Girls Basketball

Northwest Indiana Top-10

(11-25-2002)

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

1. LAKE CENTRAL (2-1)

11-16-2002: 49-40 Jefferson
11-16-2002: 30-61 No. 9 Carmel
11-22-2002: 48-38 Chesterton

A strong start for the Lady Indians. Few teams play their schedule. Katie Mitchell grabbed eight rebounds and made four steals in the 48-38 win over Chesterton.
Kim Haviar (11.6 ppg.) and Linsey Smith (13.3 ppg.) can shoot the ball and 5-11 Jen VanderZanden (7.6 ppg) is a strong post player.

2. Gary West Side (1-0)

11-20-2002: 63-60 (OT) Chesterton

The top guard pair in the area is probably Isabella Rhenwick and Belinda Drake. They combined for 28 in the win at Chesterton. Bernetta Grayer has to do better than 4 points and seven rebounds for the Cougars to beat really good teams.

3. Highland (2-0)

11-22-2002: 56-40 Munster
11-23-2002: 56-43 Portage

A good start for 5-11 Julie DeMuth (18.5 ppg.) but she needs scoring help. If Highland has improved a s shooetrs, they didn't show it last week, making just 25 of 48 (52.8%) from the foul line. Lyndee Arnold had five assists against Portage and 10 rebounds against Munster. But why can't they shoot?. Lindsey Plikuhn hit three 3-point baskets in two games so maybe there's hope.

4. ANDREAN (2-0)

11-16-2002: 47-40 Crown Point
11-23-2002: 56-43 at Lowell

Kim McCloskey (11.5 ppg.) figures to be Andrean's leading scorer this year and she scored a career-high 16 at Lowell. Kelly Swisher (13 ppg.) has six three point goals already. The 59er wins have not been flukes. They've led virtually all the way in both games. Centers Amy Goetz (9.0 ppg.) and Brooke Bosak seem ready to take on all comers but the true story will come out after the suffer their first loss.

5. CROWN POINT (3-1)

11-15-2002: 74-19 Hebron
11-16-2002: 40-47 at Andrean
11-22-2002: 55-30 Kankakee Valley
11-23-2002: 52-30 at Munster

CP's record looks better than they have played. Nobody is shooting well and the team is somewhat lifeless. The excuse could be that these girls are strangers. Three sophomore, two transfers and six seniors. They need some time to get to know each other.

6. East Chicago (4-0)

11-13-2002: 41-36 Valparaiso
11-16-2002: 65-52 (SB) Clay
11-20-2002: 45-42 (SB) Riley
11-22-2002: 39-27 at Maine West (Palatine, Ill.)

I don't rank them that highly but the two freshman Kelly Watts (10.5 ppg.) and Delaquese Jernigan (9.0) have made an impact. The upset of South Bend Riley, after trailing by 17, is the highlight game of the season so far.

7. Valparaiso (1-3)

11-13-2002: 36-41 at East Chicago
11-16-2002: 28-45 at Carmel
11-16-2002: 29-41 Jefferson (at Carmel)
11-23-2002: 49-37 Penn

The win at Penn indicates that this is a quality team that has faced a tough early schedule. The three 6-foot VHS girls, Lindsay and Erica Humes and Cassie Kerns will dominate anybody that can't press and run.

8. Chesterton (1-2)

11-16-2002: 57-39 Munster
11-20-2002: 63-60 (OT) Gary West Side
11-22-2002: 38-48 Lake Central

No shame to lose to top teams but Chesterton doesn't have a good post player who can deal with teams who do. The Trojans have dispalyed a deep bench with shooter Holly Melton and all-purpose forward Kelly Pellar.

9. MERRILLVILLE (1-1)

11-16-2002: 62-67 at Wheeler (2 OTs)
11-23-2002: 62-45 at Logansport

Here's another team that needs 10-15 games to settle. But the Pirates put four players in double figures at Logansport and there is no more talented team in the DAC. And who are these freshman like Brittany Moore (8.0 ppg.) and Jessica Gallinati (12 ppg.)

