Hawaii State | Archive | March, 2006

Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Classic announces 2006 lineup

Posted on 29 March 2006 by alexanderscot.


Staff
Report
Newly crowned Class 2A girls basketball champion Heritage Christian and
4A runner-up South Bend Washington headline the field announced March 28 for
the four-team 2006 Hall of Fame Classic. The girls tournament will be held
Thursday, Dec. 28, at New Castle Fieldhouse.

New Castle will play Franklin Central in the opener at 10 a.m. EST, followed by South Bend Washington
vs. Heritage Christian at 11:50. The third-place game will take place at 6
p.m., with the championship game set for 7:55. Tickets will
be available this fall from participating schools.

Hereâ??s a preview of the four girls teams, courtesy of www.hoopshall.com, the official website of Indiana Basketball
Hall of Fame

New Castle
The 19-5 Trojans
rolled through the 2005-06 regular season and sectional before knocking off Class
3A No. 1-ranked and undefeated Lebanon
(the 2005 Hall of Fame Champion) in the regional semifinal. The Trojans,
however, lost to Rushville in the final. Coach Curt Bell’s top three scorers
return. The leader is 5â??6â? junior guard Corie West (18.6 ppg, 3.3 apg), who is
joined by 5â??7â? sophomore guard Madison Qualkenbush (9.8, 2.1) and 5â??9â? freshman
forward Macey Elyea (7.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg) Four other juniors contribute to the
Trojan attack: 6-foot frontliner Allison Reece (7.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg), 5â??7â? guard
Kami Clemens (6.5 ppg), 5â??6â? guard Mandy Blake (3.5 ppg, 2.7 apg), and 5â??9â?
forward Amy Melton (2 ppg). Three sophomores, meanwhile, provide depth â??? 5â??7â?
guard Kayla Jones, 5â??6â? wing Madison Thomas, and 5â??8â? forward Ashley Flynn. New Castle graduates 5â??10â?
forward Amanda Lee (6.8 ppg, 5 rpg) and 5â??6â? guard Chelsea Kiser (2 ppg).

Franklin Central

Unlike the
other three teams in this field, Franklin Central graduates its top scorer from
the 2005-06 season, 5â??6â? guard Katie Dewey (11.8 ppg), as well as four other
seniors. Coach Pam Taylor does have three juniors from her 18-8 sectional
championship campaign, however, who have the potential to excel during their
senior seasons. They are 5â??8â? point guard Nicole James (8.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.2
apg), 5â??10â? forward Katie Hacker (11 ppg, 7.7 rpg), and 5â??10â? center Jill
Taylor (6.2, 5). Hacker is the Flashes’ top rebounder and top holdover scorer.
Brittany Stafford, a 5â??7â?? sophomore forward, and Morgan Read, a 5â??10â? junior
post player, both figure to increase their input during the 2006-07 campaign.

South Bend Washington

Coach Marilyn
Coddens must feel ecstatic about her Panther program. Washington finished the
2005-06 season as 4A state runner-up and was ranked No. 1 for much of the
season, completing the campaign with a glossy 25-2 record. The Panthersâ?? top
player was a phenomenal freshman, 5â??8â? guard Skylar Diggins (20.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg,
5.4 apg). Only 5â??3â? guard Paris Wright (5 ppg) graduates. Coddens returns three
players besides Diggins who figure to provide double-figure scoring next season:
6-foot junior forward Ashley Varner (9.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg), 5â??11â? junior guard
Sherice White (9.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.8 apg), and 5â??4â? sophomore guard Emily
Phillips (9.9 ppg, 5.3 apg). Three juniors who remain significantly in the mix
are 5â??9â? forward Lauren Archie (6.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg), 6â??2â? center Katie Boocher
(6.4, 6.6), and 5â??7â? guard Cheneka Anderson (4.1 ppg, 2.3 apg). And Shalana
Murray (4 ppg, 3.8 rpg) is a 5â??11â? sophomore center.

Heritage Christian

First-year
coach Rick Risinger is way ahead of schedule. His Eagles soared to a 2006 2A
state championship and finished 25-3. The championship squad graduates just two
players: 5â??7â? guard Nicole Roush and 5â??10â? center Lindsay Dixon. Risinger’s top
two scorers are freshmen â??? 5â??10â? forward Kelly Faris (11.1 ppg, 7 rpg, 4 apg)
and 5â??5â? guard Claire Freeman (10.5, 3.2, 3.1). Two more freshmen guards â??? 5â??5â?
starter Emily Anderson (7.1 ppg) and 5â??3â? reserve Alyssa Burton â??? have varsity
experience, while two juniors figure to provide leadership: 5â??9â? starting
forward Bre Jones (7.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and 5â??7â?? reserve forward Courtney Turner
(3.6, 3.7). 6â??1â? sophomore frontliner Kayla Skaggs (8 ppg, 3 rpg) is a
legitimate inside scoring threat and another veteran starter. Three future
prospects include 6-foot sophomore center Alicia Byrd, 5â??3â? freshman guard
Meredith Martin, and 5â??9â? freshman post player Ashlee Bellamy.

Tickets will
be made available in the late fall from participating schools. Please watch the
Hall of Fame website www.hoopshall.com for further details.

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North Central's Amber Harris named 2006 Miss Basketball

Posted on 26 March 2006 by alexanderscot.


Staff Report

Amber
Harris, the 6â??5â? senior center who led North Central (Indianapolis) to Class 4A state titles in
2004 and 2005, has been named the 2006 Indianapolis
Star Indiana Miss Basketball.

