Week 8 News and Notes

The season is already halfway over and teams are rounding into form for the 2nd half. Some teams and players have played out the way I thought they would, and others not so much. On Tuesday and Wednesday the Marion County Tourney got started with the semi finals and finals set for the weekend. I got to catch possibly the game of the season so far on stream on Wednesday night up @ Lawrence Central. The state was full of games on Friday night and some especially good ones down in southern Indiana. There was also a full night of ball on Saturday (as well as some good NFL games).  Let’s take a look @ Week 8.

Ft. Wayne Luers @ New Haven- If you like fast paced games this was the one for you. As expected this game started out with both teams running and gunning. The problem for the Bulldogs was Luers was the only team hitting early on with Sr. Carmani Davis and Jr. TJ English both knocking in 3s to give the Knights a 10-2 lead. A three pointer from Bulldog Jr. Deuce Baskerville @ the 1st quarter buzzer cut the Luers lead to 23-14. In the 2nd quarter it was the Dogs who got hot from all over the floor; especially Baskerville who’s 3 tied up @ 25. That tie would continue to the halftime whistle at 33 all. After a 10 pt. deficit in the 3rd quarter Luers battled back to make it 51-48 New Haven after 3. The Bulldogs started out the 2nd half with much more fire than @ the beginning of the game. A crucial call in the 4th was Luers getting fouled on an And 1 but was called on the floor which could’ve got the Knights back to within 3. A miss from Luers and a basket from Jaidren Ezell of the Bulldogs really turned the tide. The Bulldogs went on to win by a score of 70-65. Baskerville put in a game-high 27 pts on seven 3s. New Haven has multiple pieces with shooting and strength that could carry them to a regional or semi state run in a couple of months depending on the draw. Their fast paced style of play could catch any 3A North team on a given night.

Ben Davis @ Lawrence Central- The 2nd round of the Marion Co. Tournament took place @ LC on Wednesday night. If you thought the New Haven and Luers game up in Ft. Wayne was fast paced this one was on another level. What a game this turned out to be between two teams that could really make some noise in March. The Giants got out to the hot start and looked to run away with it early taking a 10 pt. lead in the 1st quarter. BD seniors Jashawn Ladd and Sherman Moss- Wright were hot all night helping the Giants get out to that early edge. LC Sr. Dayton Stephens helped the Bears stay within striking distance in the 2nd quarter and were only down 5 @ half. The 2nd half is when the game went bi-polar. LC went on a run that I believe was 17-0 spurred on by Sr. Doron Harris and Sr. DJ Summers. The Bears drove to the basket, shot the outside shot, and capitalized on numerous Giant turnovers in the 3rd quarter turning the tables and leading 56-43 after 3. The script completely flipped in the 4th with Ben Davis hitting on all cylinders. The press really threw the Bears off their game and seemed to be folding under the pressure of a 13 pt. leading. After numerous give aways Ben Davis got the game to within 3 with under a minute left. That’s when Moss-Wright shot big time a corner 3 that tied the game up. After having possession for 25-30 seconds the Bears DJ Summers gets himself to the free throw line where he hit 2/2. One last chance for BD goes off the rim from Moss-Wright but soph. Jasir Rogers gets the board and throws it up down low. The closest ref said game over but the far referee called a foul on LC. Rogers ended up going to the line with two shots to tie the game but the first one bounced off the rim; game over, Bears win a thriller 71-69.

Charlestown @ New Albany- Charlestown is coming off a last second win @ Madison from last weekend while New Albany got a 23 pt. win over their rival Jeffersonville last Friday night. Talent- wise the Pirates can match up with the Dogs but @ home I thought NA may roll in this one. The Pirates seem to save their best games for the big ones and it started out all Charlestown holding the Bulldogs to 8 first quarter points. Sr. Pirate Anthony Fresh had a big sequence in the 2nd quarter hitting back to back 3s and 3 in the 2nd quarter extending the Charlestown lead to 22-13. Fresh had 15 pts. in the 1st half. Jr. Reece McKee kept the Dogs afloat in the 2nd quarter putting up 10 pts by halftime as New Albany slowly but surely cut the lead. A Seth Winslow basket at the end of the half gave the Bulldogs a 28-27 lead at half. The teams traded leads back in forth in the 3rd with McKee continuing his good night. Fresh made a move in the 3rd quarter that reminds you why he’s a Miami (OH.) signee. New Albany freshman Karson Stoudemire came right back down and hit a big 3 @ the top of the key giving them a 42-35 lead. There’s times in games I’ve seen where New Albany goes to sleep offensively but they make up for that with having 8-0 or 10-0 spurts at some point during the game. That spurt came in the 3rd quarter tonight. In the 4th it was the Pirates turn to slowly crawl back into the game. With a minute and a half left New Albany’s lead was cut to 4. New Albany immediately went to their freshman, Stoudemire who got an easy 2 inside. As the time got down to 30 seconds Fresh hit Sr. AJ Todd for a 3 to cut the lead to 1 possession. After a NA turnover Charlestown had a chance to tie it down 3. Credit to the Dogs who realized to cover Fresh and force someone else to make a play. A Keevin Bowman 3 from the corner went right as the buzzer sounded for a 63-60 New Albany win. Jr. Reece McKee finished the game with a team- high 21 pts. and soph. Noah Washington put up 14 pts. Anthony Fresh led the Pirates with a game-high 25 pts. and Sr. AJ Todd also had a big game with 19 pts. It was a good hard win for the Bulldogs who are back in action on Saturday night @ home v. Scottsburg. When Fresh and this Charlestown team plays with the effort and execution they did tonight they can be a very dangerous team.

