Indiana State | Archive | January, 2008

By Chris May
Boys Basketball Coordinator

LAFAYETTE – Dealing with a difficult week, Class 4A No. 10 Lafayette Jefferson found comfort Jan. 25 in doing what the Bronchos do best – hitting shots and beating opponents.

Following the dismissal of three seniors – including starter Blaine Koger – earlier in the week for violations of rules, the host Bronchos hit 10 three-pointers, shot 50 percent from the field, and withstood a 31-point barrage by Lafayette Central Catholic junior Dru Anthrop in notching an 87-77 win over the 1A No. 2 Knights in a spirited Lafayette battle played at the Crawley Center.

“It was a great environment out there,” said Lafayette Jeff coach Scott Bunnell. “I thought it was a great crowd, a great atmosphere, and those are the games that kids love to play in.”

Added Central Catholic coach Dave Barrett: “When you play these guys, you don’t have to do much to get the guys up for it. The rivalry brings it out of them.”

Key to the effort and outcome for Jeff was sophomore Roddy Richardson. Taking over Koger’s starting spot, Richardson hit three 3-pointers in the first four minutes of the game to give the Bronchos a lead they never relinquished.

Central Catholic committed four turnovers on its first four possessions as Jeff scored the first eight points. After Richardson’s third trey, the Bronchos led 17-8 and the tone had been set.

“We faced a little adversity this week losing Koger, so we had to play some different kids and play some different lineups,” Bunnell said. “Roddy Richardson was the kid that we moved into the starting lineup, and he came out and hit those three threes.

“I think that told everybody, ‘We’re going to be OK.’ It relaxed and settled everybody down.”

With Richardson soothing Jeff’s concerns, Central Catholic junior Dru Anthrop was carrying his team.

Anthrop scored the Knights’ first three field goals and had eight points in the first quarter as Central Catholic closed within two, 22-20, at the end of the first.

Anthrop added seven points in the second quarter, hitting two game-tying baskets as the Knights knotted the score three times in the later portions of the half. But Jeff showed off its depth as six Bronchos – everyone except first-quarter hero Richardson – scored in the period to lead them to a 44-40 halftime advantage.

The Bronchos started the third quarter with more scoring diversity, and again with an outside-in approach. In succession, a Jesse Berry three, a Broderick Lewis dunk, and another three by Joe Gamble gave Jeff its largest lead at 52-40, forcing a Central Catholic timeout.

“It’s tough,” Barrett said. “There were certain guys we were going to let shoot, and those were some of the guys that hit three or four of them.

“You can’t guard them all out there, but then again you’ve got to guard them all out there. And when you get out on them, they take it to the hole.”

Central Catholic got as close as five with 5:51 left in the game, but Jeff – with the No. 4 offense in the state – kept scoring and prevailed by the 10-point margin.

Five-foot-10 junior guard Brandon Williams paced the winners with 21 points, scoring 13 of them in the fourth quarter.

“He showed a lot of maturity because he went through foul trouble, and he had to fight through that,” Bunnell said of Williams, who picked up his fourth foul with 3:16 left in the third quarter. “He’s used to playing 30 or 32 minutes a game (and played 23 tonight).

“I thought he did a good job. I couldn’t be prouder.”

Richardson added 17, Berry finished with 15, and Lewis scored 12 points while adding eight rebounds.

“I couldn’t have been prouder of the effort,” Bunnell said. “We got broke down a lot defensively, we gave up a lot of easy baskets. But ultimately, I thought we showed a lot of toughness and had good concentration tonight.”

Anthrop finished with a game-high 31 points, keeping his team in the game.

“He understands the game,” Barrett said. “He understands what the defense is trying to do, and he knows how to slash and backcut and get an easy layup or take his man off the dribble and use his body.

“He just has a knack for doing that.”

Anthrop’s senior brother, Jade, scored 15 points, while Daniel Mills had 14 and 6’9” center Cameron Leopker finished with nine.

“I think they always play great against us, and I thought they played great tonight,” Bunnell said of Central Catholic. “Give them some credit – they’ve got a chance of going a long way in the tournament.”

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The fourth set of regular-season rankings has been posted by ingymnastics.com, and the city of Columbus is makin’ a statement. That’s because Columbus North bumps up from fourth to second while Columbus North moves from 11th to sixth.

Valparaiso remains at No. 1, with Fort Wayne Dwenger still third and Chesterton dropping one spot to fourth. Merrillville rounds out the first five.

Teams are listed by ranking followed by school, vote total, and first-place votes (if applicable). Your Top 19 from Jan. 28:

1. Valparaiso 135 (10)
2. Columbus North 118
3. Fort Wayne Dwenger 117
4. Chesterton 114
5. Merrillville 83
6. Columbus East 57
7. New Castle 54
8. Hagerstown 50
9. Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran 47
10. Center Grove 46
11. Jeffersonville 45
12. Fort Wayne Northrop 36
13. LaPorte 28
14. Western 25
15. Bloomington South 24
16. Lawrence Central 22
17. Crown Point 14
18. Carmel 4
19. Fort Wayne Snider 1

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By E. Shawn Aylsworth
Managing Editor

According to the Sagarin power ratings through Jan. 26, there are 11 big girls basketball games on the agenda for Week 13 – the final go-round of the 2007-08 regular season. Here’s a look at those marquee showdowns with assistance from John Harrell’s Indiana high school basketball website …

Tuesday, Jan. 29
Three biggies …

Center Grove (11-7) at 4A No. 6 Carmel (15-4)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST. COACHES: Joe Lentz, 243-77 in 14th year at Center Grove. Scott Bowen, 67-20 in 4th year at Carmel. SAGARIN RATINGS: Carmel, 94.03, 7th overall, 5th in Class 4A. Center Grove, 87.95, 18th overall, 14th in Class 4A. LAST OUTING: Center Grove lost to Lawrence North, 70-50, Jan. 25. Carmel lost to Ben Davis, 57-43, Jan. 25. VS. COMMON FOES: Center Grove 1-4. Carmel 3-2. OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Center Grove 222-121, Carmel 236-129. SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Center Grove, 4-1. LAST MEETING: Carmel, 52-47, Jan. 30, 2007.

2A No. 4 Jimtown (17-1) at Westview (15-3)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST. COACHES: Gene Johnson, 260-267 in 26th year at Jimtown. Randy Yoder, 184-120 in 14th year at Westview. SAGARIN RATINGS: Jimtown, 76.3, 89th overall, 11th in Class 2A. Westview, 71.21, 130th overall, 17th in Class 2A. LAST OUTING: Jimtown defeated Triton, 46-29, Jan. 26. Westview defeated Eastside, 57-29, Jan. 26. VS. COMMON FOES: Jimtown 7-0. Westview 6-1. OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Jimtown 127-188, Westview 155-179. SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Westview, 7-2. LAST MEETING: Jimtown, 39-36, sectional, Feb. 9, 2007.

4A No. 5 North Central (Indianapolis) (14-4) at Kokomo (14-5)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST (WJEL, 89.3 FM). COACHES: Alan Vickrey, 170-82 in 11th year at North Central (Indianapolis). Jason Snyder, 28-14 in 2nd year at Kokomo. SAGARIN RATINGS: North Central (Indianapolis), 97.53, 4th overall, 3rd in Class 4A. Kokomo, 86.59, 26th overall, 20th in Class 4A. LAST OUTING: North Central (Indianapolis) defeated Warren Central, 54-45, Jan. 25. Kokomo defeated Anderson, 64-57, Jan. 26. VS. COMMON FOES: North Central (Indianapolis) 1-0. Kokomo 0-1. OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: North Central (Indianapolis) 181-100, Kokomo 173-155. SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: North Central (Indianapolis), 3-2. LAST MEETING: North Central (Indianapolis), 50-34, Jan. 30, 2007.

