Hawaii State | Archive | December, 2008

By Mike McGraw
Executive Director

SHELBYVILLE – Those who don’t value tradition do not understand the power it possesses. The Dec. 29 championship game of the Rush-Shelby Shootout was a classic case in point.

Class 2A top-ranked Heritage Christian, a three-time defending state champion and nationally ranked, was matched against Rushville. The 3A No. 5 Lions are a quality team in their own right, having lost only once this season heading into the game. Nonetheless, on a player-by-player basis, they could not begin to match the talent of the heralded Eagles.

What they did have was tradition. Rushville was a perennial state power long before most of the Heritage Christian players were even born. That type of heritage breeds character, and that in turn eliminates fear.

Heritage Christian, thanks to some character of its own, survived this thriller at Shelbyville by a score of 53-49. But you can bet the Eagles traveled home with a new-found respect for small-town Indiana pride.

This contest was a grind-it-out, possession-by-possession slugfest. Rushville was determined not to allow Heritage Christian’s vaunted transition game to determine the outcome, nor were the Lions going to allow HC’s defensive pressure to speed up their own offense.

They won the battle on both counts. In fact, the majority of the few transition baskets scored in the game were in Rushville’s favor.

The biggest run by either team was seven points. The largest lead by either team was also seven points, a short-lived Heritage Christian advantage late in the game.

The game was sloppy early, but not because of carelessness. Both teams’ defenses quickly established that points on this night were to be earned. The result was a back-and-forth battle that found Heritage Christian holding a 17-16 edge midway through the second quarter.

It was in the waning minutes of the half that the Lions firmly announced they were not going away any time soon. Rushville outscored Heritage Christian 9-3 down the stretch, including the last seven points, to take a 26-20 lead at intermission.

Runs do not intimidate teams like Heritage Christian. They simply make the Eagles angry.

The Eagles charged from the locker room to start the third period with a 9-0 run that propelled them to a 29-26 advantage. That was the point where most teams crack, unable to match the efficiency and poise of the Eagles.

Rushville is not most teams.

The Lions responded with a 10-2 run of their own to hold a 36-31 lead late in the quarter. Despite battling turnovers throughout the quarter, Rushville managed to maintain the advantage to the end of the period at 38-37 heading into the fourth stanza.

The defensive intensity in the early minutes of the fourth quarter was impressive, to say the least. The teams crawled to a 41-41 tie with five minutes remaining. That is when Heritage Christian, in the person of potential Miss Basketball Kelly Faris, showed some character of its own.

The 5’11” senior had been frustrated offensively all night. But at crunch time – like all great players do – Faris found another way to influence the game.

In the next two minutes and spanning roughly five possessions, every shot that came off the rim at either end belonged to Faris. Her exploits were enough to propel the Eagles to a 45-41 lead, and that small margin was all Heritage Christian needed to seize control of the game.

The Eagles spread the court offensively and lived the final minutes at the free throw line. Six of their last eight points came at the charity stripe.

The strategy worked perfectly into the final 90 seconds of the game. The Eagles stretched their advantage to seven at 51-44 and seemed comfortably in control. Then it nearly backfired.

After Rushville scored to cut the margin to 51-46, Heritage Christian connected on only one of its next three attempts from the stripe. When the Lions sank a 3-pointer, it was suddenly 52-49 with just less than 30 seconds to play.

But Rushville was forced to foul again on the ensuing trip, and the Eagles connected on one of two to make it a two-possession lead with 12 seconds to play. Tremendous perimeter defense kept the Lions from even getting a shot in the waning seconds.

With Rushville’s defense geared to stop Faris, senior Claire Freeman stepped up as the big weapon for Heritage Christian with 24 points. Faris, despite being harassed all game, finished with 12 markers.

Rushville was led by Alexa Bess with 16 points and Morgan Herbert with 13.

After the game, Rushville coach Melissa Marlow was disappointed but very proud of her team. Her comments are in the video player on this page.

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Results from Week 8 (Dec. 29-Jan. 3) of the 2008-09 girls basketball season, courtesy of John Harrell’s Indiana high school basketball website:

Saturday, Jan. 3
Anderson 78, Lebanon 71
Beech Grove 62, Indianapolis Scecina 52
Bremen 67, Elkhart Christian 18
Brownsburg 53, University 50
Crawford County 66, Borden 62
Evansville Harrison 54, Sullivan 27
Evansville Mater Dei 69, Tell City 38
Evansville Memorial 66, Heritage Hills 37
Fairfield 50, White Pigeon (Mich.) 30
Franklin 56, East Central 44
Frankton 52, Shenandoah 50
Greenwood 49, Indianapolis Roncalli 46
Indianapolis Arlington 73, Indianapolis Attucks 22
John Glenn 38, North Judson 30
Lewis Cass 43, Delphi 34
Loogootee 52, Pike Central 48
Louisville Holy Cross (Ky.) 55, Providence 32
Merrillville 63, Valparaiso 52
Mitchell 66, Charlestown 59
North Central (Indianapolis) 63, Terre Haute North 49
Penn 64, Fort Wayne Luers 48
Perry Central 54, Springs Valley 43
Perry Meridian 58, Pike 43
Prairie Heights 74, West Noble 71
Randolph Southern 50, Tri 46
Rushville 73, Union County 39
South Bend Washington 70, Elkhart Memorial 54
Union (Modoc) 47, Wes-Del 33

Ben Davis Tournament
Plainfield 69, Vincennes Lincoln 51
Ben Davis 70, Bloomington South 37
Bloomington South 50, Vincennes Lincoln 39 third place
Ben Davis 94, Plainfield 43 championship

Bi-County Tournament
Fountain Central 54, Covington 37

Blackford Tournament
Southern Wells 62, Wapahani 32
North Miami 55, Blackford 51

Floyd Central Tournament
Presentation (Ky.) 43, South Central (Elizabeth) 41
Floyd Central 35, Castle 29
Pleasure Ridge Park (Ky.) 60, South Central (Elizabeth) 51
New Albany 56, Castle 50
Floyd Central 56, Martinsville 43

Garrett Shootout
Garrett 41, Columbia City 30
Homestead 35, Heritage 32
Garrett 57, Homestead 53
Heritage 42, Columbia City 32

Goshen Tournament
DeKalb 43, Northridge 30
Goshen 44, Lakeland 41
Lakeland 47, Northridge 42
DeKalb 53, Goshen 34

Grant Four Tournament
Oak Hill 55, Eastbrook 24
Oak Hill 58, Madison-Grant 33

Hamilton County Classic
Noblesville 75, South Bend Adams 22
Westfield 71, South Bend Clay 42
Westfield 59, South Bend Adams 23
Noblesville 79, South Bend Clay 62

Hancock County Tournament
New Palestine 48, Eastern Hancock 31
Greenfield-Central 40, Mount Vernon (Fortville) 39

Hanover Central Tournament
Hammond Noll 56, Hammond Clark 41
Beecher (Ill.) 76, Hanover Central 73

Rumble on the River
Austin 85, North Harrison 79
Tates Creek (Ky.) 62, Franklin County 59
McCutcheon 67, Southwestern (Hanover) 44
North Harrison 59, Tates Creek (Ky.) 51

South County Tournament
Boone Grove 65, Morgan Twp. 31
Kouts 55, Hebron 50

Wabash County Tournament
Northfield 65, Southwood 35
Wabash 51, Manchester 38

Winter Classic
Rochester 52, West Central 45
Kankakee Valley 57, Argos 52

Unreported games
Centerville at New Castle
Crawfordsville at Harrison (West Lafayette)
Greensburg at Waldron
Marquette Catholic at North Newton
West Washington at Cannelton

