NW Indiana Girls Basketball Renegade Poll: Week 12

2003-2004 Girls Basketball

'Renegade' Poll: Week 12

A USA-365.com Special Report

(2-4-2004)

The top four took a hit when Crown Point beat Valparaiso, but there's still a gap between Valpo, EC, West Side, Merrillville and everyone else. The state tournament draw stacked four of the teams in this poll in one half of Sectional 2. Six of this top-10 must be eliminated by Feb. 14. Penn (14-5) and South Bend Washington (18-0) still loom ominously to the east and they could show up in Valparaiso at regional time.

1. Gary West Side (17-2)

West Side beat Gavit 85-31 and Morton 67-28. These games don't allow the winner to show much but the bench. Junior guard Isabella Rhenwick is averaging 14.5 ppg. over her last four games. The 'Side' rolled Lew Wallace late Tuesday and a closing game with McCutcheon (14-5) Friday (Feb. 6) is a necessary test because West Side got a bye and does not play in next Tuesday's sectional quarterfinal round.

2. Valparaiso (17-2)

Valpo's 14-game winning streak ended in a 54-49 loss at Crown Point, a game the Vikings led by six in the third quarter. The only thing that was exposed in the loss was something that was already known. Valpo only used seven players and went with six most of the way. What's ominous is that the CP pressure defense that bothered Valpo is the same type of thing they'd see from Gary West Side or undefeated South Bend Washington at the regional. Coach Greg Kirby is one win away from 400 combined for his years at Portage and Valpo. The win could come Friday against Chesterton (13-6).

3. East Chicago (14-4)

East Chicago had 10 days off between the trip to Indianapolis Tech and a home game with Highland (16-4) on Feb. 6. To be a state contender, East Chicago is going to have to build up the final two weeks of this schedule. The Cardinals are an independent, but they should look into Illinois and find some powerhouse like Marian Catholic to play in the final days of the regular season. EC will be nationally rated next season but they won't get out of the sectional if they take 10 days off in the last two weeks of the year. No doubt, they know that.

4. MERRILLVILLE (16-2)

The Pirates probably went to 17-2 in a game late Tuesday against Lowell and they drew Valparaiso in the opening sectional game on Feb. 10. Brittney Moore scored 12 points and grabbed 8 rebounds against MC's 6-2 Emma Tucker. Marshay Jolly averaged 15.0 ppg. over a 3-game span. Julie DeMuth scored a season high 22 on Jan. 27 in a 51-35 win over Chesterton. The Pirates go for the DAC title Friday at home against Crown Point (13-6) but whatever the outcome, they have to get over it in 72 hours to take on Valparaiso (17-2) in a 4A sectional quarterfinal game.

5. CROWN POINT (13-6)

Crown Point is clearly making a late run with four wins in a row and their spirits were lifted by a favorable draw that guaranteed that they cannot meet both Valpo (17-2) and Merrillville (17-2) in the Crown Point Class 4A Sectional. Crown Point beat Valpo 54-49, the first CP win over the Vikings in three years. Junior guard Cassie Pruzin scored 28 and has averaged 21 ppg. over her last four games. A bad sign: CP has made only 40 of 66 (60.6 %) free throws in the winning streak. That's an improvement on the season numbers, but it's still not good enough. One note: Pruzin is 60 of 77 (77.9 pct.) from the line and she has the ball. CP got the draw they probably wanted... a third shot at Chesterton (who beat them twice) and Valpo facing Merrillville in the first round. CP has nothing to gain, so the season-ending game at Merrillville (17-2) Friday night is a 'play everybody' warmup.

6. Chesterton (13-6)

A tough week for Chesterton, losing 51-35 to Merrillville and 53-45 to Lake Central. Still, 13-6 after 13 DAC games is very good. The problem here is obvious. If the Trojans lose to Valparaiso (17-2) Friday night and carry a three-game losing streak into the CP Sectional quarterfinal against the host school 72 hours later, they're probably going to lose. Alycia Babcock scored a career-high 17 against LC but the Trojans were just 5-of-11 from the line. Chesterton cannot fall behind. They simply do not have the firepower to come back.

