Girls Basketball

Northwest Indiana Top-10

(12-4-2002)

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

1. LAKE CENTRAL (3-2)

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

11-27-2002: 84-49 Portage (3-2)
11-30-2002: 35-63 at No. 1 Kokomo (6-0)

Lake Central has played the toughest schedule of any northern Indiana team so far and it isn't close. Linsey Smith (14 ppg.) has been a consistent scorer and Jen VanderZanden (10.6 ppg.) has played well.

2. Gary West Side (2-0)

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

11-27-2002: 46-29 at Hobart (3-2)

Michelle Hamblin (10 ppg.) adds depth to West Side's talented group. After two games against DAC teams, West Side had allowed only 36 first half points.

3. Highland (3-0)

11-22-2002: 56-40 Munster
11-23-2002: 56-43 Portage
11-29-2002: 54-39 at Merrillville (1-4)

Julie DeMuth (19 ppg.) survived a 6-for-21 shooting performance against Merrillville wit 8 of 10 from the line. No one other than DeMuth has scored more than 11 points in any game so far. The Trojans were 18-of-25 from the line, improvement over 26-of-48 in the first two games.

4. CROWN POINT (4-2)

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
11-29-2002: 42-46 Warsaw (2-0)
12-3-2002: 53-34 Lowell (3-3)

CP has won the games they've led after one quarter and they've lost the games they've trailed after one period. Warsaw would beat anybody in this region but CP hasn't played a complete game yet. Cassie Pruzin has 37 steals in six games. Crown Point is winning totally on defense. They have not displayed a string offense yet.

5. East Chicago (6-0)

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.)
11-27-2002: 56-41 Merrillville (1-4)
12-3-2002: 100-18 Gary Roosevelt (2-3)

I don't know who Gary Roosevelt beat and I wonder if those aren't forfeits. They still haven't proven that the win over South Bend Riley (on a comeback from a 17-point comeback) wasn't a fluke. Freshman Kelly Watts (10.8 ppg.) had eight three-pointers in the first six games.

6. ANDREAN (2-1)

11-16-2002: 47-40 Crown Point
11-23-2002: 56-43 at Lowell
12-2-2002: 43-56 at Hobart (3-2)

Kim McCloskey (11.3 ppg.) and Kelly Swisher (11.3 ppg.,) need scoring help. Swisher has eight three-pointers in three games. Two weeks between games hurt the 59ers in the 53-43 Dec. 3 loss at Hobart.

7. Valparaiso (2-3)

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
11-30-2002: 48-38 at Plymouth (4-1)

Valparaiso has too much size to have a losing season. and since Cassie Kerns got healthy,, she's been a big factor. The 6-foot-3 sophomore scored 14 and grabbed
eight rebounds at Plymouth. Valparaiso has four six foot players and none of them are seniors. If guard Lauren Hutton (9.8 ppg.) stays healthy, this is a dominant team in the making.

8. Chesterton (3-2)

11-16-2002: 57-39 Munster
11-20-2002: 63-60 (OT) Gary West Side
11-22-2002: 38-48 Lake Central
11-27-2002: 46-42 at New Prairie (1-3)
12-3-2002: 50-22 at Bishop Noll (2-4)

Stephanie Boyle (11.2 ppg.) has scored in double figures in every game. I don't know why they had to come from behind to beat New Prairie. The Trojans have hit just 50 of 86 from the foul line, a weak 58.1 %.

9. Portage (3-2)

11-12-2002: 52-46 Washington Township
11-16-2002: 68-31 Gavit
11-23-2002: 43-56 Highland
11-27-2002: 49-84 at Lake Central (4-2)
11-29-2002: 72-43 Kankakee Valley (2-2)

Nikki McDonald (12.6 ppg.) led a strong full court press against KV. Who is 5-10 Krystal Rigoni, who scored 20 against KV after scoring just 28 in her previous four games?

