[FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - The coaching staff for the Wayne boys basketball team is using the sport as tool for life beyond the court.​

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services there are a lot of benefits of having your kids in sports. This includes improved life skills, empowerment, high levels of academic achievement, just to name a few.

The basketball coaches over at Wayne believe that’s only a snippet of what sports can do for these young men.

Basketball is game of made shots and misses. Coach Greg Patterson that life isn’t much different.

“Basketball to some of these guys come natural, but if you don’t have the mental aspect of it. If you are not willing to continue to learn, to continue to grow as a young man first, then no sports are for you. Coach. I think mentorship is 90% of it. Use basketball as a tool. It’s a tool to teach you leadership, teamwork, camaraderie. These are things you take into the work field, your relationships. That’s just what we attempt to teach our young men.”
Greg Patterson, Assistant Coach Wayne Basketball]

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Wayne basketball coaches using the sport as a tool for life beyond the court

The coaching staff for the Wayne boys basketball team is using the sport as tool for life beyond the court.

www.21alivenews.com

Week-12 of the IBCA/Franciscan Health Player of the Week program saw a variety of unique accomplishments achieved. We had a hot-shooting performance from outside, a dominant performance in the paint, a triple-double (and nearly two), a 2000-point scorer crowned, plus a player helping their program to their fifth win in a row. All in all, six upperclassmen were selected for the weekly award.

South Bend St. Joseph Junior Chase Konieczny, Wheeler Senior Abby Ordonez, Carroll (Flora) Senor Chris Huerta, Brownsburg Junior Avery Gordon, Evansville Christian Senior Josiah Dunham, and South Spencer Senior Molly Schulte are being honored for Jan. 15-Jan. 20 in the recognition program coordinated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. Konieczny is the boy’s recipient and Ordonez is the girls’ recipient in District-1. Huerta and Gordon are the boys’ and girls’ winners, respectively, in District-2. Dunham won the boys’ award, while Schulte won the girls’ award, for District-3.

South Bend St. Joseph had a nice week, picking up a big 48-46 win at 2023 Class 3A State Champion NorthWood on Tuesday night, only to follow that up with a convincing 77-50 road win at Northern Indiana Conference rival Elkhart Thursday evening. St. Joe Junior Chase Konieczny was key in both wins, as he has been most of the season. Tuesday against NorthWood, the 6-4 guard posted his first double-double of the week, scoring 17 points and pulling down 12 rebounds in the win. He buried four 3-pointers as well. Thursday at Elkhart, the Junior guard was even better, scoring 25 points, including a perfect 7-7 performance from the charity stripe. He added 10 rebounds for another double-double, plus he chipped in 2 assists and 2 steals for good measure.

Wheeler hasn’t posted a winning season since 2011-2012, but they have had a lot to get excited about recently, winning six of their last seven games, including five in a row. Senior Abby Ordonez stepped it up last week, helping the Bearcats to two of those wins. Wednesday, in a Greater South Shore Conference game against Calumet, the 5-4 guard scored 23 points on an efficient 9-13 shooting, including a 3-5 performance from beyond the arc. She played a nice all-around game, adding 8 assists, 7 steals, and 2 rebounds, as the Bearcats won by a wide margin. They returned to the floor against Bishop Noll on Saturday, taking care of the Warriors, 48-39. In this matchup, Ordonez posted a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds, she was again solid shooting it with a 6-11 outing (2-4 from deep), plus she dished out 6 assists and collected 2 steals in another big conference victory.

In his lone game last week, Carroll (Flora) Senior Chris Huerta was dialed in and set a couple of school records. In a 74-60 win against Faith Christian, the 5-8 guard buried 11-17 shots from 3-point range (17-31 overall), scoring a whopping 46 points for the Cougars. Huerta set program records for points in a game and made 3-pointers in a game, the latter of which he had previously set earlier this season. Additionally, the Senior guard added 4 rebounds and 2 assists to his effort.

For as good as Huerta was outside, Brownsburg Junior Avery Gordon was equal to the task on the interior for the Bulldogs. Brownsburg opened its week with an 85-53 win at Pike on Tuesday night. They followed that up with a hard-fought, 59-57 overtime victory against Hoosier Crossroads Conference foe Westfield on Friday evening. Saturday was the easiest of the three, handling Terre Haute North with relative ease. Versus Pike, the 6-6 post managed 25 points on 10-13 shooting, including 5-6 from the free throw line, eclipsing the 1000-point mark for her career. She added 7 rebounds and 2 assists to her tally. In Friday’s overtime thriller against Westfield, Gordon scored 41 points on 20-29 shooting from the field. She pulled in 12 rebounds for a double-double, plus she added an assist and a blocked shot. In limited minutes Saturday against Terre Haute North, the Purdue University commit posted another double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds in limited action. She also blocked 3 shots against the Patriots.