Bi-County Tournament
Seeger vs. Attica

Floyd Central Tournament
Martinsville vs. New Albany

Lakeland Christian Tournament
Indianapolis Trailblazers vs. Huntington Eagles
Indianapolis Trailblazers vs. South Bend Trinity
South Bend Trinity vs. Lakeland Christian

Rumble on the River
Connersville vs. Fishers
Jasper vs. Columbus East
North Harrison vs. McCutcheon
Cambridge City Lincoln vs. Southwestern (Hanover)
Fishers vs. Austin

Grant Four Tournament
Mississinewa vs. Madison-Grant
Eastbrook vs. Mississinewa

South Putnam Tournament
Shakamak vs. South Putnam
Clay City vs. North Vermillion
Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2

Friday, Jan. 2
Boonville 53, Mount Vernon (Posey) 41
Fort Wayne Luers 43, Fort Wayne Concordia 37
Fremont 51, Whitko 35
Jac-Cen-Del 44, North Decatur 42
Lafayette Jeff 85, Seymour 79
Portage 43, Crown Point 29
South Bend Washington 92, Gary West 70
Southport 53, Whiteland 42

Bi-County Tournament
Covington 46, Seeger 33
Fountain Central 70, Attica 19

Clinton Central Classic
Clinton Central 46, Frontier 36
Speedway 43, Eastern (Greentown) 41
Eastern (Greentown) 53, Frontier 21

Floyd Central Tournament
Martinsville 48, Presentation (Ky.) 32
New Albany 53, South Central (Elizabeth) 52
Castle 71, Pleasure Ridge Park (Ky.) 42
Floyd Central 57, Australian Cobras 44

Hancock County Tournament
Greenfield-Central 55, New Palestine 42
Mount Vernon (Fortville) 61, Eastern Hancock 22

Hanover Central Tournament
Beecher (Ill.) 56, Hammond Noll 46
Hanover Central 74, Hammond Clark 40

Norwell Shootout
Norwell 60, Plymouth 54 (OT)
Wawasee 52, Brebeuf Jesuit 41
Plymouth 38, Brebeuf Jesuit 35
Norwell 50, Wawasee 46

Rumble on the River
Austin 73, Columbus East 65
Jasper 51, Southwestern (Hanover) 39
North Harrison 58, Tates Creek (Ky.) 53
Fishers 83, Franklin County 51
Connersville 56, Cambridge City Lincoln 21
Austin 64, McCutcheon 58

South County Tournament
Hebron 31, Morgan Twp. 22
Kouts 53, Boone Grove 48

Wabash County Tournament
Wabash 60, Northfield 49
Manchester 56, Southwood 36

Winter Classic
Kankakee Valley 43, West Central 39
Argos 75, Rochester 46

Unreported games
Clinton Central Classic
Speedway vs. Clinton Central

Lakeland Christian Tournament
Indianapolis Trailblazers vs. Lakeland Christian
Huntington Eagles vs. Lakeland Christian

Rumble on the River
Fishers vs. Jasper
Cambridge City Lincoln vs. McCutcheon

Thursday, Jan. 1
Valparaiso Shootout
Turkey Run 50, Griffith 27

Tuesday, Dec. 30
Centerville 62, Shenandoah 46
Crown Point 58, Merrillville 46
Evansville North 43, North Posey 36
Fort Wayne Concordia 45, Columbia City 36
Fort Wayne South 70, Bellmont 56
Indianapolis Northwest 75, Indianapolis Attucks 17
Jeffersonville 64, Floyd Central 46
Kankakee Valley 66, Hammond Gavit 49
Knox 41, Goshen 28
Lake Central 54, Portage 52
Lakeland 47, Westview 42
Lapel 56 St. Joseph’s, Central Catholic (W.Va.) 54
Munster 49, Calumet 40 (OT)
New Castle 63, Anderson Highland 53
Valparaiso 46, Chesterton 38
Vincennes Lincoln 66, Boonville 35
Waldron 78, Oldenburg Academy 35

Avon Tournament
Warren Central 53, Avon 36
Decatur Central 70, Jennings County 56
Avon 40, Jennings County 32 third place
Decatur Central 61, Warren Central 52 championship

Covenant Christian Tournament
Covenant Christian 73, Indianapolis Manual 43
Indianapolis Tindley 58, Elwood 50
Elwood 46, Indianapolis Manual 44 consolation
Covenant Christian 54, Indianapolis Tindley 39 championship

Eastern Greene Tournament
Hauser 54, Eastern Greene 33
Forest Park 43, South Knox 36
Indianapolis Arlington 48, Indianapolis Chatard 38
Owen Valley 63, Edgewood 42
South Knox 46, Eastern Greene 44 seventh place
Edgewood 52, Indianapolis Chatard 50 third place
Owen Valley 46, Indianapolis Arlington 30 championship

Huntington North Classic
Hamilton Heights 66, Huntington North 64
Hamilton Southeastern 72, East Chicago Central 23
Huntington North 68, East Chicago Central 45 third place
Hamilton Southeastern 59, Hamilton Heights 41 championship

Lawrence North Shootout
Pike 57, Brownsburg 43
Columbus North 57, Scottsburg 28
Triton Central 51, Lawrence Central 42 (OT)
Lawrence North 72, Carroll (Fort Wayne) 49

North Central Tournament
Springboro (Ohio) 43, Brebeuf Jesuit 42
North Central (Indianapolis) 63, Hamilton (Ohio) 34

Northeastern Tournament
Northeastern 46, Guerin Catholic 20
Monroe Central 57, Muncie South 55 (OT)
Northeastern 40, Monroe Central 36 championship

Red Hill Invitational
Union (Dugger) 67, Red Hill (Ill.) 51 championship

T-Mobile Invitational
South Bend Washington 64, Madison Bob Jones (Ala.) 55 championship

Twin Lakes Tournament
Evansville Memorial 62, Taylor 52
Logansport 55, Lebanon 34
Western 54, Indianapolis Cathedral 48
Randolph Southern 48, Twin Lakes 46
Logansport 54, Randolph Southern 48 fifth place
Indianapolis Cathedral 72, Taylor 45 third place
Evansville Memorial 62, Western 21 championship

Wheeler Tournament
Hobart 51, Wheeler 40 third place
Griffith 43, Andrean 37 consolation

Unreported games
Springs Valley Washington Catholic 8:00 PM
Forest Park Hauser 4:00 PM
Guerin Catholic Muncie South 3:00 PM
Lebanon Twin Lakes 4:30 PM

Monday, Dec. 29
Fairfield 54, South Bend St. Joseph’s 40
Pendleton Heights 47, Cleveland St. Joseph’s (Ohio) 25

Eastern Greene Tournament
South Knox 35, Eastern Greene 31
Indianapolis Arlington 58, Owen Valley 38
Hauser 60, Forest Park 53
Indianapolis Chatard 55, Eastern Greene 38
Edgewood 48, South Knox 34
Indianapolis Arlington 72, Hauser 52
Owen Valley 67, Forest Park 56

Franklin Central Tournament
Center Grove 59, Franklin Central 35
Mooresville 65, Madison 48
Franklin Central 53, Madison 34
Mooresville 60, Center Grove 45

Hall of Fame Tournament
Ben Davis 61, Connersville 34
Oak Hill 61, Wawasee 58 (3OT)
Wawasee 37, Connersville 33 (OT)
Ben Davis 64, Oak Hill 40

North Central Tournament
Brebeuf Jesuit 63, Hamilton (Ohio) 43
North Central (Indianapolis) 46, Springboro (Ohio) 29

