GBB SECT. 14: 4A #15 Bloomington South stifles East Central, 43-20

BLOOMINGTON – East Central’s final offensive possession of the opening game of the Class 4A Bloomington North Sectional ended fittingly Feb. 12 as the Trojans coughed up the ball for one final turnover, allowing 15th-ranked Bloomington South (17-4) to dribble the clock out on a 43-20 win.

East Central (8-12) turned the ball over on eight of its first 11 possessions and didn’t have a point until Alizabeth Moorman scored a bucket with 4:15 left in the second quarter. Moorman would also score the only other basket in the half for East Central, but her pull-up jumper was countered by a half-court buzzer-beater from South’s Kaila Hulls, giving the Panthers a 24-4 lead at halftime. 

Bloomington South coach Larry Winters said game planning for Moorman – who finished with a team-high nine points – was a major part of his team’s success.

“We watched tape and thought that she had to do the scoring for them, so we tried to make her handle the ball and still keep pressure on everyone else,” Winters said. “We thought, ‘If we make her handle the ball the whole time, she can’t score as much.’ ”

South placed three scorers in double figures as Hulls had 14 points and Jessica Parker and Kelsee Ennis each had 10.

Parker took over in the second quarter for South, scoring her team’s first six points of the period.

Aside from her half-court heave, Hulls had another highlight for the Panthers: a layup early in the third quarter earned by juking multiple defenders with a crossover, spin-move combo. 

Winters said the versatility of Hulls and Parker afforded his team a constant offensive advantage.

“That’s one of those things that we went to whoever had the smaller defender,” Winters said. “They both are tough matchups because they both can come out and handle and post up.”

Aside from winning the turnover battle, Bloomington South handily beat the Trojans on the boards, outrebounding them 24-14. 

Winters said the easy win could be useful going into a semifinal clash with Columbus North Saturday night.

“We’re conference foes, so we know what they bring,” said the 11th-year coach. “It’s going to come down to execution – it’s going to be important to see who can settle down and handle the other team’s pressure first.

“We had the opportunity to get our feet wet with the sectional tonight and they haven’t had that, so hopefully that helps us out.”

Game 1 – 4A #15 Bloomington South 43, East Central 20

Game 2 – Columbus East vs. 4A #6 Bloomington North. PPD SAT 6p

Game 3 – 4A #16 Columbus North vs. 4A #15 Bloomington South. PPD SAT To follow

Championship – Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3. PPD MON 7:30p