7. LAKE CENTRAL (10-9)

Strength of schedule puts LC ahead of Highland, especially after LC's 53-45 win over Chesterton last Friday (Jan. 29). Jen VanDerZanden had 13 points and eight rebounds and Angie Funston added 13 points. LC has beaten Chesterton 20 times in 25 meetings. LC sank 35 of 50 (70%) foul shots in the last three games. There's good and bad to the LC state tournament draw. They got a quarterfinal bye in a tough six-team sectional. But they drew Gary West Side (17-2), the toughest team among them.

8. Highland (17-4)

Highland nipped Griffith 52-42 last week to complete the LAC season undefeated. Highland got a massive break when they drew East Chicago (16-3) in a quarterfinal game that will be played on Highland's home court after the IHSAA farmed out first round cites to increase attendance. The Trojans were 25 of 39 (64.1 %) from the foul line against Griffith and are 57 of 90 (63.3 %) in the last three games. That's an improvement, but 30 shots a game from the line is something that won't continue in the state playoffs. Highland closes the season at East Chicago (Feb. 6) before they open the state tourney at home against EC (Feb. 10). Highland's goal Friday is to play everybody, not get hurt and get home as fast as they can. They don't need to win this game Friday.

9. Wheeler (17-3)

Without Allison Roper (12.2 ppg.) who is reportedly out for the year, Wheeler lacks some firepower gong into the 2A Hanover Central Sectional next week. The BearCats will close their regular season schedule at North Newton, which is a much better test than they've been getting lately. 6-foot-1 Becca Bruszewski (16.7 ppg.) is the top scorer at the HC Sectional and 5-10 senior sister Alyse (10.0 ppg.) is the team's key player. It's now or never for Wheeler. Program building or transfers aside, the BearCats have four senior starters and Boone is loaded with underclassmen. Wheeler has to win now or it will be a couple of years.

10. Lowell (13-7)

Lowell probably got beat by Merrillville Tuesday night to drop to 13-8 but that's irrelevant. It's now or never for them, too. The Devils have eight seniors including four senior starters and they drew a home game with sub. - 500 Munster in the tough 4A West Side Sectional. Lisa Schulfer had 24 points and 16 rebounds against Class 1A Whiting in a 56-36 win and McKensey Wietbrock scored 18 in a 51-36 win over Munster. The best possible scenario for Lowell would be for EC to beat Highland in the sectional quarterfinals and then go into a match with Lowell, looking ahead to Gary West Side 24 hours later. If Lake Central beats West Side, Lowell has an outside chance to win the sectional based on all the senior ballplayers they have.

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

Boone Grove (15-3)

Boone romped over the same team that took the PCC title away from them, Hanover Central, by a 69-34 score last week and then had seven days off before a season-ending game with North Judson. Karissa Walter (15.3 ppg.) scored 17 and Becky Keller (11.7 ppg.) added 12. Boone needs to get a competitive game from North Judson (9-8) Thursday (Feb. 5) to push them going into the playoffs. Boone is the type of team that doesn't react well to a bye. They'll take on improving Bishop Noll (10-9) at Hanover Central Tuesday night, but the Wolves need to win three times in five days. Boone has more depth than Wheeler, more scoring than Hanover and more individual talent than Noll. But they must get back to playing the attacking full-court defense that won for them in 2003. If they let teams walk the ball up the floor, they are inadvertently leveling the playing field. Boone needs to play with a sense of urgency and that's tough with a squad full of juniors. If Boone wins, Rochester (19-2) will be waiting in the Rensselaer Regional semifinals. Bremen (13-6) could await in the regional finals. But state 2A state champ Shenandoah (17-2) is in the southern half of the state (as they always should have been) bracket. If Boone wins four playoff games, game five and six (the final two steps to the state finals) will be easier. The way the Wolves play, opening night may be the biggest hurdle.

