NW Indiana Girls Basketball Renegade Poll: Week 10

2003-2004 Girls Basketball

'Renegade' Poll: Week 10

A USA-365.com Special Report

(1-20-2004)

With Tom May's 400th win in the books, the Chicagoland Classic over and the PCC tournament ending in the next few days, all that's left is the draw for the state tournament. The league races are still going but, frankly, only non-fans read or semi-fans (read: parents) care about the league races. You either won your league tournament and/or your sectional, or you didn't. Nothing that has occurred so far this season matters. Everything is on the line in the next six weeks.

1. Gary West Side (13-1)

Sometimes Gary West Side games go unnoticed (and unreported). But I believe West Side only played one game last week, coasting over Wirt 80-17. The downside is that the Cougars don't really have any more elite-level games. West Side will beat Roosevelt on Jan. 20 and then will travel to South Bend St. Joseph's on Jan. 24. That's a good test of a team that plays man-to-man pressing defense against a team with three future Division I players.

2. Valparaiso (15-1)

Valpo coasted by Portage 61-32 with 17 points from Cassie Kerns (13.1 ppg.) and drifted by Hobart 45-26 with a career-high 16 points from Lauren Hutton (8.9 ppg.). Valpo is 29-1 all-time against Hobart, another reason Hobart did well to leave the DAC where they were overmatched. The VHS winning streak is at a state-best (for girls) 12 in a row. Valpo should coast by LaPorte on Jan. 23 and then LC (8-7), Crown Point (10-6) and Chesterton (12-4) give them competition, but not a roadblock on the road to the sectional. They await the draw where Merrillville is concerned.

3. East Chicago (12-3)

East Chicago beat Fremd high of Palatine, Ill. 67-41 Monday with 5-10 guard Dee Dee Jernigan collecting 23 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. But the Cardinals lost to Hamilton Southeastern (15-1) 65-61 Friday night. Some region watchers pointed to the close game against Southeastern, rated No.1 in Indiana, as a badge of honor for EC. Maybe not. Southeastern was crushed by Loyola Academy (21-0) of Wilmette, Ill. 59-37 the next day. The Cardinals were only 11 of 21 against Southeastern from the line. East Chicago still has Highland (14-4) on Feb. 5.

4. MERRILLVILLE (14-2)

The Pirates coasted by LaPorte 52-25 and headed into a game with struggling Lake Central Tuesday night. Merrillville shot just 2-of-8 from the foul line against LaPorte in game 15 and 13-of-26 against Munster in game 14. That gives no indication that they are ready for the state tournament, but there's no motivation right now. Wait until the draw and they might perk up. No one has the Pirates' combination of size and speed if they can get it together.

5. Chesterton (12-4)

The Trojans beat Highland in 3 OTs, but they were not impressive doing it. Chesterton stopped Michigan City 57-49 but MC is 3-12. Junior center Stephanie Boyle (14.2 ppg.) and 5-10 sophomore Kelly Pellar provide front court power. Pellar's 19 against Highland was a career-high. But it says something that this is the 'best-of-the-rest,' the 5th best team in northwest Indiana. The offense is very inconsistent. This squad has Merrillville (15-2) and Valparaiso (15-1) yet to play, but they must forget that and focus only on sectional play.

6. CROWN POINT (10-6)

Crown Point got 16 points, eight assists and five steals from Cassie Pruzin to help reverse a 32-23 deficit and beat Lake Central 54-49 for coach Tom May's 400th win in 24 seasons. CP has swept two from Lake Central and they've lost two to Chesterton. To be honest, there's not a lot of difference between all three of those squads. Pruzin averages 16.3 points, 5.0 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 5.8 steals with only 45 turnovers (2.8 per game) all year. CP can now coast to wins over Michigan City and LaPorte before they have to buckle down against Merrillville (15-2) and Valparaiso (15-1). This team shoots 35% from the field and just 53% from the line. The Lady Bulldogs need a bye in the new CP 4A Sectional. Three wins in 5 days is too much to ask.

7. LAKE CENTRAL (8-7)

First time, they lost a 10-point fourth quarter lead to Crown Point. Second time, they lost a 9-point third quarter lead. This team is better off going against East Chicago and Gary West Side than they would be going against Merrillville and Valparaiso. Crown Point's full court press bothered LC but EC and West Side do not have as many press schemes. Don't give up on Lake Central yet.

