Conference play dominates Thurs/fri HS hoops
With all schools back in session this week, area boys and girls high school basketball teams are back to their usual school/practice/game routines. There are 10 games scheduled Thursday and Friday involving local teams, many of them involving conference play. Below are capsule previews for those contests.
Bball junkies rejoice
For high school basketball junkies, the Laporte Civic Auditorium will be the place to be this weekend. The top three high school boys teams in the country and five of the top seven will participate in the Marines NIBC Laporte Invitational Thursday through Saturday (schedule, ticket info follows). Lalumiere is the Indiana representative. The Lakers, who are ranked No. 6, were on Culver Academy’s schedule the two years the Eagles played in the state championship (‘17-’18, ‘18-’19). Four of their starting five signed with Division I colleges recently. The fifth starter is just a junior. At this weekend’s tourney, 22 of ESPN’S top 100 recruits from the 2022 class can be found on the various rosters. The top three ranked teams are No. 1 Sunrise Christian
Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.), No. 2 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) and No. 3 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.).
Marines NIBC Laporte Invitational (HS boys)
At Laporte Civic Auditorium Thursday, January 6
1 pm EST: Legacy Early College vs. #6 La Lumiere
3 pm EST: #7 Oak Hill Academy vs. #13 Wasatch Academy
5 pm EST: #1 Sunrise Christian vs #3 Montverde Academy
7 pm EST: Bishop Walsh vs. #2 IMG Academy
Friday, January 7
3 pm EST: #1 Sunrise Christian vs. #13 Wasatch Academy
5 pm EST: #3 Montverde Academy vs. Bishop Walsh
7 pm EST: #7 Oak Hill Academy vs. #6 La Lumiere
9 pm EST: #2 IMG Academy vs. Legacy Early College
Saturday, January 8
3 pm EST: Bishop Walsh vs. #7 Oak Hill Academy
5 pm EST: #13 Wasatch vs. #2 IMG Academy
7 pm EST: #3 Montverde Academy vs. #6 La Lumiere
9 pm EST: #1 Sunrise Christian vs Legacy Early College
Tickets: w w w. eventbrite.com/e/us-marines-nibc-la-porte-invitational-tickets-205125464787?aff=efbeventtix&fbclid=iwar3v2-p4x5nz4dvbhlxubferscnqgwvfc14biqlovzqhk6j7p6y-19lpnp8
Thursday thrillers New Prairie @ #8 Glenn (boys)
Eighth-ranked (Class 3A) Glenn (9-0, 4-0 NIC) plays the first of two games on back-toback nights with this Northern Indiana Conference home game against New Prairie (2-6 before Tues vs Concord, 0-4 NIC). The last time the Falcons took the court they were winning the East Noble Holiday Tournament for the second straight year. The Cougars have been struggling with lots of new faces, but are 2-2 in their last four games.
South Bend Washington @ Bremen (boys)
Bremen’s (4-2, 1-1 NIC) first game in 16 days is an NIC home game against South Bend Washington (8-3, 2-2 NIC). After winning its first four games, the Lions have been on the wrong side of back-to-back games decided by double digits. Last year this game needed an overtime session to decide the winner. Washington has played five more games than Bremen, including three during the Warsaw Classic over the holidays while the Lions were idle. The Panthers have won three of their last four and seven of nine.
Caston @ Culver (girls)
Culver’s (4-10, 0-4 HNAC) first game in almost three weeks is a home Hoosier North Athletic Conference contest against Caston (10-4, 3-2 HNAC). This is the Lady Cavaliers’ lone game this week. Culver put up 62 points in its last game before Christmas vacation, but will get tested by the Lady Comets, who won the two-day Miami County Invitational over the holidays.
#12 Argos @ North Miami (girls)
Argos (9-4 before Tuesday vs ECA) hits the road to Denver, Indiana, for the second of three games this week when the Lady Dragons play North Miami (9-5). The Lady Warriors have won four of their last five and average 53 ppg. Argos has been allowing just 32. The Lady Dragons won this match-up last year, but NM is much improved.
Frantic Friday Mishawaka
Plymouth @(boys)
Plymouth’s (2-7 before Tues vs Michigan City, 0-1 NLC) second game this week is a Northern
Lakes Conference tilt at The Cave against Mishawaka (3-2 before Tues vs Elkhart, 1-0 NLC). The Pilgrims lead the series, 22-8, over the last 35 years, but the Cavemen won last year, 48-37.
#8 Triton @ #8 Glenn (boys)
Glenn’s second game in as many nights is a trip to the Trojan Trench to face the other local team ranked No. 8, Class 1A Triton (5-1 before Tues vs Logansport). The Falcons won both meetings last season, with one decided by a last-second shot.
Culver @ Caston (boys)
Culver’s (3-6, 1-1 HNAC) lone game this week is an HNAC road game against Caston (4-4, 1-0 HNAC). This is the Cavaliers’ first time on the court in 17 days. The Comets split a pair of games at the Miami County Invitational last week.
#11 Argos @ Bethany Christian (boys)
First place in the early going of the Hoosier Plains Conference is on the line when Class 1A No. 11 Argos (6-1, 1-0 HPC before Tues vs Trinity) travels to Goshen to face Bethany Christian (5-4, 1-0 HPC). The Bruins come in on a three-game winning streak after
winning the Lakeland Christian Cougar Classic Tournament over Christmas break. The Dragons bested the Bruins last year by four. Is another close one on the horizon?
#1 South Bend Washington @ Bremen (girls)
Bremen (9-5 before Tues vs East Noble, 4-4 NIC) gets back into Northern Indiana Conference action against South Bend Washington (15-2, 8-0 NIC), the top team in the NIC and No. 1-ranked team in the state for Class 3A. The Lady Panthers are coming off winning the prestigious Hall of Fame Tournament over the holiday break. They defeated Class 4A No. 8 Westfield in the championship game.
Oregon-davis @ Hammond Morton (girls)
Oregon-davis (4-9 before Wed vs Triton) hits the road for the first time of 2022 with a trip to Hammond to face the Lady Governors of Morton HS (3-10 before Tues vs Hobart). The Lady Bobcats are looking to snap a five-game losing streak, the longest such string since the 2003-04 season. This is the first meeting ever between these two schools.