Harris earned
60 votes from the nearly 200 coaches and media members who cast ballots, outdoing
South Bend St. Josephâ??s Melissa Lechlitner (37 votes) and Ashley Barlow of Pike
(27). Harris will play for Purdue this fall, while Lechlitner and Barlow each are
heading to Notre Dame.

Interestingly,
Harris was not even named player of the year on The Starâ??s 2006 Super Team. That honor went to Barlow, the 5â??9â?
guard who averaged 25.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists a game in leading
the Red Devils to a 20-6 record.

Harris
averaged 16.5 points a game her senior season after scoring 19.8 per as a
junior.

“She
brings things with her size and athleticism that are very rare in the female
game,” Purdue coach Kristy Curry told The
Star. “The state of Indiana
should be very proud to have, in a lot of people’s minds, the best player in
the country.”

Added
North Central coach Alan Vickrey: “She really likes sharing experiences
with other people. She would rather make a great pass than a dunk any day.
That’s part of her magic.”

Harris
will become the seventh Miss Basketball to play at Purdue, joining 2003 winner
Katie Gearlds of Beech Grove and last yearâ??s honoree, Alexandriaâ??s Jodi Howell.

A list of former Indiana Miss Basketballs:

1976: Judi Warren, Warsaw
1977: Teri Rosinski, Norwell
1978: Chanda Kline, Warsaw
1979: LaTaunya Pollard, East Chicago Roosevelt
1980: Maria Stack, Columbus East
1981: Cheryl Cook, Indianapolis Washington
1982: Trena Keys, Marion
1983: Jody Beerman, Heritage
1984: Sharon Versyp, Mishawaka
1985: Jodie Whitaker, Austin
1986: Kim Barrier, Jimtown
1987: Lori Meinerding, Fort Wayne Northrop
1988: Vicki Hall, Brebeuf
1989: Renee Westmoreland, Scottsburg
1990: Patricia Babcock, Culver Academies
1991: Jennifer Jacoby, Rossville
1992: Marla Inman, Bedford North Lawrence
1993: Abby Conklin, Charlestown
1994: Tiffany Gooden, Fort Wayne Snider
1995: Stephanie White, Seeger
1996: Lisa Winter, Huntington North
1997: Lisa Shepherd, Richmond
1998: Kelly Komara, Lake Central
1999: April McDivitt, Connersville
2000: Sara Nord, Jeffersonville
2001: Shyra Ely, Ben Davis
2002: Shanna Zolman, Wawasee
2003: Katie Gearlds, Beech Grove
2004: Jaclyn Leininger, Warsaw
2005: Jodi Howell, Alexandria

So
what do you think? Share your thoughts in our Girls Basketball forum.

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STATE FINALS: A good Knight as LCC, Luers, Castle capture girls BB crowns (Heritage Christian, too)

Posted on 06 March 2006 by alexanderscot.


Your 2006
girls basketball state champions are:
  • Class A: No. 13 Lafayette Central Catholic, a 75-68
    winner over 15th-ranked South Central (Elizabeth)
  • Class 2A: Top-ranked Heritage Christian, a 46-34
    winner over No. 17 Westview
  • Class 3A: No. 9 Fort Wayne Luers, a 65-54 winner over
    seventh-ranked Evansville Memorial
  • Class 4A: No. 11 Castle, an 83-72 upset winner over
    top-ranked South Bend Washington
You
couldn’t have asked for a pair of more different games as the girls basketball
state finals reached the halfway point March 4 at Conseco Fieldhouse. 

In the Class A opener, Lafayette Central Catholic blew up from the free throw
line, going 22 of 28 in the fourth quarter to trump a 35-point period from
South Central (Elizabeth). LCC put four scorers in double figures to overcome
the 28-point performance of SC’s Brittany Schoen to win, 75-68.

Then top-ranked Heritage Christian bounced back from an early Westview lead to
roll to a 46-34 Class 2A victory over the No. 17 Warriors. The victorious
Eagles held Westview’s standout sophomore center Tiffany Fisher to only nine
points with suffocating defense.

Following an afternoon break, Fort Wayne Luers opened the Class 3A championship
game with a 20-5 lead over Evansville Memorial, and the ninth-ranked Knights
held on to beat the No. 7 Tigers, 65-54.

But that was all just window dressing for a fantastic 4A final that saw no less
than 14 records sets as 11th-ranked Castle shot 50 percent from the field in
toppling No. 1 South Bend Washington.
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STATE FINALS: FW Luers builds big lead early, coasts to 3A victory over Evansville Memorial, 65-54

Posted on 05 March 2006 by alexanderscot.


By Colin Altevogt
Staff Writer

INDIANAPOLIS â??? The future is now.

While everyone â??? coach Teri Rosinski included â??? wanted to be patient
and wait on this young Fort Wayne Luers team, the Knights players had
other ideas. Rosinski, a coach known for an intense, in-your-face style
of mentoring, began the season a little more relaxed than usual in an
attempt to ease the players into her system.

The team captains would have none of it. After a tough defeat to
Lima Bath (Ohio), three players approached Rosinski and informed their
coach that they did not want to be coddled.

Now they have the blue rings.

The ninth-ranked Knights, whose usual starting lineup included two
freshmen and two sophomores, defeated No. 7 Evansville Memorial, 65-54,
in the Class 3A state championship March 4 at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Memorial played even with Luers over the final three quarters of the
game, but could not overcome the Knightsâ?? initial blitzkrieg. Halfway
through the first quarter, Luers was up 13-3, eight of those points
coming from lone senior Vini Dawson.

When Dawson, who recovered from the flu just in time for the game,
hit a jumper with 2:34 remaining, Evansville Memorial found itself down
20-5.

