Short-handed South Bend Washington upsets Westfield in Hall of Fame Classic title bout

NEW CASTLE — Following losses to Class 4A foes North Central (62-56) and Homestead (65-52), South Bend Washington coach Steve Reynolds decided to simplify his defense. With four of his nine players standing at over 6-feet tall (two are over 6-3), he decided to move away from the 32 minutes of high-intensity defensive pressure his program has been known for.

Reynolds is still trying to determine his team's defensive identity, he said, but the simplified approach has certainly been effective, particularly in late-game situations.

Case in point: When the Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic championship game against Westfield came down to the wire Wednesday night, the Panthers were able to "hunker down" and focus exclusively on rebounding and keeping players in front of them.

HOF Classic: As Alyssa Crockett goes, so does Westfield. She provided further proof vs. Franklin in Hall of Fame Classic.

The Panthers certainly benefited from a few fortuitous bounces — Westfield missed a number of open shots down the stretch — but they also forced three fourth-quarter turnovers (all steals) and held their opponent scoreless over the final 67 seconds of regulation en route to a 52-50 win.

It's the second Hall of Fame Classic title for South Bend Washington (15-2), which won the 2006 Classic led by Classic MVP and future Miss Basketball Skylar Diggins.

"We put our minds on something and that's what we really focus on during practices," junior point guard Amiyah Reynolds said. "We were able to execute our defense really well today and I was proud of that."

SBW's victories Wednesday over Washington and Westfield came despite the absence of starters Mila Reynolds, a Maryland commit and Miss Basketball candidate — she injured her knee during Friday's practice, but her MRI came back clean and she's expected to return soon — and starting forward Shamarah Allen.

"Mila was pressing me," Steve said. "She wanted to play, but I told everyone else that this is an opportunity for us to step up and those kids did. They were amazing.

Amiyah said her older sister's absence forced her to become more of a shooter than a facilitator for them. The Maryland commit fulfilled her new role with aplomb, registering 15 points, four assists, a block and a steal over 30 minutes.

Not to be outdone, freshman forward Kira Reynolds — the youngest of the three sisters — erupted for 20 points on 8 of 13 shooting with 12 rebounds, three blocks, an assist and a steal.

The Reynolds sisters did most of the heavy lifting offensively for the Panthers, who shot 56 percent from the field in the second half and 43 percent for the game.

"We have so many options, so many different tools. I think it helped us not having (Mila) for a game, not having to depend on her 24/7," Amiyah said. "For me, it was a complete mental change in practice from facilitator to scoring and stepping up in all the roles she plays. It was a big adjustment."

SBW led by as many as 12 in the third quarter, but fatigue began setting in late in the frame as Westfield began chipping away.

The signs of exhaustion were perhaps most notable on the glass, specifically early in the fourth quarter when the Shamrocks accounted for five of their seven fourth-quarter offensive rebounds on one possession before senior Alyssa Crockett finally put down a jumper to cut the score to 42-37.

Of Westfield's 40 rebounds, 15 came on the offensive end.

"Their legs were going. It was the second game of the day and it was getting really tough to do the things we'd been doing all night," Steve said. "We were ending possessions all day today, but that fourth quarter was very tough."

Lauren Gillon delivered a pair of critical baskets over a stretch late in regulation, answering a layup by Ellie Kelleher and a 3-pointer by Emmery Collinsworth with field goals of her own to reclaim a two-possession lead for the Panthers.

A Kelleher basket (52-50), SBW turnover and a few missed free throws gave the Rocks multiple opportunities to either tie or take the lead in the final minute of regulation, but they were unable to capitalize.

Their best opportunity may have come on the game's final possession when Hailey Remaks was left open at the top of the arc, but her 3-point try rang off the front of the rim and to Kira Reynolds, who pulled in the rebound as time expired.

Crockett led Westfield with 17 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks, while Collinsworth and Olivia Robey both finished with 10 points. Robey also logged five rebounds.

The Shamrocks (13-3), who beat Franklin for their 10th straight win in the day's first game, finished 16-for-55 from the field, 4-for-21 from 3 and 14-for-19 from the free throw line.

"They have a lot of resolve," Steve said of his team. "To play today without two seniors and still beat the caliber of teams we did, three hours from home — man, I couldn't be more proud of them than I am right now."

