Journal & Courier â—? jconline.com
Sunday, November 11, 2012
J&C Hoops Classic
The Unity Sports Medicine Trophy for the girls J&C Hoops Classic.
Tournament schedule At McCutcheon Monday Twin Lakes vs. Frankfort, 6 p.m. Harrison vs. Lafayette Jeff, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday Benton Central vs. Central Catholic, 6 p.m. West Lafayette vs. McCutcheon, 7:30 p.m. Thursday Monday’s losers, 6 p.m. Tuesday’s losers, 7:30 p.m. Friday Monday’s winners, 6 p.m. Tuesday’s winners, 7:30 p.m. Saturday Seventh place Thursday’s losers, 4 p.m. (auxiliary gym) Fifth place Thursday’s winners, 4 p.m. Third place Friday’s losers, 6 p.m. Championship Friday’s winners, 8 p.m.
On the cover Front row (left to right): West Lafayette’s Kayla Jones, Lafayette Jeff’s Allie AikersonRussell, Harrison’s Alyssa Withers and Twin Lakes’ Morgan Gutwein. Back row (left to right): Central Catholic’s Alanna Roswarski, Frankfort’s Samantha Henderson, McCutcheon’s Tori Blumling and Benton Central’s Caitlyn Tolen. » Special thanks to Perry Kirkham at Wea Creek Orchard and Ace Hardware on Beck Lane.
BENTON CENTRAL BISON QUICK SHOTS
On guard
Coach: David Baxter (40-7 in third season, 116-89 in 10th season overall) 2011-12 results: 17-5; lost to Twin Lakes 49-48 in sectional opener Conference: Hoosier Sectional: Class 3A, Sectional 20 Caitlyn (host) Tolen Sectional opponents: Maconaquah, Northwestern, Peru, Twin Lakes, West Lafayette, Western
By now every team on the schedule has plotted some way to slow down Caitlyn Tolen and Cassidy Deno, and most of those game plans have to be readjusted because more often than not, they didn’t work. The tandem, along with fellow senior Courtney Lester, all return as the backbone of the Bison. “We’re counting on Courtney Lester to be that third wheel for us this year,” BC coach David Baxter said. Tolen already has surpassed 1,000 career points, and Deno will likely be remembered as one of the best shooters in BC history. Lester and Tessa Brouillette give the Bison plenty of depth in the backcourt. Deno missed the 2011 volleyball season with an injury before coming back for basketball. She averaged 14.9 points, and coach David Baxter said she’s back even stronger this season after a dominant year on the volleyball court. “She really hit the weights hard and she has conditioned herself,” Baxter said of Deno. “She had a great year in volleyball and hopefully it will carry over to basketball.”
RETURNING STAT LEADERS
Scoring: Caitlyn Tolen (21.0) Rebounding: Tolen (5.8) Assists: Tolen (3.4) Steals: Tolen (4.0)
LAST SEASON
Offensive average: 58.5 Defensive average: 40.1 To others, a 17-5 season would be embraced, but the Bison were disappointed with not only a five-loss season, but also an early exit in the sectional tournament to rival Twin Lakes. “Twin Lakes showed up that game and we didn’t,” senior Cassidy Deno said. “We are using that as motivation every day in practice to keep us driven.” Benton Central claimed no championships Cassidy last season, Deno falling to Hoosier Conference champion Tipton 52-50 on the road and losing to McCutcheon 56-44 in the J&C Hoops Classic semifinals, coupled with the loss to Twin Lakes in the postseason. BC’s 17 wins last year were its lowest since the 2007-08 season and came after a run to the state championship game in 2011.
Front line Size is something the Bison will need, and they will rely on a pair of freshmen to provide an inside presence. Kaylan Coffman and Kaitlyn Shields will be counted on to play meaningful minutes immediately. “They haven’t really had that experience yet except in the summer,” Lester said. “I think it is going to be a real shock to them the first couple of games because they won’t realize the speed
of the game. But I think they should be pretty good this year.”
Key newcomers Evonnie Payne played sparingly at the varsity level a year ago and now will have larger roles. Brouillette, who played in 12 games last season, provides the Bison with another strong ball handler and Payne is an athlete who averaged better than one rebound in her seven games last season. Blending in some varsity newcomers will be instrumental to BC’s success. “I try to motivate them as much as possible to get them up to speed,” Tolen said. “We have a lot of youth that doesn’t have the experience, but they work hard and I think they’ll do well.”
