There was nothing flashy or fancy about Whiteland’s win Thursday night against Beech Grove.
The Warriors used a matter-of-fact, workmanlike effort to defeat the visiting Hornets, 61-35.
It was a nice homecoming for Whiteland (7-5), which had played its three previous games on the road.
“(Beech Grove) was struggling a little bit,” said Whiteland coach Kyle Shipp. “We just wanted to worry about ourselves and get better. We have three games this week, so it’s a long week for us.”
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The week might seem shorter now that the Warriors are 2 for 2, having also beaten Indian Creek on Tuesday.
The Warriors went on a 9-0 run in the second quarter to increase the lead to 29-10 before Beech Grove, which never led, found the basket again.
The Hornets themselves went on a mini-run with seven straight points to let Whiteland know there was still a game to be played.
The Warriors then responded by taking control of the game, outscoring the Hornets 15-6 in the third quarter.
“We got going in the second half,” Shipp said. “I’m proud of the girls. We got a lot of people in the game. We found some holes in their zone and knocked down our shots.
“It was a decent night shooting.”
Whiteland was led by seniors Megan Harlow and Natalie Stuck, who each had 14 points.
One who got hot late was sophomore Gracie McCullars, who hit her final three shots—all from 3-point range. The Warriors connected on 10 shots overall from behind the arc.
Beech Grove, whic dropped its third straight game, was led by 6-foot-1 senior Alexianna Blakely with 15 points. Blakely was also a force on the boards, grabbing 18 rebounds.
Whiteland returns to action Saturday afternoon, hosting a Mid-State Conference matchup against Perry Meridian.