10. Hobart (4-2)

11-12-2002: 41-49 Griffith (4-0)
11-16-2002: 38-58 South Bend St. Joseph's (3-1)
11-20-2002: 52-44 at Calumet (2-3)
11-23-2002: 21-47 at Bishop Noll (2-4)
11-27-2002: 29-46 Gary West Side (2-0)
12-3-2002: 53-43 Andrean (2-1)

Junior guard Megan Walczak (14.8 ppg.) has become a consistent scorer and she is 25 of 30 from the foul line. Center Kelly Glidewell had eight rebounds against Gary West and 12 points against Andrean.

SMALL SCHOOLS

1. North Judson (4-0)

11-23-2002: 87-73 over Twin Lakes
11-29-2002: 71-67 at Bremen (3-1)
11-29-2002: 82-40 at Kouts (0-5)
12-3-2002: 55-43 at North White (2-2)

Megan Brown scored 12 of her 23 in the fourth quarter to rally the Jays at Bremen. Few teams can handle their full court pressure and up tempo game.

2. BOONE GROVE (5-1)

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
11-26-2002: 89-34 LaCrosse (0-5)
12-2-2002: 57-67 at Kankakee Valley (2-2)

Boone has only three three-point baskets in six games. That's why they couldn't overcome KV's 6-6 center Amanda DeVries. Boone has played a weak schedule but that is a temporary situation. They have Wheeler (5-1), Washington Township (4-2), North Judson (4-0) and Crown Point (4-2) to come. Karissa Walter (17.3 ppg.) has scored in double figures in every game so far. Heather Moy (11.0 ppg.) isn't a distance shooter. Jenn (10.1) and Becky Keller (6.1 ppg.) will have to score more in the weeks to come.

3. North Newton (3-0)

11-16-2002: 72-62 Lowell
11-21-2002: 58-44 at Frontier
12-3-2002: 64-39 at Covington (2-4)

Kassie Koselke (17.6 ppg.) is a point producer but North Newton hasn't played many games yet. Claire Christensen (11.3 ppg,) is strong inside and guard Danielle Doty (10.3 ppg.) is effective in the backcourt. There's no way to know about this team after the three teams they've played.

4. WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP (4-3)

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

11-27-2002: 40-42 Oregon-Davis (4-1)
11-30-2002: 53-31 at Wheeler (5-1)
12-3-2002: 57-47 at Whiting (3-3)

Aimee Mishler (11.5 ppg.) apparently is going to be a solid player. She was sick and did not play in the loss to Oregon-Davis or they'd have won that, too. Christi Gladdis (15.4 ppg.) and Alisha Polite (12.1 ppg.) are solid contributors. Gladdis scored 27 at Whiting. The loss to Calumet is hard to explain because Calumet is vastly overrated.

5. Wheeler (5-1)

11-16-2002: 67-62 Merrillville (2 OTs)
11-20-2002: 47-19 at Lake Station
11-22-2002: 40-39 at Hanover Central
11-29-2002: 31-53 Washington Township (4-2)
11-30-2002: 51-26 at (MC) Marquette (0-5)

Washington Township blasted Wheeler in the first matchup of the three top teams (Boone is the other) in the Porter County Conference. Maggie Schultz (11.5 ppg.) and Alison Roper (13.2 ppg.) are providing the points but Wheeler may not have the point guard they need.

DECEMBER NOTES: The Crown Point-Highland game will be played on Jan. 3, 2003. Some schedules had the game played Saturday (Dec.7) but Highland is playing South Bend Riley in the Hammond Civic Center (about 5:30 p.m.) Saturday.

Bishop Luers (4-0) has been dominant early in Fort Wayne. It's difficult to explain why a four-time state champ is not ranked number one. They'll be at Crown Point on Jan. 25.

Boone Grove and Crown Point do not have undefeated Varsity teams but their JV teams are 6-0 coached by Stephanie Lytle (Boone) and Scott Reid (CP). They'll meet on Dec. 14.

So far, there has been a distinct lack of offense in northwest Indiana. Of the top teams, Highland, Crown Point and Gary West Side don't shoot very well. That's why LC is number one.

After 25% of the season, I cannot promise you that any northwest Indiana girls team will advance beyond the regional. 2004 looks like a great year but 2003 is a little weak.