HS hoops homestretch
This is it. Today through Saturday are the final days of the regular season for high school boys basketball in the state of Indiana. Next Tuesday sectionals begin. (Look for our in-depth preview running Monday or Tuesday)
For a couple of area teams, conference championships are still on the line. For others, this weekend provides one last opportunity to try new things or maybe tinker with the lineup. Most importantly though, the next couple of days are opportunities to just … play. If we’ve learned anything over the past 11 months, having the chance to participate in high school athletics is a privilege. Win or lose, enjoy it.
Here are capsule previews for some of the top games this weekend.
Thursday thrillers Oregon-davis @ Bremen
Both Bremen (8-12) and Oregon-davis (7-10) are looking to bounce back from Tuesday defeats. This has the makings of an up-and-down, fast-paced back-and-forth contest OR it could be a slow-it-down, drag-it-out low-scoring battle. Each team has scored as much as 70 (O-D) and 65 (Bremen), or as low as 11 (O-D) and 23 (Bremen). These two have not met since January, 2016,
and that one ended 65-62 in Bremen’s favor. I’m hoping this one ends somewhere around those numbers.
North Judson @ Culver
This is the final Hoosier North Athletic Conference game for both schools. The losing team will end up as the eighth-place team in the eight-school league. North Judson (5-12, 1-5 HNAC) won decidedly in last year’s meeting. Culver (7-13, 1-5 HNAC) has had its best season since 201617 though, and if it wins its final two games it would match the combined win total of the last three years.
Frantic Friday Triton @ Knox
A share of the Hoosier North Athletic Conference title (with Laville) goes to
the winner. Triton (15-5, 5-1 HNAC) dropped out of the AP poll this week, but looked impressive in its win over Bremen Tuesday night. Knox (9-11, 5-1 HNAC) is coming off a double-overtime loss last Saturday and also played a triple OT game earlier this season. Does this one go four extra sessions to decide a winner??
Culver @ Bremen
The Lions’ third game this week is its final home contest. It is also the third contest in four days for the Cavaliers. These two met in the Bi-county opener with Bremen coming out on top, 37-31.
Elkhart Christian Academy @ Argos
A win by 11th-ranked
(Class 1A) Argos (16-4, 4-0 HPC) gives them the Hoosier Plains Conference championship outright. A loss and they share it with Friday’s opponent, Elkhart Christian Academy (7-13, 3-1 HPC). The Dragons, winners of eight straight and 12 of their last 13, won last year’s meeting with the Eagles by five. This is Argos’ final home game.
Boone Grove @ Oregondavis
O-D’S run of four games in five nights ends with this home date against a tough Boone Grove (14-6) squad. The Class 2A Wolves won by 40 in last year’s meeting and are one of the favorites in next week’s North Judson Sectional.
Glenn (18-4) edged closer to that magical 20-win mark with a victory over Concord Tuesday. The Falcons get another Northern Lakes Conference team to wrap up the regular season when Goshen (7-14) visits newly renovated TCU Gymnasium Friday. For what it’s worth, Goshen defeated Concord when the NLC rivals played this year. The Red Hawks have not played Glenn since they were the Redskins back in November, 2014. The teams have only met five times in the past 35 years (Goshen leading the series, 3-2).
Culver Academy @ Hamtramck (Mich.)
The first of two out-of-state contests to end the regular season has Culver Academy (5-3) traveling to Hamtramck, Michigan. The Eagles looked impressive in their 50-18 win over Dowagiac (Mich.) last Friday and hope to continue to impress Michiganders. Hamtramck (5-0) just started playing games on Feb. 10, but then took the court five times in nine days, winning each contest. The Cosmos have been playing like stars so far, averaging 71 ppg, with a high of 94. Hamtramck is a public high school in Detroit and has the highest population density in the state (10,728 people per sq. mile). Apparently, a lot of those residents play basketball at a high level.
Saturday showdowns Culver Academy @ Loyola (Detroit)
After an overnight stay in the Detroit area, Culver Academy will take on Loyola High School Saturday. Loyola is an all-boys Catholic school in Detroit. The Bulldogs (4-2) started games on Feb. 9, then played six games in 11 days, winning its last three.