Evansville Christian Senior Josiah Dunham has had a fantastic career, and in their only game last week, a 56-47 win at Southridge on Saturday, the 6-1 guard reached the 2000-point plateau. The Eagles picked up a huge win against a good Raider team, and Dunham was strong once again. The Senior guard scored 27 points, including a 5-9 shooting performance from deep, plus he pulled in 6 caroms, handed out 6 assists, and collected 6 steals in the triumph.

South Spencer Senior Molly Schulte helped her squad to a pair of victories last week, both of which were Pocket Conference successes. Tuesday, in a 67-56 win against two-time defending Class 2A State Champion Forest Park, the 5-7 guard was 10-14 from the field, 1-1 from deep, and 6-8 from the free throw line, scoring 27 points in the win. Schulte put together a nice all-around game, grabbing 8 rebounds, handing out 10 assists, securing 3 steals, and blocking a pair of shots. Thursday, in a lopsided win at Tell City, the Senior guard posted just the second triple-double in school history, boys or girls. In limited action, Schulte still managed to score 13 points, collect 12 rebounds, hand out 10 assists, and pick off 3 steals.

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Sectional games are scheduled to begin Tuesday, Jan. 30, and run through Saturday, Feb. 3 with regionals on Saturday, Feb. 10.For the second year, the Regional is a single game championship, and the semi-state atwo-game affair with the winner advancing to the State Championship game.

Two Regional championship games will be played back-to-back at the same site with the winners finding out their next opponent and host site the following day.

The Semistate games – scheduled for Saturday, Feb.17 - will be randomly drawn and announced in a special pairings show via IHSAAtv.org.

https://www.ihsaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/012124.Girls%20Basketball%20Pairings.pdf

INDIANAPOLIS — A Ben Davis boy’s varsity basketball coach is returning to the gym as a teacher and coach, according to school officials. Previous reports explained a video showing the coach’s alleged assault was making rounds on social media.

Ben Davis varsity basketball coach reinstated after being accused of assaulting student last year

INDIANAPOLIS — A Ben Davis boy’s varsity basketball coach is returning to the gym as a teacher and coach, according to school officials. Previous reports explained a video showing the c…

fox59.com

[The Horned Frogs, who started the season 14-0 and cracked the Associated Press Top 25 before losing four straight, also put out an open call Wednesday for full-time students interested in trying out for walk-on status with the team for the rest of the season.

The school said the cancellations “are a result of injuries within the TCU program and ensure the health and safety of the program’s student-athletes.”]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/01/17/rash-injuries-forces-tcu-womens-basketball-hold-open-tryouts/

Longest Field Goal
(B) 80 feet Gary Mathews - Warren Central vs. Marshall 1970-71
(B) 79 feet Mike Caldwell - Lebanon vs. Speedway 1965-66
(B) 77 feet Don Buse - Holland vs. Ireland 1966-67
(B) 77 feet Landon Conner - Madison vs. Indian Creek 2017-18
(B) 75 feet Curtis Clem - Beech Grove vs. Scecina 2006-07
(B) 75 feet Tre'Shon Heard - McCutcheon vs. Logansport 2012-13
(B) 75 feet Steve Henke - Holland vs. Jeffersonville 1967-68
(B) 73 feet Josh Clanton - Central Christian Academy vs. Arlington 2016-17
(B) 72 feet Chad Tabor - New Castle vs. Ben Davis 1994-95
(B) 72 feet Bryce Burton - Edinburgh vs. Greenwood Christian 2017-18
(B) 71 feet Michael Beaty - Ben Davis vs. Pike 2013-14
(B) 71 feet Romeo Langford - New Albany vs. Providence 2017-18
(B) 70 feet Jasper Campbell - Shenandoah vs. New Castle 2020-21
(B) 70 feet Dontray Chavis - Princeton vs. Washington 2008-09
(B) 70 feet Franko House - Concord vs. Westview 2012-13
(B) 70 feet Ben Raichel - Austin vs. Paoli 2008-09
(B) 70 feet Phil Wertz - Goshen vs. Warsaw 2017-18
(B) 69 feet Bryant McIntosh - Greensburg vs. Brownstown 2011-12
(B) 69 feet Todd Shriver - Frankfort vs. Rossville 1986-87
(B) 65 feet John Judd - Seymour vs. Rushville 1959-60
(B) 60 feet Trayce Jackson-Davis - Center Grove vs. Lawrence North 2017-18
(B) 60 feet Mike Thompson - Rex Mundi vs. Lafayette Jeff 1963-64
(G) 77 feet Barbara Skinner - Mt. Vernon vs. Hamilton Southeastern 1977-78
(G) 76 feet Linda Mallender - Southport vs. Ben Davis 1980-81
(G) 75 feet Cara Stuckey - TH South vs. Brownsburg 1998-99
(G) 67 feet Alex Bentley - Ben Davis vs. Decatur Central 2007-08
(G) 64 feet Jessica Carrothers - Crown Point vs. Carroll 2020-21

John Overmyer to receive Distinguished Media Service Award

A recognizable broadcast voice, educator, and media content producer, John Overmyer of Broadcastsport.net, is the recipient of the 2023-24 IHSAA Distinguished Media Service Award for District 1.