Wednesday, Jan. 30
Three biggies …

1A No. 10 Fort Wayne Canterbury (14-5) at Bluffton (12-7)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST. COACHES: Scott Kreiger, 149-77 in 10th year at Fort Wayne Canterbury. Glenn Cunningham, 24-17 in 2nd year at Bluffton. SAGARIN RATINGS: Fort Wayne Canterbury, 71.12, 131st overall, 7th in Class 1A. Bluffton, 70.29, 135th overall, 18th in Class 2A. LAST OUTING: Fort Wayne Canterbury defeated Prairie Heights, 69-62, Jan. 26. Bluffton lost to Leo, 57-40, Jan. 26. VS. COMMON FOES: Fort Wayne Canterbury 3-1. Bluffton 4-0. OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Fort Wayne Canterbury 157-194, Bluffton 200-150. SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Fort Wayne Canterbury, 2-1. LAST MEETING: Fort Wayne Canterbury, 72-41, Jan. 31, 2007.

1A No. 14 Randolph Southern (14-5) at 2A No. 10 Cambridge City Lincoln (16-3)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST. COACHES: Shane Osting, 30-12 in 2nd year at Randolph Southern. John Lewellen, 267-168 in 21st year at Cambridge City Lincoln. SAGARIN RATINGS: Cambridge City Lincoln, 78.08, 72nd overall, 8th in Class 2A. Randolph Southern, 67.45, 156th overall, 13th in Class 1A. LAST OUTING: Randolph Southern lost to Hagerstown, 45-31, Jan. 24. Cambridge City Lincoln defeated Union County, 67-57, Jan. 23. VS. COMMON FOES: Randolph Southern 9-5. Cambridge City Lincoln 12-0. OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Randolph Southern 167-181, Cambridge City Lincoln 185-167. SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Cambridge City Lincoln, 5-0. LAST MEETING: Cambridge City Lincoln, 60-48, Dec. 19, 2006.

1A No. 4 Wood Memorial (16-4) at 1A No. 6 Vincennes Rivet (15-3)
GAME TIME: 8:00 PM EST. COACHES: Johnnie Bartley, 103-109 in 10th year at Wood Memorial. Tim Young, 15-3 in 1st year at Vincennes Rivet. SAGARIN RATINGS: Wood Memorial, 73.9, 105th overall, 2nd in Class 1A. Vincennes Rivet, 71.39, 128th overall, 6th in Class 1A. LAST OUTING: Wood Memorial defeated South Knox, 64-38, Jan. 26. Vincennes Rivet lost to Northeast Dubois, 67-59, Jan. 24. VS. COMMON FOES: Wood Memorial 7-1. Vincennes Rivet 6-2. OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Wood Memorial 195-167, Vincennes Rivet 155-174. SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Wood Memorial, 7-0. LAST MEETING: Wood Memorial, 72-48, Feb. 1, 2007.

Thursday, Jan. 31
One biggie …

2A No. 8 North Miami (15-2) at 2A No. 4 Northwestern (19-0)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST. COACHES: Dave Henson, 27-12 in 2nd year at North Miami. Todd Miller, 19-0 in 1st year at Northwestern. SAGARIN RATINGS: Northwestern, 85.17, 32nd overall, 6th in Class 3A. North Miami, 76.85, 81st overall, 9th in Class 2A. LAST OUTING: North Miami defeated Southwood, 58-46, Jan. 26. Northwestern defeated Eastern (Greentown), 53-33, Jan. 26. VS. COMMON FOES: North Miami 7-1. Northwestern 8-0. OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: North Miami 150-167, Northwestern 183-180. SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Northwestern, 3-2. LAST MEETING: Northwestern, 73-31, Feb. 1, 2007.

Friday, Feb. 1
Four biggies …

4A No. 12 Decatur Central (16-4) at Fishers (13-5)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST. COACHES: David Cupp, 34-49 in 4th year at Decatur Central. Michael Gaines, 25-16 in 2nd year at Fishers. SAGARIN RATINGS: Fishers, 87.93, 19th overall, 15th in Class 4A. Decatur Central, 87.56, 21st overall, 17th in Class 4A. LAST OUTING: Decatur Central defeated Plainfield, 56-48, Jan. 26. Fishers defeated Brownsburg, 60-52, Jan. 25. VS. COMMON FOES: Decatur Central 3-0. Fishers 1-2. OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Decatur Central 208-172, Fishers 179-148. SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Fishers, 1-0. LAST MEETING: Fishers, 53-45, Feb. 2, 2007.

4A No. 7 Fort Wayne South (17-3) at 3A No. 3 Fort Wayne Elmhurst (18-2)
GAME TIME: 7:45 PM EST. COACHES: Andy Rang, 73-17 in 4th year at Fort Wayne South. Mark Redding, 127-140 in 13th year at Fort Wayne Elmhurst. SAGARIN RATINGS: Fort Wayne South, 92.2, 11th overall, 8th in Class 4A. Fort Wayne Elmhurst, 90.72, 12th overall, 2nd in Class 3A. LAST OUTING: Fort Wayne South lost to Fort Wayne Concordia, 54-51, Jan. 25. Fort Wayne Elmhurst defeated Fort Wayne Luers, 68-57, Jan. 25. VS. COMMON FOES: Fort Wayne South 13-2. Fort Wayne Elmhurst 12-1. OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Fort Wayne South 211-161, Fort Wayne Elmhurst 188-176. SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Tied, 3-3. LAST MEETING: Fort Wayne Elmhurst 60, Fort Wayne South 58, Dec. 29, 2007.

1A No. 14 Southern Wells (12-5) at 3A No. 10 Norwell (14-4)
GAME TIME: 7:45 PM EST. COACHES: John Fouts, 115-89 in 10th year at Southern Wells. Eric Thornton, 122-116 in 11th year at Norwell. SAGARIN RATINGS: Norwell, 83.57, 44th overall, 10th in Class 3A. Southern Wells, 67.63, 154th overall, 12th in Class 1A. LAST OUTING: Southern Wells defeated Woodlan, 58-54, Jan. 26. Norwell defeated East Noble, 55-37, Jan. 26. VS. COMMON FOES: Southern Wells 3-2. Norwell 4-0. OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Southern Wells 138-169, Norwell 184-146. SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Norwell, 4-1. LAST MEETING: Norwell, 47-40, Feb. 2, 2007.

Western Boone (15-3) at 3A No. 5 Crawfordsville (17-2)
GAME TIME: 6:00 PM EST. COACHES: Willie Smith Jr., 40-21 in 3rd year at Western Boone. Darren Haas, 84-63 in 7th year at Crawfordsville. SAGARIN RATINGS: Crawfordsville, 84.75, 37th overall, 8th in Class 3A. Western Boone, 80.32, 58th overall, 14th in Class 3A. LAST OUTING: Western Boone defeated North Montgomery, 44-38, Jan. 25. Crawfordsville defeated Frankfort, 70-53, Jan. 25. VS. COMMON FOES: Western Boone 10-2. Crawfordsville 11-0. OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Western Boone 161-153, Crawfordsville 185-173. SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Tied, 3-3. LAST MEETING: Western Boone 56, Crawfordsville 44, Nov. 17, 2007.

