PHS boys back home, will Triton start 3-0?
The high school girls basketball season is nearing the halfway point and it is Week 3 for the boys. It will be a busy six days for a couple of area girls teams, with a potential sectional preview taking place tonight. On the boys side, Plymouth returns to the home court tonight while Triton and Culver look to expand winning streaks. Here are capsule previews for those games plus the other top games with local ties through Thursday.
Tuesday tussles Jimtown @ Plymouth (boys)
Plymouth (2-1) looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season with a home game tonight against Class 3A Jimtown (0-2) under first-year coach Tyler Leighton. The Pilgrims put up 59 points for the second time this year to run its average to 66 per contest. The Jimmies scored 61 in its first game, but was held to just 30 last Friday against NLC member Concord. It’s been two years since these two last met, with Plymouth coming out on top, 49-44. The Pilgrims have never lost to Jimtown over the past 35 years, but they have only played four times, three of those in the Plymouth Holiday Tourney (‘18, ‘20, ‘21).
#21* Laville @ Argos (boys)
Laville’s (0-1) first game looked, well, like a first game as the Class 2A No. 21* Lancers got a later start than most. The team is incorporating a lot of new faces to a strong core of three players that just came off a long football season. Argos (1-1) will know what to expect as coach Jason Breden played for, then coached under, LV’S Michael Edison before taking over the Dragons program two years ago. Both teams have losses to Bremen this year and by nearly identical scores. LV won both meetings against Argos last season, once by a single point, then by seven at the Bi-county Tourney.
Lakeland Christian @ #17* Triton (boys)
Triton (2-0) has had some great seasons, but the Class 1A No. 17* Trojans have not started 3-0 since 200910 and have a good chance of doing so when winless Lakeland Christian (0-3) visits the Trojan Trench tonight. The Cougars’ biggest offensive output so far is 31 points - and they lost that game by 30 to Culver. Even though last year’s meeting was fairly close (57-51 Triton), look for Triton’s defensive average (45 ppg) to go down and its offensive average (57) to go up after this contest. These two programs have only played each other four times, but the Trojans have never lost to LC.
Glenn (6-4, 3-3 NIC) plays its fourth straight road game when it visits The Cave tonight to face Mishawaka (7-2). The Lady Falcons fell just five points
shy of winning its fourth straight game, but is looking to start a new winning streak against the Lady Cavemen. Mishawaka started off 6-0, but has lost two of its last three games. The Lady Cavemen came out on top against Glenn last year, 51-44.
Potential sectional opponents Culver (3-7) and Oregon-davis (3-6) meet up at the Bobcat Den tonight. Both teams are looking to snap three-game losing skids. O-D has dominated the series (18-4 over the past 20 years), but Culver won big a year ago (70-27).
This is the first of three games this week for CGA (5-4). Marian (1-9) has struggled mightily after losing its two top scorers from a year ago and has a new coach, but leads the series with the Lady Eagles, 20-2, over the past 20 years. Does CGA get some payback tonight?
Wednesday watches Culver @ North Miami (boys)
Culver (2-1) takes a modest two-game winning streak into this rare Wednesday night road trip to North Miami (1-2). The Warriors have lost their last two contests, but against tough competition. The Cavaliers won this matchup a year ago, 57-47.
#15* Tippecanoe Valley @ Triton (girls)
The first of three games in four nights - all at home - for Triton (3-6) is a doozy as the Lady Trojans travel to Tippecanoe Valley (8-1). The Class 3A No. 15* Lady Vikings have only allowed more than 39 points once all season. In its last three games, TV has allowed only 24, 16 and 33 points, respectively. Triton has had three of its highest scoring games in its last three contests,
but will be greatly challenged by TV.
Thursday thrillers #25* South Bend Riley @ #25* Glenn (boys)
A light night for area boys basketball has undefeated Class 4A No. 25* SB Riley (4-0, 2-0 NIC) traveling to Walkerton for a Northern Indiana Conference tilt against Class 3A No. 25* Glenn (1-2, 1-1 NIC). The Wildcats have scored 71 or more points in three of its four games and reached 80 twice while the Falcons are averaging 54. Riley has dominated this series (30-5 over the last 35 years), but last year’s meeting needed overtime to determine a winner (Riley, 76-71). Will Glenn be able to keep up with/slow down the Wildcats this go around?
Elkhart Christian Academy @ Triton (girls)
ECA (3-5 before Tues vs. Jimtown) will be a welcome relief for Triton after Wednesday’s game. Triton added ECA to its schedule four years ago and has never lost to the Lady Eagles. That streak should continue.
This is the first of two games on back-to-back nights for Argos (3-6). The Lady Dragons are looking to snap a two-game losing streak. Rochester (5-5) on the other hand, has won its last two games. Argos defeated the Lady Zebras by five a year ago, but the reputable John Harrell website is predicting a twopoint Rochester victory this time. We’ll see.
