SHARPSVILLE, Ind. – Chad Arnold got to face his alma mater for a regional championship.
The Carroll (Flora) coach and his team advanced to face Lafayette Central Catholic in the championship game of the Class A Tri-Central girls basketball regional. While Carroll and LCC’s game held special significance for Arnold, the two teams’ wins prevented another special matchup: an all-Randolph County title game.
Carroll edged Union 50-43 and LCC defeated Monroe Central 49-28.
A fourth-quarter run sparked by a game-tying 3 from senior Carly Kingery sent Carroll to the regional championship.
Kingery hit a 3 from the corner with 6:18 to go to pull the Cougars even with Union (22-4), and Carroll (22-3 after semifinal win, No. 10 Class A) went on to its seven-point victory.
The Cougars were led by sophomore Macy Willoughby’s 15 points, but also got 13 from Libby Eller, 12 from Meghan Miller and nine from Kingery.
Union’s DeAnn Kauffman finished with 16 points. The Rockets led 26-22 at halftime and 34-31 entering the fourth quarter. Kauffman’s 3 with 2:16 to go in the third quarter put the Rockets ahead 34-29. But it would also be Union’s last field goal for the next 10-and-a-half minutes.
By the time Kauffman scored in the final minute, Carroll led 45-38.
Monroe Central (13-13) appeared on a mission to spoil LCC’s (21-6 after semifinal win) state championship dream in the second semifinal, falling behind 9-0 quickly but responding with a 9-0 run of its own to finish the first quarter tied.
Freshman Abigail McGrath’s 14 first-half points put the Golden Bears ahead 24-19 at halftime.
The second half was a different story.
Monroe Central was held to just two points in each of the final two quarters in the 21-point loss.
The No. 2 Knights, aiming for a third straight regional, got 17 points from Cameron Onken and 12 from Emily Burks.