Outside the area.......

4A South Bend Washington (18-0)

SOUTH BEND: Here's the only undefeated team in the top half of the state and they have to be respected. Jerri Taylor scored 21 Monday night as Washington beat Elkhart Memorial 66-50. I've heard talk that Washington's schedule is not tough. But they have defeated Penn (14-5), Plymouth (13-6), Northern State Conference (NSC) champion New Prairie (13-5), Elkhart Memorial (13-6), St. Joseph's (11-8), LaVille (13-6), Griffith (12-8) and arch-rival South Bend Riley (12-7). You be the judge.

It does say something that Washington just scheduled 19 games when you are allowed to play 20. It wouldn't have hurt to have called independent power East Chicago, who also played only 19 games.

This is an up tempo team that averages 62.7 points per game. Riley-transfer Marcy Patton, a 5-10 center, has been steady has moved into the starting lineup and so has Taylor (12.1 ppg.), a transfer. Jeri Taylor (11.6 ppg.) played at Clay in 2002, played at Pike high in Indianapolis in 2003, averaging 9.0 points per game. The 5-8 wing is the Panthers' leading scorer, but 5-7 point guard Teisha Newsome (11.6 ppg.) runs the show. She is the all-time assist leader at Washington with her senior year still to go. Both Newsome, Taylor and Tori Johnson, a 5-8 wing shooter, are juniors and they run well. Up front is very good size in 6-2 Katie Boocher and 6-0 Ashley Varner. I doubt that both of those girls are on the floor at the same time but Boocher scored 13 against Elkhart Memorial.

This team sounds a lot like West Side and that would be a mirror-image regional matchup. But Washington, which got a quarterfinal sectional bye and a semifinal sectional game against Clay (11-8), a team they beat by 17 last month, must eventually face arch-rival Riley (12-7), a team they beat 70-63 on Jan. 23. The transfer of Patton may have created some hard feelings between the schools and the Riley-Washington showdown, which would come in the Riley 4A sectional final, is a major roadblock for the Panthers.

Washington began 17-0 last season before flaming out and finishing at 21-3 with an 83-71 loss to Riley last year in the sectional semifinals. Traditionally, up tempo teams do not do well in the state tournament. Somebody slows them and takes them out. But Clay, Riley and potential Valpo regional semifinal foes East Chicago or Gary West Side are all up-tempo teams and will not slow Washington.

The Panthers would reach the regional championship game before they would see a foe (Valparaiso, Merrillville or possibly Crown Point) who would slow them. They have not played the schedule of the Duneland Conference teams or of East Chicago, but with the win over LaVille (13-7) Tuesday night, Washington has not lost and that can be intimidating.

4A (South Bend) WASHINGTON   (19-0)
COACH: MARILYN CODDENS   -     19-3 in 2003
OFFENSE 62.7,         DEFENSE 41.1

Nov. 21 (W) 71-34 at Northridge
Nov. 25 (W) 47-43 Penn
Nov. 29 (W) 61-49 at South Bend St. Joseph's
Dec. 4 (W) 53-38 at Elkhart Central
Dec. 6 (W) 81-44 at Wawasee
Dec. 11 (W) 50-39 Plymouth
Dec. 16 (W) 58-49 at Lakeland
Dec. 18 (W) 65-48 South Bend Clay
Jan. 2 (W) 58-33 Michigan City
Jan. 3 (W) 49-38 Griffith
Jan. 9 (W) 60-37 at Mishawaka
Jan. 10 (W) 83-34 Elkhart Baptist
Jan. 14 (W) 56-33 New Prairie
Jan. 17 (W) 76-51 at Horace Mann
Jan. 20 (W) 62-39 at (Mishawaka) Marian
Jan. 23 (W) 60-63 at (South Bend) Riley
Jan. 31 (W) 62-33 (South Bend) Adams
Feb. 2 (W) 66-50 Elkhart Memorial
Feb. 3 (W) 66-33 LaVille