Lawrence North v. Pike- The Marion County final came down to the Red Devils and Wildcats on Saturday night @ Southport. LN got here by beating Park Tudor on Friday and Pike rolled over Lawrence Central in the semi finals. Pike’s top 5 Jr. Jahari Miller got the Devils going early on hitting 2 three’s on his way to I believe 10 pts in the first quarter. Pike built themselves up a nice 10 pt. lead but with the fast paced style of play from both teams 10 points early isn’t that meaningful. The Wildcats and their Indiana All Star candidate Brennan Miller chipped away at that lead and by the 2nd quarter it was gone. LN cut the early deficit down to 26-19 going into halftime.  lead. The LN zone frustrated Pike and negated the height advantage Pike had throughout the game. I’m not sure what happened with Jahari Miller but with just a couple minutes left in the 3rd., (after picking up a 3rd foul) he did not come back in for Pike which was a huge blow for their offense. LN Sr. Cam Webster had one of his better games that I’ve seen him play in one of their biggest games of the year. Webster handled any pressure Pike threw at them and got the Wildcats set up on offense. A 3 pointer at the 3rd quarter buzzer by soph. Davis Baker broke the tie and sent the Wildcats into the 4th with a 3 pt. lead. Red Devil soph. Landon Lampley did all he could in this one with 17 pts and he was easily the go-to guy coming down the stretch. The game was back and forth the entire 4th quarter when Pike had a possession to win it with just under a minute left. The Devils never really got a good look at a last shot as the game went into OT. With no Miller for all the 4th quarter and OT it was asking alot of Pike to hold on and take this game. Jr. Isaiah Hill did all he could do low affecting shots all game on his way to 13 rbs. and 5 blocks. Hill didn’t get much going offensively but his presence on defense is probably the biggest in Indiana high school ball right now. In the OT Miller hit a big three and Webster hit some big free throws to make a 3 pt. game with about 3 seconds left. The Pike running 3 from midcourt was off and the Wildcats got their 2nd Marion County title in 3 years.