Outlook The expectations are always high within the Bison program, but based on last year’s early exit in the postseason, the team goals are being tempered until smaller obstacles are attained. Benton Central had won three sectional titles, two regional crowns and a semistate championship in the three years prior to last season’s loss to Twin Lakes. “Our goal this year is sectionals,” Deno said. “I think we had our goals set a little too high last year. That is why we got knocked out in the first round.”
Benton Central's Cassidy Deno drives to the basket during a recent practice. BY BRENT DRINKUT/JOURNAL & COURIER
— Sam King/ sking@jconline.com
ROSTER 12 Caitlyn Tolen 14 Cassidy Deno 21 Tessa Brouillette 22 Courtney Lester 23 Evonnie Payne 24 Kaylan Coffman 25 Kle Krichbaum 32 Courtney Best 42 Katie Shields
Pos.
G F G F F C F G C
Ht.
5-11 6-0 5-5 5-11 5-8 6-2 5-7 5-6 6-0
Yr.
Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. So. Fr. Jr. So. Fr.
Courtney Lester is a key member of a deep Benton Central backcourt. BY BRENT DRINKUT/JOURNAL & COURIER
CENTRAL CATHOLIC KNIGHTS QUICK SHOTS
On guard
Coach: Craig DeVault (first season) 2011-12 results: 6-19, lost to Riverton Parke 68-56 in regional championship Conference: Hoosier Sectional: Class A, Sectional 54 Sectional opponents: Clinton Prairie, Faith Christian, Frontier, Rossville (host), Tri-Central
Central Catholic’s speedy lineup will be guard-heavy. Junior Emily Denhart can play multiple positions and Angela Tharp, Emily Tharp and Briana Tharp all got varsity experience a year ago. Add versatile Emily Burks into the mix, a strong defender in Sarah Roswarski and freshman Cameron Onken and the Knights like their nucleus. “Having point guards and twos and threes with experience helps because you can trust everyone with the ball and know they can bring it up the court,” senior Alanna Roswarski said. “You can beat (a full-court press) with passing because everyone can handle the ball.”
RETURNING STAT LEADERS
Scoring: Alanna Roswarski (14.2) Rebounding: A. Roswarski (4.2) Assists: Emily Denhart (1.7) Steals: A. Roswarski (2.0)
LAST SEASON
Offensive average: 42.6 Defensive average: 52.4 Last season was rough going after losing four seniors from the previous year who all went on to play college sports. But the Knights found their stride in time to win a seventh straight sectional championship. After going 3-18 in the regular season, CC defeated Rossville and upset Tri-Central, which had beaten the Knights by 19 in the regular season, 52-50 for the sectional title. CC also won a 38-36 game in the regional semifinal. “We ended last year on a high note and it was really good for us to make it to the championship game of regionals,” senior Alanna Roswarski said. All three regular season victories last year came against Clinton County. The Knights defeated Frankfort in back-to-back games, at the time improving them to 2-3 before an eight-game losing streak. CC snapped the streak with a win over Clinton Prairie.
Front line The Knights will not outsize many teams on their schedule, but they hope they can be quicker and more athletic. Alanna Roswarski has been working in the post and could provide matchup problems. Senior Camille Ulery, who went to St. Boniface before transferring out of state, moved back to CC this year and adds a post presence, along with Maggie Bobillo. Lucy Kendrick and Jordan Jackson provide depth. No player on the roster is taller than 5foot-10. “I think there will be a little give and take with the height,” Denhart said. “We’ll be able to get it back down the floor. No one will be able to keep up with us with our speed.”
Key newcomers Onken will receive a heavy dose early. First-year coach Craig DeVault has
high expectations for his freshman point guard. “She’s grown about four inches over the summer, and she is being a leader on the court right now,” DeVault said. Burks, Bobillo and Emily Tharp played predominately JV roles last season and will be expected to make a bigger impact with the varsity.
