What a regular season for Fountain Central girls basketball. The Mustangs have had their most successful season since 2016-17 under second-year coach Sam Karr and now FC looks to turn that into post-season success. The18-4 Mustangs open up post-season play on Tuesday when they compete in the Class A Sectional 54 at Attica.
Fountain Central will take on the 12-11 Faith Christian Eagles, a team that they squared off with all the way back in their season opener on Oct. 31. That night saw FC win a narrow 45-41 ball game with junior Hannah Prickett scoring 17 points and it being the varsity debuts for three FC freshman who have all played big roles this season in point guard Henley Good along with Bella Bacon and Aubrey Ashwill.
The Eagles are led by sophomore Maya Layton who the do-it-all player for the Eagles. Her 25 points per game are good enough for 10th in the state while she also grabs 5.2 rebounds per game. Karr knows it will be another challenge for his Mustangs but he’s ready to see if they can rise to the occasion yet again.
“I think the draw was good for us mentally more than anything,” Karr noted. “The girls know that they’re going to have to go out and be ready to go from the tip and we can’t have any slip ups. I think we are a bad matchup for Faith Christian because we hang our hat on our defense and they just like to get out and score. If we can make it hard on a couple of those girls then we’ll be in good shape. I love our chances because I believe in these girls that they’ll step up.”
FC’s defense holds opponents to 30.5 points per game which ranks 6th in the state. The Eagles on the other hand surrender 48 a game while scoring 52. The Mustangs hover right around 40 a contest. Good leads FC with 10.9 points per game, Prickett is right at 10 herself. Rylee Simko and Kacey Kirkpatrick both score 5.8 a game.
While the Mustangs do have three freshman who will be getting their first taste of post-season play, the rest of the team got to experience what winning a sectional game takes last year when the FC took down North Vermillion in the opening round of the sectional. That experience is something that Karr is hoping his girls use as they get ready to enter another win or go home scenario.
“There’s nothing that can take the place of experience,” he said. “We were thankful to get a win last year even being shorthanded. These girls have now tasted what a post-season win feels like and I know they’re all hungry to go out again this year and get another one. It’s up to us coaches to make sure that we have them fully prepared come Tuesday.”
If the Mustangs are able to get by the Eagles, the sectional favorite awaits them in the 5th ranked Clinton Central Bulldogs in the semis on Friday, who enter the post-season with a stellar 21-1 record. FC fell 60-38 back in its fourth game of the season to the Bulldogs and it’s a game where Karr thinks his team can hang.
“We weren’t healthy for that game and were still able to have it a five point game in the third quarter,” he said. “I know deep down that we can play with them if we play our best game. I don’t think our girls fear them and we are hoping that we get our chance.”