8. Highland (14-4)

The Trojans should have benefited from a week off after the 39-31 loss to Chesterton. They host Hobart and Lowell (11-6) this week although the schedule may have been changed. Highland has been held to less than 40 points for three consecutive games but they should be able to score more. Jody Shimanek is 74 of 95 (77.8%) from the line and the Trojans are as solid defensively as they have always been. The question is the same as it has been for six years. They dominate a league where virtually every school is smaller than they are. Has the schedule they have played prepared them for where they want to go?

9. Wheeler (15-3)

Here's another team with schedule problems. The super-weak Lake Athletic Conference (LAC) Blue division may be crippling them. Lake Station (0-16), Westville (3-11) and weak 1As like Whiting are quicksand that can suck the BearCats in before the inevitable 2A Hanover Central Sectional rematch with Boone Grove (15-2). Freshman Becca Bruszewski (15.7 ppg.) has five 20-point games and Wheeler has won seven in a row. But they have not accomplished anything of lasting significance yet and they must understand that.

10. ANDREAN (5-10)

Andrean led Munster 34-26 after three quarters before losing 43-40 on the road at Munster. That's the third time the 59ers have led going to the fourth quarter and lost. Andrean shot 7-of-20 from the foul line, a continuous problem. Again, remember, two losses to Highland (14-4), and defeats at the hands of Gary West Side (12-1), Lowell (11-6), St. Joseph's (8-7) and Bishop Luers (13-2). I think they're better than Lowell and I think they are the sectional favorite. But I may be the only one left who thinks so.

What's going on????....

Lowell (11-6)

The Red Devils broke a two-game losing streak with a 50-47 win over KV, a team they trailed 18-6 after one quarter. What is happening here? Losses 27-26 to Noll, 28-26 to Griffith and then a life-and-death struggle at KV? To be fair, KV and Noll are improving but Lowell is in a sectional with LC, Highland, Gary West Side and East Chicago. It doesn't sound like they're ready. On the good side, Lowell has made 37 of their last 54 foul shots, a fairly good 68.5 percent. This is a good defensive team. No team has scored more than 50 against them.

Outside the area.......

2A No. 8 Rochester (15-2)

ROCHESTER: The Zebras, from a 500-kid school in Fulton County, are probably the biggest threat from the north to 2A defending champion Shenandoah. Rochester, cute little town midway between South Bend and Kokomo, has been good for a while as coach Tony Stasiak's 72-14 record in the last four years would indicate. Senior guard Courtney Felke (20.1 ppg.) is a first team all-stater and a smooth ball-handling Division I point guard who won't go down without a fight. Her heir apparent is 5-7 sophomore Ryleigh Carr (12.9 ppg.), who hit six three-point goals in an 81-60 victory over Bremen on Jan. 14. Up front is 6-foot Jenna Easterday (9.6 ppg.) and 5-9 senior Jamie Fornal. Morgan Thomas, a 5-11 junior, is the other starter. This an up tempo team that can shoot. They had 14 3-point goals against Bremen.

The only two losses were on the same day, to 4A Riley (11-6) 61-46 and 3A Tippecanoe Valley (15-1) 68-53 in the South Bend Holiday Tournament. This team led Boone Grove by eight, 52-44 with 2:44 to play in the Triton Regional championship game last year before Boone made a miracle rally to win 57-52. Rochester (22-3) had the better team.

So what now? Rochester is in a tough 5-team sectional with Midwest Conference champion Winamac (13-2), North Judson (8-7) and Rensselaer and North Newton. Porter County's 2A powers Boone Grove (14-2) and Wheeler (15-3) need to hope that somebody ambushes Rochester at the Winamac (2A) Sectional because Wheeler has no one to stay with Felke and Carr, while Boone cannot match Rochester up front. The Zebras (I cant explain the nickname) are the class of this part of the state and they have NEVER been beyond the regional. They have waited almost 12 months now for redemption.

In Progress......

2004 Porter County Conference (PCC) Tournament

(at Morgan Township high school)
Jan. 19: Washington Township 47, HEBRON 26
Jan. 19: Kouts 61, South Central 50
Jan. 20 (Tu) Morgan Township (3-11) vs. LaCrosse (2-12) 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 20 (Tu) BOONE GROVE (13-2) vs. HANOVER CENTRAL (6-8)
Jan. 23 (F) Washington Township vs. Kouts - 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 23 (F) Morgan or LaCrosse vs. BOONE or HC - 7:00 p.m.
Jan. 24 (S) PCC Championship - 6:00 p.m. (at Boone Grove)