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Here is the lineup for the 34th Annual IHSAA Girls Swimming State Tournament, courtesy of ihsaa.org:

SECTIONALS
Dates:
Thursday, Jan. 31 (swimming preliminaries)
Saturday, Feb. 2 (all diving, consolations & finals in swimming events)
Admission: $5 per session, $8 both sessions
Time: All times ET unless noted.
Advancement:
Swimming
1. First-place sectional winners in each event qualify for the state meet, plus …
2. Any contestant who equals or betters the state time standard in their respective event in the consolation finals or championship finals of the sectional, plus …
3. The next-fastest number of contestants in the state that would bring the total number of state meet entrants to 32 in each event. In the event that a tie exists for the 32nd position, the state qualifier shall be determined by the fastest preliminary time of both swimmers. If preliminary times are identical, both swimmers shall advance.
Diving
First- through fourth-place participants will qualify for the diving regional.
 
1. Crown Point (16) | Thur, 5:30 pm CT; Sat, 9 am/2 pm CT
Crown Point, East Chicago Central, Griffith, Hammond, Hammond Clark, Hammond Gavit, Hammond Morton, Hammond Noll, Highland, Kankakee Valley, Lake Central, Lowell, Munster, North Newton, Rensselaer, South Newton
2. Chesterton (13) | Thur, 5:30 pm CT; Sat, 9 am/2 pm CT
Calumet, Chesterton, Gary Roosevelt, Gary West, Hobart, Knox, LaPorte, Merrillville, Michigan City, North Judson, Portage, Valparaiso, Wheeler
3. South Bend Riley (10) TBD
Bremen, Mishawaka, Mishawaka Marian, New Prairie, Penn, South Bend Adams, South Bend Clay, South Bend Riley, South Bend St. Joseph’s, South Bend Washington
4. Warsaw (12) | Thur, 5 pm; Sat, 9 am/1 pm
Argos, Columbia City, Culver Academies, Huntington North, Logansport, Manchester, Oregon-Davis, Pioneer, Plymouth, Rochester, Tippecanoe Valley, Warsaw
5. Concord (11) | Thur, 5 pm; Sat, 9 am/1 pm
Angola, Concord, DeKalb, East Noble, Elkhart Central, Elkhart Memorial, Fairfield, Goshen, Northridge, NorthWood, Wawasee
6. Fort Wayne South (12) | Thur, 5:30 pm; Sat, 9 am/2 pm
Carroll (Fort Wayne), Fort Wayne Dwenger, Fort Wayne Luers, Fort Wayne Canterbury, Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran, Fort Wayne Elmhurst, Fort Wayne Northrop, Fort Wayne North, Fort Wayne Snider, Fort Wayne South, Fort Wayne Wayne, Homestead
7. Jay County (10) TBD
Adams Central, Bellmont, Blackford, Bluffton, Delta, Jay County, Muncie Central, Muncie South, Norwell, South Adams
8. Fishers (10) TBD
Alexandria, Anderson, Anderson Highland, Elwood, Fishers, Hamilton Southeastern, Marion, Oak Hill, Pendleton Heights, Yorktown
9. Carmel (10) | Thur, 5:30 pm; Sat, 9 am/1 pm
Carmel, Eastern (Greentown), Hamilton Heights, Kokomo, Maconaquah, Noblesville, Northwestern, Tipton, Western, Westfield
10. Lafayette Jefferson (12) | Thur, 5:30 pm; Sat, 9 am/1 pm
Benton Central, Carroll (Flora), Cass, Clinton Central, Delphi, Frankfort, Harrison (West Lafayette), Lafayette Central Catholic, Lafayette Jefferson, McCutcheon, Twin Lakes, West Lafayette
11. Crawfordsville (12) | Thur, 5:30 pm; Sat, 9 am/1 pm
Attica, Crawfordsville, Fountain Central, Greencastle, North Montgomery, North Putnam, North Vermillion, Seeger, South Putnam, South Vermillion, Southmont, Western Boone
12. Avon (11) | Thur, 5:30 pm; Sat, 9 am/1 pm
Avon, Brownsburg, Cascade, Danville, Lebanon, Plainfield, Terre Haute North, Terre Haute South, Tri-West Hendricks, West Vigo, Zionsville
13. Ben Davis (11) | Thur, 5:30 pm; Sat, 9 am/1 pm
Ben Davis, Brebeuf, Covenant Christian (Indianapolis), Indianapolis Chatard, Indianapolis Broad Ripple, Indianapolis Ritter, International, North Central (Indianapolis), Park Tudor, Pike, Speedway
14. Franklin Central (12) TBD
Beech Grove, Franklin Central, Heritage Christian, Indiana School for the Deaf, Indianapolis Tech, Indianapolis Cathedral, Indianapolis Scecina, Lawrence Central, Lawrence North, Shelbyville, Triton Central, Warren Central
15. New Palestine (12) | Thur, 5:30 pm; Sat, 9 am/1 pm
Centerville, Connersville, Eastern Hancock, Greenfield-Central, Hagerstown, Mt. Vernon (Fortville), New Castle, New Palestine, Richmond, Rushville, Shenandoah, Union County
16. Franklin (12) TBD
Center Grove, Decatur Central, Franklin, Greenwood, Indian Creek, Martinsville, Mooresville, Owen Valley, Perry Meridian, Roncalli, Southport, Whiteland
17. Columbus North (12) | Thur, 5:30 pm; Sat, 9 am/1 pm
Batesville, Bloomington North, Bloomington South, Columbus East, Columbus North, East Central, Edgewood, Greensburg, Lawrenceburg, Milan, Oldenburg Academy, South Dearborn
18. Floyd Central (14) | Thur, 6 pm; Sat, 10 am/2 pm
Charlestown, Corydon, Floyd Central, Jeffersonville, Jennings County, Madison, New Albany, North Harrison, Providence, Salem, Scottsburg, Seymour, Silver Creek, Southwestern (Hanover)
19. Jasper (14) | Thurs, 6:30 pm CT; Sat, 9 am/2 pm CT
Bedford North Lawrence, Forest Park, Heritage Hills, Jasper, Northeast Dubois, Pike Central, South Spencer, Southridge, Tecumseh, Tell City, Vincennes Lincoln, Vincennes Rivet, Washington, Wood Memorial
20. Mount Vernon (Posey) (11) | Thur, 5:30 pm CT; Sat, 9 am/1 pm CT
Boonville, Castle, Evansville Bosse, Evansville Central, Evansville Harrison, Evansville Mater Dei, Evansville Memorial, Evansville North, Evansville Reitz, Gibson Southern, Mount Vernon (Posey)
 
REGIONALS (diving only)
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 5
Time: TBD
Admission: $5
Advancement: First- through eighth-place participants qualify for the state finals.
 
1. Penn (5): Chesterton, Concord, Crown Point, South Bend Riley, Warsaw.
2. Hamilton Southeastern (5): Carmel, Fishers, Fort Wayne South, Jay County, Lafayette Jefferson.
3. Brownsburg (5): Avon, Ben Davis, Crawfordsville, Franklin Central, New Palestine.
4. Bloomington North (5): Columbus North, Floyd Central, Franklin, Jasper, Mount Vernon (Posey).
 
STATE FINALS
Site: Indiana University Natatorium, IUPUI, 901 W. New York St., Indianapolis | Website
Preliminaries: Friday, Feb. 8, 6 p.m. ET
Finals: Saturday, Feb. 9. Diving preliminaries and semifinals begin at 9 a.m. ET, with consolations and finals for all events set to start at 1 p.m. ET.
Admission: $8 per session, $12 both days
Advancement:
The top 16 in each swimming event during Friday’s prelims will return for competition on Saturday, with the top eight individuals vying for state championship honors. Those finishing ninth through 16th on Friday will make up the competitors in the consolation heats. All diving will take place on Saturday, with the top 21 of 32 competitors advancing from the prelims to the semis after five dives each. After three dives each in the semis, the top 16 will advance to the final round for another three dives each.

