Rivalry, redemption and a few technicals were all key factors in the SHS girls basketball win over Beech Grove Thursday, Jan. 23 at Beech Grove.
The Lady Cards began the game with a 8-0 run against the Lady Hornets and didn’t look back as they held Beech Grove to seven points, leading the game 25-7.
SHS didn’t stop and continued to score baskets until the atmosphere changed when a technical foul was called against them with 5:30 left on the clock in the second quarter.
Though this could have been a turning point for Beech Grove, SHS didn’t let it phase them as they went into the locker room for halftime with the lead of 40-20.

The Lady Cards kept the Lady Hornets at bay in the third quarter keeping them to 13 points and ended the quarter with a high note with a technical against Beech Grove. They were only one quarter away from a victory as SHS led 52-33.
According to head coach Larry Williams, the first quarters were some of the best all season.
“I thought we played a great three quarter(s),” Williams said. “Probably the best three quarters we’ve played all year.”
The fourth quarter almost went in the Lady Hornets’ favor as the teams drew closer in score. The Lady Hornets came within as many as nine points of the Cards, and the tone of the crowd changed within those few points. But the Lady Cards ended up pulling away after a tough fourth quarter with the final score being 58-46.
What the team learned during the fourth quarter will be a building block for them as they head into sectionals in the coming weeks.
“(We) didn’t handle pressure well in the fourth quarter (and) didn’t use clock management well in the fourth quarter,” Williams said. “Those are all things that we got to continue to work to get better at come sectionals.”
Senior Kassie McMasters believes this win will help with the team’s confidence going into sectionals.
“We have about two or three games before sectionals, trying to get the dub, trying to keep our confidence up,” McMasters said.
This was a unique win for both Williams and senior Sophia Nguyen. Williams used to coach boys basketball at Beech Grove for about 15 years, and Nguyen had an old travel basketball coach who is on Beech Grove’s staff, so those connections made this rivalry win extra special.
This win felt good to Nguyen after the result of last year’s game when they played the Lady Hornets.
“This was a great win,” Nguyen said. “(It was) redemption from senior night last year when they blew us out, so that felt really good.”
SHS was led in points by McMasters with 17 points, Nguyen and senior Nola Linson, both with 13 points.
The Lady Cards’ next matchup will be at Franklin Central on Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m.