Tippecanoe Valley poses with the sectional trophy after beating Whitko, 62-36, Monday night in the Wawasee Girls Basketball Sectional championship game. (Photos by Mike Deak)

SYRACUSE – It was like the Tippecanoe Valley girls basketball program had done this before. Three times before, to be exact, but the fourth time was the sweetest for the Lady Vikings after beating Whitko, 62-36, Monday night in the championship game of the IHSAA Class 3-A Wawasee Girls Basketball Sectional.

Tippecanoe Valley’s season has been a memorable one, beginning with regular season shoot-out titles at home and at Lakeland. Adding in a Three Rivers Conference title to the mix, the assembly of green and yellow holding a trophy isn’t anything new. But when that trophy is a sectional title, it’s a whole new feeling of joy.

“We had the toughest road to go of any team,” said Tippecanoe Valley head coach Chris Kindig, noting the previous wins against Fairfield and NorthWood. “They stuck a lot of hurdles up there for us, and all year long we have answered the bell.”

Tippecanoe Valley’s second half Monday night against Whitko was some of the best executed basketball the team has played all season, and just at the right time. Whitko kept hanging around, and were only down 30-26 late in the second quarter before Taylor Trippiedi hit one of her many big shots, drilling a three to put Valley up 33-26 at the break.

Valley exploded in the third quarter, holding Whitko to just four points while spreading out the lead to 47-30. Trippiedi’s bucket right before the end of the third was the final dagger, as all the momentum was clearly in Valley’s favor.

The key, according to Kindig, was switching up to a zone defense, which confounded Whitko’s rotations that flowed freely in the first half when the zone was not employed.

Without the defensive look, Whitko looked formidable, notably Aly Reiff, who had a hand in Whitko’s first 12 points, scoring 10 and assisting on the other bucket. Reiff made her first five shots, but attempted only four shots in the second half and hit only one. The 18 points from Reiff looks good in the book, but considering 10 of those were in the first six minutes of the game, it was a huge notation to the outcome.

“We came out aggressive,” said Whitko head coach Brandon Bradley. “Aly was really good early. Our defense was not solid early, they just didn’t hit the shots. Once they hit, they exposed our rotations. We were a little too high coming out on that 10-6 run. The game was a lot longer than that two-and-a-half-minute run.”

Whitko finishes its season 16-9. The Lady Wildcats, yet to claim a sectional title, have reached the title game two years in a row after coming up a win short against NorthWood in 2014.

Valley’s movable parts also played a big part in the team winning its sixth sectional title and first since 2007. Caylie Teel, one of the heroes in the semi-final win against NorthWood, was held scoreless and was mired in foul trouble throughout. Off the bench, Hannah Dunn stepped in and scored 11 points and Brynda Krueger, who had just one point, was active during Valley’s runs in the second and third quarters while Teel was on the bench.

“We’ve said all year long that we have seven or eight starters,” Kindig said. “Some night’s it’s a different person. Brynda defensively is one of our best players. She’s long and really smart defensively. And Hannah got some good points. It truly was a team effort tonight, as it has been all year.”

Anne Secrest was again huge for Valley, scoring 21 points and pulling down seven rebounds. Trippiedi had a huge game as well, hitting for 18 points.

Tippecanoe Valley’s 22nd win of the season ties the school record for wins in a season (2003). The Lady Vikings will go for number 23 at the Bellmont Regional Saturday when the team will face Muncie Central (19-5) in the second game, an approximate noon start. The game follows Fort Wayne Concordia (19-7) and Norwell (18-7) in the other half of the Bellmont bracket.