Red Hill Invitational
Union (Dugger) 64, Lawrenceville (Ill.) 49

Rush-Shelby Shootout
Indianapolis Roncalli 59, Shelbyville 40
Heritage Christian 53, Rushville 49

T-Mobile Invitational
South Bend Washington 75, Newark University (N.J.) 73

Twin Lakes Tournament
Taylor 50, Logansport 45
Evansville Memorial 51, Lebanon 40
Indianapolis Cathedral 49, Randolph Southern 48
Western 55, Twin Lakes 44

Warsaw Tournament
Warsaw 49, East Noble 41
Perry Meridian 37, Hagerstown 29
Hagerstown 47, East Noble 42
Perry Meridian 54, Warsaw 53

Wheeler Tournament
Griffith 27, Hobart 25
Andrean 46, Wheeler 29

Zionsville Tournament
Zionsville 52, Danville 33
Benton Central 66, Crawfordsville 60
Crawfordsville 54, Danville 42
Benton Central 55, Zionsville 36

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By Mike McGraw
Executive Director

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. Uncle Mike’s family, however, can only stand just so much of the old curmudgeon before they send him out to a ballgame somewhere just to get rid of him.

So, here is a little holiday cheer from the original scrooge. By the way, he is giving us a bonus with some comments on the girls side from the Dec. 26-27 action.

Boys games
Princeton 78, Wood Memorial 36
How do you know that basketball season has started? Princeton actually wins and Wood Memorial is still losing.

Terre Haute South 69, South Vermillion 31
The Wildcats were beaten by one man – literally! Terre Haute’s John Michael Jarvis outscored South Vermillion 34-31 by himself. That is downright embarrassing.

Delta 67, Richmond 50
There was a time when this score would have been news.

Guerin Catholic 78, Indianapolis Chatard 62
It is OK for this to happen in basketball, but if Guerin starts to compete like this in football, Chatard may ask the Vatican to step in.

Mississinewa 53, Oak Hill 47
This means war! Oh wait, they have already been at war for 40 years.

Marshall (IL) 55, Rockville 53
This is disappointing. Everybody in Western Indiana was looking forward to the game between Rockville and Terre Haute South.

Lafayette Central Catholic 65, Franklin Central 59
People are going to have to face facts. The Knights may not be easy to like, but they are good. By the way, I would not want to be in Franklin Central’s practices this week.

Girls games
LaVille 61, Caston 12
Seriously, this is too bad. Caston is a school with a proud tradition in a basketball-crazy part of the state.

Bloomington South 56, Indianapolis Tech 19
This game was a gift from J.R. to his Lady Panthers.

Borden 46, Brown County 45
I thought Borden was a dairy. Wow, did I just show how old I am?

Fort Wayne Elmhurst 60, Fort Wayne South 49
Every once in awhile, Elmhurst has to remind everybody they still exist.

Vincennes Rivet 71, Evansville Mater Dei 60
I would make some crack about being surprised that Rivet has five girls in the school, except they are really good. The bottom line is that when you are baptized in Vincennes, they hit you with the water and hand you a basketball.

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By E. Shawn Aylsworth
Managing Editor

According to the Sagarin power ratings, there are 15 big games (pitting teams rated in their respective class’s Top 20) on tap for Week 8 of the 2008 Indiana high school girls basketball season.

Here’s a preview of those big contests via the pertinent numbers taken from John Harrell’s Indiana high school basketball site (rankings are from the latest ICGSA polls):

Monday, Dec. 29
Six biggies …

4A #1 Ben Davis (10-0) vs. Connersville (8-3)
GAME TIME: 10:00 AM EST, Hall of Fame Tournament at New Castle (WBDG, 90.9 FM; WIFE, 100.3 FM, 1580 AM).
COACHES: Stan Benge, 448-125 in 24th year at Ben Davis. Michael Thompson, 50-31 in 4th year at Connersville.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Ben Davis, 103.47, 1st overall, 1st in Class 4A. Connersville, 88.42, 21st overall, 18th in Class 4A.
LAST OUTING: Ben Davis defeated Terre Haute North, 70-22, Dec. 20. Connersville defeated South Dearborn, 73-24, Dec. 20.
VS. COMMON FOES: None.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Ben Davis 48-44, Connersville 62-49.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: No meetings.
LAST MEETING: Ben Davis, 58-45, semistate, Feb. 24, 2001.

3A #1 Wawasee (9-0) vs. 2A #2 Oak Hill (10-0)
GAME TIME: noon EST, Hall of Fame Tournament at New Castle.
COACHES: Kem Zolman, 173-69 in 11th year at Wawasee. Todd Law, 82-23 in 5th year at Oak Hill.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Oak Hill, 86.39, 28th overall, 2nd in Class 2A. Wawasee, 85.13, 36th overall, 8th in Class 3A.
LAST OUTING: Wawasee defeated Warsaw, 60-41, Dec. 20. Oak Hill defeated Frankton, 76-23, Dec. 20.
VS. COMMON FOES: None.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Wawasee 37-47, Oak Hill 39-49.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: No meetings.

3A #7 Benton Central (10-1) vs. 3A #4 Crawfordsville (10-0)
GAME TIME: 12:45 PM EST, Zionsville Tournament.
COACHES: Pat Cole, 24-8 in 2nd year at Benton Central. Darren Haas, 95-65 in 8th year at Crawfordsville.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Benton Central, 86.68, 27th overall, 4th in Class 3A. Crawfordsville, 83.28, 43rd overall, 11th in Class 3A.
LAST OUTING: Benton Central defeated Frankfort, 73-55, Dec. 20. Crawfordsville defeated North Montgomery, 62-41, Dec. 19.
VS. COMMON FOES: Benton Central 5-0. Crawfordsville 4-0.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Benton Central 52-62, Crawfordsville 44-54.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Tied, 1-1.
LAST MEETING: Crawfordsville, 49-42, Dec. 28, 2007.

2A #19 Hagerstown (8-1) vs. 4A #15 Perry Meridian (8-3)
GAME TIME: 11:45 AM EST, Warsaw Tournament.
COACHES: Chris Oliger, 67-68 in 7th year at Hagerstown. Mike Armstrong, 311-189 in 23rd year at Perry Meridian.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Perry Meridian, 90.46, 15th overall, 14th in Class 4A. Hagerstown, 78.79, 66th overall, 8th in Class 2A.
LAST OUTING: Hagerstown defeated Whitko, 48-23, Dec. 27. Perry Meridian defeated Whiteland, 75-45, Dec. 27.
VS. COMMON FOES: None.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Hagerstown 43-41, Perry Meridian 60-50.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: No meetings.

2A #1 Heritage Christian (11-0) vs. 3A #5 Rushville (9-1)
GAME TIME: 8:00 PM EST, Rush-Shelby Shootout at Shelbyville.
COACHES: Rick Risinger, 89-7 in 4th year at Heritage Christian. Melissa Marlow, 104-90 in 9th year at Rushville.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Heritage Christian, 99.02, 5th overall, 1st in Class 2A. Rushville, 89.94, 17th overall, 1st in Class 3A.
LAST OUTING: Heritage Christian defeated Indianapolis Roncalli, 55-25, Dec. 27. Rushville defeated Shelbyville, 60-21, Dec. 27.
VS. COMMON FOES: None.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Heritage Christian 51-41, Rushville 49-50.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Heritage Christian, 1-0.
LAST MEETING: Heritage Christian, 65-54, Dec. 28, 2007.