Overmyer’s contributions to education-based athletics will be recognized Thursday evening in South Bend when the Clay Colonials host the Riley Wildcats in boys basketball.

IHSAA Commissioner Paul Neidig and Sports Information Director Jason Wille will make the presentation.

Overmyer is currently the co-owner and lead broadcaster for Broadcastsport.net, an online, digital streaming company based in northern Indiana with a primary focus on area high school teams in football,basketball and wrestling.

https://www.ihsaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/011624.JohnOvermyer.pdf

Week-11 of the IBCA/Franciscan Health Player of the Week Program Sees Edwards Best Hall of Famer’s Mark

Ballplayers from all parts of the state have begun 2024 strong, posting explosive scoring outputs, as well as big assist and rebounding numbers each night. Though Northern Indiana saw postponements throughout the weekend, a 55-point performance on the girls’ side heated things up earlier in the week, while Southern Indiana saw a young man rewrite his school’s record book, surpassing a prior mark set by a Hall of Famer you are sure to know.

Culver Community Senior Jack Rodgers, Argos Senior Samantha Redinger, Greenfield-Central Junior Braylon Mullins, McCutcheon Freshman Lillie Graves, Springs Valley Junior Deion Edwards, and South Knox Junior Ella Bobe have been selected for Jan. 8-Jan. 13 in the recognition program coordinated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. Rodgers is the boys’ winner and Redinger the girls’ winner in District-1. Mullins and Graves take home boys’ and girls’ honors, respectively, in District-2. Edwards was selected as the boys’ recipient, while Bobe is the girls’ recipient, in District-3.

In his only game of the week last week, Culver Community Senior Jack Rodgers helped the Cavaliers to a 78-56 victory over Community Baptist Tuesday evening. The 6-0 point guard set a career high by scoring 39 points in the win. Additionally, Rodgers posted a double-double with 12 rebounds, 6 of which came at the offensive end of the floor. For good measure, the Senior guard added 7 assists and 4 steals to his stat line.

Argos Senior Samantha Redinger is making her second appearance here this season. She is currently leading all Hoosier ladies with a 32.0 point per game scoring average through 18 games, and last week she was well above that mark. In a 79-54 win against Oregon-Davis on Thursday, the 5-7 wing erupted for 55 points on an efficient 18-34 shooting, including a 10-20 performance from 3-point range. In addition, Redinger added 9 rebounds, 6 steals, and a pair of assists in the triumph.

Greenfield-Central picked up a pair of nice wins over the weekend, and Junior Braylon Mullins was a huge part of their success. Friday, the Cougars took a big Hoosier Heritage Conference win, 70-50, against New Castle. Saturday, in their return to the court, they took care of Hancock County rival Eastern Hancock, 64-31. To begin his weekend, Mullins put together an all-around effort against New Castle, scoring 26 points, pulling down 8 rebounds, handing out 4 assists, and collecting 5 steals. Saturday, the 6-5 guard was even better, pouring in 44 points on 16-26 shooting, including 8-15 from deep. In doing so, the Junior’s 44th point also represented his 1000th point of his career. In this memorable outing, Mullins added 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, helping the Cougars to a perfect 13-0 record thus far.

Freshman Lillie Graves is certainly making her mark early in her career for McCutcheon. Last week she managed a pair of 30-point scoring games, as the Mavericks moved to 17-2 on the season, already 6 wins better than in 2022-2023. In a big win Tuesday against Carroll (Flora), 56-49, the 6-0 wing posted a double-double with 34 points and 15 rebounds. She was 12-14 from the charity stripe, plus she added a pair of assists and 4 steals. Saturday, in a comfortable win at Muncie Central, Graves followed that up with 30 points on 12-21 shooting, she pulled down 10 rebounds, 6 of which were offensive, posting her second double-double of the week, plus she contributed 3 assists and a pair of steals.