â??We normally get off to a good start in a game, but we didnâ??t do a
good job on the boards and didnâ??t shoot the basketball well in the
first quarter,â? said Memorial coach Bruce Dockery. â??We just dig
ourselves too big of a hole.�

Rebounding was the key for Luers. The Knights finished with a 55-36
advantage over their opponent, including a 35-18 edge at the half.
Sophomores Amanda Pedro and MarKee Martin â??? a 5â??3â? point guard â??? both
tied the 3A state finals record by pulling down 14 boards apiece.

â??They just didnâ??t have an answer for our kidsâ?? rebounding,â? Rosinski said. â??It was all heart and desire from our kids.â?

Memorial trailed 24-10 after the first quarter. By halftime, the Luersâ?? lead was 34-19.

The opening half could not have gone any more poorly for the Tigers.
Standout senior point guard FahKara Malone tried to get her mates
involved but was forced into stepping up her individual game when their
shots wouldnâ??t fall. The results were debilitating.

Malone and junior forward Kari Stieler each went 1 for 8 from the
field, and the Tigers were 1 for 8 as a team on 3-point attempts. Their
offensive troubles were compounded by 6-of-13 shooting from the free
throw line.

Malone, who came in averaging 20.3 points a game, was held to just four at the half.

â??FahKara is a special young lady and an outstanding basketball
player,â? Dockery said. â??As well as she played today, unfortunately
everybody didnâ??t see the real FahKara Malone.â?

After connecting on just 19 percent of its field goal attempts in
the first half (6 of 31), Memorialâ??s shooting started to heat up a bit
in the third. Every time the Tigers scored, however, Luers seemed to
have an answer. And Memorial was in no shape to trade baskets.

The Knights took a 10-point advantage into the fourth, 49-39.

With fans from nearby Castle trickling in for the 4A game, senior
guard Courtney Reising hit a three to cut the lead into single digits
for the first time since 4:14 of the first quarter. The Evansville fans
erupted.

On the other end, though, Luers freshman Kelsey Wyss answered with a
three of her own. Fifteen seconds later, Dawson scored to stretch the
lead to 12 at 54-42, and the margin never dipped below nine for the
rest of the game.

Wyss and Dawson combined for 35 points on 13-of-24 shooting. Playing
her best game of the season, Wyss led all scorers with 21 points, nine
of those coming in the fourth quarter when the Tigers attempted to claw
back into the contest.

â??The shot was falling so I kept shooting,â? Wyss said.

Memorial sophomore center Chelsea Falkenstein cut the deficit to
nine on a putback with just under four minutes left, but Wyss again
responded, nailing a jumper with 3:32 remaining then hitting a pair
from the line with 2:17 to go that put Luers up, 62-49. And though the
Knights struggled from the line, going just 1 for 6 in the final two
minutes, it didnâ??t matter.

Pedro joined Wyss and Dawson in double digits with 13 points, while
the diminutive Martin â??? she of the 14 boards â??? filled out the most
interesting stat line of the night: 3 of 16 from the field, 0 of 2 from
3-point range, 1 of 6 from the free throw line, 14 rebounds, seven
assists, seven turnovers.

Luersâ?? victory extends its Indiana girls record to five state championships, two ahead of Kokomo and Tri-Central.

pic
Malone (20) and Martin (12) continue their backcourt battle. The Purdue-bound Malone scored 20 points in the 3A finals.
Photo by Scott Sampson  
Malone and Martin, Part III. The 5’3″ Martin tallied a record 14 rebounds in leading the Knights to victory.
Photo by Scott Sampson

Memorialâ??s Balbach named Mental Attitude Award winner

Evansville Memorial senior forward Jennifer Balbach is the 2005-06
Girls Basketball Class 3A recipient of the Patricia L. Roy Mental
Attitude Award.

Balbach helped coach Bruce Dockeryâ??s Tigers to a 23-5 record and
the schoolâ??s first-ever trip to the IHSAA state finals. She is a
four-time Academic All-City selection who has played on three sectional
and city champion teams, two regional winners, and two conference title
squads.

The versatile Balbach will graduate with 10 varsity letters â??? four
each in cross country and track, and two in basketball. She is a
three-time state qualifier in track and a four-time semistate qualifier
in cross country, earning all-conference honors in both.
Balbach ranks ninth in her senior class with a 5.85 cumulative
grade point average on a 6.0 scale. She is a student council
representative who is active in the Snowflake Alcohol & Drug
Education Program for seventh- and eighth-grade students and the Tigers
in Drug Education high school program.

â??Jennifer is active academically as well as serving as a role
model and mentor to younger students,â? said Memorialâ??s principal, Gerry
Adams. â??While others celebrated our semistate championship last
Saturday evening, she returned to be part of the Snowflake overnight
retreat.

â??That is a good example of both her value system and her dedication.â?

Balbach, the daughter of Ken and Julia Balbach, is active as an
Easter Seals volunteer and a youth minister at St. Theresa Church. She
plans to study pharmacy at Purdue or business at Indiana University.

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STATE FINALS: Castle upsets top-ranked SB Washington in record-laden 4A thriller, 83-72

Posted on 05 March 2006 by alexanderscot.


By Colin Altevogt
Staff Writer

INDIANAPOLIS â??? The ending matched the story line.

In the final game of the IHSAA girls basketball state tournament
March 4 at Conseco Fieldhouse, No. 11 Castle upset top-ranked and heavy
favorite South Bend Washington, 83-72, in the Class 4A state
championship game.

The finale, which saw 23 4A records set or tied, was a fitting end to a postseason stacked with upsets.

The Knights, who did not crack the Top 10 all season, very well may
have been the biggest giant slayers in the state. Castle upset No. 2
Jeffersonville, eighth-ranked Hamilton Southeastern, and finally No. 1
Washington en route to capturing the state title.