Consolation: Franklin 58, Washington 47

Ashlyn Traylor scored a game-high 28 points and Franklin bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 58-47 win over Washington in the consolation round of the Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic.

Traylor started strong against the Hatchets, tallying eight points on 4 of 6 shooting in the first quarter. She finished 11-for-21 from the field, 3-for-5 from 3 and 3-for-4 from the line. Teammates Erica Buening and Scarlett Kimbrell both added eight points, while Kyndell Jochim scored six points with a pair of key 3-pointers in the second quarter (tied the score at 19).

Franklin shot 32 percent as a team with a 9-for-35 mark from 3.

Washington shot 56 percent (10-for-18) in the first half, but its hot-shooting performance was undermined by 17 turnovers, 15 of which came via Franklin steals.

Those turnover woes had the Grizzly Cubs positioned to seize full control following an 11-0 run in the second quarter, but Washington refused to concede, bridging the second and third quarters with a 10-1 run that left the margin at 32-31 early in the half.

It was an impressively resilient effort by the Class 3A Hatchets, but they were ultimately unable to keep pace with Franklin, which responded with a 19-3 run to take a commanding 51-34 lead entering the fourth quarter. The Grizzly Cubs' scoring binge featured contributions from Traylor, Jochim, Buening and Kimbrell, with Traylor accounting for seven points.

The Hatchets drew within 11 late in the fourth quarter, but was unable to trim the deficit to single digits.

Kencia Levasseur led Washington with 19 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and two steals. Alaina Thorne converted 9 of 15 free throws as part of a 17-point effort (she also had four assists), while Chloe Browning tallied nine points.

Washington committed just six turnovers in the second half, but went 5-for-21 from the field and 7-for-15 at the line.

HOF Classic: As Alyssa Crockett goes, so does Westfield. She provided further proof vs. Franklin in Hall of Fame Classic.

Game 2: South Bend Washington 56, Washington 28

Amiyah Reynolds poured in a game-high 20 points as South Bend Washington cruised by Washington, 56-28, in the day's second game.

Reynolds was nothing if not efficient, converting 8 of 16 field goal attempts with a 2-for-2 mark from 3 and a 2-for-3 mark at the line. She rounded out her line with five rebounds, two steals and a block over 25 minutes.

The Maryland-bound junior was joined in double figures by sister Kira Reynolds (12 points, seven rebounds, five blocks) and Lauren Gillon (11 points, five rebounds, one steal).

The Panthers shot 45 percent as a team and outscored Washington 18-6 in the second quarter to build a 32-15 halftime advantage.

Alaina Thorne led the Hatchets with 14 points, six rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal. Jesse Ledgerwood tallied eight points and five assists.

Washington will face Franklin in the consolation game at 6 p.m., followed by South Bend Washington vs. Westfield in the championship.

Game 1: Westfield 42, Franklin 40 (OT)

Westfield dealt Franklin its first loss of the season Wednesday with a 42-40 victory in the first game of the 2021 Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic.

The Shamrocks turned the game in the third quarter, outscoring the Grizzly Cubs 15-4 over the eight-minute frame. The comeback charge was led by senior Alyssa Crockett, who sparked the eventual 12-0 run with back-to-back baskets midway through the frame, then set up Emmrey Collinsworth for the game-tying layup.

Olivia Robey capped the quarter with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from deep, then Hailey Remaks completed the 12-0 run with a 3-pointer to give Westfield a 38-32 advantage early in the fourth.

HOF Classic: As Alyssa Crockett goes, so does Westfield. She provided further proof vs. Franklin in Hall of Fame Classic.

Kuryn Brunson, who cleared 1,000 career points with a triple at the first-half buzzer, tied the game at 40 with a putback in the final minute.

Crockett accounted for the lone basket in overtime, scoring off a blocked shot with 1:40 remaining.

She finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and three steals for the Shamrocks, who also picked up 11 points from Chesney Tebbe, three steals from Ellie Kelleher and three assists from Robey.

Brunson and Ashlyn Traylor led Franklin with 11 points apiece, and combined for 15 rebounds. Scarlett Kimbrell logged seven rebounds, while Lauren Klem picked up five steals.

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana high school girls basketball: Wrapping up Hall of Fame Classic