Tri-Central (5-6) vs. 4A #13 Elkhart Memorial (11-0)
GAME TIME: TBA EST, South Bend Riley Classic.
COACHES: Kathie Layden, 149-80 in 10th year at Tri-Central. Larry Fielstra, 105-31 in 6th year at Elkhart Memorial.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Elkhart Memorial, 88.63, 20th overall, 17th in Class 4A. Tri-Central, 65.69, 162nd overall, 14th in Class 1A.
LAST OUTING: Tri-Central defeated Chicago Julian (Ill.), 63-45, Dec. 27. Elkhart Memorial defeated Mishawaka Marian, 56-40, Dec. 27.
VS. COMMON FOES: Tri-Central 0-1. Elkhart Memorial 1-0.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Tri-Central 59-42, Elkhart Memorial 56-62.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Elkhart Memorial, 1-0.
LAST MEETING: Elkhart Memorial, 69-33, Dec. 28, 2007.

Friday, Jan. 2
Four biggies …

4A #12 Seymour (9-1) at Lafayette Jeff (8-3)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST.
COACHES: Beth DeVinney, 88-54 in 8th year at Seymour, 129-77 in 12th year overall. Jan Conner, 32-23 in 3rd year at Lafayette Jeff, 474-100 in 26th year overall.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Lafayette Jeff, 94.72, 10th overall, 9th in Class 4A. Seymour, 89.77, 18th overall, 16th in Class 4A.
LAST OUTING: Seymour defeated Austin, 72-62, Dec. 23. Lafayette Jeff defeated Chesterton, 83-53, Dec. 22.
VS. COMMON FOES: None.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Seymour 48-48, Lafayette Jeff 65-48.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Seymour, 1-0.
LAST MEETING: Seymour, 84-50, Dec. 29, 2007.

3A #12 Plymouth (7-2) at 3A #9 Norwell (8-1)
GAME TIME: 10:00 AM EST, Norwell Shootout.
COACHES: Dave Cox, 262-116 in 17th year at Plymouth. Eric Thornton, 132-118 in 12th year at Norwell.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Norwell, 85.9, 31st overall, 6th in Class 3A. Plymouth, 82.81, 49th overall, 14th in Class 3A.
LAST OUTING: Plymouth defeated NorthWood, 56-51, Dec. 20. Norwell defeated Heritage, 66-30, Dec. 26.
VS. COMMON FOES: None.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Plymouth 54-36, Norwell 37-48.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Plymouth, 3-0.
LAST MEETING: Plymouth, 48-43, Dec. 22, 2007.

3A #1 Wawasee (9-0) at 3A #9 Norwell (8-1)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST, Norwell Shootout.
COACHES: Kem Zolman, 173-69 in 11th year at Wawasee. Eric Thornton, 132-118 in 12th year at Norwell.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Norwell, 85.9, 31st overall, 6th in Class 3A. Wawasee, 85.13, 36th overall, 8th in Class 3A.
LAST OUTING: Wawasee defeated Warsaw, 60-41, Dec. 20. Norwell defeated Heritage, 66-30, Dec. 26.
VS. COMMON FOES: None.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Wawasee 37-47, Norwell 37-48.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Wawasee, 2-1.
LAST MEETING: Norwell, 58-46, Dec. 22, 2007.

3A #14 Franklin County (7-2) vs. 4A #5 Fishers (9-1)
GAME TIME: 1:30 PM EST, Rumble on the River at Southwestern (Hanover).
COACHES: Amber Parker, 23-10 in 2nd year at Franklin County. Michael Gaines, 37-18 in 3rd year at Fishers.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Fishers, 99.67, 4th overall, 4th in Class 4A. Franklin County, 78.62, 68th overall, 18th in Class 3A.
LAST OUTING: Franklin County defeated Jennings County, 56-54, Dec. 20. Fishers defeated North Central (Indianapolis), 82-40, Dec. 22.
VS. COMMON FOES: None.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Franklin County 43-42, Fishers 52-47.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: No meetings.

Saturday, Jan. 3
Five biggies …

Centerville (6-3) at New Castle (7-2)
GAME TIME: 1:30 PM EST.
COACHES: Jason Searcy, 25-26 in 3rd year at Centerville. Curt Bell, 154-43 in 9th year at New Castle.
SAGARIN RATINGS: New Castle, 87.89, 24th overall, 20th in Class 4A. Centerville, 70.68, 121st overall, 17th in Class 2A.
LAST OUTING: Centerville lost to Hagerstown, 41-26, Dec. 16. New Castle defeated Tri, 50-47, Dec. 27.
VS. COMMON FOES: Centerville 1-0. New Castle 1-0.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Centerville 45-38, New Castle 43-47.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: New Castle, 2-0.
LAST MEETING: New Castle, 52-37, Dec. 29, 2007.

Greensburg (9-1) at 1A #13 Waldron (6-3)
GAME TIME: 1:30 PM EST.
COACHES: Mike Miller, 51-46 in 5th year at Greensburg, 237-263 in 24th year overall. Brad Gossett, 58-38 in 5th year at Waldron, 68-72 in 7th year overall.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Greensburg, 82.85, 48th overall, 13th in Class 3A. Waldron, 65.8, 158th overall, 13th in Class 1A.
LAST OUTING: Greensburg defeated Batesville, 55-50, Dec. 19. Waldron defeated Shelbyville, 68-55, Dec. 20.
VS. COMMON FOES: Greensburg 2-0. Waldron 2-0.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Greensburg 48-46, Waldron 44-48.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Greensburg, 3-2.
LAST MEETING: Greensburg, 54-43, Dec. 11, 2007.

4A #2 South Bend Washington (10-0) at 4A #13 Elkhart Memorial (11-0)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST.
COACHES: Maurice Scott, 10-0 in 1st year at South Bend Washington. Larry Fielstra, 105-31 in 6th year at Elkhart Memorial, 120-68 in 9th year overall.
SAGARIN RATINGS: South Bend Washington, 96.33, 6th overall, 5th in Class 4A. Elkhart Memorial, 88.63, 20th overall, 17th in Class 4A.
LAST OUTING: South Bend Washington defeated Detroit M.L. King (Mich.), 70-35, Dec. 27. Elkhart Memorial defeated Mishawaka Marian, 56-40, Dec. 27.
VS. COMMON FOES: South Bend Washington 3-0. Elkhart Memorial 3-0.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: South Bend Washington 38-57, Elkhart Memorial 56-62.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: South Bend Washington, 8-0.
LAST MEETING: South Bend Washington, 73-56, regional, Feb. 16, 2008.

3A #3 Vincennes Lincoln (10-0) vs. 4A #10 Plainfield (10-0)
GAME TIME: 10:00 AM EST, Ben Davis Tournament (WZDM, 92.1 FM).
COACHES: Jason Lane, 55-24 in 4th year at Vincennes Lincoln. Curt Benge, 214-93 in 14th year at Plainfield.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Plainfield, 91.56, 13th overall, 12th in Class 4A. Vincennes Lincoln, 86.22, 30th overall, 5th in Class 3A.
LAST OUTING: Vincennes Lincoln defeated Evansville Reitz, 54-31, Dec. 20. Plainfield defeated Martinsville, 62-53, Dec. 19.
VS. COMMON FOES: None.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Vincennes Lincoln 56-45, Plainfield 46-52.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Plainfield, 3-1.
LAST MEETING: Bloomington South, 61-55, Dec. 29, 2007.

