Basketball Recap: Center Grove Falls Short Against Ranked Hamilton Southeastern

On Saturday, Center Grove faced Hamilton Southeastern in a battle between two of the state's top teams. The Center Grove Trojans fell 67-59 to the Hamilton Southeastern Royals. The Trojans were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Royals apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in January of 2024.

When it comes to explaining why Center Grove lost, don't look at Gracyn Gilliard. Despite the final result, she went 9 of 15 en route to 27 points along with seven rebounds and three steals. That's the most points Gilliard has posted since back in November of 2024. Another player making a difference was Lilly Bischoff, who posted 13 points in addition to five assists and five steals.

Hamilton Southeastern's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Maya Makalusky, who went 8 for 15 on her way to 28 points. That makes it three consecutive games in which Makalusky has scored at least a third of Hamilton Southeastern's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Kayla Stidham, who went 6 of 10 en route to 17 points along with six assists and five boards.

With the loss, Center Grove broke their four-game winning streak and moved their record to 17-3. As for Hamilton Southeastern, the win keeps them at an undefeated 21-0.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Center Grove will face off against Greenwood at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Center Grove is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 52.2 points per game this season. As for Hamilton Southeastern, they will take on Pike at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Pike knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past 11 matches -- so hopefully Hamilton Southeastern likes a good challenge.