that can score from anywhere on the court,” she said.
Lewellen called the win “a team effort,” saying, “We functioned well as one cohesive unit and every girl had the opportunity to contribute to the score. Savannah Oden absolutely dominated in the paint with 18 rebounds. We knew that rebounds were the key to winning this game, and she stepped up and did her job extremely well.”
Abby Fleetwood posted 22 points to lead the Eagles and had scoring help from Katie Tipton with 13, Abigail Watson with 11 and Oden with 10.
Following the victory over West Vigo, Brown County had two days to prepare for the South Vermillion Wildcats, a team with which they had little familiarity.
For three grueling quarters, neither team seemed poised to assert itself and take control, and the score was knotted at 22. Turnovers, fouls and missed shots dominated the play.
The Eagles ultimately broke the game open, erupting for 22 fourth-quarter points en route to a 44-33 semifinal win. Forced to foul, the Wildcats sent Brown County to the line 16 times in the final stanza, and the Eagles showed tremendous resolve, sinking 13. Anna Fleetwood was 8-8 in the quarter and a perfect 10-10 for the game.
“This was a game during which we focused a lot on our mental toughness. Many of these girls had never played in a sectional game before this year, let alone a semifinal. We knew that the pressure of the game and what it means would fall heavy on their shoulders. However with persistence and the tenacity we love about our team, they turned it around in the fourth quarter,” Lewellen said.
With her first sectional and season as a head coach behind her now, Lewellen can reflect on what surely will be a memorable experience for her, her staff, and her players.
“From our multiple quarantines to playing in an empty gym, we faced a lot of challenges and adversity, but I am proud of the girls for maintaining positive attitudes throughout and continuing to work hard when it would have been just as easy to stop caring,” she said. “Our team has grown as individuals, but most importantly, they have grown together. They have laughed together, cried together, and through it all, worked together.”
The basketball experiences and crazy life situations involved with this strange, unprecedented season should bode well for a young Eagle squad that got a taste of sectional success.
“We will carry the lessons we learned this year into the next, and I am confident that the years to come will be ones filled with success,” Lewellen said.