4A #11 Bloomington South (8-1) at 4A #1 Ben Davis (10-0)
GAME TIME: 11:30 AM EST, Ben Davis Tournament (WBDG, 90.9 FM).
COACHES: Larry Winters, 130-77 in 10th year at Bloomington South. Stan Benge, 448-125 in 24th year at Ben Davis.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Ben Davis, 103.47, 1st overall, 1st in Class 4A. Bloomington South, 96.02, 7th overall, 6th in Class 4A.
LAST OUTING: Bloomington South defeated Indianapolis Tech, 56-19, Dec. 27. Ben Davis defeated Terre Haute North, 70-22, Dec. 20.
VS. COMMON FOES: Bloomington South 1-0. Ben Davis 1-0.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Bloomington South 47-43, Ben Davis 48-44.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Ben Davis, 3-1.
LAST MEETING: Ben Davis, 54-28, Dec. 29, 2007.

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By E. Shawn Aylsworth
Managing Editor

According to the Sagarin power ratings, there are eight big games (pitting teams rated in their respective class’s Top 20) on tap for Week 7 of the 2008 Indiana high school girls basketball season.

Here’s a preview of those big contests via the pertinent numbers taken from John Harrell’s Indiana high school basketball site (rankings are from the latest ICGSA polls, which didn’t come out this week and thus caused a delay):

Tuesday, Dec. 23
Three biggies …

2A #9 Austin (5-2) at 4A #12 Seymour (7-1)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST.
COACHES: Jared Petersen, 51-29 in 4th year at Austin. Beth DeVinney, 86-54 in 8th year at Seymour, 127-77 in 12th year overall.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Seymour, 91, 15th overall, 13th in Class 4A. Austin, 71.17, 115th overall, 15th in Class 2A.
LAST OUTING: Austin lost to Brownstown Central, 61-60, Dec. 13. Seymour defeated Columbus North, 53-40, Dec. 16.
VS. COMMON FOES: Austin 1-1. Seymour 2-0.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Austin 24-30, Seymour 27-30.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Seymour, 4-0.
LAST MEETING: Seymour, 81-77, overtime, Dec. 17, 2007.

4A #1 Ben Davis (9-0) at 4A #3 Terre Haute South (10-0) (postponed)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST (WBDG, 90.9 FM).
COACHES: Stan Benge, 447-125 in 24th year at Ben Davis. Dave Cassell, 10-0 in 1st year at Terre Haute South.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Ben Davis, 103.59, 1st overall, 1st in Class 4A. Terre Haute South, 99.77, 3rd overall, 3rd in Class 4A.
LAST OUTING: Ben Davis defeated Perry Meridian, 56-34, Dec. 13. Terre Haute South defeated Lafayette Jeff, 81-78, Dec. 13.
VS. COMMON FOES: None.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Ben Davis 38-30, Terre Haute South 41-34.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Ben Davis, 3-2.
LAST MEETING: Ben Davis, 80-54, Dec. 21, 2007.

South Decatur (3-5) at 1A #10 Jac-Cen-Del (5-3)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST.
COACHES: LuAnn Gant, 20-34 in 3rd year at South Decatur. Scott Smith, 110-59 in 8th year at Jac-Cen-Del.
SAGARIN RATINGS: South Decatur, 63.93, 180th overall, 17th in Class 1A. Jac-Cen-Del, 63.49, 184th overall, 18th in Class 1A.
LAST OUTING: South Decatur defeated Oldenburg Academy, 53-45, 2 overtimes, Dec. 15. Jac-Cen-Del defeated Waldron, 52-50, Dec. 9.
VS. COMMON FOES: South Decatur 2-2. Jac-Cen-Del 2-2.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: South Decatur 42-29, Jac-Cen-Del 35-37.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Jac-Cen-Del, 7-2.
LAST MEETING: South Decatur, 54-45, sectional, Feb. 9, 2008.

Saturday, Dec. 27
Five biggies …

1A #2 Barr-Reeve (9-0) at 1A #4 White River Valley (12-0)
GAME TIME: 2:30 PM EST.
COACHES: Mark Holt, 62-56 in 6th year at Barr-Reeve. Joe Pigg, 161-86 in 12th year at White River Valley.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Barr-Reeve, 73.65, 94th overall, 3rd in Class 1A. White River Valley, 73.33, 97th overall, 6th in Class 1A.
LAST OUTING: Barr-Reeve defeated Union (Dugger), 46-43, Dec. 20. White River Valley defeated Bloomfield, 46-43, Dec. 22.
VS. COMMON FOES: Barr-Reeve 5-0. White River Valley 5-0.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Barr-Reeve 41-49, White River Valley 46-72.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Barr-Reeve, 3-2.
LAST MEETING: Barr-Reeve, 56-41, Dec. 18, 2007.

4A #16 Jeffersonville (10-2) at 1A #9 New Washington (9-1)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST.
COACHES: Chad Gilbert, 159-37 in 9th year at Jeffersonville. Terry White, 159-66 in 10th year at New Washington.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Jeffersonville, 89.51, 19th overall, 17th in Class 4A. New Washington, 73.64, 95th overall, 4th in Class 1A.
LAST OUTING: Jeffersonville defeated Bullitt Central (Ky.), 71-34, Dec. 20. New Washington defeated Christian Academy, 78-24, Dec. 22.
VS. COMMON FOES: None.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Jeffersonville 41-36, New Washington 41-57.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Jeffersonville, 2-0.
LAST MEETING: Jeffersonville, 76-47, Dec. 22, 2007.

Knightstown (6-4) at 2A #16 Triton Central (7-2)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST.
COACHES: Dawn Basicker, 78-79 in 8th year at Knightstown. Bryan Graham, 7-2 in 1st year at Triton Central.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Triton Central, 74.77, 87th overall, 11th in Class 2A. Knightstown, 72.27, 110th overall, 13th in Class 2A.
LAST OUTING: Knightstown defeated Wes-Del, 82-23, Dec. 20. Triton Central defeated Indianapolis Scecina, 56-46, Dec. 22.
VS. COMMON FOES: Knightstown 1-0. Triton Central 0-1.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Knightstown 53-40, Triton Central 42-46.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Triton Central, 5-0.
LAST MEETING: Triton Central, 54-34, Dec. 13, 2007.

1A #1 Vincennes Rivet (11-0) at 2A #13 Evansville Mater Dei (6-2)
GAME TIME: 1:30 PM CST.
COACHES: Tim Young, 30-4 in 2nd year at Vincennes Rivet. Steve Goans, 17-11 in 2nd year at Evansville Mater Dei.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Vincennes Rivet, 78.26, 67th overall, 2nd in Class 1A. Evansville Mater Dei, 70.04, 126th overall, 20th in Class 2A.
LAST OUTING: Vincennes Rivet defeated Shoals, 61-45, Dec. 20. Evansville Mater Dei lost to North Posey, 52-37, Dec. 18.
VS. COMMON FOES: Vincennes Rivet 2-0. Evansville Mater Dei 1-1.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Vincennes Rivet 39-63, Evansville Mater Dei 36-37.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Vincennes Rivet, 1-0.
LAST MEETING: Vincennes Rivet, 81-76, Dec. 22, 2007.

2A #1 Heritage Christian (10-0) at Roncalli (5-2)
GAME TIME: 6:00 PM EST, Roncalli.
COACHES: Rick Risinger, 88-7 in 4th year at Heritage Christian. Sara Reideman, 5-2 in 1st year at Indianapolis Roncalli.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Heritage Christian, 96.69, 5th overall, 1st in Class 2A. Indianapolis Roncalli, 77.43, 72nd overall, 20th in Class 3A.
LAST OUTING: Heritage Christian defeated Indianapolis Arlington, 73-41, Dec. 20. Indianapolis Roncalli defeated Brebeuf Jesuit, 52-39, Dec. 19.
VS. COMMON FOES: Heritage Christian 2-0. Indianapolis Roncalli 2-0.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Heritage Christian 45-37, Indianapolis Roncalli 25-38.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Indianapolis Roncalli, 1-0.
LAST MEETING: Heritage Christian, 48-31, Dec. 27, 2007.

