Senior staff writer
Defending Sectional 11 champion Roncalli pushed 4A No. 5 Pike to overtime Friday in a nail-biting 4A sectional semifinal at Ben Davis.
The Rebels (17-9) moved the ball offensively, played tough defense and fought for rebounds against Pike, which thrashed Roncalli 70-46 in the second game of the season.
Roncalli junior Ellie Bischoff, fighting illness, hit two free throws for a tie at 47 with 1:19 left in the fourth quarter. The Rebels’ defense then held Pike scoreless as a desperation shot fell way short. In overtime, Bischoff hit her only 3-pointer to close to 54-53 with eight seconds left before Pike (20-3) hit 1-of-2 free throws.
Roncalli senior Claire Whalen fired a 3-point shot from inside the 10-second line that hit the backboard square, struck the front rim and bounced away at the buzzer.
Seven Rebels scored, with junior Lauren Fey and freshman Alana Vinson, each getting 14. Senior Paige Saylor added 12 before fouling out in overtime.
“We battled and the kids did what we asked of them,” Roncalli coach Stan Benge said. “We had our chances; it just didn’t fall our way.”
Southside teams with won-lost records that lost their opening sectional games: Beech Grove (15-6); Center Grove (14-9); Greenwood (4-19); Greenwood Christian (13-11); Manual (15-10); Perry Meridian (13-6); and Southport (15-7).