Triton Central edges No. 15 Eastern Hancock 60-58 in 2A Sectional semifinal

Triton Central pulled out a dramatic 60-58 victory over sectional rival Eastern Hancock in the 2A Sectional 43 semifinal at Heritage Christian, rallying with a 20-14 fourth-quarter push to erase an early seven-point deficit. The Royals led 47-40 early in the fourth, but Triton’s late offense, keyed by Quinn King and Layla Compton, produced the decisive margin.

Eastern Hancock junior Kenzie Koch finished as the game’s top scorer with 25 points, tallying 13 in the first half and nine in the second quarter as the Royals built their midgame lead. Bella Sotelo supplied nine first-half points, while Kiersten Judd added nine and Becca Cooley chipped in eight for Eastern Hancock. Despite that production, Eastern Hancock could not hold off Triton down the stretch.

Triton Central got balanced scoring from three players in double figures. Kate Collier led Triton with 17 points, 13 of which came in the first half, and Maryrose Felling contributed 15 points. Quinn King finished with 13 points overall, including six in the fourth quarter, while Layla Compton supplied at least six late points to help complete the comeback. The quarter-by-quarter scoring underlined the swing: Triton led 17-13 after one, trailed 30-28 at halftime, fell behind 44-40 after three, then outscored Eastern Hancock 20-14 in the final period.

This was the second meeting between the programs this season; Eastern Hancock edged Triton 58-57 on Nov. 15 in Fairland. The sectional rivalry extends beyond a single season. The teams have met in seven of the last eight sectionals, with Triton now holding a 4-3 edge in those postseason matchups, snapping Eastern Hancock’s three-game sectional winning streak in the process. Triton’s win improves a strong season mark to 20-4 while Eastern Hancock falls to 15-9, and sets up a sectional final against host and No. 8 seed Heritage Christian, a familiar opponent that beat Triton 63-59 in early November.

The game was a showcase of late-game poise and depth. Triton’s ability to generate scoring in the fourth quarter without relying on a single player speaks to the program’s rotation and situational execution. For Eastern Hancock, Koch’s scoring display reinforced her role as the focal point of the offense, but the Royals’ inability to close the game will linger for coaches and fans evaluating late-game decision-making and bench contributions.

Photographer Tom Russo captured the emotional toll for Eastern Hancock as Addisyn Trackwell walked off the court dejected after the loss. For local fans, the result continues a familiar sectional storyline and delivers high-stakes basketball for the championship matchup tonight at 7:30 p.m., when Triton Central meets host Heritage Christian with a regional berth on the line.