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Results from Week 7 (Dec. 22-27) of the 2008-09 girls basketball season, courtesy of John Harrell’s Indiana high school basketball website:

Saturday, Dec. 27
Andrean 63, Hanover Central 52
Barr-Reeve 47, White River Valley 43
Bloomington South 56, Indianapolis Tech 19
Brebeuf Jesuit 67, Indianapolis Cathedral 59
Calumet 46, River Forest 40
Decatur Central 73, Southport 32
Hagerstown 48, Whitko 23
Hammond Gavit 54, Hammond Morton 24
Indianapolis Metropolitan 34, Fall Creek Academy 18
Jeffersonville 51, New Washington 27
Lawrence North 71, Anderson Highland 59
Muncie Central 55, Delta 41
New Castle 50, Tri 47
North Newton 46, Wheeler 43
Perry Meridian 75, Whiteland 45
Shenandoah 74, Alexandria 42
South Bend Washington 70, Detroit M.L. King (Mich.) 35
Triton Central 62, Knightstown 33
Vincennes Rivet 71, Evansville Mater Dei 60

Bedford North Lawrence Tournament
Bloomington North 66, Anderson 31
Jay County 58, Bedford North Lawrence 54
Bedford North Lawrence 88, Anderson 44
Jay County 40, Bloomington North 27

Brown County Tournament
Brown County 52, Cloverdale 35
Borden 54, Cascade 45
Cascade 57, Cloverdale 51
Borden 46, Brown County 45

Frankfort Tournament
Northwestern 66, Winchester 59 (OT)
Northwestern 32, Frankfort 26

Franklin Tournament
Franklin 56, Switzerland County 24
Richmond 42, West Vigo 31
Switzerland County 50, West Vigo 33
Franklin 62, Richmond 26

Gary Holiday Tournament
Chicago Marshall (Ill.) 62, Gary West 54

Loogootee Classic
Loogootee 46, Lanesville 31
Indianapolis Lutheran 39, Riverton Parke 33
Lanesville 46, Riverton Parke 27
Loogootee 47, Indianapolis Lutheran 43

Mishawaka Classic
Elkhart Central 59, New Prairie 34
Mishawaka 56, Elkhart Central 28
Mishawaka 53, New Prairie 27

Rush-Shelby Shootout
Heritage Christian 55, Indianapolis Roncalli 25
Rushville 60, Shelbyville 21

South Bend Riley Classic
Elkhart Memorial 57, South Bend Clay 53
Mishawaka Marian 57, Tri-Central 49
South Bend Riley 55, Chicago Julian (Ill.) 42
Michigan City 93, Bowman Academy 42
Elkhart Memorial 56, Mishawaka Marian 40
Michigan City 56, South Bend Clay 55
South Bend Riley 70, Bowman Academy 41
Tri-Central 63, Chicago Julian (Ill.) 45

Summit Conference Tournament
Fort Wayne Elmhurst 59, Fort Wayne Snider 51
Fort Wayne South 54, Fort Wayne Luers 29
Fort Wayne Elmhurst 60, Fort Wayne South 49

Toyota Classic
Pike Central 67, Evansville Reitz 48
Wood Memorial 59, Mount Carmel (Ill.) 44
Princeton 49, Evansville Bosse 37
Gibson Southern 36, North Knox 31

Triton Tournament
Triton 25, Caston 23
Culver 44, LaVille 37

Unreported games
Hammond at Hammond Clark
Marion vs. Carroll (Fort Wayne)

Gary Holiday Tournament
Gary Wirt vs. Gary Roosevelt

Frankfort Tournament
North White vs. Frankfort
North White vs. Winchester

Jennings County Tournament
East Central vs. Jennings County
Corydon Central vs. Indian Creek
Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2

Friday, Dec. 26
Norwell 66, Heritage 30

Gary Holiday Tournament
Chicago Marshall (Ill.) 69, Gary Wallace 16
Gary West 57, Gary Roosevelt 28
Chicago Marshall (Ill.) 73, Gary Wirt 18

Summit Conference Tournament
Fort Wayne South 79, Harding 38

Toyota Classic
North Knox 44, Pike Central 38
Princeton 63, Wood Memorial 55
Evansville Bosse 55, Evansville Reitz 47
Gibson Southern 66, Mount Carmel (Ill.) 27

Triton Tournament
LaVille 61, Caston 12
Culver 37, Triton 35

Postponed games
South Bend Riley Classic
Bowman Academy vs. Julian (Ill.)
Michigan City vs. South Bend Riley
Tri-Central vs. South Bend Clay
Mishawaka Marian vs. Elkhart Memorial
Michigan City vs. Julian (Ill.)
Bowman Academy vs. South Bend Riley
Mishawaka Marian vs. South Bend Clay
Tri-Central vs. Elkhart Memorial

Tuesday, Dec. 23
Calumet 34, Rensselaer Central 26
Forest Park 52, Crawford County 45
Jac-Cen-Del 49, South Decatur 39
Jimtown 70, Bethany Christian 24
Michigan City 66, LaPorte 35
Munster 45, Merrillville 42
NorthWood 60, Fairfield 40
Seymour 72, Austin 62

Charlestown Tournament
Charlestown 56, Clarksville 32
Silver Creek 38, Providence 29

Mid-Winter Classic
South Central (Union Mills) 37, LaCrosse 30
Washington Twp. 53, Westville 32

Summit Conference Tournament
Fort Wayne Luers 51, Fort Wayne Dwenger 45
Fort Wayne Elmhurst 81, Fort Wayne Northrop 50

Toyota Classic
Wood Memorial 61, Pike Central 39
North Knox 48, Princeton 47 (OT)
Mount Carmel (Ill.) 40, Evansville Reitz 27
Gibson Southern 50, Evansville Bosse 34

Postponed games
Angola at Homestead postponed
Beech Grove at Indianapolis Ritter postponed
Ben Davis at Terre Haute South postponed
Bluffton at Eastbrook postponed
Crawfordsville at Harrison (West Lafayette) postponed
Eastern Hancock at Cambridge City Lincoln postponed
Edgewood at Sullivan postponed
Kankakee Valley at Hammond Gavit postponed
Knox at Bremen postponed
Lafayette Central Catholic at Attica postponed
Oregon-Davis at Rochester postponed
Plainfield at Greencastle postponed
Tri-Central at Elwood postponed
Union City at Cowan postponed
Winamac at Logansport postponed

Unreported games
Monrovia at Covenant Christian
New Castle at Anderson Highland
River Forest at Hammond Clark
South Central (Elizabeth) at Henryville
Southwood at Manchester
Washington Catholic at Shoals
Whitko at Triton

Monday, Dec. 22
Bellmont 54, Adams Central 28
Columbus North 52, Columbus East 49 (OT)
Crothersville 72, Shawe Memorial 41
Fishers 82, North Central (Indianapolis) 40
Madison 47, Scottsburg 43
New Washington 78, Christian Academy 24
North Central (Farmersburg) 61, Marshall (Ill.) 38
Tippecanoe Valley 58, North Judson 32
Triton Central 56, Indianapolis Scecina 46
White River Valley 46, Bloomfield 43

Blackford Tournament
North Miami 54, Southern Wells 44

Charlestown Tournament
Providence 40, Clarksville 32
Silver Creek 46, Charlestown 36

Mid-Winter Classic
Westville 50, LaCrosse 41

PSC Holiday Classic
Perry Central 45, Tell City 38
Heritage Hills 43, South Spencer 29

