BROWNSTOWN — A hot start from beyond the arc sparked the Brownstown girls basketball team to a 46-35 victory over Salem on Tuesday night inside The Pit.

Maddy Hackman drilled three triples in the first quarter, and Jenna Klosterman added one of her own as the Braves led 17-3 after the first eight minutes.

“We got off to a really nice start, good enough that we made them come out of their zone,” Braves head coach Brandon Allman said. “It was really crucial for us to get off to a good start.”

What kept Salem within striking distance in the first half was getting in the bonus very early in the second quarter. Allman was displeased his team fouled so much while defending.

“I thought defensively we really struggled to contain the basketball and we fouled them,” Allman said. “That just killed our momentum offensively.”

But Brownstown still held on to a 14-point at the break, 31-17. Hackman led the way with 12 points, Klosterman added a second 3-pointer to have six points, Camryn Thompson had six, Kalee Borden scored five and Kinzee Dean had two.

The Braves moved the ball really well in the first half. Borden was able to find shooters or Thompson down low from the high post, and anytime Brownstown went to a pick-and-roll, the Braves’ roller would be open heading toward the basket.

“We were moving the ball really well, we were making the extra pass and not forcing things,” Allman said. “Credit to them because that’s the stuff we’ve been working on a lot in practice.”

The second half started slow for both teams, but Brownstown was able outscore Salem by two in the third period to head to the fourth quarter with a 40-24 lead. Harley Toppe hit a 3-pointer to beat the buzzer in the third quarter.

Toppe also hit a 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter for her six points on the night.

“She gives us an extra threat offensively,” Allman said of the freshman guard. “She’s an extra shooter that can knock shots down. She has the confidence to knock that down, and that’s the most important thing.”

Salem’s Sidney Brown got hot from beyond the arc, making four 3s to lead the Lions with 17 points on the night. But the Braves were able to keep the Lions at a distance all night after getting the big lead in the first quarter.

Hackman led Brownstown in scoring with 13 points while Borden scored 10.

The Braves, now 7-3 this season and 3-1 in the MSC, have another big conference game on Saturday at Austin.

With Corydon Central losing to Scottsburg last week, Brownstown now has a chance to win a share of the MSC title if they can handle business the rest of the way in conference play.

“We’ve talked about it. That’s one of our goals is to win a conference title,” Allman said. “We control our own destiny. We win every conference game from here on out, and we’ll win a share of the title. I think that just gives the girls a little extra incentive, a little extra attention to detail, which is what we need.”

Box score

At Brownstown

Braves 46, Lions 35

Salem (1-8);3;14;7;11;—;35

Brownstown Central (7-3);17;14;9;6;—;46

Brownstown Central: Maddy Hackman 4 2-3 13, Kalee Borden 4 2-4 10, Camryn Thompson 3 2-4 8, Jenna Klosterman 2 0-0 3, Harley Toppe 2 0-0 6, Kinzee Dean 1 0-0 2, Addison Darlage 0 0-1 1, Totals 16 6-12 46.

Salem: Sidney Brown 4 5-6 17, Kendall Hickey 3 0-0 8, Sidney Burton 2 3-4 7, Lanie Roberts 1 0-0 2, Alli Clodfelter 0 1-2 1, Totals 10 9-12 35.

3-point goals: BC 7 (Hackman 3, Klosterman 2, Toppe 2), S 6 (Brown 4, Hickey 2).

Rebounds: BC 13, S 19.

Fouls: BC 14, S 11.

Junior varsity

Brownstown 52, Salem 17

Brownstown (10-0): Harley Toppe 12, Noe McPherson 10, Sophie Wischmeier 7, Hailey Hobson 7, Hunter Trueblood 6, Kinzee Dean 5, Kassie Helton 2, Mallory Klosterman 2, Kassidy Wischmeier 1.