Outlook Central Catholic has not lost a sectional game since 2005. Even with the transition from Pat Tharp to DeVault as head coach, the postseason goals remain high, just as they did when Tharp succeeded Geoff Salmon. Despite winning just three regular-season games a year ago, the Knights made a postseason run to the regional championship game. CC expects similar or better postseason results and a better regular season. “I feel like our team, they are going to compete and people are going to be surprised by us,” DeVault said. “The record was 6-18 last year. I think we’ll surprise a lot of people this year with how uptempo and how defensive-minded we are.”
Central Catholic's Emily Denhart pressures the ball. BY BRENT DRINKUT/JOURNAL & COURIER
— Sam King/ sking@jconline.com
ROSTER 0 Cameron Onken 2 Emily Denhart 3 Emily Burks 5 Angela Tharp 10 Brianna Tharp 11 Lucy Kendrick 12 Emily Tharp 15 Jordan Jackson 20 Michaela Davis 22 Maggie Bobillo 23 Camille Ulery 24 Sarah Roswarski 34 A. Roswarski 42 Sammy Bonner
Pos. Ht. G 5-9 F 5-10 G 5-6 F 5-6 G 5-4 F 5-9 G 5-4 F 5-4 G 5-6 F 5-10 F 5-6 G 5-8 F 5-10 F 5-5
Yr. Fr. Jr. So. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. So. Sr. Jr. Sr. So.
Alanna Roswarski of Central Catholic puts up a shot in front of Frankfort's Lacey Loveless during last year’s J&C Hoops Classic. BY JOHN TERHUNE/JOURNAL & COURIER
FRANKFORT HOT DOGS ON GUARD The experience Taylor Kirby gained as a freshman a year ago will help her assume point guard duties. “This summer and last year she’s really matured,” Frankfort coach Andy Ross said. “She’ll do a good job getting us into our offense.” The Hot Dogs will have one of the area’s smaller backcourts with Kirby at 5-foot-4, junior Adriana Olivas at 5-3 and junior Ashlyn Clark at 5-1. Sophomore Miranda Boggs split time between junior varsity and varsity last season.
Front line At 5-9, Sam Henderson is the tallest Frankfort player and fortunately for the Hot Dogs, their most experienced. She was the team’s secondleading scorer as a freshman and was strong inside too with 6.5 rebounds a game and 13 Samantha blocked shots. Henderson Whitney O’Brien, a 5-6 junior, started a couple of games last season. Cassidy Dubree and Marlaina Boggs were mainly junior varsity players a year ago but are vying to become varsity contributors this season.
the season goes on they will be able to contribute on the varsity,” Ross said.
OUTLOOK After a handful of practices, Ross says the Hot Dogs have been playing hard and look more athletic. “We’ve been able to do some things differently defensively than we’ve done in the past,” Ross said. “We’re more athletic, so we can get out and guard people more aggressively than we’ve been able to in the past. That’s been our big emphasis and what we’ve been able to see in practice is that we’ve been able to extend our defense and be a little bit more aggressive with it.” Depending on the matchup, Ross believes he has eight or nine players who could start for him. “We won’t necessarily just have a starting five,” he said. “We will need contributions from our entire roster to be where we want to be. The good news is each of our girls brings a different aspect to the game. We have some that will play really good defense. We have some who can shoot the ball. We have some that can handle the ball, and we have some that can rebound.”
— Ken Thompson/ kthompson@jconline.com
Key newcomers In addition to Dubree and Boggs, guard Lyndsey Isenhower is moving up from junior varsity. “She plays soccer so she’s one of those kids who can run forever,” Ross said. Freshmen Tania Olivas, a post, and Jacenda Perry, a guard, may also contribute. “We’re not sure how those two freshmen will fit in for us yet but we hope as
ROSTER 12 Ashlyn Clark 15 Cassidy Dubree 21 Sam Henderson 22 L. Isenhower 23 Miranda Boggs 24 Adriana Olivas 25 Taylor Kirby 31 Whitney O’Brien 33 Marlaina Boggs 35 Jacenda Perry 42 Tania Olivas 45 Kayley Foust
Pos. Ht. Yr.
G 5-2 Jr. F 5-5 So. F 5-9 Jr. G 5-1 So. G 5-4 So. G 5-4 Jr. G 5-4 So. F 5-6 Jr. F 5-8 So. G 5-5 Fr. F 5-6 Fr. F 5-6 So.
