Improving plenty over the course of the 2023-24 girls basketball season, the Triton Lady Trojans turned their sights on the postseason on Wednesday evening, taking on Trinity Greenlawn in the first round of IHSAA 1A Sectional 50. After a game full of tough defense, a shooting masterclass and a ton of players getting meaningful minutes, Triton advanced to the semifinals with a 42-11 victory.
“We’re definitely hitting our stride at the right time,” Triton head coach Kennedy Krull said after the game. “We had a tough schedule to start the year but that was all by design. We’re getting better when it matters most.”
It was apparent just minutes into the game that this would be a slow-paced affair, with both teams being deliberate in setting up their offense and taking their time to do so. The first half of the game had two big storylines: the team defense of Triton and the offense of senior Jocelynn Faulkner.
Locked in from the jump, the Lady Trojans were not afraid to pressure ball handlers and trap players with double teams when the opportunity arose. With Triton breathing down their necks, Trinity was unable to get a shot off during the first three minutes of the contest with Triton forcing a plethora of turnovers.
Offensively, the gameplan was simple in the early going: get Faulkner the ball. She did not squander the opportunities she got, hitting her first two shots of the game, a pair of three pointers, to give her team an early 6-0 lead. She wouldn’t stop there, making one more later on in the quarter to give her nine points in the first eight minutes as her team raced out to an 11-4 lead after a quarter.
The second quarter featured more of the same, with the three ball and defense dominating the game. Faulkner would hit two more shots from deep in the quarter while junior Sydney King would add another one as the lead continued to grow. The offense wasn’t exclusively ran around the perimeter though, as sophomore Avery Viers got some big minutes off of the bench, scoring five in the second.
Defensively, it was more of the same for the Lady Trojans, who did not allow a point for the first six minutes of the period, allowing their lead to momentarily grow to 20 points. The Lady Titans eventually were able to get it going, scoring four straight points in the final minutes of the half to get a tad closer. With just seconds to go, Faulkner would make her first two-point shot of the game, a contested layup, to give her 17 points at the half while also extending Triton’s lead back to 18 at 26-8.

    Senior Jocelynn Faulkner of Triton knocks down a three-pointer during Wednesday night's sectional game at Culver Community High School against Trinity Greenlawn. Photo by Gary Nieter

“I’ve been telling her to shoot the ball all season and there’s no better time than sectionals to get it going,” Krull said. “She played extremely well tonight.”
After two straight quarters of allowing just four points in each, the Lady Trojans got right back to work to begin the third. While the defense continued to its part, not allowing a point through the first four minute of the period, the offense had slowed down a tad. The only points scored by Triton in the first four minutes came on yet another three by Faulkner.
The rest of the third quarter continued to be appointment viewing for fans of defense. On one possession in particular, Trinity attempted to inbound the ball four times in a row, each time, the ball was tipped back out of bounds. On the fifth attempt, the ball was stolen by Faulkner, who took it all the way for an easy layup. The Lady Titans would eventually get on the board in the third, scoring their first basket with just a minute remaining. Despite only scoring eight points of their own in the third, the Lady Trojans were able to extend their advantage to 24 heading into the fourth.
“Our girls were ready to play tonight. Our rebounding was on point and we were pressuring defenders really well,” Krull said. “I’d like to see a bit more communication but I’m proud of their effort”
The defensive affair continued into the final quarter, with both teams struggling to put the ball in the hoop. Holding on to a large lead, Triton seemed content to take part in the hardnosed, grind-it-out type of game. Viers continued her great game here, becoming the second player in the game to reach double figures scoring with a pair of free throws and a tough layup.
The rest of the game was drama free, with the Lady Trojans moving the ball around the perimeter over the final two minutes to burn out the clock on their 31-point victory.
Faulkner led all scorers in the game with 24 points. Avery Viers added 10 points and four rebounds. King scored three, Addyson Viers and Nadia Stetler each scored two, and Sierra Hawley scored one while adding seven steals.
Triton will take on the winner of the Westville-Argos game in the second semifinal contest Friday night.