The championship is Castleâ??s first in girls basketball. And the 23 records may be a world record, for all we know.

The loss ends a near-fairy tale season for South Bend Washington â???
but donâ??t cry too hard for the Panthers, who will return their entire
starting lineup next year, including freshman phenom Skylar Diggins. In
her first season of high school basketball, the 5â??8â? guard led the
state in assists, shot the seventh-best percentage from 3-point range,
and ranked 11th in points per game while leading her team to the 4A finals.

And Diggins kicked off this game, nailing a three ten seconds into
the contest. In a fast-paced first quarter that would seem to benefit
the smaller, quicker lineup of Washington, it was the underdog Knights
who built their lead into double digits. Diggins ended the period on
another three with five seconds remaining, but Castle led after one,
24-17.

The Knights had no answer early for Diggins. She nailed another
trey, this time 11 seconds into the second stanza, then scored on a
floater in the lane as the Panthers cut the deficit to 26-22.

â??She is not the kind of player I would want to face on a regular basis,â? said Castle coach Wayne Allen.

But while Castle had difficulty containing the speedy guards of
Washington early on, the Knights had their way inside throughout.
Junior forward Jasmine Ussery, (5â??11â?) who recorded a double-double by
halftime, scored 22 points and grabbed a Class 4A record 16 rebounds,
while 6â??1â? senior center Maria Olsthoorn chipped in 21 points and seven
rebounds.

Castle’s 6’1″ center Maria Olsthoorn (44) gets her shot blocked by South Bend Washington’s Shalana Murray (22). 
Photo by Scott Sampson 
Phillips, the sophomore guard shooting for two here, is one of five Panther starters who will return in 2006-07.
Photo by Scott Sampson  

â??Castle tonight just out-sized us,â? said South Bend Washington coach Marilyn Coddens.

With their lead dwindling midway through the second quarter, the
Knights responded, holding Washington scoreless for 5:28 during a 16-0
run.

The game was nearly over approaching intermission until the Panthers
went on a 10-1 spurt of their own. Once again, Diggins knocked down a
crucial three, this time with no time on the clock, and the Panthers
trailed by just 10 heading into the locker room at 43-33.

The non-stop action continued in the second half. Washington cut the
lead down to seven at the 4:28 mark of the third, but Castle got
consecutive three-point plays from senior point guard Stephanie
Gehlhausen and Olsthoorn scored to bulk the margin back to 57-44.

With eight minutes left to play, Castle had a comfortable 12-point
lead. South Bend senior Paris Wright hit two shots outside the arc in
the first minute of play, however, and with seven minutes to go the
Panthers trailed by only six, 62-56.

Washingtonâ??s inability to defend the interior was magnified down the
stretch, though. Needing to distance themselves once again, the Knights
pounded the ball inside to their post players.

Working the ball to the interior resulted in an abundance of Panther
fouls, including from Diggins, who picked up her fourth with 5:53
remaining.

Then the casualties started.

Junior forward Ashley Varner fouled out with 4:20 left. Within 90
seconds, sophomore forward Shalana Murray had joined her on the bench.
Then Castleâ??s Katelyn Smith, who scored all 11 of her points in the
first half, picked up her fifth with 3:47 to go.

Still up 74-64 with 2:53 left, Ussery knocked down a pair from the
line for the Knights. Washington sophomore guard Emily Phillips, who
scored 18 for the Panthers, missed a long jumper on the other end, and
that was game.

With just under a minute left, Olsthoorn scored on a layup, inciting a chant of â??We won state!â? from the Castle faithful.

Ussery and Olsthoorn were joined in double figures by Smith and
Gelhausen (16 points), who added six assists and four steals in 30
minutes of battling Washingtonâ??s full-court pressure.

Diggins finished the game with 22 points on 7-of-21 shooting to lead
the Panthers, who also got double-digit offensive outputs from Phillips
and junior guard Sherice White (12 points).

Castle, which entered the game with a solid .426 field goal
percentage, hit exactly 50 percent from the floor â??? in the first half
(15 of 30), in the second half (9 of 18), and for the game (24 of 48).
Washington, meanwhile, came into this instant classic hitting .484
(with an amazing four starters above 51 percent), but the Panthers were
held to just 32.4 percent shooting on this night of Knights.

pic
Castle’s Katelyn Smith looks to get
rid of the ball against the Panthers’ Sherice White (32). The Knights
were able to find an answer to Washington’s full-court pressure
defense. 
Photo by Scott Sampson
pic
Ussery (40) goes for one of her many inside buckets as Washington’s
undersized defenders, including Paris Wright (10), try to help out.
Photo by Scott Sampson

 

Castle’s McKinney wins Mental Attitude Award

Castle senior forward Lynn McKinney is the 2005-06 Girls
Basketball Class 4A recipient of the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude
Award.

McKinney is a three-year starter for the Knights, helping coach
Wayne Allenâ??s team to a 24-3 record and its first-ever state
championship in 2006 after a Final Four trip in 2005. McKinney led
Castle in 3-pointers with 45 treys this season. Sheâ??s also a four-year
letter winner in volleyball, serving as team captain and winning the
teamâ??s Mental Attitude Award as a senior.

McKinney is 29th in her senior class with a 3.83
cumulative grade point average. The National Honor Society student is
active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes and as a Senior Mentor. She
volunteers in the community, serving food at a homeless shelter and
working as a nursery supervisor at her church.

â??Lynn volunteered her time and efforts to ease the suffering
inflicted by a massive tornado on November 6,â? said Castleâ??s principal,
Phillip DeLong. â??Her willingness to give up her free time (school was
not in session for two days) to help clear storm debris, serve meals,
and lend comfort is a true picture of the content of her character.�

McKinney, the daughter of Dr. Kent and Marilyn McKinney, plans to study engineering at Purdue.