QUICK SHOTS Coach: Andy Ross (9-34 in third season, 98-137 in 12th year overall) 2011-12 results: 2-20, lost to Lebanon 65-34 in sectional opener. Conference: Sagamore Sectional: Class 3A, Sectional 25 Sectional opponents: Crawfordsville, Lebanon, North Montgomery, North Putnam, Southmont, Western Boone
RETURNING STAT LEADERS
Scoring: Sam Henderson (6.1) Rebounding: Henderson (6.5) Assists: Taylor Kirby (0.8) Steals: Kirby (1.2)
LAST SEASON
Offensive average: 36.0
Defensive average: 58.7 The good news this season is that the Hot Dogs appear to have nine or 10 players who will contribute on varsity. The bad news is that besides Sam Henderson and Taylor Kirby, there’s a lack of experience among that depth. “We don’t have four or five all-around players,” coach Andy Ross said. “We have nine or 10 different pieces and parts that we have to try and fit together.” Ross will have plenty of chances to tinker early. Frankfort will play four games in eight days. “Because we’re so young, just the fact that we’ll get to play good competition early will definitely show us things we need to improve on,” Ross said.
HARRISON RAIDERS QUICK SHOTS Coach: Jake Rettig (5-38 in third season) 2011-12 results: 3-19, lost to Logansport 67-52 in sectional semifinals Conference: Hoosier Crossroads Sectional: Class 4A, Sectional 7 Sectional opponents: Kokomo, Lafayette Jeff, Logansport (host), Marion, McCutcheon
RETURNING STAT LEADERS
Scoring: Courtney Jacobsen (8.4) Rebounding: Claire Muller (6.0) Assists: Jacobsen (1.3) Steals: Jacobsen (0.7)
LAST SEASON
Offensive average: 41.9 Defensive average: 55.6 The Raiders were within moments of advancing to the championship of Courtney the J&C Jacobsen Hoops Classic last season but West Lafayette hit a buzzer-beater to force a second overtime and eventually won the semifinal contest. It marked the second narrow defeat to the Red Devils in a week, and Harrison would lose 11 of its next 12 games. All three Harrison victories last season came against Class A teams. The Raiders did score at a higher clip than recent years, posting their highest scoring average since 2007-08. The 3-19 record also marked the best since 2006-07, when the Raiders also were 3-19.
On guard Courtney Jacobsen took control of the Harrison offense from Day 1, and now everyone looks up to the sophomore. As a freshman, Jacobsen led the team in scoring but was plagued by minor injuries as the season progressed. “She is very smart and knows the game and is a great team player,” senior Alyssa Withers said. Harrison also welcomes back senior Alex Spitznagle, who didn’t play last season. She combines with Lizzie Lehman and Withers to make a senior nucleus in the backcourt. Junior Autumn Ringen steps into a full-time starter role and will be counted on to provide matchup problems with her length. “We are going to expect a lot more out of Autumn this season,” coach Jake Rettig said. “In practice, we’ve been playing her everywhere from the one to the five. She can play every single position.”
Front line Junior Claire Muller is coming off a season where she averaged six rebounds while battling some of the best in the state within her own conference. Along with Ringen, she’ll be counted on to battle the bigs of the Hoosier Crossroads Conference for boards. Junior Kaitlyn Carnahan averaged 3 points and 4 rebounds last season in the blocks and will be asked to improve on those numbers as the Raiders continue building the program.
Key newcomers Senior Brittney Wagner didn’t make much of an impact at the varsity level
last season, but already has caught the eye of one of her classmates. “I personally think Brittney Wagner has stepped up,” Withers said.
Outlook There’s a lot of excitement in May Gymnasium despite recent history. Last year the Raiders took a step forward by being more competitive and now they hope to continue moving in that direction. “I think this year we’ll see a lot more improvement,” Muller said. “People will notice we’re coming out with a lot more confidence this year.”
Claire Muller gives Harrison an inside scoring and rebounding threat. BY JOHN TERHUNE/JOURNAL & COURIER
— Sam King/ sking@jconline.com
ROSTER Pos. Ht. Yr. 4 Autumn Ringen G/F5-11 Jr. 5 Shailen Johnson F 5-9 So. 10 Maya Mengler G/F5-11 Jr. 11 Maggie Shandrick G 5-6 So. 12 Alex Spitznagle G 5-5 Sr. 15 Claire Muller F 6-0 Jr. 22 Alyssa Withers F 5-8 Sr. 23 Kaitlyn Carnahan F 5-9 Jr. 24 Lizzie Lehman G 5-6 Sr. 25 Courtney Jacobsen G 5-8 So. 32 Maren McCarty F5-10 So. 33 Brittney Wagner F 5-9 Sr.