Springs Valley is having a nice season so far with a 10-4 record, plus they are winners of seven games in a row. Last weekend was exciting for the Blackhawks, as they won a pair of games in overtime. Friday night, they traveled to West Washington, escaping by a 60-58 margin for the Patoka Lake Conference win. Junior Deion Edwards didn’t shoot it great in this one, but he still managed to contribute, adding 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists in the nail-biter. It was the next day’s game that was one to remember for the 6-4 forward. Saturday, both teams were dropping buckets as quickly as the temperature outside, forcing the Blackhawks to win another overtime thriller, 101-98, over Austin. In this particular game, Edwards was 19-31 from the field, 2-5 from downtown, and 16-18 from the free throw line, scoring 56 points. In addition, the Junior forward broke the single-game school record set by a gentleman you might have heard of…Larry Bird. Edwards also posted a double-double with 14 rebounds, hauling in an impressive 11 of them at the offensive end of the floor. He also handed out 4 assists and collected 3 steals in the high-scoring affair.

Junior Ella Bobe has helped South Knox to an 18-1 record this year, with their only loss coming in overtime. Last week, the Spartans posted a 3-0 mark, and Bobe was great across the board in all three games. Tuesday, in a 77-47 Blue Chip Conference win at Wood Memorial, the 5-9 guard scored 26 points on 11-18 shooting, she grabbed 8 rebounds, handed out 3 assists, and she stole the ball 3 times. Tuesday, at home, the Spartans picked up an easy win against North Daviess. In limited time, Bobe scored 23 points on 10-12 shooting, she dished out 8 assists, collected 5 rebounds, and picked up 2 steals. Saturday was more of the same, as South Knox traveled to Vincennes Lincoln, winning in impressive fashion, 75-37. The Junior guard scored another 24 points, this time on 10-15 shooting, plus she added 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals to her weekly totals. For the week, she shot a blistering 69% from the field, while averaging 7.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.

As student-athletes head back to school to begin their Spring semester, last week saw several county tournaments and rivalry games take place. There were a number of strong performances throughout the state, including triple-doubles, a couple of near quadruple-doubles, high-scoring affairs, and a player knocked down two game-winners in the same weekend. All-in-all, we felt the six players below were most deserving of the Player of the Week title in their respective districts.

Norwell Senior Ashton Federspiel, Valparaiso Sophomore Lillian Barnes, Tipton Senior Nolan Swan, Lapel Sophomore Laniah Wills, Evansville Harrison Senior Malachi McNair, and Gibson Southern Senior Chloey Graham have been chosen for Jan. 1-Jan. 6 in the recognition program coordinated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. Federspiel and Barnes are the boys’ and girls’ standouts, respectively, in District-1. Swan is the boys’ representative, and Wills is the girls’ representative in

District-2. McNair is the boys’ recipient, while Graham is the girls’ recipient, in District-3.

The Norwell Knights had their hands full in a Northeast 8 conference matchup with Leo on Saturday, ultimately pulling out the nailbiter, 69-63, in double overtime. In a game where every point mattered, Norwell Senior Ashton Federspiel scored 31 of them, helping lead his Knights to victory. The

6-4 forward was a solid 9-17 from the field, her buried both of his 3-point attempts, and he was 11-15 from the charity stripe in the big win. Federspiel added 5 rebounds to his tally as well.

Valparaiso had a tough week, with three games spread over four days. Wednesday, they played host to #8 Lawrence North, losing 63-61 on a pair of free throws in the final seconds. They bounced back Friday with what became an easy Duneland Conference win over Portage, and they followed that up Saturday when they traveled to West Lafayette and took care of the Harrison Raiders, 61-41. Sophomore Lillian Barnes has already proven herself to be one of the best players in the state, and last week she was key for the Vikings, as usual. Against Lawrence North, the 5-11 wing scored a career-high 33 points in the narrow loss. She also pulled down 7 rebounds and handed out 5 assists in defeat. Versus Portage, in limited time, she managed 18 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals in the big DAC win. Then in Saturday’s matchup with West Lafayette Harrison, Barnes again played slightly less than usual, tallying 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 steals, plus she offered up an unselfish 8 assists in that contest.

Tipton is off to a 12-0 start to the season, and last weekend Senior Nolan Swan helped the Blue Devils to a pair of triumphs at home. Friday night, Tipton hosted a good Maconaquah squad, taking care of the Braves, 91-74, in the high-scoring affair. Then, on Saturday, the Blue Devils had a tight one with Bethesda Christian, holding off the Patriots to win once again, 63-55. In Friday’s contest, Swan scored 34 points behind an impressive shooting display. He was 10-15 from the field, 8-11 from long range, and a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line. He added 5 rebounds and 5 assists to his output. Saturday, the 6-1 guard was nearly equal to the task, scoring 28 points, pulling down 8 rebounds, and picking up 5 steals in the success. Swan was again accurate, making 7-11 shots, 5-7 from outside, and 9-9 from the stripe.

