Led by Cali Wetli, Southmont ended an 15-year skid in 2014 with its first IHSAA Girls’ Basketball Sectional title since 1999 with a convincing 56-35 win over Fountain Central on their own floor to win the Class 2A sectional crown.
Wetli, a senior who was later named the Journal Review Player of the Year, led all scorers with 26 points.
Both Alex and Aarika McKinsey were in foul trouble, which allowed Wetli’s post-play to make an impact.
“With the McKinseys on the bench she had to be our big girl, and she dominated,” then Southmont coach Chloe Allen told the Journal Review after the game. “She came in and wanted the ball.”
Wetli scored 19 of her 26 points in the middle two quarters.
Fountain Central had a pair of freshmen post players in Maggie Fishero and Macee Williams, but were unable to take advantage of the McKinseys’ absence or stop Wetli.
“It’s nor everyday that we play against girls that can compete with our size so we wanted to take it to their two big girls and get them in foul trouble,” Allen said. “For the most part we did that.”
Fishero led the Mustangs with 13 points, and Williams added 10 rebounds, but was sidelined due to foul trouble.
Senior Jessi Shelton added 10 points in the sectional final, while Alexa McKinsey and Kaiti Chadd each added eight.
Southmont eked out a pair of close wins to advance to the sectional final. The Mounties defeated Riverton Parke 63-60 in overtime in the first round, before beating Seeger 34-33 in the semifinals.
The Mounties finished the season 14-10 after losing to Wabash 55-48 in the first round of the regional.
