Taking advantage of a timeout late in the game, coach Jason Longmeier directs players during the IHSAA girls 4A basketball sectional tournament game played at Jeffersonville Feb. 1, 2022.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
Seymour’s Kendall Sterling takes the jump shot from the top of the key during IHSAA girls 4A basketball sectional tournament game played at Jeffersonville Feb. 1, 2022.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
Head coach Jason Longmeier directs players during IHSAA girls 4A basketball sectional tournament game played at Jeffersonville Feb. 1, 2022.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
Seymour’s Grace Schrader takes a shot after getting open under the basket during IHSAA girls 4A basketball sectional tournament game played at Jeffersonville Feb. 1, 2022.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
Seymour’s Jaidyn Nichols dribbles around a defender during IHSAA girls 4A basketball sectional tournament game played at Jeffersonville Feb. 1, 2022.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
Seymour’s players empty the bench onto the court and celebrate with those on the floor with the victory at the IHSAA girls 4A basketball sectional tournament game against New Albany played at Jeffersonville Feb. 1, 2022.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
JEFFERSONVILLE — Grace Schrader has been a member of the Seymour High School girls basketball team for four years and she has been hoping to celebrate a sectional win during that time.
Schrader was able to celebrate at Jeffersonville High School Tuesday night when she helped the Owls defeat New Albany 59-47 in the opening game of the Class 4A sectional.
“It’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was a freshman, of course,” she said. “It hasn’t worked out for us, but this year we worked hard, we wanted it so badly, and we ended up pulling it out.
“I’m so proud of my teammates and all we worked on. We really wanted this, and we did it. I’m so happy.”
The Owls had lost in the opening round of the sectional nine straight years. Their last previous win came over Floyd Central in 2012.
The Owls (11-10) used a 9-0 run during the first period to take an 11-6 lead and stayed in front the rest of the game.
Going in, coach Jason Longmeier said he felt confident that the Owls’ balance would make a big difference.
When the Owls built up the 11-6 lead in less than five minutes, Schrader and Kendall Sterling had each made two free throws, Brooke Trinkle hit a 3-pointer and Journee Brown and Greer Henry made 2-point baskets.
Longmeier said it was good to see all five starters score early.
“I thought that was a big part of it. I thought it was our ability to really share the basketball. That was really an unselfish first quarter where we found some things that were there,” he said. “I think more than anything it was really good execution by our kids following the game plan. We thought they would step up on some early drives and we could get some dump offs for some easy buckets and we did that early.
“I think that when you see the ball go through the hoop early it gives you confidence, and I thought early on we got a lot of really easy baskets that got our girls going a little bit.”
The Owls led 15-13 at the end of the first quarter.
Longmeier had his team go to a spread offense in the second period and they scored the first 11 points of the period to go up 26-13 on a layup by Schrader at 2:30.
The Bulldogs shot 0-for-3 and had four turnovers during the Owls’ rally.
Longmeier said, “I thought we had some mismatches. I thought we had some people that they couldn’t guard. I think we’ve really struggled at times this year playing in we thought that would be a good way to spread them out and allow us to get some things. We were still getting the back cuts that we were trying to get.
“I’m really proud of Jaidyn Nichols today, a kid that hadn’t seen too many varsity minutes.”
Nichols scored a basket in the first quarter and a free throw in the fourth period.
“She knew the game plans and really came in prepared,” Longmeier said. “She helped us offensively and defensively. Her passing the ball into the post was tremendous. She made three or four really good entry passes that led to lay ups.”
Brown got hot in the third period as she worked inside the Bulldogs’ defense for four baskets to help the Owls take a 44-31 lead into the fourth period.
Schrader and Trinkle topped the Owls scoring with 15 points each, while Brown and Sterling both netted 10.
Schrader had eight rebounds to help the owls to a 28-20 advantage in that department.
The Owls will try to even things up with Jennings County Friday night. The Panthers won the Hoosier Hills game this season 70-42.
Schrader said, “We knew that on defense we needed to stop 3 (Maleea Roland) and 10 (Taylor Treat), and if we got a good lead we could spread them out and make them defend us on the drive and get some easy buckets. We had some good finishes in there.”
The Owls made 20 of 44 shots from the floor, and the Bulldogs hit 16 of 51.
Longmeier said he felt like the Owls made Treat and Roland work hard for their points as they each scored 12. He also said he felt like the Owls made those two work hard on defense.
Jennings County drew a bye and will be the Owls’ opponent at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
Schrader said “We’ve got to be prepared to stop (Juliann) Woodard and not let (Kali) Thompson beat us. We can do it.”