Fresh off a 2023 Class 2A State Finals appearance, the Lapel Bulldogs are at it again. They sit at 14-3 overall and last week won the Madison County Tournament for a second year in a row. Sophomore Laniah Wills has been the main catalyst again this season, and she was great all three games last week. Tuesday, they opened with an easy win over Elwood. Wills managed 18 points on 6-9 shooting, plus she hauled in 19 rebounds (10 offensive) in limited minutes. She chipped in 2 assists and 3 steals as well. Thursday, against a tough Pendleton Heights team, the Bulldogs narrowly escaped with a 63-59 Semi-Final victory. The 6-0 forward was again a star, posting her second double-double of the week with 22 points and 11 rebounds. She also created foul trouble for the Arabians and was 10-12 from the charity stripe. In Saturday’s county finale, the Sophomore forward was at her best, scoring 25 points on 8-11 shooting, plus she pulled down 16 caroms in the trophy-raising game, as Lapel defeated Alexandria-Monroe, 48-31. Wills again used the line as a weapon, making 9-13 free tosses.

Senior Malachi McNair had the 9-2 Harrison Warriors dialed in last week, as they picked up a pair of Southern Indiana Conference wins at home. Tuesday night, Harrison hosted Evansville Mater Dei, taming the Wildcats, 79-49. McNair posted his first double-double of the week, scoring 24 points and grabbing 13 caroms in the win. He was a highly efficient 11-13 from the field and 2-3 from 3-point range in the outing, plus he added 4 assists and a pair of blocked shots. Friday night, the Warriors had their hands full with the Huskies of Evansville North, but they found a way to prevail, 57-47. The 6-7 forward posted another double-double, scoring 21 points and hauling in 14 rebounds, as he again shot it well. McNair was 7-11 from the field, 3-4 from deep, and 4-6 from the free throw line, plus he picked up 2 steals.

Gibson Southern was tasked with a three-game week last week, not to mention against three Pocket Conference foes. At the end of it, the Titans added three more conference wins, and Senior wing Chloey Graham came up huge. Tuesday, Gibson Southern hosted Mount Vernon (Posey) in what turned out to be a lopsided win. Graham was an efficient 8-12 from the field, 4-6 from 3-point range, and scored 20 points, all in the first half due to limited minutes. She added 2 rebounds, an assist, and 2 steals in the matchup. Thursday was much of the same, as the Titans disposed of Boonville, 80-46. Graham was again key, scoring 22 points in limited time, knocking down 6-10 from deep, and making all four of her free throw attempts. Saturday was her biggest outing of the week, however. In a 73-42 win against Tell City, the 5-9 wing set a single-game program record with 11 made 3-pointers. Graham finished 13-22 overall, a sizzling 11-14 from long range, pouring in 37 points for the Titans. The Indiana Wesleyan University commit added a pair of rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals to her outstanding effort.

[It was a normal winter night in Indianapolis. Sneakers squeaking, nets swishing and kids playing basketball. It was just a regular season game between Arsenal Tech and Herron at Municipal Gardens, but for Casey Gaynor, it was the final box to check.

"My two biggest goals I had when I got into officiating was obviously working the state finals, and the second one was to get to every school," Gaynor said. "I bought Dale Lawrence's 'Hoosier Hysteria Road Book' a long time ago, and that fueled my desire to get to every school."

Tuesday night, he did just that, as Don Stout Gymnasium was the final hurdle. Twenty-six years and tens of thousands of miles in the car later, Gaynor has now refereed a game at every single current IHSAA member school. That's more than 400 gymnasiums in the state of Indiana.]

Mission accomplished: Indianapolis referee has now worked in every high school basketball gym in the Hoosier state

Casey Gaynor has refereed at more than 400 gymnasiums in the state of Indiana.

www.wthr.com

Week-9 of the IBCA/Franciscan Health Player of the Week Program Wraps Up the 2023 Calendar Year

If you are caught up in any of the number of bowl games on television this week (and last), don’t forget Hoosier hoops is alive and well, as many teams begin the second half of their regular seasons starting tonight. Last week saw a lot of programs participating in holiday tournaments, while a few had a single matchup scheduled here and there. From last week’s slate, we have actually come up with seven winners for the final week of 2023.

Maconaquah Junior Josiah Ball, Columbia City Junior Addison Baxter, New Palestine Junior Julius Gizzi, Noblesville Senior Reagan Wilson, Twin Lakes Senior Olivia Nickerson, Bloomfield Sophomore Blake Neill, and Jennings County Senior Juliann Woodard have been selected for Dec. 25-Dec. 30 in the recognition program coordinated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. Ball is the boys’ recipient and Baxter is the girls’ recipient in District-1. Gizzi collects boys’ honors, while Wilson and Nickerson share girls’ honors in District-2. Neill is the boys’ winner and Woodard is the girls’ winner in District-3.

