Triton Central

TC GIRLS JV BASKETBALL WINS MONROVIA TOURNAMENT The Triton Central Tigers captured tournament gold Saturday, sweeping two games to win the Monrovia JV Girls Basketball Tournament and improving to 6-1 on the young season. In the opener, Triton Central earned a hard-fought 49-35 win over Indian Creek. Indian Creek controlled the early minutes, edging the Tigers 8-7 after one quarter, but Triton Central found its rhythm in the second. A balanced attack fueled an 18-11 surge before halftime, lifting TC to a 25-19 lead at the break. The Tigers broke the game open in the third quarter, locking down defensively and sprinting out to a 42-26 advantage entering the fourth. Guard Hayden McMichael led the charge with 16 points, while Rylee Pruitt and Peyton Fillippinie each added 9 to power the scoring effort. Kenzie Hoover chipped in 5 points, and Madison Swisher contributed 4 as TC closed the bracket semifinal ticket with the 49-35 final. Triton Central’s full stat line against Indian Creek included: Pruitt (9), Fillippinie (9), McMichael (16), Hoover (5), Swisher (4), Eliana Joy (2), and Anna Kemper (2). In the championship, the Tigers outlasted host team Monrovia with a convincing 46-30 victory. Monrovia narrowly led 9-8 at the end of the opening frame, and TC trailed for much of a tightly contested first half. But a late push in the second propelled the Tigers ahead 20-18 at intermission. The third quarter, once again, belonged to Triton Central. The Tigers turned a two-point halftime margin into a 19-2 avalanche, clamping down defensively while stretching the lead to 37-20. Eliana Joy delivered a standout performance with 14 points, and McMichael followed up her Game 1 showing with 12 more. Pruitt added 11 points, Ryn West and Anna Kemper each knocked down 3, and Rylee Pruitt tallied 11 to help seal the title-game win. TC’s championship scoring breakdown featured: Joy (14), McMichael (12), Pruitt (11), West (3), Kemper (3), Swisher (2), Hoover (1), and West (3). With the tournament championship secured, the Tigers now turn their focus to the road, where they’ll face the Rushville on Tuesday night. JV tips at 6 p.m., followed by the varsity matchup at 7:30 p.m.