Gibson Southern girls win regional over county rival; Forest Park also advances
CHARLESTOWN, Ind. — Kyle Brasher knows an absolute truth. To appreciate what this program could accomplish, you must understand the past first.
The topic is discussed constantly at Gibson Southern. At practice, halftime locker rooms and team dinners. Former players return every season to remind those who are playing what it means to wear the uniform.
The Titans knew what Saturday's game represented. And when the moment arrived, they answered.
Gibson Southern defeated county rival Princeton 71-55 to win the Class 3A regional championship. After struggling in the opening two quarters, the Titans (21-4) responded with a second half worthy of their predecessors.
It also marks their first regional title since the 2002 team made it all the way to Indianapolis.
“We talked about the history of our program,” said Brasher. “We’ve had a lot of success going back to our inception. (The regional) has been a riddle for us the past 20 years. For us to pull this off is pretty special.”
This was the third trip to this stage in the past five years. Each time played out the same: a strong effort to win the semifinal followed by a whimper in the championship. There’s a reason the visit to Charlestown played out differently.
Gibson Southern only needed one victory. And when the lineup is clicking – it certainly was in the second half – it has the confidence to play against anyone in the state.
The Titans had five players score in double figures. After surrendering 32 points by halftime, the starters allowed less than 20 over the final two quarters. This rematch was likely to never repeat what happened in November. Princeton had improved too much.
Gibson Southern still proved to be the better team in a full game.
“You see how well we can perform in certain quarters,” said senior Ava Weisheit. “Princeton is a county rival. There were a lot of fans and a lot of talk. It was more of a mental toughness (game) for us. We were confident in our abilities but had to pull through.”
Princeton (16-11) was no pushover on this night. Its future is bright if these underclassmen continue to improve. The Tigers led 32-30 at halftime thanks to their speed and ability to draw fouls. Azaryon Wesley was a mismatch against every defender and scored a team-high 15 points.
Lexi Smith scored 11 and Raven Jones added 10 off the bench. Every contributor will return next year including four freshmen.
“We didn’t do a good job defending the ball,” said Brasher. “Princeton attacked the paint. Kudos to them. It came in with a game plan and was executed. We played the defense we knew we were capable of in the second half.”
Gibson Southern also survived to the next round with its depth. Gabby Spink, a future Division I player, sat on the bench with three first-half fouls. Chloey Graham and Alexis Tucker were limited against constant pressure.
The Titans don’t win without Ally Malone. The junior matched her career-high with 10 points including a pair of first-half threes to pair with strong on-ball defense - her forced jump ball on the first possession of the second half set the tone.
The Titans don’t advance without Weisheit inside. The senior missed the regional last year with a knee injury, relegated to cheerleader status on the bench. Brasher believes the final against Silver Creek could have been different. Her worth showed with 13 points, nine in the first half with the team struggling, and eight rebounds against Princeton.
Gibson Southern’s stars finished this victory: Graham (17 points), Tucker (16 points and nine rebounds) and Spink (10 points) each had their moment. But the game ball belonged to the fourth and eighth leading scorers on the team.
“I knew I had to step up in a different role,” said Malone. “In the beginning of the year, that was more of the role I had to play. Now that (Gabby) is back, I can still do it in situations like that.”
Gibson Southern will face No. 6 Corydon Central (25-2) in the Jasper semistate at 9 a.m. CT on Saturday. No. 5 Indian Creek (26-1) plays Bishop Chatard (11-12) in the other semifinal.
The Titans have yet to put four strong quarters together in the postseason. They didn’t have their intended starting five until mid-January. They’re confident what could happen if it does.
“If our five our clicking, with our bench, we like our chances in most games,” said Brasher. “We have talent, can shoot or drive it. I like the variety of styles that we can go with.”
OTHER EVANSVILLE-AREA REGIONALS
In Class 4A at Bedford North Lawrence, the host Stars defeated Central 67-48. The Bears finished the season with a 15-12 record.
Central started strong with a 15-11 advantage after one quarter by employing a diamond-and-2 defense. BNL struggled to shoot and led by only one possession going into halftime. The No. 7 Stars (24-3) shut down any talk of an upset soon after. Mallory Pride had 20 points and Chloe Spreen netted 18.
Maddy Shirley led the Bears with 16 and Mya Skelton added 12.
In Class 2A at Crawford County, No. 1 North Knox defeated South Ripley 51-32 to win its first regional title since 2014. Brynna Collins had a career-high 19 points and Alex McKinley totaled 13 for the Warriors (27-1).
No. 2 Forest Park earned a return trip to the semistate in the other regional game at Crawford County. The Rangers (23-3) trailed by four with six minutes left but rallied to defeat Brownstown Central 45-38. Amber Tretter (12) and Carley Begle (11) were in double figures for Forest Park. Lydia Betz and Gabey Gray added nine apiece.
Forest Park plays Greencastle (23-4) at 9 a.m. CT in the Shelbyville semistate. North Knox plays No. 8 Eastern Hancock (23-3) in the other semifinal.
In Class 1A at West Washington, No. 1 Lanesville defeated Wood Memorial 64-26. It is the first regional championship in program history for the Eagles (25-2). The Trojans finished with a 14-11 record.
Follow Courier & Press sports reporter Kyle Sokeland on Twitter @kylesokeland.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: IHSAA girls basketball: Gibson Southern, Forest Park win regionals
