LAPEL — There were a couple conclusions to be drawn from Tuesday's much-anticipated clash between Lapel and Eastern Hancock. (OK, there were three, but I'm writing a separate story on freshman Kenzie Koch, so we'll save first impressions of her for later this week.)

For starters: Both the 2nd-ranked Royals and 4th-ranked Bulldogs are worthy of their billing among the top-ranked teams in Class 2A, and boast the talent necessary for a deep state tournament run.

However — and this is the other takeaway — while Eastern Hancock has the experience to complement its talent with four returning starters and a rapidly rising freshman running point, Lapel is feeling the loss of three seniors from last year's state runner-up team. And that discrepancy in experience factored into the visiting Royals' 62-55 win over the Bulldogs.

Let's dive in.

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Competition the best teacher for Lapel

Despite its two leading scorers, Laniah Wills and Madelyn Poynter, in foul trouble for long stretches of the game (Wills and Poynter through most of the second; Poynter through almost the entire third), the Bulldogs hung tough and had their moments of excellence. They pieced together an 8-0 run to build a 20-15 lead midway through the second, then extended a one-point halftime lead to five midway through the third quarter, before battling back to make it a two-score game late in regulation.

But the second-half charges were undermined by mistakes that are common of a relatively inexperienced team.

Instead of maintaining momentum and building upon the five-point lead, coach Zach Newby said his players began easing up, which allowed Eastern Hancock to jump back into the game as it capitalized on a few unguarded backdoor cuts and wide-open 3-pointers, all of which resulted from a lack of communication by Lapel.

"I told them it's kind of like my point guard bringing the ball up the floor and not calling out a play, but then expecting them to run the play," Newby said. "Well, if you don't communicate what you're running, no one's gonna be able to run it. It's the same thing defensively. … It's just a lack of experience. We'll get there."

The Bulldogs' attempt to rally from an eight-point deficit down the stretch was hampered by back-to-back misses from underneath the basket with about a minute left, but more damaging was the precious time wasted when trying to foul Eastern Hancock. Lapel was slow to react and even slower to get the whistle, which allowed the Royals to burn off at least 10 seconds.

"I have a sophomore and a junior who haven't played varsity before and they just didn't understand the situation," Newby said. "You have to guard them as hard as you can and deny that ball. Do not let her catch it. If you foul them, foul them. You're going to do that anyway. … It's hard to teach those moments until you're in them."

This is the first time Lapel has been in that sort of late-game situation, so its missteps in the moment are understandable. But it does place added importance to this current stretch, which continues Thursday at 9-2 Monroe Central, and concludes next Tuesday vs. 3A No. 1 Hamilton Heights (9-1).

"We're still a very good team," said Newby, whose team is off from Dec. 20-Jan. 1. "This entire season is a grind. The kids are ready for a break and they deserve it. … We just have to keep fighting until we get there."

'Collective team effort' lifts Eastern Hancock

Koch was the star Tuesday night. The freshman delivered a number of key shots, including a clutch 3-pointer midway through the fourth, and finished with a team-high 23 points.

But it wasn't just No. 1 who dazzled on the road. The Royals did an excellent job finding senior Samantha Bolding open on the perimeter (she converted more times than not, finishing with 18 points), and did not shy away from throwing the ball inside to Ruby White, who finished with a hard-earned 10 points. There was also senior Brooklyn Willis, who put Eastern Hancock up 53-48 about three minutes into the fourth with a triple from the corner.

That's a really strong core four for the Royals, who have a talented point guard (Koch), two capable shooters (Bolding and Willis), plus a 6-1 post in White — a unique luxury for a 2A squad.

"Kenzie is the one who draws attention, (but) she has an army around her," coach Shari Doud said. "We're tough to guard with several capable scorers who can open the floor up for any other player and we capitalize on that. … That was a collective team effort and I'm very proud of everyone. Even the ones who didn't score gave us something."

Tuesday marked the end of a critical three-game stretch for Eastern Hancock and it passed with flying colors, slipping by North Decatur in OT last Tuesday (a good learning experience for this group, Bolding said) and Cathedral by three on Saturday.

These three wins add some meat to Eastern Hancock's 11-0 record, with the Lawrence North tournament scheduled for Dec. 30.

"I'm on top of the world," Doud said. "I knew this three-game stretch would be tough and to come away 3-0 is exhilarating. I'm going to enjoy this one until our rival Knightstown on Friday. I'm very, very proud, especially (of their performance) tonight. Tonight was the first time we have looked together and gotten contributions across the board this season. I feel like we're starting to get it all together."

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA girls basketball: Experience pays off in Hancock's win vs. Lapel