Maconaquah pushed their record to 7-2, as they won the Miami County Holiday Tournament for the first time since 2012. Junior Josiah Ball had a major hand in both wins, helping the Braves inside and out. In Wednesday’s opening round, the Braves took care of Caston, 78-56. The 6-5 forward managed a game-high 34 points, to go with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a blocked shot. Thursday, in the hard-fought 88-83 championship game win over host Peru, Ball was a force, pouring in 45 points and collecting 16 rebounds. He was also an efficient 16-19 from the free throw line, plus he added 3 assists and a steal in the trophy-raising victory.

Columbia City has been strong this season, posting a 14-2 record to date, and last week they won the annual Hall of Fame Tournament in New Castle, Indiana, with two tough victories. Junior guard Addison Baxter has been outstanding this season, and she again put on a show last week. In the opening game Friday, a 75-69 win against Indian Creek, the 5-9 guard scored 31 points on 9-13 shooting. She knocked down her only 3-point attempt, plus she was 12-13 from the charity stripe. She added 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals for good measure. In the championship game later that night, the Butler University commit had another strong outing, scoring 17 points, pulling down 9 more rebounds, while handing out a pair of assists and collecting 4 steals in the big win for the Eagles, a 56-47 success over a good Jennings County team. And if that wasn’t enough, Baxter added tournament MVP honors and reached the 1000-point plateau.

The Dragons of New Palestine also moved to 7-2 last week, following four strong performances by Junior Julius Gizzi. They finished 5th but posted a 3-1 record at the Ray Furney Holiday Classic in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Friday, the Dragons defeated Jennings County, 83-59, then fell at the hands of eventual champion Newport (KY), 72-66, playing them tighter than anyone else at the event. Saturday, New Palestine knocked off Bethesda Christian 69-49 in their consolation game, then took care of business against Pike Central in the 5th Place game, winning 91-48. Gizzi opened the tournament with a 30-point, 7-rebound effort against Jennings County, knocking down 12-16 shots from the field and 4-6 from deep. He posted 35 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists in the loss to Newport (KY), giving the Dragons everything he could. Saturday, the 6-2 wing began with a 24-point, 6-rebound outing against Bethesda Christian, then polished off the event with another 30-point effort against Pike Central. Gizzi was 5-7 from 3-point range and added 4 rebounds and 2 assists against the Chargers.

Senior Reagan Wilson helped the Noblesville Millers to a pair of nice wins in the Noblesville holiday tournament last week. In the opening game on Thursday, Noblesville knocked off Valparaiso, 65-56. Wilson, a 5-7 point guard, scored 29 points and was 4-9 from deep in the outing. She added 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5 steals in the win. Later that evening, the Millers battled a tough Fort Wayne Snider squad, escaping with a 57-51 success. Wilson shot it even better, scoring 30 points, burying 4-7 shots from long range, and making all 6 of her free throw attempts in the matchup. The Iowa State University commit chipped in 3 rebounds and 3 steals at the defensive end of the floor as well.

Twin Lakes Senior Olivia Nickerson helped the Indians to a 3rd Place finish in their own tournament, but it was a pair of massive career accomplishments that need to be highlighted this week. Throughout their 3-game tournament run, Nickerson became the all-time leader in career 3-pointers made in Indiana girls’ basketball history. She now stands at 368 made with no fewer than 9 games to go in her career. Additionally, the 5-7 guard became Twin Lakes’ all-time scoring leading, passing 2008 Indiana All-Star Betsy Adams. Nickerson currently sits at 1837 career points and should challenge for 2000 before year’s end. As for her performances last week, in the opener Wednesday against Faith Christian, a 77-50 success, the Bethel University commit went for 31 points, including 6-13 shooting from outside the arc. She also chipped in 6 rebounds and 3 assists in the easy win. Thursday morning, the Senior guard managed 20 points, thanks to an 11-13 effort at the free throw line, but the Indians fell in overtime to Bishop Chatard, 81-78. Twin Lakes and Nickerson responded in the 3rd Place game later that afternoon, taking care of Tri-County, 58-43. The 5-7 guard was a perfect 10-10 from the charity stripe, scoring 19 points, while pulling down 8 caroms, dishing out 6 assists, and collecting 2 steals in the comfortable win.