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The Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association has released its 12th set of polls for the 2007-08 season, and the large-school duo of Lawrence North and Hamilton Southeastern is the story one week ahead of sectionals. Coach Jodie Whitaker’s Wildcats jump from seventh to third in the Class 4A poll, while HSE moves from 16th to ninth.

The previous No. 1s – 4A Ben Davis, 3A Wawasee, 2A Heritage Christian, and 1A Oregon-Davis – all stay the same. New schools this week, meanwhile, are 3A NorthWood (12th) as well as Waldron (19th) and Attica (20th) in 1A.

Teams are listed by current ranking followed by school, number of first-place votes if applicable, record, and vote total. Your 66 ranked schools from Jan. 28:

CLASS 4A
1. Ben Davis (8) 20-1 125
2. South Bend Washington (5) 17-2 122
3. Lawrence North 16-3 84
4. Penn 18-2 83
5. North Central (Indianapolis) 14-4 73
6. Carmel 15-4 57
7. Fort Wayne South 17-3 52
8. Bloomington South 15-3 50
9. Hamilton Southeastern 15-4 16
10. Terre Haute South 16-5 14
11. Perry Meridian 11-7 13
12. Columbus East 14-5 7
12. Decatur Central 16-4 7
14. Jennings County 15-3 6
15. South Bend Clay 16-5 5
16. Highland 16-2 1

CLASS 3A
1. Wawasee (7) 16-2 123
2. Twin Lakes (4) 18-1 112
3. Fort Wayne Elmhurst 18-2 100
4. Northwestern (2) 19-0 85
5. Crawfordsville 17-2 81
5. Indianapolis Chatard (1) 15-4 81
7. Owen Valley 18-1 61
8. Evansville Memorial 15-4 43
9. Plymouth 14-4 41
10. Norwell 14-4 22
11. Vincennes Lincoln 15-3 14
12. NorthWood 14-5 4
13. Gibson Southern 17-3 2
14. Indianapolis Northwest 13-5 1

CLASS 2A
1. Heritage Christian (10) 19-1 144
2. Oak Hill (5) 18-0 140
3. Austin 16-3 96
4. Jimtown 17-1 94
5. Lapel 18-2 86
6. Southwestern (Hanover) 16-5 60
7. Garrett 18-2 59
8. Winamac 17-2 45
8. North Miami 15-2 45
10. Cambridge City Lincoln 16-3 27
11. Fort Wayne Luers 12-7 15
12. Winchester 17-3 7
13. Triton Central 16-2 5
14. Forest Park 14-4 4
15. Bloomfield 15-3 2

CLASS A
1. Oregon-Davis (15) 20-0 150
2. Kouts 18-1 112
3. Jac-Cen-Del 16-2 103
4. Wood Memorial 16-4 98
5. Northeast Dubois 16-3 79
6. Vincennes Rivet 15-3 66
7. Barr-Reeve 14-4 60
8. South Central (Elizabeth) 13-6 41
9. White River Valley 14-4 23
10. Fort Wayne Canterbury 14-5 21
11. West Central 14-4 17
12. Tri 13-6 11
13. Madison Shawe 13-5 9
14. Randolph Southern 14-5 8
14. Southern Wells 12-5 8
14. University 14-6 8
17. Turkey Run 15-4 4
18. New Washington 14-5 3
19. Waldron 12-6 2
20. Attica 12-5 1
20. Tri-Central 13-7 1

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Three hundred ninety-one teams were bracketed Jan. 27 in downtown Indianapolis for the 33rd Annual IHSAA Girls Basketball State Tournament.

Sectional games are scheduled to run Monday, Feb. 4, through Saturday, Feb. 9, at 64 sites around the state. The regional round is slated for Feb. 16, semistates on Feb. 23, and the state finals on March 1 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

In all, 387 games will be played over the four-week period.
 
Among the defending state champions, Class A No. 1 Oregon-Davis will host Argos in Sectional 50. In 2A, two-time defending champ and top-ranked Heritage Christian will open at home against Park Tudor in Sectional 43. Class 3A winner Brebeuf will face Indianapolis Chatard in the first round of Sectional 26 at Beech Grove. And in 4A, South Bend Washington will host South Bend Clay in Sectional 3.
 
Other top-ranked teams in this week’s poll from the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association include 4A No. 1 Ben Davis, which opens with Decatur Central in Sectional 12 at Avon, and 3A No. 1 Wawasee, which takes on host NorthWood in Sectional 21.
 
One member school, Tindley of Indianapolis, will be making its first appearance in the girls basketball state tournament. The Tigers will compete in 1A Sectional 59 at University. Another school, Morton Memorial, is entering the tournament for the first time since 1998 and will participate in 1A Sectional 58 at Southwestern (Shelbyville).
 
Shenandoah, in Class 2A, leads the state with eight consecutive sectional championships. Castle (4A) follows with seven straight, while South Bend Washington has six.
 
Inside the numbers …
 
Number of schools entered
391

Total number of games
387 games in 27 days

Schools entered for first time (1)
4A: None
3A: None
2A: None
A: Tindley (Sectional 59 at University)

Defending state champions
4A: South Bend Washington (Sectional 3 host)
3A: Brebeuf (Sectional 26 at Beech Grove)
2A: Heritage Christian (Sectional 43 host)
A: Oregon-Davis (Sectional 50 host)

Defending sectional champions (listed alphabetically)
4A: Anderson, Ben Davis, Carroll (Fort Wayne), Castle, Center Grove, Columbus East, Elkhart Memorial, Fort Wayne South, Hamilton Southeastern, Highland, Jeffersonville, Lawrence North, Logansport, Portage, South Bend Washington, Terre Haute North
3A: Brebeuf, Connersville, Elwood, Evansville Bosse, Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran, Gary Roosevelt, Gibson Southern, Hammond, Madison, New Castle, Owen Valley, South Bend St. Joseph’s, Tippecanoe Valley, Twin Lakes, Wawasee, Whiteland
2A: Cascade, Charlestown, Garrett, Harding, Heritage Christian, Jimtown, Manchester, Mitchell, North Montgomery, Oak Hill, Shenandoah, Southridge, Southwestern (Hanover), Wheeler, Winamac, Winchester
A: Attica, Bloomfield, Fort Wayne Canterbury, Jac-Cen-Del, Kouts, Lafayette Central Catholic, Lapel, New Washington, North Daviess, Northeast Dubois, Oregon-Davis, Southern Wells, Tri, Waldron, West Central, Wood Memorial

Schools that won first sectional championship last year
4A: Fort Wayne South
3A: Whiteland
2A: Oak Hill
A: None

Active sectional championship streaks (three or more years)
8: Shenandoah
7: Castle
6: South Bend St. Joseph’s
5: Heritage Christian, North Montgomery, Northeast Dubois
4: Elkhart Memorial, Fort Wayne Canterbury, Harding, South Bend Washington
3: Anderson, Attica, Bloomfield, Charlestown, Hammond, Southwestern (Hanover), Wood Memorial

Most consecutive sectional championships
18: Rushville (1980-97)

Most sectional championships last 10 years
9: Castle, Northeast Dubois
8: Ben Davis, Evansville Memorial, Fort Wayne Luers, Shenandoah
7: Fort Wayne Canterbury, Gary West, North Knox
6: Cass, Clinton Prairie, Jasper, Kokomo, North Judson, South Bend St. Joseph’s, Southwestern (Hanover), Valparaiso
5: Corydon, Elkhart Memorial, Fremont, Garrett, Heritage Christian, Highland, Huntington North, Indianapolis Cathedral, Jeffersonville, Lawrence North, New Washington, North Central (Indianapolis), North Montgomery, North Vermillion, NorthWood, South Bend Washington, Terre Haute South, Tippecanoe Valley, Tri-County, Triton