Other News and Notes from Around the State

• South won the battle of Bloomington beating North, 50-43. Panther Sr. Jack Clark led with a game-high 22 pts.
• Decatur Central defeated Speedway in the 1st rd. of the County Tourney, 77-61. Jr. Nash Sigmund with 24 pts including 8 three’s.
• South Ripley beat Franklin County, 58-49. Jr. Dylan Jesse led the Raiders with 18 pts.
• LaPorte pulled the upset on SB Adams, 67-54. Jr. Garrot Ott-Large scored 29 pts.
• Hammond Noll beat Hanover Central, 68-57. Sr. Jamaul Hall put up 16 pts, 6 rbs. and 3 assists.
• Monroe Central gets the 70-34 W over Wes Del. Sr. Jackson Konkle had 26 pts and 7 assists.
• Shelbyville got the 69-47 W over Columbus East on Tuesday. Sr. Mar Nicholson had 22 pts, 5 rbs., and 4 assists. East Sr. Keaton Lawson also scored 22 pts.
• Silver Creek got a 90-24 W over Clarksville. Jr. Brandon Hunter with 12 pts, 12 assists, and 8 rbs.
• Gary Lighthouse with a 65-32 W over Whiting. Lions Jr. Isaac Browder with 24 pts. and 6 rbs.
• SB Riley gets back in the win column defeating Mishawaka, 62-48. Jr. Kelin Webster led the Cats in scoring with 20 pts. Riley also got a good W v. Bosse on Saturday. Webster put up 21 pts and 13 rbs in a W.
• Goshen moved to 10-0 after a 48-41 W over Elkhart Christian. Sr. Levi Sawatzky scored 16 pts.
• Westview defeated Fairfield 60-50 on Thursday. Jr. Austin Schlabach led the Warriors with 20 pts.
• Paoli remained undefeated with a 46-37 W over NE Dubois. Sr. Dane Padgett had 17 pts for the Rams.
• HSE defeated Westfield 57-54 on Friday night. Sr. Luke Weemer scored a game high 24 pts in a W.
• Soph. Caleb Coolman put up 24 pts in a 71-46 W over New Prairie.
• Cathedral got a 74-67 W over Evansville Bosse. Irish Sr. Julian Smith put up 24 pts and 6 rbs. Irish soph. Jaxson Delaney had a big 20 pt. and 13 rbs. game. Sr. Marrius Harris led the Bulldogs with 23 pts. Sr. Dorion Bowen with 21 pts and 11 rbs.
• Jr. Trell Hogue with 18 pts. for FW Snider in an upset W over Homestead.
• East Chicago got a 58-53 W over Hammond Morton. Sr. Joseph Watkins with 18 pts.
• Madison got a 68-58 OT W v. Lawrenceburg. Sr. Zach Vinup put up 15 pts and 17 rbs.
• Henryville got a 63-31 W over New Wash. Jr. Manon Gant led the Hornets with 26.
• Austin defeated Borden 77-55. Soph. Tracen Roush put up 23 pts for the Eagles. Brave soph. Wyatt Jones with 24 pts and 7 rbs.
• New Albany got the 83-45 W over Scottsburg on Saturday. Bulldog soph. Noah Washington put up 19 pts.
• Linton defeats Bloomfield, 49-46. Seniors Conner Daily and Paul Oliver both scored 21 pts for the Miners.
• Pendleton Heights defeated Shelbyville 51-49. Sr. Cooper Sims 15 pts for the Arabians and Mar Nicholson put up 21 pts for the Golden Bears.
• Westview wins the NECC Tourney defeating Angola 68-65 in OT. Sr. Kaden Grau with a 29 pts in the W.
• Corydon defeated Crawford County. 77-48. Sr. Jack Fessel with 20 pts for the Panthers. Soph. Braxton Bowman put up 24 pts for the Wolfpack.
• Sullivan beat Vincennes Lincoln in 2OTs, 76-70. Golden Arrow Sr. Cooper Bock with 25 pts. Alice Jr. Colton York had 35 pts.
• Sr. Teegan Dowers of North Vermillion scored 37 pts in a W v. Paris (IL.).
• Sr. Korbyn Hammel of Kokomo put up 28 pts, 9 assists, 8 rbs. and 5 steals in a W v. Maconaquah.
• Sr. Jake Prior put up 20 pts and 7 rbs in a W v. Tecumseh and 16 pts and 5 rbs in a W v. Pike Central.
• Greenfield Central defeated Eastern Hancock 72-66. The Mullins brothers combined for 25 pts. Clay scored 13 pts and Clay put up 12 pts.

5 Stars of Week 8

Mack Welker- Homestead. 39 pts and 10 rbs in a W v. FW Blackhawk.

Harper Baker Lands- Plainfield. 24 pts in a W v. Carmel. 27 pts in a W v. Northview.

Isaiah Hill- Pike. 14 pts, 10 rbs, and 13 blocks in a W v. Lawrence Central. 13 rbs and 5 blocks v. Lawrence North.

Julien Smith- Cathedral. 24 pts, 6 rbs, and 3 assists in a W v. Evansville Bosse. 19 pts, 4 rbs, 3 assists and 4 steals in a W v. Castle.

Dezhon Hall- Attucks. 33 pts on 13/15 FGs in a W v. Guerin Catholic. 33 pts, 12 rbs, and 5 assists in a W v. Indy Homeschool.

Team of the Week- Lawrence North Wildcats

Upset of the Week- Laporte over SB Adams 67-54. Snider 71-52 over Homestead. South Knox 61-42 over Bloomfield.

 

Top Freshmen from Around the State in Week 8

Micah Mohler- Austin. 26 pts and 9 rbs in a W v. Borden. 30 pts and 10 rbs in a W v. Springs Valley.

Braysen Russell- Madison. 24 pts in a W v. Lawrenceburg.

Romyiez Calvin- Evansville Harrison. 20 pts and 8 rbs. in a W v. Indy Tech.

Quinton Lewis- Southwestern. 15 pts, 3 rbs, and 3 assists in a W v. Switz. Co.

Karson Stoudemire- New Albany. 14 pts in a W v. Charlestown. 10 pts in a W v. Scottsburg.

Donell Dawson- Attucks. 13 pts and 4 steals in a W v. Indy Homeschool.

Grayson Dease- Evansville Reitz. 12 pts, 6 rbs, and 3 assists in a W v. Hopkinsville (KY)

Camden Thoman- Shelbyville. 12 pts and 3 assists in a W v. Columbus East.

Luke Keller- Guerin Catholic. 12 pts and 8 rbs in a W v. Tri West. 10 pts in a W v. FW Dwenger.

Zayden Johnson- East Chicago Central. 11 pts and 7 steals in a W v. Hammond Morton.

Will Tonagel- Oak Hill. 11 pts and 5 rbs in a W v. Eastbrook.

Jaxon Owens- Scottsburg. 10 pts and 2 steals in a W v. Crothersville. 13 pts. and 2 assists v. Salem.

Walker Johnson- Delta. 9 pts in a W v. Wapahani.