Now, a look at all â?¦ those â?¦ records!
Did
we mention that 23 Class 4A records were set or tied in this game? You
should have seen Managing Editor Shawn Aylsworth, all giddy on press
row with his yellow highlighter in hand, set to color up Pages 21-24 of
the official souvenir programs as the marks began to fall.

(At
gameâ??s end, Mr. Canâ??t Count was telling anyone whoâ??d listen that â??at
least 14 records were set in that thang!� Thanks to the crack IHSAA
staff in figuring out the final tally of 14 team records set, three
team records tied, four individual records set, and two individual
records tied.)

The list of new records:

  • Most points: Castle, 83 (71, Martinsville vs. Lake Central, 1998)
  • Most combined points: 155 (136, Martinsville (71) and Lake Central (65), 1998) â??? also all-time record in 31-year history of girls tournament
  • Most combined points in a half: 79 (74, Martinsville (37) and Lake Central (37), first half, 1998)
  • Most combined points in a quarter: 43 (39, Lake Central (20) and Martinsville (19), 1st quarter, 1998)
  • Most field goals attempted: SB Washington, 67 (63, Ben Davis vs. Fort Wayne Snider, 2001)
  • Most 3-point field goals made: SB Washington, 8 (6, Gary West vs. North Central (Indianapolis), 2005)
  • Most combined 3-point field goals made: 12 (10, Gary West (6) and North Central (4), 2005)
  • Highest combined 3-point field goal percentage: .444 (.368, New Albany (5-11) and Fort Wayne Snider (2-8), 1999)
  • Most free throws made: Castle, 31 (16, North Central vs. Warsaw, 2004)
  • Most combined free throws made: 43 (29, Martinsville (15) and Lake Central (14), 1998)
  • Most free throws attempted: Castle, 42 (25, Martinsville vs. Lake Central, 1998)
  • Most combined free throws attempted: 58 (41, Martinsville (25) and Lake Central (16), 1998)
  • Most fouls: SB Washington, 28 (20, Lake Central vs. Martinsville, 1998)
  • Most combined fouls: 47 (36, Terre Haute South (19) and South Bend Riley (17), 2002; also North Central (18) and Warsaw (18), 2004)
  • Most 3-point field goals attempted: Skylar Diggins, 10 (8, Ashley Allen, Ben Davis vs. Fort Wayne Snider, 2001)
  • Most free throws made: Jasmine Ussery, 12 (8, Erin Sampsel, Valparaiso vs. Ben Davis, 2000)
  • Most free throws attempted: Ussery, 18 (10, Shyra Ely, Ben Davis vs. Fort Wayne Snider, 2001)
  • Most rebounds: Ussery, 16 (15, Kelly Kuhn, Lake Central vs. Martinsville, 1998; also Reicina Russell, Terre Haute South vs. South Bend Riley, 2002)

The list of tied records:

  • Most field goals made: Castle, 26 (Martinsville vs. Lake Central, 1998)
  • Most 3-point field goals attempted: 20 (Ben Davis vs. Fort Wayne Snider, 2001)
  • Most combined assists: 29 (Ben Davis (19) and Fort Wayne Snider (10), 2001)
  • Most field goals attempted: Diggins, 21 (April Traylor, Martinsville vs. Lake Central, 1998)
  • Most 3-point field goals made: Diggins, 4 (Isabell Rhenwrick, Gary West vs. North Central, 2005)
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STATE FINALS: 2A top-ranked Heritage Christian shuts down Westview, 46-34

Posted on 04 March 2006 by alexanderscot.

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STATE FINALS: Class A Lafayette Central Catholic free throwathon outlasts South Central, 75-68

Posted on 04 March 2006 by alexanderscot.

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Preview (Class 3A): Youthful but tradition-laden FW Luers faces Malone-led Evansville Memorial

Posted on 03 March 2006 by alexanderscot.


Staff Report

Colin Altevogt and Adam Rouse preview the Class 3A girls basketball championship
game between No. 9 Fort Wayne Luers and
seventh-ranked Evansville
Memorial. Colin handles the former, while Adam tackles the latter â?¦

FORT WAYNE LUERS KNIGHTS
Though the players are new, the name should stand for itself. On
Saturday, Fort Wayne Luers (23-4) will look to extend its record to five state
championships.

An early blowout loss to Brebeuf dropped Luers from the rankings,
and the Knights were on the down low for much of the season. But now theyâ??ve
hit their stride, rattling off 16 straight with a shot to grab #17 in Conseco
Fieldhouse.

Backcourt
Luersâ?? offense starts with one of the best players youâ??ve never
heard of.

Sophomore MarKee Martin is the quintessential point guard. She
quietly and efficiently runs the Knight offense, distributing the ball to the
open player while keeping turnovers to a minimum. Martin plays glove-tight
defense and has the ability to take control of a game â??? she outscored
Miss Basketball candidate Melissa Lechlitner in the Plymouth Semistate
championship. Martin is dangerous if not accounted for. She seldom misses an
open jumper and can put up points in a hurry.

Senior guard Vini Dawson has worked her way into the starting
lineup through the course of the season. Earlier in the year, Dawson routinely led the team in scoring
coming off the bench. As the only senior on this underclassmen-dominated squad,
Dawsonâ??s impact
cannot be measured in just stats. Sheâ??s the only current player that was on the
Knightsâ?? last state championship team two years ago, albeit the junior varsity.
Dawson is a
decent outside shooter, but her mid-range jumper is lethal.