10. Portage (2-1)

11-12-2002: 52-46 Washington Township
11-16-2002: 68-31 Gavit
11-23-2002: 43-56 Highland

Nikki McDonald (13.0 ppg.) has led the way for a team that was overmatched against portage but can play with most other teams. I'm afraid they're in the worng league this year, though.

SMALL SCHOOLS

1. North Judson (0-0)

To my knowledge, the Jays have had two Friday night games postponed so far because of Judson football. They'll start Nov. 29 against Bremen.

2. BOONE GROVE (4-0)

11-12-2002: 58-28 at River Forest
11-15-2002: 45-34 at Calumet
11-16-2002: 71-47 at Hebron
11-23-2002: 62-55 at Knox

A strong start with a four-game road winning streak They need to be 6-0 going to Wheeler on Dec. 7. Karissa Walter scored a career-high 26 at Knox but the Wolves have only three 3-point goals all year and that's red flag. Heather Moy (11.0 ppg.) and Jenn Keller (9.7) should keep scoring in double figures. This is an athletic transition team that needs a better half court offense to beat the top teams.

3. Wheeler (3-0)

11-16-2002: 67-62 Merrillville (2 OTs)
11-20-2002: 47-19 at Lake Station
11-22-2002: 40-39 at Hanover Central

The BearCats were lucky to get out of Cedar Lake with a one-point win after trailing by four in the fourth quarter. Wheeler was 9-of-21 at the foul line at Hanover and that's got to improve or they won't win many more.

4. North Newton (2-0)

11-16-2002: 72-62 Lowell
11-21-2002: 58-44 at Frontier

They're not playing much the first month but Kassie Koselke (18.0 ppg.) and Danielle Doty (10.5 ppg.) have started quickly.

5. WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP (2-2)

11-16-2002: 46-52 at Portage
11-20-2002: 52-61 Calumet
11-22-2002: 68-31 at Hebron
11-23-2002: 70-24 at (MC) Marquette

Unknown Aimee Mishler hit six three-point goals against Marquette. She has 13 3-point shots in four games. Christi Gladdis (16.2 ppg.,) and Alisha Polite (16.2 ppg.) have scored in double figures in every game so far.

NOVEMBER NOTES:

The Andrean-Highland game, set for Nov. 30 surely will be postponed because the 59er football team will be playing in the state title game that day. Andrean would like to push it back a long way. They don't want to play Highland right now.

The future is bright at Boone Grove, where the girls junior varsity, coached by former Hebron star Stephanie Lytle, has also started the season at 4-0.
Hebron's Mike Laska , an academic casualty his season, isn't that likely to return as a senior. He was ineligible in junior high and as a freshman before playing last year.

Andrean football WR-LB Ty Harangody's younger brother Luke, a 6-5 freshman, is a highly regarded basketball prospect.
Brothers Adam and Brett Summers, two of the many past Dyer Little League baseball all-stars, will play together on coach Jim Black's varsity at Lake Central.

Crown Point has begun talks to schedule Naperville Central next season. Naperville has the nation's top girls player, 6-3 junior Candace Parker.

The Region Sports Network, manned by Chris Lanin and Chris Ramirez, and broadcasting by purchasing time on WJOB (1230) AM, will carry 50 basketball games this fall.
They also hope to do baseball but there are conflicts with WJOB's recent broadcast rights acquisition of the Gary South Shore RailCats.

Portage makes their debut in the East Chicago Thanksgiving Tournament this (Nov. 29) Friday. Bishop Noll will make an embarrassing (and probably painful) appearance in the Hall-of-Fame Tournament next month in New Castle even though two of their best three players (Kenny Harris and Mel Brown) have transferred out. It's far too late to change the schedule.

The first Broadband Channel 3 cable TV games this year will be the Hammond Civic Center matchups of South Bend Riley and Highland's girls plus Frankfort and Munster's boys.