INDIANAPOLIS — It wasn’t pretty, but boy was it gritty.

There were any number of moments during Plainfield’s regional title game against Pike where the Quakers could have folded. But their trust in each other paid off, as they hit key shots and their defense held strong in the waning moments of a 48-43 win. It marked the program’s first regional title since 1998.

“It was very physical both ways, and we didn’t shoot it very well,” Plainfield coach Curt Benge said. “But our kids are gritty. They’ve been in that situation two or three other times during the season. For as young as we are, our kids don’t get rattled. We were able to have some players make plays at the right time. We hit some key 3s, got a couple key steals and were able to keep our heads when things weren’t going our way.”

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The Quakers struggled mightily from the field in the first half, missing their first six shots and shooting just 6-of-25 from the floor and 3-of-12 from the free-throw line. Paired with Pike’s hot outside shooting in the first half (6-of-9), Plainfield faced a 25-16 deficit at halftime.

But they’d been here before.

Plainfield’s defense struggled during the first half of the Hendricks County championship game against Danville in January, but the team regrouped to win in double overtime. It was a lesson that one half of basketball doesn’t have to define the next. And it was a lesson they took to heart Saturday night.

Plainfield started the third quarter on a 5-0 run to get within four points. Berkeley Williams got a steal and a layup to make it a three-point game, and Kara Olejnik tied the score at 29 with a 3-pointer  with 1:45 to play in the period. A Williams free throw to close the quarter gave Plainfield a 32-31 lead.

Williams scored 15 of her team-high 16 points in the second half, including a 3-pointer early in the fourth that gave Plainfield a 41-36 lead, its largest of the game to that point.

Tthe Quakers had to overcome a gnarly night at the line to escape with a win. Plainfield shot just 12-of-32 — but made five of its final six to keep Pike at arm’s length.

“Keeping them to whatever we did in the second half was the key to the game, and our offense finally kicked in,” Williams said. “Our shots started falling.”

Plainfield held Pike to six field goals in the second half. The Red Devils were just 6-of-35 from inside the arc. And while their 3-point shooting carried them early, they shot just 2-of-10 from behind the arc in the second half.

The win was an impressive show of maturity for a young team that has just one senior, Payton Benge. It has had to learn how to enjoy the wins, but stay focused for the next game. Case in point: After winning the county championship, Plainfield lost its next three games. But it finished the regular season with a win over Decatur Central, and has come out on top in three straight must-win affairs.

“We won the county, went back to Franklin that next Wednesday and didn’t play with any maturity,” Curt Benge said. “A lot of these kids are going through it the first time. When you talk about it, they say, ‘OK, I’ve got it.’”

It also means that Benge gets to coach his daughter for another week — something neither of them take for granted.

“You walk out of that last practice before you play a tournament game, and you wonder, ‘Is this the last time I get to work with my kid?’ But then you win, and it makes it extra special,” Curt said. “There’s a little bit of that worry that you have of wanting to keep going.”

“I’ve always wanted this my entire life,” Payton said. “Now that it’s coming true, it’s amazing.”

PLAINFIELD 48, PIKE 43

Plainfield  5 11 16 16 — 48

Pike 10 15 6 12 — 43

Plainfield (18-7): Berkeley Williams 16, Hannah Menser 12, Payton Benge 11, Ellison Stewart 4, Kara Olejnik 3, Caroline Pugh 2. Totals: 16 12-32 48.

Pike (12-15): Korinne Nickolson 8, Jayla Miller 8, Saniya Smith 6, Komari Booker 6, Alexis Warren 6, Deniyah Warren 3, Jazlyn Miller 3, Keke Cole 3. Totals: 14 7-12 43.

3-pointers: Plainfield 4 (Williams, Menser, Olejnik, Benge). Pike 8 (Nickolson 2, Jayla Miller 2, Deniyah Warren, Smith, Jazlyn Miller, Cole).

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA girls basketball: Plainfield beats Pike for regional title