Freshman Kelsey Wyss has also progressed into the top five
throughout the season. Solid from the free throw line, Wyss is a good jump
shooter and isnâ??t afraid to put up the big shot. In the Summit Conference
tournament final, Wyss knocked down a big jumper to ice the game after coming
out with an injury. Although just a freshman, she plays with the poise of an
upperclassman.

Frontcourt
Officially listed as a guard, freshman Jessica Hathaway can play
inside or out, knocking down the three or scoring from the paint. Hathaway must
stay out of foul trouble at Conseco â??? she picked up three early fouls in the
first half last weekend, and her absence forced coach Teri Rosinski to go
deeper down the bench than usual. Hathaway comes from a basketball pedigree: Her
sister hit the game-winner to send the Knights to the state finals two years
ago.

Though Martin is the star, sophomore Amanda Pedro is the heart
and soul of this young Knight team. She was the key to the sectional
championship win over Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran, putting up seven points in
the last 1:37, including the game-winner with 13 seconds remaining.

With much of the attention usually focused on Martin, Pedro can
break out for a big game on any night. She has good shooting range and is
nearly impossible to keep off the offensive boards, especially in crunch time.
Pedro is a tenacious competitor. In an early-season game against Concordia, she
played with the flu, coming off the bench to score 17 in a crucial conference
matchup.

Bench
The non-starters will be key for the Knights. Rosinski usually
likes going to her bench early and often. Most likely, Martin will be the only
one going all 32 minutes as Luers employs a deep rotation.

Sophomore Amber Gottfried, who got starts early on, watched most
of the semistate from the sidelines, perhaps with some sort of injury. Her
inside presence will be vital considering the teamâ??s guard-laden roster.

Freshman Megan Pedro was also in the semistate starting lineup
and may very well be there on Saturday. Listed as a guard, the younger Pedro
plays a lot like her older sister. Her height (6â??0â?) allows her to post up
defenders and ****** down rebounds, but she can also play on the perimeter.

Centers Monica Lohmuller and Sarah Freiburger should also see
minutes in the game, especially if the forwards find themselves in foul
trouble. Both were called upon in the semistate game.

Intangibles
Rosinksi, who should be a runaway candidate for coach of the
year, is in her third state finals. Expect the fifth-year coach to have her
girls focused and ready to play.

Though they are young (four underclassmen start, and there is
only one senior on the roster), many of these girls have had sisters on the
team and grew up watching Knight basketball.
 
Donâ??t let their grades fool you;
these girls play older than their age.

Throughout the season, the Knights have learned to battle in
close games. They defeated cross-town rival Concordia three times by a combined
eight points, and they took defending 3A state champion South Bend St. Josephâ??s
down to the final minute before pulling away.

The old clich?© is that the best teams simply find a way to win.
Luers has been doing that all season. Now the Knights need it just once more
for title #5.

How Fort
Wayne Luers got here
Fort
Wayne Dwenger Sectional
New Haven,
W 90-38
Fort Wayne
Dwenger, W 50-40
Fort
Wayne Concordia Lutheran, W 49-48

Peru
Regional
Jay
County,
W 54-42
NorthWood,
W 39-32

Elkhart Central Semistate
South
Bend St. Josephâ??s, W 56-49

EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL TIGERS
The Tigers (23-4) are led by Purdue signee FahKara Malone, who
is among the stateâ??s leaders in points (20.3) and assists (4.7).

Memorial is 15-1 against 3A schools this season, with the lone
loss coming to Western back on Dec. 30. Two of the other losses came against 4A
Castle, which is also competing for a state title, as the Tigers finished
second to Castle in Southern Indiana Conference play.

The Tigers, who have an impressive 10 Mental Attitude Award
winners in the schoolâ??s history, are making their first-ever appearance in a
girls basketball state final.

Backcourt
Malone, a senior, is the unquestioned leader in the backcourt. The
speedy 5â??5â? point guard has the ability to shoot the three or penetrate and
connect on the midrange jumper. Malone was able to burn Rushvilleâ??s zone in
last weekâ??s 72-56 Jeffersonville
Semistate win for 18
first-half points. And her passing skills are out of this world.

Fellow senior Courtney Reising, the other guard in the lineup, is
deadly from long range. The 5â??7â? Reising averages 9.8 points on the strength of
45 percent shooting (59 of 132) from behind the arc, which ranks fifth in the
state.

Frontcourt
Sophomore Chelsea Falkenstein, junior Kari Stieler, and senior
Jennifer Balbach are the usual starters up front and give the Tigers enough
size to compete in the trenches. Falkenstein (6â??1â?) averages 9.0 points a game
and leads Memorial with seven boards per game. Balbach can play inside or out
and uses her versatility to chip in 6.2 points and grab 5.3 rebounds.

Stieler, meanwhile, seems to always be around the ball, and the
5â??6â? junior is contributing 6.9 points.

How Evansville
Memorial got here
Evansville Memorial Sectional
Boonville, W 56-41
Mt.
Vernon
(Posey), W 75-51
Evansville
Bosse, W 69-52

Jasper
Regional
Corydon, W 72-58
Gibson Southern, W 49-41

Jeffersonville Semistate
Rushville, W 72-56

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Preview (Class 4A): South Bend Washington's youthful offense battles Castle's taller experience

Posted on 03 March 2006 by alexanderscot.


Staff Report

Brandon Jones and Adam Rouse preview the Class 4A girls basketball
championship game between top-ranked South
Bend Washington and
No. 11 Castle. Jonesie handles the former, while Mr. Rouse tackles the latter â?¦

SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON PANTHERS
Strengths
The No. 1 Panthers
(25-1) are a dangerous team because they can beat you in so many ways, not the
least of which is undersized but quick guards who have the ability to beat you
off the dribble.

