JASPER, Ind. — Brock Stone took his time before emerging from the locker room.
There’s never an exact playbook or script to follow in this scenario. Just 20 minutes prior, the Reitz girls basketball season ended two victories shy of a trip to Gainbridge Fieldhouse. An experience all but two teams in the Class 4A tournament will endure.
What occurred this season though instilled true belief back into his program. A blueprint to competing for championships in February. That will always be the lasting impact from the group in that room.
No. 3 Center Grove defeated No. 13 Reitz, 53-37, in the Class 4A Semi-State on Saturday, Feb. 21. The outcome was never truly in doubt following the opening minutes of the second quarter — a credit to the undefeated Trojans and their possible Miss Basketball winner.
The Panthers still made a positive impression after not reaching this stage of the state tournament since 1981.
“They made it fun to play basketball again on the Hill,” Stone said. “A lot to do with our senior class reviving the program and leaving it better than they found it.”
Center Grove (27-0 heading into the final against No. 5 Lawrence Central) was not only the better team on Saturday — it was the more physical team. That defensive style was expected. Seeing it in person was different than watching it on film.
Reitz went over eight minutes without scoring in the first half as Center Grove built a double-digit lead. An 18-0 run by the Trojans stretching between the first and second quarters. The game was almost even the rest of the way: Center Grove never led by more than 20 nor let it fall below 14. That start was too much.
So was Davidson recruit Gracyn Gilliard. The senior scored a game-high 21 points behind a strong mix of athleticism and shooting from multiple spots on the court. She also had help with 10 points from Lillia Tapak, plus nine from Mackenzie Pierce and Haley Wagoner. The Trojans collectively hit nine three-pointers.
“They make you do things you don’t want to do,” Stone said. “I’ve been at this thing a long time. That’s probably the best collective defensive team I’ve seen in high school girls basketball. We weren’t able to get to our entry spots and get the ball where it needed. We didn’t do enough to get going.
“We spent so much time talking about downhill drivers with Gilliard and (Tapak). When a bunch of them step up and make shots, it took the wind out of us.”
One of the bright spots was Kierstyn Kaiser. The sophomore had a team-high 17 points and six rebounds. She finished strong around the rim and made a positive impression at the top of the zone defense. Rhyan Wagner added 10 points in the second half. Bailey Hape and Keilah Mitchell were limited to four points apiece.
“I think the sky is the limit for her,” Stone said of Kaiser. “She’s figuring it out and starting to understand how to use her length. Once she gets stronger and handles the ball a little bit more, she’s going to be right in the mix for another big-time player in our program.”
The Panthers (21-3) graduate four seniors including starters Hape and Kendall Kaiser. That group was arguably the backbone, at least in effort and leadership, of the best season for the program in nearly 50 years. Reitz won its first sectional championship since 1990 (beating rival Castle for the first time since ’92) and the first regional crown since the 1981 group cut down the nets in Indianapolis.
The positive news: the lineup included three talented sophomores and the foundation within the feeder program remains strong. Stone planned to watch the latter upon returning to school after this result. That’s what it takes to field a consistent winner.
Such has been the issue for decades at Reitz. But this season proved it’s possible to compete at the highest level.
“Our seniors don’t take days off,” Stone said. “They show up every single day and provide the leadership to our girls to allow them to do what they did this year. We just continue to work. We continue to grind. I think that’s how we’re going to capitalize on this and keep it moving in the right direction.”
How other teams from Southwestern Indiana fared in semi-states
There won’t be a representative from the Evansville area at the IHSAA girls basketball state championship for the first time since 2021. There were a pair of close calls on Saturday.
No. 8 Jennings County defeated No. 6 Washington 60-54 in the Class 3A semifinal at Southport. After trailing by 11 early in the second half, the Hatchets battled back to lead with under six minutes remaining. Aniston Kent had 10 points in the final quarter for Jennings County, including a personal 8-0 run to reclaim the lead. Kansas recruit Mollie Ernstes led the Panthers with 21.
Shay Hawk had a game-high 25 points for Washington (22-5). This was its first semi-state appearance since 1997.
Eastern (Pekin) upset No. 4 North Knox 49-44 in the Class 2A semifinal at Greencastle. The Warriors led by one with under two minutes remaining before the Musketeers took control with a 6-0 run. North Knox got within three points twice in the final minute, on buckets from Lexi Primus and Roselyn Armes, but never had a possession to potentially tie.
The Warriors finished with a 19-7 record and their first appearance at the semi-state since 2023.
No. 2 Borden pulled away in the second half to beat No. 8 Evansville Christian 56-38 in the Class 1A semifinal at Charlestown. The Eagles led the defending state champions by eight at halftime but struggled offensively after the break — only nine points over the final two quarters. Riley Rarick had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Borden.
Hannah Higgs led ECS with a game-high 18 points. The Eagles won their first sectional and regional championships this month in only their fourth year of tournament eligibility.
Kyle Sokeland is a sports reporter for the Courier & Press. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @kylesokeland or email at kyle.sokeland@courierpress.com.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Reitz girls basketball ends best season in 45 years at IHSAA semi-state round
Reporting by Kyle Sokeland, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
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