Alyssa Withers will be part of a senior-dominated backcourt for Harrison. BY JOHN TERHUNE/JOURNAL & COURIER
LAFAYETTE JEFF BRONCHOS QUICK SHOTS
ON GUARD
Coach: Geoff Salmon (30-35 in fourth season; (101-88 in ninth season overall) 2011-12 results: 7-15, lost to Marion 51-41 in sectional opener. Conference: Hoosier Crossroads Sectional: Class 4A, Sectional 7 Sectional opponents: Harrison, Kokomo, Logansport (host), Marion, McCutcheon
There’s no shortage of experience here with senior Erin West, juniors Kara Homeier, Kaylee Simms and Aliyia Kind returning. “We have a lot of speed this year,” Homeier said. “I think we’re improved from last year. We’ve been working hard. Our rebounding is a lot better than last year, and I think our defense overall probably is going to be a lot better.” Coach Geoff Salmon would like to see Simms and Rylie Pittard handle the point guard duties to allow Kind and West to playing shooting guard. “Ideally we’d like to keep Aliyia off the ball so we’re hoping Kaylee and Riley can pick up the offense and we can rotate at that spot,” Salmon said. “Aliyia and Kara ... can score and can take people off the ball and shoot.” West agrees that the Bronchos’ ability to drive to the basket will be important this season. “We’re not very tall so we’re going to have to try to beat teams off the dribble,” West said.
RETURNING STAT LEADERS
Scoring: Erin West (4.7) Rebounding: Aliyia Kind (2.3) Assists: Kaylee Simms (1.5) Steals: Kind (2.1)
LAST SEASON
Offensive average: 43.3 Defensive average: 52.4 The Bronchos struggled to find an offensive identity early last season, but managed a three-game winning streak in January during a 4-4 finish to the season. All three of the victories in that streak were on the road (Kokomo, Harrison, West Lafayette). The Hoosier Crossroads Conference will be tough again and with an inexperienced group, the Bronchos may be hard-pressed to improve on last season’s 2-7 mark. Salmon is hoping that playing the season opener at Western Boone before the J&C Hoops Classic will be beneficial. "We’ve never opened with a game before the Hoops Classic before but thought maybe it might help with a bunch of newcomers to get a game under their belts,” he said.
FRONT LINE Senior Allie AikersonRussell and junior Martina McQuay have different strengths to their game. Aikerson-Russell might be the better defender, while McQuay’s offense is well ahead of her defense. “It might depend on the matchups who plays more that night,” Salmon said. “Allie gives us everything she’s got. She’s just one of those kids who does everything good. Martina’s offense is way ahead of her defense, and we’re trying to fix her. If we could meld them together we’d have a really great post player.”
Carlie Hinkel’s potential to be a very good post player for the Bronchos has improved with her strength. From August to the first week of practice in late October, the 6-foot-1 junior’s bench press has improved by 30 pounds. “The only thing that has kept her from playing a ton the last two years is just her lack of strength,” Salmon said. “If she continues that pace, I think she can be a big plus.”
KEY NEWCOMERS The Bronchos’ main newcomer is a familiar face. Guard Jordan Richards is back after a year’s absence from the program. “Once she gets back into basketball shape and gets the terminology, I see her playing a lot of varsity for us,” Salmon said.
Kara Homeier, left, and Erin West battle for rebounding position. BY JOHN TERHUNE/JOURNAL & COURIER
OUTLOOK The Bronchos never scored more than 55 points in a game last season, and that lack of offense contributed to a 7-15 finish. Salmon has installed a new offense, and that, combined with the large number of underclassmen playing varsity for the first time, will be relying on defense early to win games. "We just preach patience,” Salmon said. “Right now they make four or five passes and things are looking good and then they think there’s a shot clock sometimes and fire one up. That’s what we’ve been focusing on, being patient and making sure it’s a shot you want to take. They’re getting it. We’re probably a couple weeks away. “The defense is way ahead, which it typically it is. It doesn’t take a lot of talent to play defense, just get after it and an effort-
Carlie Hinkel's increased strength likely will mean more playing time for the 6-1 junior. BY JOHN TERHUNE/JOURNAL & COURIER
type of thing. Offensively, it’s got to be repetition and a lot of drills.”
