2005-2006 Girls Basketball  Top-10 Poll, Week-3 A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith (11-23-2005)

EAST CHICAGO, IN - (11-23-2005) This was the week where NW Indiana (Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, Starke) county teams got out to see how they rate in other places. The early returns say, 'Not so good.'  Penn beat Chesterton, Warsaw beat Crown Point. Kokomo defeated Gary West Side and John Hope, the No. 1 small school in the Chicago metro area, beat East Chicago.  This is not necessarily a bad thing.  Teams don't need these illusions of invincibility.  That didn't work well for Griffith football this fall.  It's the 'Griffith football syndrome.'  It is in a newspaper or a radio station's best interest to tell you how great you are so you will read them or listen to them.  Friends and family always tell you how wonderful you are as long as you keep winning.  It makes them feel like they had a part of it.

But if they all tell you that you are better than you are and they overstate and exaggerate (which they always do), the newspaper and the radio loses nothing but you lose ball games.  It happens to basketball teams as well.

It's unusual to say this, but there are no surprises in the early going, not even mild ones.  That indicates there is a very balanced season underway which should create close games, something girls basketball usually lacks, and from a spectator sport standpoint, desperately needs.

Over in South Bend, Northwood (5-0) has completed 1/4 of the schedule already while 5-foot-8 freshman guard Skyler Diggins scored 29 points in her varsity debut for South Bend Washington (4-0). So what?  Well Diggins followed that up with 30 against Carroll and 20 more last Friday against Northridge.  Washington heads for Chicago and an eight team tournament at powerful Whitney Young.  If they come back at 7-0, all the good 4A teams in Lake and Porter County will take notice.  Huntington North (3-0) has defeated Bishop Luers, Snider and Warsaw through three games.  The big game statewide is the Class 2A Top-10  showdown of Harding (3-0) and Indianapolis power Heritage Christian (4-0) Saturday.

1.) East Chicago (2-1)

21-4 (2005), 17-5 (2004), 21-1 (2003)

EAST CHICAGO -   The Cardinals lost 48-44 to Hope high, the No.1  small school in Chicago.  It was 32-16 Hope at the half and EC made a nice rally behind 5-10 stars Dee Dee Jernigan and Kelly Watts, who totaled 30 points.  This is a good loss to a ranked team in another state ranked team. EC was 12 of 14 from the line. Frankly, they need more games like this.  The Cardinals take on undefeated Merrillville Wednesday (Nov. 23) night.

2.) Valparaiso (1-2)  

21-2 (2005), 23-3 (2004), 16-8 (2003)

VALPARAISO -  Valpo led Merrillville 41-37 going to the final period but the Pirates won at home 52-47 in the first of three probable meetings between the DAC powers. Valpo is probably still the better team right now.  Erica Humes scored 19 and the Vikings were 18 of 20 from the line. The Vikings have lost to 4A No. 4 Carmel and 4A No. 10 Merrillville. They are 1-2. What's wrong? Against that competition ? Nothing.

3.) Gary West Side (1-2)

23-5 (2005), 22-3 (2004), 20-4 (2003)

GARY -   It's no surprise that Gary West Side was blasted last week by 50-32 by 4A No. 6 Kokomo and 48-28 by 2A No. 2 Heritage Christian on the road.  The Cougars are supposed to lose on the road to those teams. It's Indiana basketball. You're supposed to lose on the road. But, since they hope to be a top-10 team, these are good games for West Side to play.  It's the local teams (and there are several) that load up on losers and brag about their record are the ones who fall in the end. In the past the Cougars have been in that club but not anymore. West Side has 2A No.1 Harding and 3A No. 1 St. Joseph's yet to play.

4.) Munster (1-2)

17-6 (2005), 6-15 (2004), 6-18 (2003)

MUNSTER -   Munster coasted past Bishop Noll 62-28 after losses early to Valpo and Chesterton. I still think Munster is better than Chesterton and Merrillville but maybe not for much longer.  The Lady Ponies are in a stretch of games they should win before the Dec.2  match with rival Griffith. Patience is required here. Few teams have this much depth and experience and it will show.  The record will start to improve dramatically now . Gary West Side, Merrillville and East Chicago are still on the schedule. This poll is not based on wins and losses. It's who's got quality. Munster is easily a top-5 team in NW Indiana and it will start to show in the weeks to come.

5.) Merrillville (3-0)

12-10 (2005), 18-3 (2004), 15-8 (2003)

MERRILLVILLE -  The Pirates rallied for a much-needed win over Valparaiso, giving then a three-game sweep of Highland, Andrean and Valpo in the early going. They are still fifth because the Highland and Valpo games could have gone either way and Merrillville has an upheaval coming when they add 6-2 forward Sharon Houston in two weeks. The Pirates are a poor foul shooting team (25 of 44, 56.8%) and that will hurt them later. Nobody has the ceiling the Pirates have this season. They have state finals potential. But they have not started to realize it yet. And, again, change is gonna come.

