Plainfield led 15-0, never looked back in sectional final blowout win over THN
AVON – A clutch freshman shooter, a fearless sophomore slasher, and a steady senior post player propelled the Plainfield girls basketball team to its first sectional championship since 2016.
The Quakers put together a dominant performance to claim the title Saturday, overwhelming Terre Haute North 59-12.
Plainfield (17-7) will face Pike (12-14) in next weekend’s regional. The Red Devils topped Franklin Central 61-60 in their home sectional to advance.
Central Indiana scores, stats, schedule: Indiana high school girls basketball sectionals
“This has always been one of my biggest dreams,” said Payton Benge, Plainfield's lone senior. “To have it come true is unbelievable.”
Plainfield led 15-0 before Terre Haute North (8-18) scored, with senior Aubrey Ervin banking in a 3-pointer with 1:19 left in the first quarter. As Plainfield freshman guard Hannah Menser has done time and again throughout the season and through two games of the tournament, she responded with a big 3 of her own and the Quakers led 18-5 after the first.
Menser showed a penchant for hitting dramatic shots in the semifinal and championship games, draining three buzzer-beating 3-pointers over the span. She splashed a 3 to end the first half Saturday and give Plainfield a 38-7 lead. The Quakers held Terre Haute North to two points in the second quarter and scoreless in the third.
'She's a real playmaker.' Hannah Menser's strong freshman year continues with county title.
The shooting stroke is almost inherent for the Quakers’ leading scorer (15.1 points per game). Menser’s father and Plainfield assistant coach Michael Menser holds the Indiana State record for made 3s.
“My dad originally told me my best shot was a dribble and 3, and that I needed to start shooting that for the last shot,” Hannah said. “I started to gain confidence when he told me that. I was like, ‘I’ve done this before,’ so I just kept doing it and it was like, ‘Hey, maybe it does work.’”
Menser led all scorers with 24 points, including five 3s. Benge and sophomore wing Berkeley Williams both scored 10 points, with Williams attacking the Patriots early with eight first-quarter points. Quakers coach Curt Benge turned to his bench for most of the fourth.
For Plainfield’s veteran coach of 29 seasons, the moment was extra special as he celebrated winning a sectional title with Payton, his youngest daughter, in her final season.
“The thing that’s cool about Payton is, she wasn’t anointed as a freshman,” Curt said. “She’s had to work for everything she’s got. She went through those knocks last year. To see her hard work pay off — she loves this team. Her being the only senior, she’s got a great relationship with everybody, so that makes it special.”
The win continues an impressive turnaround by the Quakers after an 8-16 season last year.
“Anyone has a chance,” Hannah Menser said. “You just have to work for it. Once we started doing our summer workouts, we knew we had a chance because we all worked so hard and worked so well together.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA girls basketball: Plainfield cruises to sectional title