— Ken Thompson/ kthompson@jconline.com
ROSTER 3 Aliyia Kind 4 Kara Homeier 12 Rylie Pittard 20 Stephanie Harris 22 Jordan Richards 23 Kaylee Simms 24 Carlie Hinkel 32 Martina McQuay 34 Julia Randolph 40 Erin West 42 Allie AikersonRussell
Pos.
Ht.
Yr.
G 5-3 Jr. F 5-7 Jr. G 5-5 So. F 5-8 Jr. G 5-5 Jr. G 5-3 Jr. C 6-1 Jr. F5-10 Jr. F5-10 Jr. G 5-6 Sr. F 5-9 Sr.
McCUTCHEON MAVERICKS On guard
Sophomore Becca Spitalniak has the potential to lead the Mavs in scoring. BY BRENT DRINKUT/JOURNAL & COURIER
The backcourt is where the most comfort will lie, at least early. Sophomore Kerstyn Lowery was the first player off the bench last season, and seniors Tori Blumling and Bailey Smith supplied solid play as reserves. They’ll all be asked to increase their roles. “For the people who were on the bench last year, we handled the ball pretty well,” Smith said. “We’re going to have to step it up and do just as well this year.” Point guard may be by committee this season rather than the last four years when Lakan Kerstyn Hasser-Smith Lowery ran the offense a majority of the time. Allison Boardman and Gabrielle Gary could see time running the point.
Front line
Tori Blumling is one of the few experienced players on the McCutcheon roster. BY BRENT DRINKUT/JOURNAL & COURIER
Two 6-foot-1 sophomores have been active in early season practice. Claire Weideman and Hannah Burger will be counted on to get rebounds and putbacks. Senior Alex Kurtz and sophomore Sydney Tracer add depth on the blocks. McCutcheon will rely heavily on sophomore Becca Spitalniak, who is projected to start at forward. Spitalniak saw less than one minute of varsity action last season, but has the potential to be the team’s top scorer this year. “Becca is super strong and she can play the three or four for us, plus she is tall (5-11),” Blumling said.
Key newcomers With just three players
who saw significant time back for this season, newcomers will be the mold of the Mavericks. Kaitlyn Denson is the lone junior on a roster that also features three seniors and eight sophomores. Coach Jeff Knoy likens this sophomore bunch to last year’s six-player senior class. “We’re not worried about rebuilding and taking a couple of years to get ready,” Knoy said. “We want to be good now. We’re going to reload as quick as we can and see what happens.”
Outlook The McCutcheon coaching staff is still trying to figure out the makeup of this team. Lowery, Smith and Blumling played in all 24 games last season. Other than that, no returnee played in more Bailey than 10 games. Smith That said, the sophomore class has a lot of promise. “I came into the season kind of scared what it is going to be like with such a young team, but I am getting really excited for how this year is going to turn out,” Blumling said.
— Sam King/ sking@jconline.com
ROSTER 3 Gabrielle Gary 4 Kaitlyn Denson 5 Allison Boardman 10 Tori Blumling 12 Becca Spitalniak 14 Katee Kurtz 20 Bailey Smith 22 Sydney Tracer 24 Kerstyn Lowery 32 Hannah Burger 34 Alex Kurtz 44 Claire Weideman
Pos. Ht. G 5-5 G 5-5 G 5-5 G 5-4 G5-11 G 5-7 G 5-7 F5-11 G 5-6 F 6-1 F 5-7 C 6-1
Yr. So. Jr. So. Sr. So. So. Sr. So. So. So. Sr. So.
