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Women’s basketball team advances to State

By: Stephanie Walstrom <swalstrom@hilite.org>

‘Just one more.’ That’s been the team’s motto all season, and for the first time in 13 years the Carmel women’s basketball team has just that: only one more game to play in order to clinch the State title.

After toppling Number-1 Ben Davis on Feb. 16th, the team defeated Columbus East last Saturday to claim its first Semistate championship since 1995. The team is now looking to the State finals game this Saturday against Number-2 South Bend Washington.

According to Danielle Havel, varsity basketball player and senior, the team is looking to leave behind a big legacy. The team went into the season seeking to end the six consecutive years in which it failed to advance out of Sectional. Having successfully accomplished that goal, the team is now aiming to clinch the school’s first State championship title for women’s basketball ever.

“If we can continue to play together as a team, we will continue to do big things,” Ashlee Spearman, varsity basketball player and senior, said. Carmel finished the regular season with a Number-5 ranking and an undefeated record at home.

Thus far in post-season play, this school has defeated Hamilton Southeastern, Fishers, Noblesville, Franklin, Ben Davis and Columbus East. In Feb. 16th’s game against Ben Davis, a team that defeated Carmel 57-43 in regular season play, the Hounds became only the second team all year to defeat the Giants.

Carmel’s march to State then led them to Southport where the team faced Columbus East and came out on top with a final score of 66-44. Chrissy Steffen, varsity basketball player and junior, led the team in scoring with 25 points.

“The major wins have been momentum builders for our team,” Havel, who put up 16 points against Columbus East, said. “Those wins have really brought the team chemistry together. It is great my senior year to do something I have waited all four years to do, and I just don’t want it to end.”

The State championship game will be played tomorrow night at Conseco Fieldhouse at 8 p.m. South Bend Washington is the defending State champion and currently holds a 24-2 record. The team has yet to lose to a team from Indiana.
Assistant Coach Joe Stuelpe said that the tournament run has been an neat accomplishment for this group of players. “It shows what hard work and commitment to each other can accomplish. It’s huge for our program,” he said.

Carmel holds a 74-20 record over the past four seasons, and will be graduating six seniors this year. “There are a lot of amazing groups at Carmel, and they deserve the support they receive for their hard work. It’d be great for our girls to have some student support too,” Stuelpe said about Saturday’s game. He said the team has received incredible support from faculty and staff throughout the season. “It’s a neat testament to how much teacher’s at this school care about how the students do,” Stuelpe said. He also said the team has received immense support from the Carmel Pups basketball program.

Carmel High School currently boasts 99 State championships, and a win this Saturday would give the team 100. “We’d love to bring it home,” Havel said. “‘Just one more’ has been our motto all season, and we just want to say that until there are no more games to be played.”

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