Four ranked teams, including No. 1, in local action tonight
It’s the last week of the regular season for high school boys basketball, but there is still plenty to see before the postseason begins. Tonight alone, an area player could reach the 1,000-point mark, four ranked teams in all will hit the court within about a 16-mile radius of the Marshall County Courthouse, including the No. 1 team in the state from Class 1A. Here are capsule previews for the seven games taking place nearby tonight.
Tuesday tangles South Bend Saint Joseph @ Plymouth
Plymouth (6-15) wraps up the regular season with a visit by South Bend St. Joseph (11-9) to the Rock. The Pilgrims snapped a five-game losing skid in its last outing and would love to continue that momentum with a win in the last home game.
#1* Gary 21st Century Charter @ Culver Academy
Culver Academy (14-6) will put its modest four-game winning streak on the line when it hosts Class 1A No. 1 Gary 21st Century (16-4) to Fleet Gymnasium. Two of the top juniors in the state will be in action - CMA’S Cooper Farrall (21.1 ppg) and the Cougars’ Ashton Williamson (21 ppg, 11.2 asst, 8.3 rpg).
#10* Triton @ Bremen
SR 331 rivals Class 1A No. 10 Triton (14-6) and Bremen (11-9) meet in the Lions Den for what should be a high-scoring, entertaining game. The series is close (2220 Triton the last 35 years), as was last year’s meeting (a 53-49 Triton win). Bremen’s had four overtime games this season and Triton one. How about another one tonight?
Caston @ #14* Argos
Caston (14-6), the top team from the Hoosier North Athletic Conference, travels to No. 14 Argos (13-5) for a Class 1A inter-conference heavyweight match-up at Phil Weybright Gymnasium. No one from the HNAC defeated the Comets this year. Can the Dragons?
Concord @ #3* Glenn
Junior Brycen Hannah from Class 3A No. 3 Glenn (20-1) should pass the 1,000 career points threshold in this home game against the NLC’S Concord Minutemen (10-9). The Falcons locked up a share of their first Northern Indiana Conference title in its last game and are one win short of tying the most wins in a season in school history set in 1973 (21-3). With two games this week and at least one in sectionals, that mark is on thin ice.
Laville @ North Judson
Laville (3-15, 2-3 HNAC) has three games this week, starting with its HNAC finale - a road trip to North Judson (16-5, 5-1 HNAC). The Lancers gave undefeated first-place Caston a scare last Friday before losing 57-51. Will they be able to hang with the Bluejays as well? These two could meet up again in sectionals.
Northfield @ Culver
Culver (6-13) enjoyed its first two-game winning streak since Dec. 10-11 with a pair of wins last week, including a 41-40 victory over South Central on a buzzer-beating 3 by Emiliano Ortiz. Tonight the Cavaliers host fellow 1A school Northfield (4-16). These teams met for the first time ever last year, with the Norsemen winning 61-52 so the Cavs have revenge and a three-game winning streak as motivation.
(*rankings as of Feb. 21)
LEADING AREA SCORERS (ppg) (info provided by coaches or Maxpreps.com through Feb. 21)
Cooper Farrall (Culver Academy) 21.1 Carson Miller (Bremen) 20.3 Brycen Hannah (Glenn) 17.6 Collin Czarnecki (Laville) 15.6
JJ Morris (Argos) 15.0
Michael Richard (Argos) 14.8 Tyson Yates (Triton) 13.8
Cam Taylor (Oregon-davis) 13.4 Silas Kaser (Glenn) 13.4
Easton Strain (Plymouth) 13.1 Davis Wray (Plymouth) 12.9
Tony Hardin (Bremen) 12.8 Thomas Collins (Culver Academy) 12.3 Ashton Oviedo (Triton) 11.3
Cole Shively (Triton) 10.9 Emiliano Ortiz (Culver) 10.6