QUICK SHOTS Coach: Jeff Knoy (111-56 in eighth season) 2011-12 results: 20-4; defeated Logansport 62-50 to win sectional championship, lost to North Central 55-45 in overtime in regional semifinals Conference: Hoosier Crossroads Sectional: Class 4A, Sectional 7 Sectional opponents: Harrison, Kokomo, Lafayette Jeff, Logansport (host), Marion
RETURNING STAT LEADERS
Scoring: Kerstyn Lowery (5.3) Rebounding: Lowery (1.1) Assists: Lowery (1.5) Steals: Lowery (1.6)
LAST SEASON
Offensive average: 63.9 Defensive average: 45.7 The Mavericks won their third straight J&C Hoops Classic championship by defeating West Lafayette and ended their season with a third consecutive sectional title by knocking off sectional host Logansport. The season came to a disappointing end when McCutcheon went cold in the fourth quarter against eventual Class 4A state champion North Central in the semifinals of the Kokomo Regional. The Mavs ended up losing in overtime. Of McCutcheon’s four losses last season, the three regularseason setbacks came by a combined seven points. The Mavericks graduated six seniors, all of whom currently compete at the college level and accounted for 88 percent of the team’s scoring.
TWIN LAKES INDIANS QUICK SHOTS
On guard
Coach: Brad Bowsman (142-66 in 10th season) 2011-12 results: 11-12, lost to Western 58-28 in sectional championship Conference: Hoosier Sectional: Class 3A, Sectional 20 Sectional opponents: Benton Central (host), Maconaquah, Northwestern, Peru, Western, West Lafayette
In seniors Morgan Gutwein and Chloe McAchren and junior Courtney Bowsman, there’s a lot of experience in the backcourt. Bowsman enters her second year as the starting point guard, and the expectations of McAchren and Gutwein have been raised. “Morgan and I have to work a little bit out of our comfort zone this year,” McAchren said. “(Brad) Bowsman is expecting a lot more out of us now that we’re seniors and have that four years of experience.” Kaylee Bonnette played in 22 games last season, averaging better than one assist per game, and returns to provide guard depth.
RETURNING STAT LEADERS
Scoring: Chloe McAchren (9.2) Rebounding: Laurhen Pickett (4.5) Assists: Courtney Bowsman (2.7) Steals: Bowsman (1.6)
LAST SEASON
Offensive average: 47.7 Defensive average: 50.1 A four-game losing streak late in the regular season eventually cemented the Indians’ first losing record since 200506, but Twin Lakes took a positive outlook into the offseason. Chloe McAchren’s free throw with Courtney 2.8 seconds Bowsman left spurred a 49-48 upset over fifthranked Benton Central in the opening round of the sectional. Three nights later, Twin Lakes defeated Northwestern and advanced tot he sectional championship game for the first time since 2009. The win over the Bison also snapped a seven-game losing streak against their rivals.
Front line Last year, the Indians relied on double-double threats Coryn Tirpak and Renae Cotner. Meanwhile, Laurhen Pickett was learning in her limited role. Pickett, a sophomore who averaged 5.1 points and 4.5 rebounds, now becomes the go-to post presence. “We didn’t really see her full potential last year,” coach Brad Bowsman said of Pickett. “With her taking that main starting role as a post, we hope to see what she can really do.” McAchren will be counted on for her strength and athletic ability in the post and could play any position from point guard to center. Elizabeth Propes pulled down 41 rebounds in just 18 games and returns for much-needed physicality. “Liz can get rebounds and that’s what we really need her for,” Gutwein said.
Key newcomers Senior Morgan Michalski didn’t play basketball last
year. She returns and will be a key player off the bench. Gabby Kendall got into seven games a year ago and will have an expanded role as a junior. Aimee Dickson and Shelby Sturgeon also could see time off the bench.
Outlook With several members of the Indians’ volleyball team also on the basketball roster, Twin Lakes hopes the transition is seamless. “This year we went 23-10 in volleyball, probably our best record in six years,” Gutwein said. “We hopefully can carry that into basketball season.” The Indians showed their potential last year by knocking off favored Benton Central in the sectional. “Everyone’s goal is to win sectionals and do well in conference,” McAchren said.
