Warren Central girls basketball coach Stacy Mitchell couldn’t have asked for a better start from his team in Tuesday’s Class 4A Sectional 10 opener against North Central.

After a four-point win over the Panthers in the regular-season finale Jan. 26, Mitchell asked his team to be focused from the opening tip.

His request resulted in the Warriors scoring the first 17 points of the contest and eventually building a 28-point halftime lead before settling for a 77-58 triumph at Cathedral. Sisters Denyha and Denell Jacobs led the winners with 24 and 22 points, respectively.

Statewide scores, schedule: Indiana high school girls basketball sectionals

“It was very important to get off to a good start,” Mitchell said after his team set up a semifinal matchup with Tech, 6 p.m., Friday. “I could see in practice (Monday), the girls were ready.”

North Central coach DeeAnn Ramey admitted her team was not ready.

“They came out and hit us like a Mack Truck,” Ramey said. “It seemed they couldn’t miss and had a lot of kids step up. I’m shocked and disappointed we started like that.”

It took the Warriors (13-9) less than three minutes to build a 10-point lead, forcing North Central into a timeout. Warren Central hit four of its first six shots and forced the Panthers into three turnovers.

After the timeout, it didn’t get any better for North Central and after a 3-pointer by senior Candyce Hollins, the Warriors had their 17-0 lead.

It took until 3:03 remained in the first quarter before North Central finally scored.

“There were a lot of things we didn’t do well at Warren Central,” Ramey said of the previous meeting (a 59-55 WC victory), “and we still only lost by four points. (Tuesday), they hit us hard and had it together from the start.”

The Warriors led, 24-7, after one quarter where they shot 10-of-16 from the floor. The onslaught continued in quarter two as Warren finished the half on a 15-2 spurt for a 45-17 lead. The Warriors shot 17-of-28 (61%) from the floor in the first half.

Warren Central’s largest lead came early in the third quarter at 50-21 on a Denyha Jacobs lay-up with 5:26 remaining.

North Central did warm up from that point, especially junior Gabrielle Burrus as she scored 14 of her team-high 21 points during a 22-9 spurt that pulled the Panthers within 59-43 early in the fourth quarter.

The loss ends North Central’s season at 7-17 — the second-straight losing campaign for the Panthers. That’s the first two-year streak since 2009-10. Ramey did have four freshmen (including two starters) playing significant minutes.

“It’s disappointing for this group of seniors we have to end this way,” Ramey said. “We have so much youth on this team that it was a challenge, but I felt we had been peaking and playing well.”

Seniors Kaitlynn Hoff and Kaiden Kreinhagen added 15 and 10 points, respectively for NC.

The Panthers, meanwhile, will go on seeking their first sectional title since winning the Class 4A state championship in 2018.

“We were very focused and we have to take that with us from this game,” Mitchell said. “We have to attack and not lighten up.”

Warren Central 77, North Central 58

WARREN CENTRAL (77): Denyha Jacobs 7 9-12 24; Denell Jacobs 10 0-0 22; Laila Mathis 2-4 8; Keyera Harlan 2 5-8 9; Teleah Davidson 3 1-4 7; Candyce Hollins 1 0-0 3; Veronica Lugo 1 0-0 2; Jada Frieson 0 2-2 2. TOTALS: 27 19-30 77.

NORTH CENTRAL (58): Gabrielle Burrus 6 5-5 21; Macy Loy 1 0-0 2; Kaiden Kreinhagen 4 0-0 10; Raven Walls 0 0-2 0; Kaitlynn Hoff 4 6-6 15; Arianna Harrington 1 0-0 2; Laila Scott-Knox 1 2-2 5; McKenzi Rutland 1 0-0 2. TOTALS: 18 13-15 58. TOTALS: 18 13-15 58.

Warren Central  24           21           14           18 – 77

North Central     7             10           21           20 – 58

3-point baskets: Warren Central 4 (Denyha Jacobs, Denell Jacobs 2, Hollins), North Central 8 (Burrus 4, Kreinhagen 2, Hoff, Scott-Knox); Total fouls (fouled out): Warren Central 14, North Central 23 (Harrington); Records: Warren Central 13-9; North Central finishes 7-17.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA girls basketball sectional: Warren Central beats North Central