Small guard plays big, named Player of the Week
Union City’s Cantu headlines honorees for Feb. 13-18; five other players also cited
One of the smallest players on the court had a big impact on it in the Class A semistate at Logansport.
Justiss Cantu, a 5-foot-0 junior guard, scored 13 of her game-high 36 points in overtime en route leading Union City to a State Finals berth and honors in the IBCA/Subway Player of the Week program.
Homestead senior Karissa McLaughlin, Eastern (Pekin) junior Rachel Stewart, Lowell senior John Cory, Cloverdale junior Jalen Moore and Indian Creek senior Tim Abel joined Cantu as recipients for Feb. 13-18 in the recognition program coordinated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.
Cory and McLaughlin are the respective boys’ and girls’ winners for District 1. Moore and Cantu received accolades in District 2. Abel and Stewart collected laurels for District 3.
Cantu added nine rebounds, six assists and seven steals to her 36 points in propelling the Union City girls (24-4) to a 69-64 victory over Marquette Catholic in double overtime. She converted 10-of-20 field goals, 2-of-5 3-pointers and 14-of-18 free throws en route to her big game.
The 5-8 McLaughlin helped Homestead (27-2) reach the Class 4A girls state title game for the second time in three season. The University of Florida signee scored 30 points with four rebounds, five assists and three steals as the Spartans knocked off Northridge 63-40 at Crown Point.
McLaughlin was 12-of-21 from the field, including 5-of-10 3-pointers and 1-of-1 on free throws in the game.
Stewart collected player-of-the-week honors for the second consecutive week after sparking Eastern (Pekin) to its first State Finals berth in girls basketball. The 5-9 guard poured in 34 points with five rebounds, two assist and three steals as the Lady Musketeers (22-7) defeated Covenant Christian 65-59 in a Class 2A semistate game at Richmond. She finished by hitting 11-of-13 shots from the floor, 2-of-2 on 3-pointers, and 10-of-15 free throws.
The 6-0 Cory averaged 33.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists as the Lowell boys (13-8) split a pair of games. He opened by scoring 28 points, including a game-winning layup, with nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals as the Red Devils edged Hammond Morton 81-80. Cory followed with 39 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals in a 69-64 setback to East Chicago Central. Over both games, he made 24-of-33 field goals, 9-of-12 3-pointers and 6-of-9 free throws.
Moore scored 34 points with five assists and five steals in the only game of the week for the Cloverdale boys (18-6), an 84-45 triumph over Shakamak. The 5-9 guard converted 14-of-22 shots, 5-of-7 3-pointers and 1-of-2 free throws for his outstanding performance.
The 6-2 Abel averaged 33.5 points as the Indian Creek boys improved to 13-8. Abel began his week by scoring 24 points with five assists and two steals as the Braves beat Central Christian 82-34. He then erupted for 43 points with six rebounds as Indian Creek outlasted Hauser 79-73 in overtime.
This is the ninth season for the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Week program and the fifth season it is presented by Subway Restaurants of Indiana, a banner sponsor of the IBCA. Subway, in its sixth season as an IBCA sponsor, encourages athletes to "train hard and eat fresh."
Player of the Week winners are chosen each week from each of the IHSAA's three districts. Girls winners will be chosen from now through next week. Boys winners will be chosen from now through the week following March 25.
Other nominees for Week 16 (2016-17)
District 1 boys – Cade Albers, Westville; Damezi Anderson, South Bend Riley; Dakota Barkley, Churubusco; Kooper Broeker, Knox; Keion Brooks Jr., Fort Wayne North; Walter Ellis, South Bend Adams; DeAndre Gholston, Gary 21st Century; Denzel Halliburton, Concord; Michael Hemingway, Mishawaka Marian; Kyle Mangas, Warsaw; Victor Quinones, Whiting; Jacob Redding, Carroll (Fort Wayne); Dominique Smith, Lake Station; Owen Strieter, LaPorte; Jacob Thompson, Eastside; Nathan Walpole, Whitko; Malik Williams, Fort Wayne Snider; Luke Zurcher, NorthWood.
District 1 girls – Sydney Freeman, Central Noble; Brooke McKinley, Northridge; Emma Nolan, Marquette Catholic; Daly Sullivan, South Bend St. Joseph.
District 2 boys – Cameron Alford, Brownsburg; Daveon Bell, Lawrence Central; Sterling Brown, Carmel; Cam Chadd, Southmont; Jarron Coleman, Cathedral; Zach Gunn, Hamilton Southeastern; Jack Hansen, Guerin Catholic; Ra Kpedi, Lawrence North; Mitchell Kuhlenbeck, Bluffton; Brian Miller, Southport; Brock Mitchell, Turkey Run; Joe Rush, Indianapolis Howe; Cody Shivley, Norwell; Chase Southerland, Cambridge City Lincoln; Dean Tate, Warren Central; Carter Taylor, Frankfort; Billie Webster, Seton Catholic; Kris Wilkes, North Central.
District 2 girls – Jenna Cowert, Danville; Katlyn Gilbert, Heritage Christian; Jacalyn Halderman, Covenant Christian; Trinity Love, Tindley; Taylor Westgate, Oak Hill; Michaela White, Pike.
District 3 boys – De’Ante Booker, Evansville Harrison; Gabe Elliott, Pike Central; Bailey Falkenstein, Jeffersonville; Lathan Falls, Wood Memorial; Jeff Graham, Eastern Greene; Mekhi Lairy, Evansville Bosse; Romeo Langford, New Albany; Hayden Langkabel, Morristown; Dillon Merritt, North Decatur; Jaylen Minnett, Terre Haute South; Steven Molinet, Tecumseh; Tyler Nottingham, Jasper; Jalen Owens, Terre Haute North; Dylan Penn, Evansville Memorial;
Josiah Ricketts, North Posey; Jacob Swanson, Southwestern (Shelby); Javon Wilkerson, Princeton.
District 3 girls – Lilly Hatton, North Harrison; Maliah Howard-Bass, Columbus North; Brenna Maikranz, Wood Memorial.
