Mississinewa’s Sectional 23 opener against Heritage on Wednesday evening at Norwell ended as all their games did throughout the course of the season 8— a battle right to the very end.
However, after a close first half, the Indians’ went cold after halftime, making just seven field goals in the final two quarters in a season-ending 56-42 loss at the hands of the Heritage Patriots.
With the defeat, the Indians’ streak of consecutive first round playoff defeats reached 18.
Trailing just 24-21 after the second quarter, Mississinewa struggled to find their offensive rhythm in the second half, which included a two-for-15 showing in the final period of play. Additionally, the Patriots collected nine offensive rebounds in the contest, which led to multiple second chance opportunities and allowed them to pull away in the final two quarters.
“We shot enough shots to win,” Mississinewa Head Coach Laura Friday said. “We shot a lot. We just didn’t make enough. That’s really the ultimate difference here. We played for each other,” Friday said. “I’m proud of how they played. They fought, but we just [didn’t make] enough shots, and [we didn’t gather] enough rebounds.”
The two teams went toe-to-toe in the first quarter, with the Patriots taking a 13-9 lead into the first quarter break. A strong second quarter from junior guard Kaiyah Jones, who scored seven of her 10 points in the stanza, helped the Indians tie the game at 21-21.
But the Indians were never able to grab the advantage, and after another Heritage basket a short time later, the Patriots assumed control.
Heritage started the second half on a 7-0 run, increasing their lead to double-digits. And while the Indians were able to put together a small flurry of offense, an 11-4 surge in the final 4:30 of the third quarter, they still trailed by seven, 41-34, heading into the fourth.
The Patriots shut the door in the fourth, outscoring the Indians 15-9 to secure the victory.
Alayna Webb, in her final high school game, led the Indians with 15 points to go along with seven rebounds. Mia Catey also put together a solid performance with 14 points and seven rebounds.
For the Patriots, Shelby Schane scored 14 points, while Ella Bickel scored 13.
Throughout the 2020-2021 season, the Indians dealt with a surplus of adversity. They lost a core piece, Darah Watson, to a season-ending injury in their home opener. Carly Bolser, a key contributor from last year’s team, opted to focus on volleyball, and therefore, did not come out for the team. Sophomore Karmen Swindall, another player with a ton of upside and who had provided glimpses of her potential, missed the last several games of the season due to injury.
As a result of the seemingly constant shuffling of the lineup, players were put into roles they were not comfortable with. But while there were growing pains, there was also a substantial amount of growth. Younger players like Jones and Kate Ramey, together with more senior members of the team, like Marley Starnes and Katy Hosier, all stepped up into major roles throughout the course of the season, each improving significantly as the campaign progressed.
While players like Catey, Jones, and Ramey will be back next season, Webb, together with Watson, will move on to the next chapter of their lives. Webb stepped up her game on both ends of the floor throughout the campaign, and Watson, while she could not suit up for the Indians, was always found encouraging her teammates and providing leadership for the sideline.
Fighting to hold back tears, Friday spoke glowingly of both girls, stating that they were not just special basketball players, but also special young women as well.
“Darah and Alayna, they mean so much to me,” Friday said. “When I came in as a JV coach under Coach [Omega Tandy], they were freshmen. I got to coach them both every year. They are super special to me—and not just in basketball. They’ve grown so much as young women. That’s what I’m proud of most. Alayna is such a great basketball player, and she could have played collegiately if she wanted. Darah could have as well. But their grades, their personalities, and the kind of people they are, those are the type of people we want in our system and in our culture. It’s hard to lose them…but I am unbelievably proud of them and what they’ve done the last four years.”
Mississinewa ends the season with a 5-16 record.
While players like Catey, Jones, and Ramey will be back next season, Webb, together with Watson, will move on to the next chapters of their lives. Webb stepped up her game on both ends of the floor throughout the campaign, and Watson, while she could not suit up for the Indians, was always encouraging her teammates and providing that leadership for the sideline.
Fighting to hold back tears, Friday spoke glowingly of both girls, stating that they were not just special basketball players, but also special young women as well.
“Darah and Alayna, they mean so much to me,” Friday said. “When I came in as a JV coach under Coach [Omega Tandy], they were freshman. I got to coach them both every year. They are super special to me, and not just in basketball. They’ve grown so much as young women. That’s what I’m proud of most. Alayna is such a great basketball player and she can play collegiately if she wanted. Darah could have as well. But their grades, their personalities, and the kind of people they are, those are the type of people we want in our system and in our culture. It’s hard to lose them…but I am unbelievably proud of them and what they’ve done the last four years.”
Mississinewa ends the season with a 5-16 record.