6.) Chesterton (2-1)

11-11 (2005), 14-8 (2004), 13-10 (2003)

CHESTERTON -   The Trojans came back to earth with a 54-31 beat down at home against Penn Saturday night Any delusions of grandeur were removed here and that's probably a good thing. Chesterton was 11-of-48 from the floor . Oddly, the Trojans led 17-9 in the second quarter before things went downhill big time. Penn sank 10 3-point baskets. Nobody's ranking changes over one game in a real poll.. The Trojans are still one of the DAC favorites.

7.) Crown Point (3-1)

17-6 (2005), 14-8 (2004), 12-9 (2003)

CROWN POINT -  Like Valparaiso, Chesterton, East Chicago and Gary West Side, CP stepped out of the area and took a good, hard spanking. The Lady Bulldogs paddling came 61-45 at Warsaw where 5-9 guard Julie Seiss had 20 points including nine in the first quarter.  CP had come off an obviously misleading 60-21 win over Portage the night before.  The Lady Bulldogs are still a work in progress. as Hannah Plumley and Michelle Lipton work their way in as the new backcourt.  An interesting bounce back game for both teams Friday as CP travels to Chesterton. Individual losses are good for you. Losing streaks are not good.

8.) North Judson (2-0)

22-4 (2005), 12-9 (2004), 13-8 (2003)

NORTH JUDSON -   Judson beat Bremen 57-45 to go 2-0. the schedule is a little light for the Jays who play at Twin Lakes Friday night. Judson has Plymouth (3-0), Rensselaer (2-1) and Boone Grove (4-1) but the schedule isn't; that tough this season. Same schedule as last year. Just not as tough.  If the Jays get into the schedule where they are playing regularly, they could stay unbeaten for awhile, for what that's worth.

9.) Andrean (2-1)   

9-13 (2005), 7-14 (2004), 15-9 (2003)

MERRILLVILLE  -  Andrean coasted against Lew Wallace and had a game with Lowell (Nov. 26) postponed.  Val Tyburski (18.6) and Michelle Hynes (10.3) are establishing themselves as scorers but 35 of 53 is just OK.
    The 59ers have to face the music against 3A state champ St. Joseph's on Tuesday, Nov. 29 but games like that can only help them at this point.   St. Joe (2-0) beat Mishawaka 91-29 Tuesday (Nov. 22) night.  "Help' is somewhat of a relative term.

10.) Highland (3-2)

19-5 (2005), 17-6 (2004), 24-3 (2003)

HIGHLAND -  Hard to know about Highland which stopped Portage 46-35 and Lake Central 60-50 last week despite 22 of 41 from the foul line. Tina Traczyk  has scored in double figures in every game so far. The Trojans may not need a point guard (Lizzie-Stapke ACL) because they dont win on offense anyway. 



On the outside looking in:

1.) Lake Central (0-3)

7-14 (2005), 11-10 (2004), 13-8 (2003)

ST. JOHN -  The Indians are 0-3 despite Angie Funston (15 ppg.)   the Indians were 15 of 37 in the first two games but they sank 12 of 16 Tuesday in a 60-50 loss to Highland.  A huge red flag is the defense which has allowed 60 points in all three games so far. LC is concentrating on picking up the pace but until they hit their stride, the results may not be pretty.

2.) Michigan City (2-0)

6-15 (2005),  6-16 (2004),  6-14  (2003)

MICHIGAN CITY -  The Wolves got started with wins over LC and Adams last week Freshman guard Bianca McGee scored seven with six rebounds while 6-2 center.  Reality sets in Friday against Valparaiso.

3.) Rensselaer (3-0)

15-7 (2005), 10-11 (2004,   9-12  (2003)

RENSSELAER -  Rensselaer stopped Winamac 47-32 and North White 68-25. Amy Streitmatter  (12 ppg.) and 5-10 Reagan Kanne (13.3 ppg.) have back boned a 65 ppg offense so far. The good times end against St. Joe on Dec. 3.

4.) South Central (3-0)

18-7 (2005), 12-8 (2004), 9-13 (2003)

UNION TOWNSHIP - The Satellites rallied past Triton 53-41 after trailing 10-4 at the quarter. Mallory Gorski scored 32 to support the SC fast break attack which is averaging 65 ppg. per game. There are not a lot of competitive teams on the SC schedule.  Here's a team that has never so much as won one game in the PCC tournament. That will change.

5.) Lowell (2-0)

13-8 (2005), 15-9 (2004), 11-12 (2003)

LOWELL - A good start for Lowell with wins over Morton and North Newton. Julie Swisher (26) and Ashley Cosentino (18) combined for 44 points against North Newton. Lowell takes on rival Hanover Central Wednesday night but football has jumbled their schedule.

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Revised: November 26, 2005 .