Week 3 for HS girls basketball starts tonight
This is already Week 3 for the high school girls basketball season. Teams have settled into routines now and coaches are seeing what their players can do under game conditions. The Northern Indiana Conference has seen a couple of conference match-ups, whereas the other area schools with conference ties are still playing mostly out of conference contests. Here are capsule previews for some of the top games today, Wednesday and Thursday of this week involving local squads.
Tuesday tangles Plymouth @ Bremen
Plymouth’s (1-2) busy three-game week begins with a road trip to Bremen (1-3, 1-1 NIC) tonight. Both teams are coming off their first wins of the season - the Lady Pilgrims over Michigan City and the Lady Lions over South Bend Clay. Plymouth head coach Micaela Schalliol is a Bremen HS grad and her first game coaching against her alma mater was a 50-45 win last season. In fact, last year was the first meeting between these two schools since November of 2014. The only time the Lady Lions have defeated the Lady Pilgrims in 14 tries over the past 20 years came in November of 2011 (51-40).
Glenn @ Penn
Glenn (2-2, 1-0 NIC) won its Northern Indiana Conference opener in its most recent game (40-34 last Friday over SB Adams), but will face much stiffer competition at Penn (2-1, 1-0 NIC) tonight. The Lady Kingsmen are currently not ranked, which is unusual for this historically strong program, but have scored over 65 points in two of its three contests this season. Penn’s only loss was to Class 4A No. 9* Lake Central last Saturday night.
Winamac @ Culver
Culver (1-3) has a three-game week, starting with tonight’s Hoosier North Athletic Conference opener at home against Winamac (0-4). The Lady Cavaliers have lost the last seven meetings against the Lady Warriors, the last win coming in 2014. Winamac is winless so far this year, but its opponents have an overall record of 10-4. The reputable John Harrell website is predicting a one-point game (in Culver’s favor).
Mishawaka @ Argos
This is an intriguing first-time ever match-up as Class 4A Mishawaka (3-2) travels to Class 1A Argos (1-2). The Lady Dragons lost two key players in Amanda Fajardo (personal reasons) and Samantha Redinger (broken wrist) last week and face a Lady Cavemen team on the rise. Mishawaka went from one win to six to 14 over the last three seasons and returns most of its lineup from a year ago. Mishawaka has scored over 50 points in each of its three wins and averages almost 46 in all contests. Argos averages 40 ppg.
Wednesday watches
Oregon-davis @ Bowman Academy
The only mid-week game involving an area team has Oregon-davis (1-3) heading to Gary to face Bowman Academy (1-3). Both teams are allowing 53 ppg so this could be a shootout. O-D has never lost to Bowman in six games all-time. Last year the Lady Bobcats won, 53-34.
Thursday thrillers
Plymouth @ #12* Triton
Plymouth’s second game this week is another road test, this time at Class 1A No. 12* Triton (3-1) and features the area’s two top scorers in Addyson Viers (Triton) and Taylor Delp (Plymouth). The Lady Pilgrims have dominated this series over the last 20 years (18-2) with the most recent Lady Trojans win coming in November of 2011. There was an overtime game in 2012 and a one-point PHS win in 2014. Last year Plymouth won, 57-35. Interestingly, the reputable John Harrell website is predicting a 47-46
Triton victory. The Lady Trojans suffered their first and only loss of the season in their last outing (46-35 to South Central).
Elkhart Christian @ Culver
Culver ’s second game of the week is another home contest, with Elkhart Christian Academy (1-1) visiting John R. Nelson Gymnasium Thursday. ECA has played just two games and neither one was close (a 35-point win, followed by a 34-point loss). The Lady Cavaliers added the Lady Eagles to their schedule five years ago. After losing the first meeting, Culver has won the last four, including last year by five points. Every game between these two has been decided by six points or less so expect another close one.
(*rankings through Nov. 14)
LEADING AREA SCORERS (ppg) (info provided by coaches or Maxpreps.com through Nov. 13) Girls
Addyson Viers (Triton) 17.3 Taylor Delp (Plymouth) 15.3 Sarah Thompson (Oregon-davis) 15.2 Lucy Sherk (Laville) 13.0 Heaylyn Kwiatkowski (Laville) 12.7 Emma Dunlap (Argos) 12.3 Kinsey Atkins (Triton) 11.5 Dionna Craig (CGA) 11.3 Sophie Miller (Plymouth) 11.0 Bella Stults (Argos) 11.0 Kennedy Jackson (Culver) 10.5 Piper Brumm (CGA) 10.0 Kila Foster (Bremen) 9.8 Katie Moyer (Bremen) 9.5 Reagan Danford (Oregon-davis) 9.2
NORTHERN LAKES CONFERENCE
Overall record to date Girls Northwood 2-0 Wawasee 3-1 Northridge 2-1 Warsaw 2-1 Goshen 2-1 Mishawaka 3-2 Plymouth 1-2 Concord 1-3
NORTHERN indiana CONFERENCE
Overall record to date Girls SB Wash 3-0 N. Prairie 4-1 Marian 3-1 Penn 2-1 Elkhart 3-2 Glenn 2-2 SB Adams 1-2 SB Clay 1-2 SB Riley 1-2 Bremen 1-3 Jimtown 1-3 St. Joseph 0-3
HOOSIER NORTH ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Overall record to date Girls Caston 5-0 Pioneer 1-0 Triton 3-1 Laville 3-1 N. Judson 3-1 Culver 1-3 Winamac 0-4 Knox 0-4
HOOSIER Plains CONFERENCE
Overall record to date Girls Bethany Christian 3-0 Lakeland Christian 2-0 Elkhart Christian 1-1 Argos 1-2 Career Academy 1-3 Trinity 0-4
INDEPENDENT
Overall record to date Girls Culver Academy 4-2 Oregon-davis 1-3