INDIANAPOLIS – Sammie Bolding did not play in the regular-season meeting between Class 2A, No. 3 Eastern Hancock and 2A No. 15 Triton Central. The Royals still won by nine points.

In the rematch Friday in the first semifinal game of the Indianapolis Scecina Sectional, Bolding demonstrated how impactful she can be on the court. The senior hit three first-half 3-pointers and scored 14 points to propel the Royals to a 27-16 halftime advantage.

The University of Toledo softball commit then added eight more points in the fourth quarter to hold off a hard-charging Tigers squad for a 56-38 victory.

Eastern Hancock, now 22-1, sank all 14 of its free-throw attempts in the final quarter and hit 18 of 19 in the game to go along with six 3s to get into the Sectional 42 championship game Saturday night against the host Crusaders (8-16), who defeated Irvington Prep, 53-12.

Bolding finished with a game-high 25 points and Brooklyn Willis, a University of Indianapolis softball commit, had 11 points on the strength of three first-quarter 3s to put Triton Central in a double-digit deficit early on.

“We said if they hit two (3s) we have to start adjusting,” said Triton Central head coach Bryan Graham of the Royals’ long distance shooting. “They had six in the first half and zero in the second half.”

Bolding’s third 3 extended the lead to 25-8 midway through the second quarter but Katherine Collier and Maryrose Felling hit back-to-back 3s that finally allowed Triton Central to relax.

“Those two shots were huge,” admitted Graham. Still, Triton Central trailed by 11 points at halftime after shooting just 29% from the field.

“Movement. We just didn’t move. We didn’t cut hard. We kind of let their physicality in the first half take over,” said Graham. “We didn’t play aggressive. We played hesitant. We played not to make mistakes and in the second half, it was the total opposite. I thought we attacked and executed and ran our offense.”

The Tigers slowly chipped away at the Eastern Hancock lead and got it to 36-28 after three quarters when Hailey Harris scored off a steal with 11 seconds to go.

Lucy Spall hit two free throws very early in the fourth quarter and the lead was down to six, but that was as close as the Tigers could get.

Eastern Hancock head coach Shari Doud called a timeout to reset her team and it responded. Makenzie O’Neal scored on a backdoor cut and Bolding drove the lane and scored to get the lead to nine.

The Royals made just one field goal the rest of the game but pulled away from the free-throw line where they were perfect over the game’s final 4:33.

Felling led Triton Central with 11 points and six rebounds. Harris and Brooklyn Bailey, both seniors, finished with seven and six points, respectively.

Lucy Spall, Triton Central’s third senior, scored a season-high nine points and grabbed five rebounds (four offensive) and had four steals.

“She played absolutely amazing,” said Graham. “Her hustle and determination … if every kid had what she has in that big heart of hers, because her skill set is nothing to talk about but her hustle … you always tell kids if you worked as hard as this girl, you would be unstoppable. “Lucy is that prime example. If kids at all age levels use her as an example of hustle and heart and how much she cares, kids would be amazing.”

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