Summit Conference Tournament
Fort Wayne Northrop 58, Fort Wayne North 38
Harding 51, Fort Wayne Wayne 38
Fort Wayne Snider 58, Fort Wayne Concordia 57 (OT)

Toyota Classic
Princeton 60, Pike Central 39
North Knox 48, Wood Memorial 40
Gibson Southern 81, Evansville Reitz 24
Evansville Bosse 55, Mount Carmel (Ill.) 31

Unreported games
Chesterton at Lafayette Jeff
Lakewood Park at North Central (Ohio)
North Daviess at Lawrenceville (Ill.)
Riverton Parke at Turkey Run

Blackford Tournament
Wapahani vs. Blackford

Mid-Winter Classic
South Central (Union Mills) vs. Washington Twp

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Mike McGraw

Hoosier Authority

Last year, Crawfordsville won a lot of games early and
established themselves as one of the best 3A teams in the state. However, as
the season progressed, they simply didn’t get any better. By the end of the
year they were playing tight and eventually lost in the sectional. Once again,
the Athenians have reached the midway point of the season running on all cylinders.
After thrashing north Montgomery
Friday night 62-41, Crawfordsville stands 10-0 and ranked $4 in 3A. The bad
news for opponents is that this time around the Athenians are improving nearly
every time out. There is a bit of a chip on their shoulder and they wear it
with pride.

Friday night was a great example of the change in dynamic.
The Athenians raced to a 31-18 lead at intermission. After the break, they were
a bit flat and North Montgomery quickly closed
to within 33-24. Last season this might have been the start of a second half
struggle. Friday, Alex Gasaway responded to the challenge by scoring a bucket
inside and Lexi Stevens then stole the inbounds pass and created an old
fashioned three point play. Suddenly, it was 38-24 and the Athenians were never
headed again.

Despite being comfortably ahead, Crawfordsville gave one
more indication they have developed the needed ****** instinct. Leading 44-32
at the end of three quarters, the Athenians started the fourth period with a
16-0 run that was swift, impressive, and completely deadly. They coasted to the
62-41 final.

Crawfordsville is always led by senior point guard Lexi
Stevens. Friday, she led them in the scoring column with 19 points. Gasaway
added 17 and Mandy Johnson chipped in with 12 markers. The Athenians now
prepare for a big challenge over the holidays. They will compete in the
Zionsville Invitational on January 3^rd, facing Skyler Gick and her Benton central Bison in
the first round. After the North Montgomery
game, Coach Darrin Haas spoke about the change in attitude with this Athenian
team. His comments are in the video player on this page.

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By Mike McGraw
Executive Director

Each week during the basketball season, HoosierAuthority.com is profiling a candidate for either the boys or girls Indiana All-Star team. This week we traveled to Ben Davis to talk with Alex Bentley, the go-to-gal for the Class 4A No. 1-ranked Giants.

This Penn State-bound star is both humble and eloquent. She also has a nasty jump shot.

Hoosier basketball fans, we present Alex Bentley

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By Mike McGraw
Executive Director

INDIANAPOLIS – Arlington’s 66-53 victory over Chatard in the Dec. 18 semifinals of the Indianapolis City Tournament most surely left both teams thinking. For Arlington, it was a testament to the fact that athleticism and good shooting can cure a lot of ills. Chatard, meanwhile, is left thinking about a lot of “what ifs.”

What if the Trojans hadn’t allowed Arlington (7-2) to race to a 10-point halftime lead? What if they had extended their defense earlier in the second half? What if they had simply taken advantage of the opportunities they were given?

Arlington’s impressive collection of athletes controlled play in the first half of this contest. The Golden Knights used their size to control the boards and their quickness to penetrate the Trojan defense consistently.

The result was a seemingly comfortable 35-25 lead at intermission in the first of two contests held at Cathedral.

It appeared the same was going to take place in the second half, but the scoreboard failed to show the result of Arlington’s dominance of most of the third quarter. Late in the period, the Golden Knights were still up a dozen despite seemingly controlling play as they were holding Chatard (5-4) at bay with excellent shot selection and shooting prowess.

Suddenly, that was no longer the case as Arlington began making some careless turnovers late in the stanza. As a result, its lead shrank to 48-39 heading to the fourth.

Those turnovers became an epidemic during the fourth quarter. Unofficially, the Golden Knights had 10 turnovers in the final nine minutes of the game. Many of those were forced by a trapping Chatard defense that the Trojans extended further and further out on the floor.

The scene was set for a Trojan comeback, but it never took place. There were two reasons for that.

First, every time Arlington needed a big basket, Lindsay Shepherd was there to answer the call. She drilled two jumpers and finished a fast break during the key minutes early in the fourth quarter and ended the evening with a game-high 22 points.

Secondly, the Trojans simply could not take advantage of the many chances that Arlington presented them – they had the ball once down seven and twice down only eight, yet failed to score on any of the three occasions.

Chatard was never able to creep close enough to make the Golden Knights begin to doubt themselves. Down the stretch, Arlington staved off any rally with free throws.

Three Arlington players joined Shepherd in double-digit scoring, with Tierra Golightly next in line with 14 markers.

The Golden Knights’ reward is a Saturday finals date with nationally ranked Heritage Christian (9-0), an 87-42 conqueror of Northwest in the other semifinal. Senior Miss Basketball candidate Kelly Faris posted a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds while adding six assists and five steals for the Eagles (9-0), who scored the first 20 points of the game en route to a 36-14 halftime lead.

Sophomore Liz Stratman added 16 points for HC, while senior Emily Anderson had 15. Cierra Dotson had 21 points for Northwest (8-4).

After Arlington’s victory, Shepherd spoke with HoosierAuthority.com and made it clear that she and the Golden Knights do not fear the challenge.

Check out her comments in the video player on this page!

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By E. Shawn Aylsworth
Managing Editor

According to the Sagarin power ratings, there are 11 big games (pitting teams rated in their respective class’s Top 20) on tap for Week 6 of the 2008 Indiana high school girls basketball season.

Here’s a preview of those big contests via the pertinent numbers taken from John Harrell’s Indiana high school basketball site (rankings are from the latest ICGSA polls):

Tuesday, Dec. 16
Five biggies …

Centerville (6-2) at 2A #19 Hagerstown (5-1)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST.
COACHES: Jason Searcy, 25-25 in 3rd year at Centerville. Chris Oliger, 64-68 in 7th year at Hagerstown.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Hagerstown, 78.29, 69th overall, 8th in Class 2A. Centerville, 73.14, 103rd overall, 13th in Class 2A.
LAST OUTING: Centerville defeated Union City, 53-35, Dec. 10. Hagerstown defeated Daleville, 45-9, Dec. 11.
VS. COMMON FOES: Centerville 2-0. Hagerstown 2-0.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Centerville 30-31, Hagerstown 26-21.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Centerville, 6-4.
LAST MEETING: Hagerstown, 42-23, sectional, Feb. 8, 2008.

3A #14 Franklin County (6-2) at 3A #8 Batesville (9-0)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST.
COACHES: Amber Parker, 22-10 in 2nd year at Franklin County. Jason Slopsema, 26-25 in 3rd year at Batesville.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Batesville, 86.29, 28th overall, 5th in Class 3A. Franklin County, 79.73, 60th overall, 16th in Class 3A.
LAST OUTING: Franklin County defeated Richmond, 61-37, Dec. 9. Batesville defeated East Central, 56-49, Dec. 11.
VS. COMMON FOES: Franklin County 4-1. Batesville 5-0.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Franklin County 35-30, Batesville 32-41.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Franklin County, 10-0.
LAST MEETING: Franklin County, 67-37, Dec. 11, 2007.