Chloe McAchren could play every position on the floor for the Indians. BY JERRY SCHULTHEISS/FOR THE JOURNAL & COURIER
— Sam King/ sking@jconline.com
ROSTER 10 Chloe McAchren 11 Courtney Bowsman 12 Aimee Dickson 13 Laurhen Pickett 14 Elizabeth Propes 15 Gabrielle Kendall 20 Shelby Sturgeon 22 Morgan Michalski 23 Morgan Gutwein 25 Kaylee Bonnette
Pos. Ht. G 5-9 G 5-5 F 5-8 F 5-10 F/C 5-9 G/F 5-7 F 5-7 G/F 5-7 G/F 5-8 G 5-5
Yr. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. Jr. Morgan Gutwein is part of a Jr. Sr. veteran Twin Lakes backcourt. Sr. BY JERRY SCHULTHEISS/FOR THE Jr. JOURNAL & COURIER
WEST LAFAYETTE RED DEVILS
Senior guard Grace Palmieri is expected to increase her scoring load. BY BRENT DRINKUT/JOURNAL & COURIER
On guard
Key newcomers
QUICK SHOTS
Grace Palmieri had a breakout season as a junior last year. Palmieri and point guard Kayla Jones were among those who spent all offseason in the gym. Coach Jane Schott expects Palmieri to take another leap this season. Couple Shelby Jones and Mann Palmieri with the return of juniors Shelby Mann and twin sisters Jessica Martin and Taylor Martin and the Red Devils become a confident, experienced team. “It’s nice to come back and have that experience,” Mann said. “We’ve been one of the youngest teams (in the area) for awhile. Now we’re the team with the most experience.”
Turner’s last competitive season came when she was in eighth grade. The sophomore forward tore her ACL in a freshman game last season, but hard work in the Lorelei gym has her Turner ready to be a starter for the Red Devils. “Lorelei Turner has really put in the work and she just came out of nowhere,” Mann said. “She’s worked hard to come back to where she is now.”
Coach: Jane Schott (52-57 in sixth season, 120-145 in 13th season overall) 2011-12 results: 13-9, lost to Western 47-29 in sectional opener Conference: Hoosier Sectional: Class 3A, Sectional 20 Sectional opponents: Benton Central (host), Maconaquah, Northwestern, Peru, Twin Lakes, Western
Outlook
Offensive average: 46.0 Defensive average: 48.4 The Red Devils won three of their first four games and advanced to the J&C Hoops Classic championship game for the first time before losing to McCutcheon. West Side rode the momentum to 13 victories, its first winning record since going 14-8 in 2006-07. The Red Devils were especially good in winning the nail-biters, going 9-3 in games decided by single digits. Among those wins was a 36-32 victory over Frontier that gave the Falcons their first loss of the season in early January. West Lafayette’s first three victories came by a a combined 14 points, including a 69-62 double-overtime win against Harrison in the semifinals of the J&C Hoops Classic. “That success of last season gave us some confidence, but it also made us hungrier,” Schott said. “That’s a good combo.”
Front line
Point guard Kayla Jones leads an experienced West Lafayette backcourt. BY BRENT DRINKUT/JOURNAL & COURIER
There’s not much height on the Red Devil roster, but 5-10 senior Anna Searle returns after averaging 5.6 rebounds and 7.4 points last season. Senior Grace Van Sickel played in 22 games a year ago, and Nikki Shiver and Lorelei Turner also are Anna Searle listed as forwards. However, Schott said not to confuse the listed positions in the traditional sense. “I’ve got kids who can fly down the floor and I’ve got kids that can shoot, can handle the ball and they are my posts,” Schott said. “You call them posts. We call them ballplayers.”
This is a year the Red Devils think they can do some damage. The senior bunch were in seventh grade when Schott took over the program and have grown under her guidance. Last year, West Lafayette took a positive step by winning some close games and posting a winning record. “I think last year really helped build our confidence,” Searle said. “We’ve been waiting for this opportunity we have now, and we know we have confidence in ourselves and want to show that this season.”
— Sam King/ sking@jconline.com
ROSTER 4 Shelby Mann 10 Grace Van Sickel 14 Taylor Martin 20 Anna Searle 21 Lorelei Turner 22 Jessica Martin 23 Grace Palmieri 24 Kayla Jones 32 Megan Crawford 33 Nikki Shiver
Pos. Ht. G 5-7 F 5-6 G 5-5 F5-10 F5-10 G 5-5 G 5-6 G 5-5 G5-10 F 5-6
Yr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. So. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Jr.
RETURNING STAT LEADERS
Scoring: Grace Palmieri (9.4) Rebounding: Anna Searle (5.6) Assists: Palmieri (2.2) Steals: Shelby Mann (2.6)
LAST SEASON