Sophomore
Emily Phillips runs the show, and the 5â??4â? speedster can penetrate and dish the
ball as well as pull up from long range to beat her opponent. And if you donâ??t
already know, freshman phenom Skylar Diggins is also a special player from the
perimeter. She can knock down the three, but sheâ??s also the essence of a true team
player. The ninth-grader seems to â??get it,â? and she undoubtedly makes her
teammates better along the way.

Sherice
White, the teamâ??s swing player, is also a potent threat from the perimeter.

Inside,
the Panthers feature good-sized underclassmen who can play a very aggressive
style of basketball. It all starts with frontliners Ashley Varner and Katelyn
Boocher. Varner, a 6-foot junior, has played a key role in getting the Panthers
this far. She has an array of post moves that can keep opponents guessing.

With this
squad, one is forced to pick its poison. A team can very well play man-to-man
defense and get punished inside by the physicality of Varner. Or, you can sag
into a zone and get burned from the outside by the three sharpshooters. A team
really has to play a good mixture of these styles of basketball to keep the
Panthers guessing offensively.

Another
strength is poise. Many times in their Elkhart
Semistate contest against experienced
powerhouse Kokomo,
the Panthers had their backs to the wall and could have folded. They fell
behind by double digits early in the contest but always had an offensive run in
them. A team that averaged more than 80 points a game of late always does.

Weaknesses
South Bend Washington is an inexperienced group â???
thereâ??s only one senior on the roster. All five starters for the Panthers are
underclassmen and tasting success for the first time. Though they have pulled
through to this point, Conseco Fieldhouse and the IHSAA state finals create a
whole different ballgame. It will be interesting to see how this team adjusts
to the pressure.

Defense. Yes,
the Panthers can score. But can they stop anybody? The Panthers let a double-digit
lead slip away in the second half against Kokomo
and were forced down to the wire. This was due, in large part, to a poor defensive
scheme that tends to overplay the ball quite frequently. This aggressive style
of defense tends to implode as the Panthers jump into passing lanes that sometimes
are not there.

The
Panthersâ?? aggressiveness sometimes plays to their advantage, but often it
merely creates free throw opportunities for the other squad. Interior foul
trouble was a problem for the Panthers in their semistate triumph against Kokomo. If they continue
this style of play defensively and Castle starts cashing in on free throw
opportunities, the Panthers could be in for a long night.

Overall
South Bend Washington is the best girls basketball team,
regardless of class, that I have seen thus far this season. I have seen
Hamilton Southeastern, Carmel, and two-time
defending 4A state champ North Central (Indianapolis),
and they would all have trouble defending the Pantherâ??s attacking style of play.
 
That is why South Bend Washington is making the trip down U.S. 31
to the Fieldhouse and those Indianapolis-area powers are not.

If Washington is on top of
its game offensively, I do not see anyone that can match up with the talent
that coach Marilyn Coddens puts on the floor. Prediction: The Panthers cruise
by double digits.

How South
Bend Washington got
here
South Bend Riley
Sectional
LaPorte,
W 86-42
Michigan City,
W 78-71

Valparaiso
Regional
Chesterton,
W 71-48
Elkhart
Memorial, W 86-68

Plymouth Semistate
Kokomo,
W 60-58

CASTLE KNIGHTS
After watching Castle (24-3) totally shut down No. 8 Hamilton
Southeastern and hold the Royals to their lowest point total (36) of the season
in last weekâ??s Jeffersonville
Semistate, itâ??s hard to
tell why the Knights are getting no love from the pollsters.

The Knights comes into their 4A showdown on a major roll, riding
a 14-game winning streak. Their last loss came nearly two months ago against Jeffersonville, whom the
Knights defeated by 29 points in a regional victory. Castle features a lot of
size, with every starter measuring 5â??9â? or taller. Three of the five starters
average 11 points or better a contest.

It will be the Knightsâ?? first trip to the state championship
game.

Backcourt
Of the five starters, only senior Stephanie Gehlhausen is listed
as a guard, but seniors Katelyn Smith and Lynn McKinney will also spend a lot
of time on the perimeter. Because of its size advantage, Castle has the ability
to adapt to whatever style it needs to match up best against the opponent.

Smith handles the ball quite a bit as a point forward and likes
to dictate the offense. The 5â??11â? senior averages 11.3 points and shoots 42
percent from the field. Gehlhausen leads the team with 2.8 assists and also
chips in with 9.6 points a game. McKinney
will do whatever is asked, averaging 7.4 points and 3.9 rebounds.

Frontcourt
Castle features a pair of skilled post players in 6â??1â? senior
Maria Olsthoom and 5â??11â? junior Jasmine Ussery. Both players average over 12
points and six rebounds a game.

Olsthoom leads the team at 12.3 ppg and is second to Ussery with
6.5 rpg. Despite being the taller of the two, Olsthoom is comfortable playing
away from the basket and can move around the court freely. Ussery seems to like
to play with her back to the basket and has several quality post moves. The junior
is the team leader with 8.4 rebounds per game and also averages an even dozen
in the points category.

How Castle got here
Evansville Reitz Sectional
Evansville
Harrison, W 71-41
Evansville
Central, W 58-45

Bedford North
Lawrence Regional
Jeffersonville,
W 61-32
Bloomington
North, W 65-53

Jeffersonville Semistate
Hamilton
Southeastern, W 43-36

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Preview (Class A): Trio of seniors leads Lafayette Central Catholic against South Central and its super soph

Posted on 03 March 2006 by alexanderscot.