Top 10 all-time sectional championships
24: Rushville
20: Bedford North Lawrence, Valparaiso
19: Ben Davis, Kokomo, NorthWood
18: Huntington North, Sullivan
17: Columbia City, Crown Point, New Castle

Schools seeking first sectional championship
4A: Fishers, Greenwood, Indianapolis Broad Ripple, Northridge, Northview
3A: Crawfordsville, Gary Wirt, Greensburg, Indianapolis Chatard, Mishawaka Marian, Mount Vernon (Posey), Muncie South, Whitko
2A: Centerville, Central Noble, Churubusco, Cloverdale, Covenant Christian (Indianapolis), Eastern Greene, Fairfield, Guerin Catholic, Lake Station, Milan, Providence, River Forest, Sheridan
A: Cannelton, Christian Academy of Indiana, Cowan, Crothersville, Daleville, Edinburgh, Elkhart Christian Academy, Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian, Frontier, Greenwood Christian, Hamilton, Indiana School for the Deaf, International, Keystone, LaCrosse, Lakewood Park Christian, Lanesville, Liberty Christian, Madison Shawe, Marquette Catholic, Medora, Morton Memorial, Orleans, Rock Creek Academy, Shakamak, Shoals, Tindley, Trinity Lutheran, University, Vincennes Rivet, Westville

SECTIONALS
Dates: Monday, Feb. 4, though Saturday, Feb. 9
Admission: $5 per session, $9 all sessions

Home team: The second team listed in each pairing will be the designated home team.

The sectional formats (all times local) …

5-team fields
Will play one first-round game on Tuesday at 7 p.m., two semifinals on Friday beginning at 6 p.m., and the championship on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Note: The team drawing the first-round bye will play the Tuesday night winner in the second semifinal game on Friday.
 
6-team fields
Will play two first-round games on Tuesday beginning at 6 p.m. (except as noted), two semifinals on Friday beginning at 6 p.m., and the championship on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Note: The two teams drawing first-round byes will play in the second semifinal game on Friday.
 
7-team fields
Will play one first-round game on Tuesday beginning at 7 p.m., two games on Wednesday beginning at 6 p.m., two semifinals on Friday beginning at 6 p.m., and the championship on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
 
8-team fields
Will play two first-round games on Tuesday beginning at 6 p.m., two games on Wednesday beginning at 6 p.m., two semifinals on Friday beginning at 6 p.m., and the championship on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
 

CLASS 4A

1. Munster (7)

Game 1 – East Chicago Central vs. Munster. Tue, 7 pm CT

Game 2 – Highland vs. Lowell.
Wed, 6 pm CT

Game 3 – Gary West vs. Hammond
Morton. Wed, to follow

Game 4 – Lake Central
vs. Winner of Game 1. Fri, 6 pm CT

Game 5 –
Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5. Sat, 7:30 pm CT

2. Chesterton
(8)

Game 1 –
LaPorte vs. Crown Point.
Tue, 6 pm CT

Game 2 – Valparaiso vs. Chesterton.
Tue, to follow

Game 3 – Portage vs. Merrillville.
Wed, 6 pm CT

Game 4 – Hobart vs. Michigan
City. Wed, to follow

Game 5 –
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2. Fri, 6 pm CT

Game 6 –
Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6. Sat, 7:30 pm CT

3. South Bend Washington
(6)

Game 1 – Mishawaka vs. Penn.
Tue, 6 pm

Game 2 – South Bend Clay vs. South
Bend Washington. Tue,
to follow

Game 3 –
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2. Fri, 6 pm

Game 4 – South Bend Riley vs. South Bend
Adams. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Sat, 7:30 pm

4. Goshen (6)

Game 1 –
Northridge vs. Elkhart
Memorial. Tue, 6 pm

Game 2 – Concord vs. Elkhart
Central. Tue, to follow

Game 3 –
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2. Fri, 6 pm

Game 4 – Goshen vs. Warsaw.
Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Sat, 7:30 pm

5. East
Noble (5)

Game 1 –
DeKalb vs. Fort Wayne
Snider. Tue, 7 pm

Game 2 – Fort Wayne Northrop vs.
East Noble. Fri, 6 pm

Game 3 –
Carroll (Fort Wayne)
vs. Winner of Game 1. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3. Sat, 7 pm

6. Huntington North (6)

Game 1 –
Fort Wayne North vs. Jay
County. Tue, 6 pm

Game 2 – Fort Wayne South vs. Homestead.
Tue, to follow

Game 3 –
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2. Fri, 6 pm

Game 4 – Huntington North vs. Marion.
Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Sat, 7:30 pm

7. Logansport (5)

Game 1 –
McCutcheon vs. Harrison (West
Lafayette). Tue, 7 pm

Game 2 – Lafayette Jefferson vs. Logansport. Fri, 6 pm

Game 3 – Kokomo vs. Winner of Game
1. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3. Sat, 7:30 pm

8. Anderson (8)

Game 1 – Muncie Central vs.
Anderson Highland. Tue, 6 pm

Game 2 – Anderson vs. Connersville.
Tue, to follow

Game 3 – New Castle vs. Richmond.
Wed, 6 pm

Game 4 – Pendleton Heights vs. Greenfield-Central. Wed, to
follow

Game 5 –
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2. Fri, 6 pm

Game 6 –
Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6. Sat, 7:30 pm

9. Carmel (6)

Game 1 –
Zionsville vs. Fishers. Tue, 6 pm

Game 2 – Hamilton Southeastern vs. Carmel. Tue, to follow

Game 3 –
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2. Fri, 6 pm

Game 4 –
Noblesville vs. Westfield.
Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Sat, 7:30 pm

10. Indianapolis Arlington
(7)

Game 1 –
North Central (Indianapolis) vs. Lawrence Central. Tue,
7 pm

Game 2 – Indianapolis Arlington vs. Lawrence North. Wed, 6
pm

Game 3 –
Warren Central vs. Indianapolis
Cathedral. Wed, to follow

Game 4 – Indianapolis Broad Ripple
vs. Winner of Game 1. Fri, 6 pm

Game 5 –
Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5. Sat, 7:30 pm

11. Southport (7)

Game 1 –
Southport vs. Franklin.
Tue, 7 pm

Game 2 –
Whiteland vs. Perry Meridian. Wed, 6 pm

Game 3 – Greenwood vs. Center
Grove. Wed, to follow

Game 4 –
Franklin Central vs. Winner of Game 1. Fri, 6 pm

Game 5 –
Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5. Sat, 7:30 pm

12. Avon (6)

Game 1 –
Brownsburg vs. Pike. Tue, 6 pm

Game 2 – Indianapolis Tech vs. Avon.
Tue, to follow

Game 3 –
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2. Fri, 6 pm

Game 4 –
Ben Davis vs. Decatur
Central. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Sat, 7 pm

13. Northview
(6)

Game 1 – Plainfield vs. Northview. Tue,
6 pm

Game 2 –
Mooresville vs. Terre Haute South. Tue, to follow

Game 3 –
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2. Fri, 6 pm

Game 4 –
Terre Haute North vs. Martinsville.
Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Sat, 7:30 pm

14. Columbus East (5)

Game 1 – Columbus East vs. Bloomington
North. Tue, 7 pm

Game 2 –
East Central vs. Columbus
North. Fri, 6 pm

Game 3 – Bloomington South vs.
Winner of Game 1. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3. Sat, 7:30 pm

