LAPEL – Hamilton Heights senior guard Camryn Runner is widely-known as the Huskies’ best player.But during their 55-31 Class 3A regional final victory over Woodlan (18-9), other Huskies stepped up, especially senior guard Ella Hickok.Hickok led the team in scoring with 28 points and Runner followed up with 22. Hickok took no credit for her performance after the game while standing on the court at Lapel High School, surrounded by her fellow teammates, family members and fans.“All the glory goes to my teammates,” Hickok said. “I wouldn’t have been able to hit those shots if it wasn’t for them. I wouldn’t have been able to hit those layups if it wasn’t for other players causing pressure on the ball. It’s all to them.”Hamilton Heights coach Keegan Cherry said the game was a “microcosm of our team,” especially with Hickok’s sterling performance and the team’s selfless nature.

IHSAA girls basketball: Central Indiana regionals scoreboard

“They’re just such an unselfish group,” Cherry said. “They think it’s all about Camryn Runner and it’s not.  We have other pieces to go with Camryn. You saw that today from Ella driving to the basket.”The top-ranked Huskies’ first points were a 3-pointer from Hickok and they never looked back.  After a sluggish start, the offense exploded in the second quarter with 23 points. The Huskies opted to press on defense, forcing Woodlan’s offense into costly turnovers. A steal and transition layup by Runner put the Huskies ahead 25-11. Another steal from Hickok and pass to Runner for another easy layup built their lead to 31-11 in the closing minutes of the first half.“Their pressure, it’s just hard to simulate in practice,” Woodlan coach David Randall said. “I think we’re a good defensive team, and I think we’re a good rebounding team, but you can’t rebound a turnover and you can’t play defense effectively when you’re retreating all the time.”The Huskies (24-2) led 34-17 at halftime, with Hickok and Runner combining for 32 of the team’s 34 points in the first half.“Because they both can get to the rim, because they both can knock down shots, you have to try and take away something,” Randall said.  “What we tried to take away was the drive. They got going. You gotta pick your poison against teams like that.”The senior guards’ dominance continued in the third quarter. A drive to the basket and foul from Runner extended the lead 37-20. Following another 2-pointer, Runner stole Woodlan’s next inbounds pass and tossed the ball to Katie Brown, who drained an open jumper from the 3-point line, expanding the lead to 42-20.  “Once we got that lead, we can spread, and it’s really hard to turn us over,” Cherry said.The Huskies’ largest lead was 27 points in the third quarter after another steal and layup from Hickok.  Hamilton Heights will find out its semistate opponent after Sunday afternoon's draw.“The moment’s not too big for us,” Cherry said.  “We’re going to have our hands full for whoever we play next week.  But man, to have an opportunity go to play for the state finals is beyond anyone’s imagination.  We’re going to play really, really well.  It’s going to be a great battle.”

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA girls basketball: Hamilton Heights beats Woodlan for regional