Staff Report

Brandon Jones and Bubba Harnist preview the Class A girls basketball
championship game between No. 13 Lafayette Central Catholic and 15th-ranked
South Central (Elizabeth). Jonesie handles the former, while Bubs tackles the
latter â?¦

LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC KNIGHTS
The
Knights (17-10) have experience on their side. Starting three seniors who
basically run the show does not hurt.
In fact,
those three seniors are the teamâ??s top three leading scorers. Seniors Jenna
Jones and Katie Pechin are deadly from the outside, while Kathleen Mills is a
punisher in the paint. Expect a large quantity of Lafayette Central Catholicâ??s
points to come from â??the big three.â?

Strengths
Free throw
shooting. Sure, it may sound simple, but when the Knights get to the charity
stripe, they donâ??t miss very often. That was the difference in their Elkhart Semistate
victory over Argos
â??? the
Dragons were forced to foul late in the contest, and Central Catholic cashed in
from the line to put the game away.

The
Knights seem to play their best basketball in the middle periods of the game. Both
the second and third quarters are what has catapulted the Knights this far in
the tournament. They turned a close contest into a double-digit blowout last
weekend at Plymouth
behind a huge ending to the second quarter and a solid beginning to the third.

Whatever
is being said in the locker room by coach Geoff Salmon must be working!

Balance. Like
other state finals teams, the Knights feature a solid balance of inside and
outside play. They can strike quickly and are comfortable getting two or three
points from anywhere on the court. Jones and Pechin can cause headaches for
opposing guards, while Mills wreaks havoc inside with a variety of post moves.

Destiny. Finally,
one may have to believe that this team is meant to finish something special. The
Knights played a tough schedule of large-school teams, and that has paid off
for them in this tournament. This team entered sectional play at 11-10, a
mediocre record at best. But none of that matters now as, six wins later, the
Knights are heading to Indianapolis
to play for a state championship.

Weaknesses
The
Knights have gotten off to slow starts in a couple of their postseason
contests. Falling behind early and then coming back in the second quarter has
become a habit of this team. But the Knights probably cannot afford to do so again
this weekend at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Depth. Many
small-school teams have a hole in this department as the cupboard is sometimes
very thin after the first line of defense. LCC does feature some role players
who fill in nicely, but if the Knights get into serious foul trouble, then the
Knights themselves are in serious trouble.

Lack of
patience. Sometimes the LCC guards get too anxious and do not wait patiently
for the best shot available. The Knights are at their best when they are
dumping the ball into Mills and letting her work to make the smartest decision.

Overall
Lafayette
Central Catholic is the real deal. The Knights have great balance and a trio of
scorers that can hurt the opposition. They also defend the paint very well.
South Central will have to bring its â??Aâ? game from the outside to have a shot
at beating them. Prediction: In a low scoring contest, pick Lafayette Central
Catholic by a handful.

How Lafayette Central Catholic got here
Frontier
Sectional
Carroll
(Flora), W 41-19
Clinton
Prairie, W 41-37
Rossville,
W 49-40

Lapel
Regional
Indianapolis
Lutheran, W 58-53
Tri-Central,
W 53-50

Plymouth Semistate
Argos,
W 65-53

SOUTH
CENTRAL (ELIZABETH)
REBELS
South Central (23-5) is going where no team in school history
has gone: a state championship game. Weâ??re not just talking about basketball here
â??? never has a team from any sport at
South Central made it to the finals of an IHSAA team sport. Still, the Rebels
have to like their chances.

They come into this game on an eight-game winning streak, and
they are 18-0 this season against the other Class A schools they have faced.

Backcourt
The Rebels will come at Lafayette Central Catholic with a three-guard
lineup led by sophomore Brittany Schoen. Schoen is one of the stateâ??s leading
scorerâ??s at 20.5 points per game. If last weekâ??s 25-point effort in the Southport Semistate
win over Attica was any indication, then
Rebels go as Schoen goes.
Starting along with Schoen in the Rebelsâ?? enlarged backcourt is
junior Karen Deaton, who averages 9.1 points a game, and senior Sarah Pease (5.5
ppg).

Frontcourt
Junior Kaela Orwick, who averages 5.9 points a game, leads the
frontcourt. Last week, Orwick came up with some huge points in the second half
to help pace the Rebels. If the Knights can stop Schoen, Orwick will have to
step up to give her team a chance to win.

The other frontcourt starter for the Rebels is senior Valerie
Burnette.

Bench
The Rebel bench came up large last week after some early foul
trouble to the starters. South Central put eight players in the scoring column,
showing it has some depth to go along with the starting five.

Leading the way off the bench is senior Jenna Kingsley and her
6.6 points a game.

Intangibles
This is a team that plays very well together and keeps its
composure when falling behind. In the win over Attica,
the Rebels proved that even if Schoen struggles (only two points in the third quarter),
they have the ability to keep the lead. All this should play into their hands Saturday
against a team that no one thought would be there.

Itâ??s hard to figure out which team has more pressure on them,
much less which one is the favorite. South Central is boldly going where no
team in school history has gone, while Lafayette Central Catholic is the
surprise of the Class A tournament.

Prediction: Look for South Central to go to Schoen early and
often to get her involved. If Schoen is on, it could be a long day for
Lafayette Central Catholic and a great day for South Central â?¦ a day where the
Rebels can cut down the nets and be crowned the schoolâ??s first-ever state champ.

How South Central got here
South
Central (Elizabeth)
Sectional
Restoration
Christian, W 66-15
Borden,
W 79-54
Lanesville,
W 62-41

Southwestern
(Shelbyville) Regional
Oldenburg
Academy,
W 56-40
Northeast
Dubois, W 49-46

Southport Semistate
Attica, W 54-43

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