Greensburg (8-1) at 1A #13 Waldron (5-3)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST.
COACHES: Mike Miller, 50-46 in 5th year at Greensburg, 236-263 in 24th year overall. Brad Gossett, 57-38 in 5th year at Waldron, 67-72 in 7th year overall.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Greensburg, 83.65, 43rd overall, 10th in Class 3A. Waldron, 66.78, 157th overall, 15th in Class 1A.
LAST OUTING: Greensburg lost to Rushville, 64-40, Dec. 13. Waldron defeated Morristown, 76-45, Dec. 12.
VS. COMMON FOES: Greensburg 1-0. Waldron 1-0.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Greensburg 32-39, Waldron 33-35.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Greensburg, 3-2.
LAST MEETING: Greensburg, 54-43, Dec. 11, 2007.

Twin Lakes (8-1) at 3A #7 Benton Central (8-1)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST.
COACHES: Brad Bowsman, 95-31 in 6th year at Twin Lakes. Pat Cole, 22-8 in 2nd year at Benton Central.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Benton Central, 84.03, 41st overall, 9th in Class 3A. Twin Lakes, 79.19, 63rd overall, 17th in Class 3A.
LAST OUTING: Twin Lakes defeated Tipton, 51-42, Dec. 13. Benton Central defeated West Lafayette, 91-56, Dec. 11.
VS. COMMON FOES: Twin Lakes 4-1. Benton Central 4-1.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Twin Lakes 40-41, Benton Central 35-47.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Twin Lakes, 5-4.
LAST MEETING: Twin Lakes, 50-45, Dec. 11, 2007.

Wabash (5-2) at 2A #2 Oak Hill (8-0)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST.
COACHES: Scott Bumgardner, 63-52 in 6th year at Wabash, 92-91 in 10th year overall. Todd Law, 80-23 in 5th year at Oak Hill.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Oak Hill, 84.51, 36th overall, 2nd in Class 2A. Wabash, 70.66, 119th overall, 17th in Class 2A.
LAST OUTING: Wabash defeated Rochester, 45-42, Dec. 13. Oak Hill defeated Mississinewa, 93-38, Dec. 13.
VS. COMMON FOES: Wabash 1-0. Oak Hill 1-0.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Wabash 27-30, Oak Hill 24-36.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Oak Hill, 3-2.
LAST MEETING: Oak Hill, 57-38, Dec. 11, 2007.

Thursday, Dec. 18
One biggie …

Knightstown (5-4) at 2A #16 Triton Central (6-2)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST.
COACHES: Dawn Basicker, 77-79 in 8th year at Knightstown. Bryan Graham, 6-2 in 1st year at Triton Central.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Triton Central, 76.86, 78th overall, 10th in Class 2A. Knightstown, 73.58, 95th overall, 12th in Class 2A.
LAST OUTING: Knightstown defeated Greenfield-Central, 63-60, overtime, Dec. 11. Triton Central defeated Southwestern (Shelbyville), 60-43, Dec. 12.
VS. COMMON FOES: Knightstown 1-0. Triton Central 0-1.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Knightstown 43-27, Triton Central 32-36.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Triton Central, 5-0.
LAST MEETING: Triton Central, 54-34, Dec. 13, 2007.

Friday, Dec. 19
Three biggies …

3A #8 Batesville (9-0) at Greensburg (8-1)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST.
COACHES: Jason Slopsema, 26-25 in 3rd year at Batesville. Mike Miller, 50-46 in 5th year at Greensburg, 236-263 in 24th year overall.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Batesville, 86.29, 28th overall, 5th in Class 3A. Greensburg, 83.65, 43rd overall, 10th in Class 3A.
LAST OUTING: Batesville defeated East Central, 56-49, Dec. 11. Greensburg lost to Rushville, 64-40, Dec. 13.
VS. COMMON FOES: Batesville 4-0. Greensburg 4-0.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Batesville 32-41, Greensburg 32-39.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Greensburg, 6-5.
LAST MEETING: Greensburg, 58-49, sectional, Feb. 8, 2008.

2A #6 Fort Wayne Luers (6-2) at Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran (5-2)
GAME TIME: 6:15 PM EST.
COACHES: Greg Friend, 22-10 in 2nd year at Fort Wayne Luers, 35-38 in 4th year overall. David Miller, 73-45 in 7th year at Fort Wayne Concordia, 253-137 in 19th year overall.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Fort Wayne Luers, 84.47, 38th overall, 3rd in Class 2A. Fort Wayne Concordia, 77.21, 76th overall, 20th in Class 3A.
LAST OUTING: Fort Wayne Luers defeated Fort Wayne South, 46-33, Dec. 12. Fort Wayne Concordia defeated Fort Wayne Dwenger, 61-34, Dec. 12.
VS. COMMON FOES: None.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Fort Wayne Luers 33-27, Fort Wayne Concordia 27-30.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Fort Wayne Luers, 11-1.
LAST MEETING: Fort Wayne Luers, 44-31, Dec. 14, 2007.

4A #6 Mooresville (8-0) at Decatur Central (6-3)
GAME TIME: 7:30 PM EST.
COACHES: Mark Hurt, 175-63 in 11th year at Mooresville, 237-118 in 16th year overall. David Cupp, 40-55 in 5th year at Decatur Central.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Decatur Central, 91.83, 13th overall, 11th in Class 4A. Mooresville, 91.77, 14th overall, 12th in Class 4A.
LAST OUTING: Mooresville defeated Edgewood, 67-45, Dec. 13. Decatur Central lost to Ben Davis, 60-44, Dec. 13.
VS. COMMON FOES: None.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Mooresville 28-37, Decatur Central 38-34.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Mooresville, 5-0.
LAST MEETING: Mooresville, 57-50, Dec. 14, 2007.

Saturday, Dec. 20
Two biggies …

Center Grove (5-2) at 4A #3 Terre Haute South (10-0)
GAME TIME: 1:30 PM EST.
COACHES: Joe Lentz, 251-81 in 15th year at Center Grove. Dave Cassell, 10-0 in 1st year at Terre Haute South.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Terre Haute South, 99.77, 3rd overall, 3rd in Class 4A. Center Grove, 90.24, 18th overall, 16th in Class 4A.
LAST OUTING: Center Grove lost to Bloomington South, 53-41, Dec. 11. Terre Haute South defeated Lafayette Jeff, 81-78, Dec. 13.
VS. COMMON FOES: Center Grove 1-1. Terre Haute South 2-0.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Center Grove 34-25, Terre Haute South 38-33.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Terre Haute South, 3-2.
LAST MEETING: Terre Haute South, 55-53, Dec. 29, 2007.

Tri-Central (3-4) at 1A #14 Lafayette Central Catholic (6-4)
GAME TIME: 11:30 AM EST.
COACHES: Kathie Layden, 147-78 in 10th year at Tri-Central. Geoff Salmon, 61-48 in 5th year at Lafayette Central Catholic.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Lafayette Central Catholic, 69.16, 129th overall, 8th in Class 1A. Tri-Central, 66.85, 156th overall, 14th in Class 1A.
LAST OUTING: Tri-Central lost to Lapel, 60-38, Dec. 13. Lafayette Central Catholic defeated Delphi, 61-32, Dec. 13.
VS. COMMON FOES: None.
OPPONENTS’ RECORDS: Tri-Central 34-21, Lafayette Central Catholic 39-51.
SERIES LAST 5 YEARS: Tri-Central, 4-3.
LAST MEETING: Lafayette Central Catholic, 56-49, sectional, Feb. 9, 2008.

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