15. New Albany (6)

Game 1 – Seymour vs. Jennings
County. Tue, 6 pm

Game 2 –
Floyd Central vs. Jeffersonville.
Tue, to follow

Game 3 –
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2. Fri, 6 pm

Game 4 – Bedford North Lawrence vs. New Albany. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Sat, 7:30 pm

16. Evansville Central (5)

Game 1 – Evansville Reitz vs. Evansville
North. Tue, 7 pm CT

Game 2 – Evansville Central vs.
Castle. Fri, 6 pm

Game 3 – Evansville Harrison vs.
Winner of Game 1. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3. Sat, 7:30 pm CT

CLASS 3A

17. Hammond (6)

Game 1 – Hammond Gavit vs. Hammond Clark. Tue, 6 pm CT

Game 2 –
Gary Wallace vs. Gary Wirt. Tue, to follow

Game 3 –
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2. Fri, 6 pm

Game 4 –
Gary Roosevelt vs. Hammond.
Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Sat, 7:30 pm CT

18. Rensselaer (6)

Game 1 –
Knox vs. Calumet. Tue, 6 pm CT

Game 2 –
Rensselaer vs. Kankakee
Valley. Tue, to follow

Game 3 –
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2. Fri, 6 pm

Game 4 – Griffith vs. Andrean. Fri,
to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Sat, 7:30 pm CT

19. New
Prairie (7)

Game 1 – South Bend St. Joseph’s vs.
Plymouth. Tue,
7 pm

Game 2 – Mishawaka Marian vs.
Culver Academies. Wed, 6 pm

Game 3 –
New Prairie vs. Glenn. Wed, to follow

Game 4 – Rochester vs. Winner of
Game 1. Fri, 6 pm

Game 5 –
Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5. Sat, 7:30 pm

20. Twin Lakes
(6)

Game 1 –
Western vs. Frankfort.
Tue, 6 pm

Game 2 – Twin Lakes
vs. West Lafayette.
Tue, to follow

Game 3 –
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2. Fri, 6 pm

Game 4 – Benton Central vs.
Northwestern. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Sat, 7:30 pm

21. NorthWood
(7)

Game 1 –
NorthWood vs. Wawasee. Tue, 7 pm

Game 2 – Tippecanoe Valley vs. Whitko. Wed, 6:30 pm

Game 3 – Columbia City vs. West Noble. Wed, to follow

Game 4 – Lakeland vs. Winner of
Game 1. Fri, 6:30 pm

Game 5 –
Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5. Sat, 7:30 pm

22. Maconaquah
(6)

Game 1 – Fort Wayne Wayne vs. Peru. Tue, 6
pm

Game 2 –
Maconaquah vs. Fort Wayne Elmhurst. Tue, to follow

Game 3 –
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2. Fri, 6 pm

Game 4 –
Bellmont vs. Norwell. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Sat, 7:30 pm

23. Leo
(7)

Game 1 –
Heritage vs. Leo. Tue, 7 pm

Game 2 – Angola vs. Fort
Wayne Dwenger. Wed, 6 pm

Game 3 – New Haven vs. Fort Wayne
Concordia Lutheran. Wed, to follow

Game 4 –
Harding vs. Winner of Game 1. Fri, 6 pm

Game 5 –
Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5. Sat, 7:30 pm

24. Eastbrook
(6)

Game 1 – Muncie South vs.
Eastbrook. Tue, 6 pm

Game 2 –
Delta vs. Yorktown. Tue, to follow

Game 3 –
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2. Fri, 6 pm

Game 4 –
Blackford vs. Mississinewa. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Sat, 7:30 pm

25. Lebanon (6)

Game 1 –
North Montgomery vs. Lebanon.
Tue, 6 pm

Game 2 –
Southmont vs. Crawfordsville. Tue, to follow

Game 3 –
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2. Fri, 6 pm

Game 4 –
Western Boone vs. Danville.
Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Sat, 7:30 pm

26. Beech
Grove (6)

Game 1 – Indianapolis Howe
Academy vs. Indianapolis Northwest. Tue, 6 pm

Game 2 – Indianapolis Chatard vs.
Brebeuf. Tue, to follow

Game 3 –
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2. Fri, 6 pm

Game 4 –
Beech Grove vs. Roncalli. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Sat, 7:30 pm

27. Mt. Vernon
(Fortville) (5)

Game 1 –
Rushville vs. Shelbyville. Tue, 7 pm

Game 2 – Hamilton Heights
vs. New Palestine.
Fri, 6 pm

Game 3 – Mt. Vernon
(Fortville) vs. Winner of Game 1. Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3. Sat, 7:30 pm

28. South Dearborn (6)

Game 1 – Madison vs. Scottsburg. Tue,
6 pm

Game 2 –
South Dearborn vs. Franklin
County. Tue, to follow

Game 3 –
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2. Fri, 6 pm

Game 4 –
Batesville vs. Greensburg.
Fri, to follow

Championship
– Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Sat, 7:30 pm

29. Brown County
(7)

Game 1 –
Greencastle vs. South Vermillion. Tue, 7 pm

Game 2 –
Edgewood vs. West Vigo. Wed, 6 pm

Game 3 – Owen Valley

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By Alex Kirby
Contributing Writer

INDIANAPOLIS – Nick Kitcoff came up big in the fourth quarter Jan. 26, hitting a trio of 3-point baskets as host Pike (8-5) outlasted rival Ben Davis, 78-68, in an Indianapolis westside battle between coaching brothers Billy and Curtis Wright.
 
“He helps us spread the defense, and guys do a good job of penetrating and getting the shots we want,” Pike coach Billy Wright said of Kitcoff, who finished with a team-high 18 points.
 
With a large portion of the Wright family visiting from Richmond, Billy Wright improved to 4-0 against his younger brother.
 
“We came out extremely focused and executed very well,” Curtis Wright said of his Giants’ successful start. “Unfortunately, we had some breakdowns in the second, and it was more of the same in the third and fourth quarters.”
 
Ben Davis did, in fact, start out red-hot from the field with junior Greg Rice scoring 10 of his game-high 37 points, including the first of seven 3-pointers, in the first quarter. Pike struggled with turnovers early on, and the Giants capitalized with some quick shots in transition.

The Red Devils rallied to get within one at 11-10, but Ben Davis closed out the quarter with a 9-0 run to take a surprising 20-12 lead.
 
The second quarter was a different story, however, as the turnovers that had plagued the Red Devils started to give the Giants some problems. Pike distributed the ball very well as Chandler Thomas and Jeremy Turner each had five points in the quarter, with Jared Holmes and Kentel Peoples adding four apiece.

Turner, who finished with eight points, ended up leaving the game in the third quarter after feeling sick. Billy Wright said he did not know what happened with Turner, only that he started feeling ill after the halftime break.
 
Despite the change in momentum, Pike couldn’t retake the lead and trailed 35-34 at the break. Billy Wright had seen enough, and he had a serious talk with his team in the locker room.

“There were a few intense words at halftime,” he said.
 
Whatever those words were, they certainly had an effect as the Red Devils came out of the break and made a statement, jumping out to a quick four-point lead 41-37. But Ben Davis’ Deven Williams went on his own 6-2 run with back-to-back threes to tie it at 43-43.

That, though, was as close as it got in the second half.
 
Pike opened up the final period with a 10-0 run that featured Kitcoff knocking down back-to-back treys after being left wide open in the corner both times. The Giants made it interesting down the stretch as Rice hit four threes in the fourth quarter to get BD as close as seven, but there would be no miracle.
 
There was a scary moment early in the fourth quarter when Aaron Zinnerman of Ben Davis plunged all the way over the scorer’s table in pursuit of a loose ball that was headed out of bounds. The game was stopped for about five minutes while trainers tended to Zinnerman, who ended up only suffering a cramp.

