(Brookville, IN) – Greensburg’s pressure defense set the tone early and never let up Friday night.
The third-ranked Lady Pirates forced 31 turnovers and rolled past Batesville 60–37 in the Class 3A Sectional 29 semifinals at Franklin County High School, earning a spot in Saturday night’s championship game.
Junior Claire Larrison scored a game-high 22 points, including four 3-pointers, as Greensburg steadily pulled away. Aly Powers added 19 points and knocked down three triples of her own for the Lady Pirates, who improved to 19–6 on the season.
Greensburg seized control quickly, turning early full-court pressure into an 8–0 run after Batesville scored the game’s first basket. The Lady Pirates led 19–6 after one quarter and stretched the margin to 35–18 by halftime.
Batesville struggled to find rhythm against the pressure, committing 17 turnovers in the first half alone. Greensburg continued to capitalize after the break, pushing the lead to 25 points late in the third quarter.
Despite the lopsided score, Batesville had bright spots. Molly Gesell led the Lady Bulldogs with 13 points, hitting three 3-pointers. Maggie Jelinek, Jolene Dirkising, and Leah Meyer scored six points apiece, while Kaylin Kathman added four.
Greensburg shot 52 percent from the field and finished 12-for-34 from beyond the arc, while Batesville managed just 3-of-34 shooting from long range.
With the win, Greensburg advances to Saturday’s 7 p.m. sectional championship game against seventh-ranked Jennings County, a rematch of an earlier regular-season meeting won by the Lady Pirates.
Batesville’s season ends at 12–13, but the future remains promising. Head coach Mitchell Taylor returns his entire roster next season, with no seniors graduating.
Box Score
Greensburg 60, Batesville 37
Greensburg (19–6): Claire Larrison 22, Aly Powers 19, Mary Harmon 9, Emma Kuntz 6, Aubrie Barnes-Pettit 3, Lula Bell Webb 1
Batesville (12–13): Molly Gesell 13, Maggie Jelinek 6, Jolene Dirkising 6, Leah Meyer 6, Kaylin Kathman 4, Caitlin Raver 2
By quarters:
Greensburg 19 16 17 8 — 60
Batesville 6 12 11 8 — 37
Key stats:
Turnovers — Batesville 31, Greensburg 10
3-pointers — Greensburg 12-for-34, Batesville 3-for-34
Free throws — Greensburg 12-for-22, Batesville 2-for-9