Bloomfield finished 3-1 in the Wabash Valley Classic last week, moving to 7-4 on the year. They opened Tuesday with a tough loss to Linton-Stockton, 61-44. Sophomore Blake Neill scored a modest 16 points, but added 5 rebounds and 5 assists in defeat. Wednesday, Neill buried 5-9 shots from deep, scoring 26 points in total, as the Cardinals narrowly defeated Northview, 60-57. Thursday, the 6-4 guard scored 17 points and buried 2 more triples, as Bloomfield won against West Vigo, 45-38. Then on Friday, the Cardinals once again found themselves in the win column with a 66-45 outcome over Greencastle. Neill was again strong for Bloomfield, scoring 26 points, including an 11-13 performance from the charity stripe. He also contributed 9 rebounds and 5 assists in their year-ending triumph.

Jennings County finished as the runners-up at the annual Hall of Fame Tournament Friday, but not for lack of effort. Senior Juliann Woodard gave it everything she had, posting a pair of double-doubles on the day. In the opener, a lopsided 60-22 win against Lake Central, the 6-1 forward was 7-12 from the field, 2-4 from deep, and she knocked down 5 free tosses, scoring 21 points in the game. She was also dominant on the boards, pulling in 22 rebounds in the contest. Add to that 6 assists, 2 steals, and 5 blocked shots, and she was effective all over the floor. In the evening game, the Panthers fell at the hands of Columbia City, 56-47. Woodard, however, was again a handful, scoring 18 points and collecting 12 rebounds in the defeat. The Michigan State University commit chipped in 2 assists as well.

IBCA Coaches Poll
Indiana Basketball Coaches Association
Online Top 20 Coaches Poll
Poll Results - December 31, 2023 Poll

Rank School Total Points Record 1st Place Votes
1 Lawrence North 432 9-0 16
2 Fishers 424 11-0 6
3 Westfield 383 6-0
4 Indianapolis Cathedral 382 8-0
5 Noblesville 333 8-1
6 Indianapolis Attucks 307 9-3
7 Ben Davis 275 6-2
8 Greenfield-Central 241 10-0
9 Kokomo 239 10-3
10 Lake Central 235 9-0
11 Brownstown Central 167 9-3
12 Richmond 153 12-0
13 Penn 138 6-1
14 South Bend Riley 88 11-3
15 Fort Wayne North Side 81 9-3
16 Anderson 75 5-2
17 Brebeuf Jesuit 71 7-2
17 Guerin Catholic 71 9-4
19 Wapahani 67 10-0
20 North Central (Indianapolis) 59 6-2

Other Schools Receiving Votes
Barr-Reeve (8-1), Brownsburg (6-5), Center Grove (6-4), Chesterton (6-4), Danville (9-0), Delta (10-1), Evansville Harrison (7-2), Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (8-1), Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian (8-3), Fort Wayne Wayne (7-2), Franklin Community (9-1), Hamilton Southeastern (7-3), Heritage Hills (10-1), Jeffersonville (6-5), Manchester (8-2), Mt. Vernon (Fortville) (6-4), New Albany (7-2), New Palestine (7-2), North Posey (7-2), Northridge (10-1), Plainfield (8-3), Southwestern (Hanover) (10-1), Tipton (10-0), Valparaiso (9-3), Warren Central (5-4), 21st Century Charter School – Gary (6-4)

2023-24 IBCA girls basketball poll – Week 8 (Dec. 31) Rank School (FPV) Points Record

1 Hamilton Southeastern (10) 382 14-1
2 Columbia City (2) 355 14-2
3 Center Grove 338 16-1
4 Lawrence Central (8) 322 18-1
5 Homestead 292 12-2
6 Fort Wayne Snider 288 14-2
7 Jennings County 281 14-2
8 Lawrence North 263 13-3
9 Northridge 244 17-1
10 Franklin Community 213 14-2
11 Bedford North Lawrence 202 14-2
12 South Bend Washington 163 11-3
13 Lake Central 141 13-3
14 Fishers 124 10-4
15 Zionsville 123 13-3
16 Norwell 98 12-4
17 Hamilton Heights 90 15-2
18 Rensselaer Central 59 15-0
T-19 Indian Creek 53 13-4
T-19 Noblesville 53 9-7

Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically): Benton Central (16-2), Caston (15-0), Eastbrook (13-1), Evansville Memorial (11-3), Fort Wayne Northrop (10-3), Franklin Central (7-7), Gibson Southern (11-4), Greensburg (12-3), Mooresville (14-3), North Knox (16-1), Orleans (13-1), South Knox (14-1), Westfield (11-5).

FOWLER, Ind. (WLFI) — Benton Community School Corp. has fired an assistant coach for the boy's high school basketball team.

News 18 obtained the superintendent's letter to Daniel Schukraft announcing the recommended termination.

The letter says Schukraft failed to inform the superintendent within two days of being criminally charged in November.

