Haselby tallies 12, but Pioneer falls to W. Central in sectional final

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Girls basketball

West Central 33, Pioneer 32 (Saturday): Avery Haselby hit four 3-pointers and scored 12 points, but Pioneer dropped the Class 1A, Sectional 50 final to West Central Saturday.

Mia McKaig added nine points, and Lois Layer added six.

Macie Allen led West Central with 12, and Emily Bunger had nine, including the go-ahead putback in the fourth quarter.

Each team made seven 3-pointers.

West Central led 12-11 at halftime and extended the lead to 22-20 after three quarters.

West Central, who won their first sectional title in 12 years, will play Elkhart Christian in a regional at Warsaw at 4 p.m. today.

Pioneer finished 10-16. They lost in the sectional final for the second straight year.

PIONEER (32) (10-16)

Lois Layer 2 0-0 6, Avery Haselby 4 0-0 12, Mia McKaig 2 4-5 9, Liz Kennell 1 0-0 2, Hannah Zeigler 1 1-2 3, Leah Zeigler 0 0-0 0

TEAM: 10 5-7 32

WEST CENTRAL (33) (18-6)

Bunger 4 1-1 9, Allen 4 0-0 12, Lattimore 1 0-0 2, Scholz 1 0-0 3, Mellon 2 0-0 6, Endris 0 1-2 1, Moon 0 0-0 0, Holle 0 0-2 0

TEAM: 12 2-5 33

Three-point field goals:

Pioneer 7 (Haselby 4, Layer 2, McKaig),

West Central 7 (Allen 4, Mellon 2, Scholz)

Total fouls: Pioneer 9, West Central 11

Turnovers: Pioneer 10, West Central 6

Score by quarters

Pioneer 7 5 10 11 – 33

West Central 5 6 9 12 – 32