The senior ended up returning to the game several minutes later.
 
For Ben Davis (3-10), it was its sixth loss in a row and 10th in eleven games. The Giants next travel to Terre Haute South for a Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference game Feb. 1.

Pike also gets back at it that night with a home game against Conference Indiana foe Bloomington North.

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By Chris May
Boys Basketball Coordinator

INDIANAPOLIS – The Key Bank Mid-Winter Classic featured five boys basketball games Jan. 26 at Conseco Fieldhouse. Here’s a report on the day’s first three hardwood affairs …

3A #2 Batesville 68, 2A #4 Hauser 63
After trailing for most of the game, Class 3A No. 2 Batesville used a 13-0 fourth-quarter run to overtake and hold off 2A No. 4 Hauser in the event’s opening game.

For Batesville (13-2), getting its two best players on the court at the same time proved to be the Bulldogs’ best attack. But it was a situation that didn’t occur too often in the Saturday afternoon game.

In fact, at no point in the first half did junior Colt Ryan and senior Alex Grimsley play at the same time.

Ryan was held out of the first quarter for disciplinary reasons, leaving the 6’6” Grimsley as the Bulldogs’ early leader. But after picking up two fouls in the first quarter, Grimsley was relegated to the bench for the entire second quarter, leaving Ryan to picked up the scoring load while playing the whole quarter.

With the lineup juggling, Hauser (13-2) took advantage of Batesville’s 10 first-quarter turnovers by hitting four early 3-pointers to take a 19-12 lead after one. And the Jets still led 36-31 at halftime.

Returning in the third period, Grimsley and senior guard Tony Narwold helped the Bulldogs to their first lead since the first quarter as Batesville opened the second half on a 10-2 run. That spurt put the Bulldogs up 41-38, but Hauser closed the third quarter on the move.

Baskets attacking the rim by J.D. Stephens and Evan Dodd opened up 3-pointers for Dalton Dodd, Nick Long, and Stephens that allowed the Jets to close the quarter back on top, 53-49.

“Man, they’ve got so many shooters – they’ve got all kind of weapons,” Batesville coach Mel Siefert said of the Jets, who had won 13 in a row coming into the contest. “They’ve got five kids who can shoot threes, and they’re very athletic.

“I was scared. I knew this was going to be a battle.”

Grimsley played less than half of the third quarter due to his third foul, and Ryan took a cut to the chin and possible other injuries as he collided with a Hauser player at the end of the same period. But the preseason All-State duo finally shared a full quarter on the court in the fourth.

Starting with a Grimsley dunk, Batesville outscored Hauser 15-2 in the first seven minutes. The decisive span included a 13-0 run that kept Hauser scoreless for over 5:30 as the Jets’ offense struggled.

Hauser, which had hit nine 3-pointers through three quarters, missed its first seven threes of the fourth and went just 3 of 16 from the field in the final stanza, when the Jets also were outrebounded 15-5.

“It was the one time in the game that we had our two studs in the game at the same time,” Siefert said of the fourth-quarter run, noting an exception for part of the third quarter that Ryan and Grimsley shared. “We’ve just got to make sure we have them on the floor at the same time.

“We can’t be late for the bus, we can’t be getting in foul trouble.”

Despite the drought, Hauser still made a charge in the final minute as 3-pointers from Daron Simmons’ and Dodd brought it to a three-point game with 11 seconds to go.

But Ryan, who had missed four of five free throw attempts inside the last minute, knocked down a pair with 8.7 seconds left. Batesville then stole the ball on Hauser’s final possession to preserve the win.

“I think Colt got dinged pretty good,” Siefert said in reference to the junior guard’s collision when he thought Ryan’s head hit the other player before his chin hit his chest in quick succession. “When they were stitching him up, he was a little woozy.

“And he doesn’t miss four free throws in a row, never – I don’t care what the situation.”

Despite playing just three quarters and in spite of the injury, Ryan finished with a game-best 18 points. Grimsley tallied 15 points and 10 rebounds, while senior center Sam Enneking went for 10 points and eight rebounds.

Hauser’s attack was paced by senior guard Long’s 15 points and four steals, while Stephens and Simmons scored 13 apiece. That trio also hit eight of Hauser’s 11 three-pointers in the game. Six-foot-seven junior Tanner Case had nine points and eight rebounds, while Dodd added eight points.

3A #14 Roncalli 40, Greenwood 32
Roncalli’s Aaron Evans scored 28 points, 16 of them in the second half, in leading the Indianapolis southside school to the win over its Johnson County neighbor.

Coming off of a double-overtime win over Indianapolis Ritter the night before and dealing with multiple player suspensions, the Rebels (10-2) led a low-scoring game early before having to fight off a Woodman third-quarter rally.

“We’ve got every excuse as far as playing a double-overtime game last night, playing at Conseco Fieldhouse, and playing an early game today,” said Roncalli coach Michael Wantz. “But they’re not good enough.

“We’ve got to be ready for a quick turnaround on a sectional or two games in the same day, possibly at the regional round. We’ve got to get things going and get a better effort.”

Roncalli led the slow-starting game 9-3 at the end of the first quarter and 18-9 at halftime.
Greenwood found some momentum in the third quarter, outscoring Roncalli 16-8 in battling back to take the lead before trailing by just one, 26-25, entering the fourth quarter.

“The third quarter has been good to us this year, but today it wasn’t,” Wantz said. “I think the energy level was up for Greenwood.”

“Not to take anything away from them, but we’ve got to make sure that games like this aren’t more important to the other team than they are to us.”

Roncalli got going early in the fourth to hold off the Woodmen.

Evans scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, including the first five as the Rebels extended their lead to 31-25 early in the period. Greenwood got within three, 35-32, with 1:39 left as Tony Robey hit a pair of baskets, but Roncalli scored the game’s final five points, three of them at the free throw line.

Evans’ 28 points and eight rebounds were game highs for a short-handed Rebels team.
“He played 40 minutes last night, and he played all but a minute-and-a-half today,” Wantz said. “We’ve got some disciplinary issues that will be taken care of by the end of the week.

“He’s carrying us, and he’s gonna keep doing that.”

Robey was the game’s only other double-figure scorer, leading Greenwood (3-9) with 13 points.

4A #11 North Central (Indianapolis) 60, 4A #9 Warren Central 52
Just two weeks removed from a seven-point loss to Warren Central in the Marion County Tournament semifinals, North Central coach Doug Mitchell sounded much happier to talk about his team’s 60-52 win in their Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference game against the Warriors.

“I think we’re starting to mature as a team,” Mitchell said after his Panthers snapped a three-game losing streak started by that 54-47 tournament loss. “It seemed like Thursday at practice, somebody flipped a switch.”

Looking for a difference from two weeks ago, the 15th-year coach immediately brought up shooting percentage and shot selection.

“I think we took much better shots,” Mitchell said. “I thought we controlled our shots a lot better, and we hit 50 percent.”

Compare that with the 33 percent they shot in their first go-round with Warren, and it’s no surprise that North Central (10-5) never trailed at Conseco Fieldhouse, site of last year’s 4A state runner-up finish for the Panthers.

Led by 6’2” sophomore Terone Johnson and 6’1” junior Evan Gordon, the Panthers scored the game’s first nine points and managed to withstand Warren Central’s 3-point attack. The North Central duo scored the first seven points of the game and combined for 17 first-half points as the Panthers led at the break, 26-17.

The lead stayed in single digits for most of the game, but North Central pulled ahead with a 10-1 run midway through the third quarter that gave the Panthers their biggest lead of the game at 41-27.

Johnson scored six points in the run that gave his team a cushion.