With Christmas right around the corner, and only traces of snow in Northern Indiana, players are heating up the gyms with big outputs just about every night of the week. We saw several high-scoring affairs during Week-7, a few triple-doubles, and some overtimes and buzzer-beaters as well, and from those performances we were able to find six individuals who stood out amongst their peers, as we honor them for their strong weeks.

Valparaiso Junior Jack Smiley, Bowman Academy Junior Kahlen Robinson, Tri Senior Josiah Cox, Hamilton Southeastern Junior Maya Makalusky, Christian Academy Junior Joshua Renfro, and Austin Sophomore Brynn Owens have been selected as recipients for Dec. 11-Dec. 16 in the recognition program coordinated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. Smiley is the boys’ winner, and Robinson is the girls’ winner in District-1. Cox is the boys’ honoree, while Makalusky is the girls’ honoree for District-2. Renfro and Owens each eclipse the 40-point mark to take home boys’ and girls’ awards, respectively, in District-3.

Valparaiso Junior Jack Smiley had a rather eventful week, helping the Vikings to a 2-0 record. On Tuesday, Smiley overcame illness and helped Valparaiso battle back from a 16-point halftime deficit to defeat a strong Gary 21st Century squad, 68-64 in overtime. The 6-2 guard managed 35 points on 10-17 shooting, plus he was 15-18 from the free throw line. He added 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocked shots for good measure. Saturday was an emotional time in Valparaiso, as the Vikings honored the late Virgil Sweet and all of his accomplishments. Smiley produced once again, scoring 28 points in the 70-52 win against visiting Elkhart. The Junior guard was again efficient, knocking down 13-21 shots from the field, while also contributing 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocked shots in the triumph.

Bowman Academy split their games last week, going 1-1 overall, but Junior Kahlen Robinson was stellar in each, and she put together all-around efforts both times out. In a 51-45 win Wednesday night over East Chicago Central, the 5-6 guard scored 32 points, she grabbed 7 rebounds, she handed out 3 assists, and she picked off 7 steals in victory. Then on Saturday, although they lost a tough one, 62-44 at Valparaiso, the Junior guard was again a key catalyst in the Eagle attack. She tossed in another 23 points on 8-15 shooting, plus she was 4-7 from long range. She again added to her performance in other ways, grabbing 6 rebounds, dishing out 2 assists, and gathering up 5 more steals in defeat.

Tri High tends to make a lot of noise when it comes to basketball in Henry County, and last week Senior Josiah Cox was on it, helping the Titans to a pair of nice victories. Friday, the Titans visited Cowan, knocking off the Blackhawks on the road, 69-59. The next day the Titans played host to a solid Union City team, defeating the Indians, 57-44. Against Cowan, the 6-2 guard scored 32 points, including a 5-9 performance from behind the arc, to go along with a near-perfect 10-11 from the charity stripe. Add to that 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, and a blocked shot, and Cox put forth a well-rounded effort in the win. Saturday, the Senior guard scored 34 points against Union City, including 4-8 from 3-point range. He posted a double-double with his 10 rebounds, plus he added 4 assists, 4 steals, and a blocked shot in the success.

Hamilton Southeastern Junior Maya Makalusky has had an outstanding season, but last week in their lone game, the 6-3 Junior wing was the hero twice over the final four-plus minutes. The now 11-1 Royals faced backyard rival Fishers in the annual Mudsock game, and it took an extra frame to win, 70-67 in overtime. Not only did Makalusky score 28 points, but she buried the two free throws that pushed the game into OT, then proceeded to score 8 of HSE’s 10 points in the overtime period. In addition to her scoring, the Indiana University commit added 7 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and a blocked shot to her effort. If that wasn’t enough, the Junior wing topped the 1000-point mark for her career.

Christian Academy and Junior Joshua Renfro had just one game last week, but it was a memorable one, for sure. The 6-2 guard erupted against South Central (Elizabeth) Friday night, scoring a career-high 43 points on 12-15 shooting. He was 3-5 from deep and a perfect 16-16 from the free throw line in the lopsided win. Renfro didn’t just score it either. The Junior guard pulled down 9 rebounds, he handed out 3 assists, and he collected a steal in victory, as the Warriors remain undefeated on the year.

Last, but definitely not least, Austin Sophomore Brynn Owens had a memorable performance Thursday in a 78-56 win at Clarksville. The youngster poured in 47 points on a solid 16-30 from the field. She was an impressive 8-13 from behind the arc and a near-perfect 7-8 from the free throw stripe. Owens added 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal in the road win. Tuesday, the 5-7 guard helped her Eagles to a nice 53-38 success against the Providence Pioneers. She scored a modest 15 points that night, but still shot an efficient 5-9 from the field and a perfect 5-5 on charity tosses. She added 8 rebounds and 8 assists to nearly pull off the triple-double on the evening.