This is the middle of three games for O-D in four nights and it’s a tough road tester. Undefeated Bethany Christian (7-0) is currently ranked No. 3* in Class 1A. During last year’s run to the state finals, the Lady Bruins blitzed the Lady Bobcats, 54-17, and unfortunately, all signs point to a similar outcome Thursday night. (*AP boys thru Nov. 28, ICGSA girls thru Dec. 3)
LEADING AREA SCORERS (ppg)
(info provided by coaches or Maxpreps as of Dec. 3)
Boys
Sean Richard (Argos) 21.5 Jack Rodgers (Culver) 21.5
Joe Chrapliwy (Glenn) 21.5 Michael Good (Laville) 17.0 Coby Walters (Plymouth) 16.7 Chase Devine (Bremen) 15.3 Collin Czarnecki (Laville) 15.0 Kadyn Ellery (Plymouth) 14.3 Gage Riffle (Triton) 14.0 Adria Gausp (Culver) 13.3 Preston Wolfe (Plymouth) 13.3 Chase Miller (Glenn) 12.5 Tanner Witt-hoyo (Triton) 12.5 Alexander Diffenbach (CMA) 12.3 Mekhi Austin (Argos) 11.0 Luke Stults (Argos) 11.0
Silas Laidig (Bremen) 10.7 Wade Seddelmeyer (CMA) 10.7 Miles Barger (CMA) 9.0
Girls
Samantha Redinger (Argos) 34.1 Kila Foster (Bremen) 18.0 Sarah Thompson (O-D) 17.4 Addyson Viers (Triton) 15.7 Jayla Patrick (O-D) 13.0 Brooke Edison (Laville) 12.8 Eliana Grubbs (Bremen) 11.6 Emma Kincaid (Bremen) 11.3 Sophie Miller (Plymouth) 11.0 Lena Jones (Plymouth) 10.9 Kayla Herron (CGA) 10.0 Piper Brumm (CGA) 9.1 Mikayla Shively (Bremen) 9.1
NORTHERN LAKES CONFERENCE
Boys
Overall (thru Dec. 3) Warsaw 3-0 Mishawaka 1-0 Concord 3-1 Northridge 3-1 Wawasee 3-1 Plymouth 2-1 Goshen 1-2 Northwood 0-0
Girls Conf/overall (thru Dec. 3) Wawasee 1-0 8-1 Warsaw 1-0 6-3 Plymouth 1-0 5-4 Northwood 1-1 5-2 Northridge 0-0 9-1 Mishawaka 0-0 7-2 Goshen 0-1 4-4 Concord 0-2 2-6
NORTHERN INDIANA CONFERENCE
Boys Conf/overall (thru Dec. 3) SB Riley 2-0 4-0 SB Washington 2-0 3-1 Penn 1-0 3-0 SB St. Joseph 1-0 2-1 SB Clay 1-1 2-1 Glenn 1-1 1-2 Bremen 0-0 2-1 SB Adams 0-1 2-1 Marian 0-1 1-2 Jimtown 0-1 0-2 New Prairie 0-1 0-2 Elkhart 0-2 0-4
Girls Conf/overall (thru Dec. 3) SB Washington 5-0 7-2 New Prairie 5-1 9-1 Penn 3-1 6-3 Elkhart 3-1 5-5 Bremen 4-2 6-3 Jimtown 4-2 5-5 Glenn 3-3 6-4 St. Joseph 3-3 3-5 SB Adams 3-4 4-5 Marian 1-6 1-9 SB Clay 0-5 1-10 SB Riley 0-6 1-8
HOOSIER NORTH ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Boys
Overall (thru Dec. 3) N. Judson 2-0 Triton 2-0
Caston 2-1
Culver 2-1 Winamac 2-1
Knox 0-0
Laville 0-1 Pioneer 0-2
Girls Conf/overall (thru Dec. 3) Knox 2-0 2-6 Caston 1-0 8-0 Winamac 1-1 6-4 Triton 1-1 3-6 Culver 1-1 3-7 N. Judson 0-0 6-3 Laville 0-1 3-6 Pioneer 0-2 1-5
HOOSIER PLAINS CONFERENCE
Boys
Overall (thru Dec. 3) Argos 1-1
Elkhart Christian 1-1 Trinity 0-2
Career Academy 0-2 Lakeland Christian 0-3 Bethany Christian 0-4
Girls Conf/overall (thru Dec. 3) Argos 2-0 3-6 Bethany Christian 1-0 7-0 Lakeland Christian 1-0 5-3 Trinity 1-1 2-7 Elkhart Christian 1-2 3-5 Career Academy 0-3 1-6
INDEPENDENTS
Boys (thru Dec. 3) Culver Academy 2-1 Oregon-davis 0-4
Girls (thru Dec. 3) Culver Academy 5-4 Oregon-davis 3-6