“You’ve got to remember Terone Johnson is a sophomore,” Mitchell said. “He’s working to understand what’s a good shot and when to take a guy off the dribble, when he should pass it.

“He did a good job in that stretch of understanding that.”

The cushion was needed as the Warriors’ Jarrin Forte wouldn’t let his team go down without a fight.

The 6’0” guard hit a pair of baskets as Warren Central (11-5) scored the final eight points of the third quarter to get back within six at 41-35.

Forte continued to fire, hitting a pair of threes early in the fourth quarter and scoring 14 points in the final nine minutes of play.

“Forte hit some bombs,” Mitchell said. “Normally, we would want somebody to shoot it from where he shot it – they were deep threes, and he made them.

“He’s a good player.”

A stretch of three baskets by Gordon, however, gave North Central a 54-45 lead with 1:54 to play and appeared to be the final surge the Panthers needed.

“Evan was so focused today,” said Mitchell, praising the junior for erasing turnovers from his mind and hustling to make up for them on the defensive end.

Gordon finished with 20 points, while Johnson added 14. James Hollowell totaled nine points and 10 rebounds, and junior forward Damon Ellison scored eight for the Panthers.

Forte led Warren Central with 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 5 of 10 beyond the arc. Senior Josh Jones played every minute in finishing with 12 points, and that duo hit 12 of Warren’s 18 field goals. Six-foot-four junior Derrick Spight scored nine points, while 6’8” junior Ed Hazelett finished with five points and 11 rebounds.

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By Craig Adkins
Contributing Writer

INDIANAPOLIS – In the final of five Key Bank Mid-Winter Classic games Jan. 26 at Conseco Fieldhouse, Class 4A No. 6 Lawrence North and Center Grove got together for a Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference game. It always helps when your “trees” play like they should, and that’s exactly what the Wildcats’ big men did in a 63-50 victory.

Lawrence North (14-2 overall, 4-0 MIC) led 11-9 after one quarter before an offensive rebound and putback by Trojan center Kyle Beltz tied the game. The ’Cats then regained the lead with a basket by 6’9” Dominique Ferguson, and LN held a comfortable lead the rest of the way as the closest Center Grove (10-5, 2-2 MIC) got was pulling within 37-30 near the end of the third quarter.

Late in the second quarter, two Corey Gray free throws cut Center Grove’s deficit to seven. Soon after, however, LN’s Kyree Jones’ alley-oop from the right wing found 6’9” Stephan Van Treese above the left side of the rim for a two-handed slam.

The Wildcats closed the half with a 6-3 run to lead 31-19 at the break.

Center Grove kept Lawrence North in check taking the third period 11-8, but the Trojans needed to put more points on the board in addition to playing the great defense they did.

The one thing that a team doesn’t want to do is get into a running game with the Wildcats. Lawrence North was able to widen the gap in the fourth quarter as Center Grove miscues and missed shots led to fast breaks that put this one away.

A well-balanced scoring attack from Lawrence North was spiked by getting 17 points from its bench. Any team that can do that night in and night out can rest easy if any starters get into foul trouble as someone is bound to pick up the slack.

Lawrence Coach coach Jack Keefer had to be happy with the cohesive play of his bigs, or “trees.” Rebounding was their biggest contribution as LN almost doubled up Center Grove (34-19) in that category, and Van Treese was the catalyst there with game highs of 15 points and 15 rebounds to go with five blocked shots.

Ferguson added 12 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks, while Jones had 11 points and four assists – part of a 12-assist night from the backcourt trio of Jones, Quintien Townsend, and Mark Lantz.

The Wildcats will travel Feb. 1 to undefeated Carmel (13-0, 4-0) in a game that could decide the MIC championship. The Greyhounds drilled Hamilton Southeastern 87-57 in the game before this one.

Center Grove was led in scoring by Jared Hawkins, who had 14 points and four assists. Gray added 12 points and five rebounds, while freshman guard Jonny Marlin drained three 3-pointers in contributing 11 points off the bench. On Feb. 1, the Trojans will host MIC foe Warren Central (11-5, 2-3), which lost 60-52 to North Central (Indianapolis) earlier in the day at Conseco.

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By Craig Adkins
Contributing Writer

INDIANAPOLIS – Most people probably thought Class 4A No. 2 Carmel’s Jan. 26 matchup with Hamilton Southeastern this was going to be your average knock-down, drag-out Hamilton County rivalry game. It was, but with a one-sided twist.

Leading by 19 points after one and 23 at halftime, Carmel easily stayed undefeated at 13-0 with an 87-57 victory at Conseco Fieldhouse in the Key Bank Mid-Winter Classic.

It was quite evident that these Hamilton County rivals are accustomed to having heated battles between them as three technical fouls were dished out in all. A double technical was given to Hamilton Southeastern’s Matt Maloof and Carmel’s Jordan Brewer, while the other got HSE’s Corey Bowles ejected with 2.7 seconds left in the game.

The first quarter belonged to Carmel’s Charlie Hansen, who matched the 11-point scoring total of the Royals by himself. The 30-11 Greyhound gold rush also brought all five of Daniel Moore’s assists, three of those followed by 3-point bombs by the Greyhounds.

Chris Carlino led the point production for HSE in the first quarter, hitting on five of six free throw attempts.

While Carmel was in cruise control pretty much from the get-go, the intensity never stopped in all 32 minutes of play, no matter who was on the floor. That focus for Carmel clearly starts with great senior leadership.

“With the seniors we have and the way they’re leading us, we’re definitely excited with the kind of start we’ve had,” Carmel coach Mark Galloway told the Indianapolis Star. “They deserve what’s coming their way.

“It’s an easy team to say good things about because they are working so hard. What’s happening on Friday and Saturday nights is a direct result of how we work in practice, in the weight room, and the kind of off-season we had.”

Despite the scoring being so lopsided, the two squads were neck-and-neck throughout the third quarter. Seven of the Greyhounds’ 19 points in the period came from Hansen on three field goals, and Carmel took a 70-41 lead into the fourth on a 25-foot shot from junior guard Conner Lowe that swished at the buzzer.

Lowe also grabbed an offensive rebound to start the fourth and laid the ball over the front of the rim to score seven straight Carmel points on three consecutive possessions. Lowe had taken over the point guard role of Moore, who fouled out midway through the fourth.

University of Michigan head coach John Beilein was in attendance to see Wolverine recruit Stuart Douglass play. The Carmel guard responded with three 3-point field goals – his only buckets in 10 field goal attempts – two free throws, and three assists on the evening.

Beilein left following the game for East Lansing, where his 10th-place Big Ten team was to face Michigan State Sunday afternoon.

Carmel really spread the wealth in the scoring column. Hansen led all scorers with a game-high 23 points and added nine rebounds. He was followed by Morgan Newton (15 points), Moore (12 points and five assists), Douglass (11), Lowe (nine) and Jordan Brewer (seven – all coming from the charity stripe in the first half).

The Greyhounds host 4A sixth-ranked Lawrence North (14-2) Feb. 1 in a huge Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference clash that could decide the league championship. Both teams will enter the game with 4-0 conference records, a full two games ahead of 4A No. 11 North Central (Indianapolis) and Center Grove.

Hamilton Southeastern (9-6) was led in scoring by Carlino’s 19 points, including a 13-of-16 effort at the free throw line. Off the bench, Zach Starr netted 10 points and Chase Earl dropped in nine for the Royals, who host New Palestine (10-4) Feb. 1.

Carmel played very well at Conseco on a court the ’Hounds would like to see again March 22, but state finals weekend is two months off and, as we all know too well, anything can happen with “Hoosier Hysteria.”

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