INDIANAPOLIS – Once Roncalli got in gear, the Royals raced away from Class 2A, No. 9 Triton Central Saturday in the season opener for both girls basketball programs.

Taylor Turk sank a free throw with five minutes, 22 seconds left in the first quarter to start the scoring and the Royals scored 19 points in a three-and-a-half minute stretch to take a 19-2 lead after one quarter.

Roncalli doubled up Triton Central in the second quarter, 18-9, and kept cruising to a 58-23 victory – the worst season-opening loss in TC head coach Bryan Graham’s 16-year career.

“We knew going into this it would be a tall task for such a young team,” said Graham, who is sitting on 299 career wins at Triton Central. “I also think it is better to start with something like this than win by 20 or 30 points. That makes it hard for the girls to pay attention and understand the film.

“We knew they would be a tough team and with our roster being as young as it is, we knew it would be a great learning experience.”

Triton Central started three seniors and highly-regarded sophomore Maryrose Felling Saturday but utilized a freshman point guard and brought three freshmen and a sophomore with no real varsity experience off the bench.

Meanwhile, Roncalli, an 18-win team last season, started three seniors and debuted a freshman who proved she was ready for varsity basketball.

Elliot Leffler, a five-foot, nine-inch freshman, hit five three-pointers off the bench and scored a game-high 27 points in her first game for Roncalli. She also had five rebounds and three steals.

Triton Central shot just 23% from the field and made just 1 of 14 3-point attempts.

“Anytime we get opportunities around the basket or on a fast break, we have to put it in,” said Graham. “We will design more stuff to try and get Maryrose and Brooklyn (Bailey) in two-man game stuff, inside and outside. We started doing it a little bit tonight on the run and it worked a couple of times.

“This will definitely be more of a defensive-minded (team) on one end and offense by committee on the other end.”

Felling topped the Tigers with 11 points. Freshman Sophia Burbrink came off the bench to score six points and Quinn King had five points and two rebounds in her debut as Triton Central’s new point guard.

“She is tiny and very savvy,” said Graham of King. “She is going to continue to get better and better. She is full of energy. She is not scared of anyone. She will continue growing as a leader.”

The 23 points was the lowest output for a Graham-led Tigers squad since a 63-22 loss to Indianapolis Cathedral on Jan. 22, 2016.

“We definitely are very young and inexperienced but I would also say we have great attitudes and work ethic,” said Graham. “Even when the score was lopsided, we were still out there playing hard.

Triton Central opens its Indiana Crossroads Conference schedule Thursday at Cascade (0-1). The Tigers’ home opener is two days later when 2A No. 2 Eastern Hancock (2-0) comes to Fairland.

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