2003-2004 Girls Basketball  'Renegade' Poll: Week 7 A USA-365.com Special Report (12-30-2003)

The poll awaits the Jan. 3 Boone Grove game against Wheeler, the Jan. 7 Valparaiso game against Merrillville and the Jan. 8 game between Gary West Side and East Chicago.  What that leaves out is Class 3A. The following top-10 will not include any 3A squads and that is telling with the playoffs 8 weeks away. Class 1A teams are almost never going to get into a true top-10 but, barring injury, Hebron could easily be playing after everyone else in the six county (Lake, Porter, Starke, LaPorte, Newton and Jasper County) northwest Indiana area is eliminated.

1.  Gary West Side (7-1)

The test comes next week but I think the depth of Gary West Side will overcome East Chicago. West Side has won their last six. Michelle Hamblin may be hurt but that will not effect the Cougars as much. West Side was overpowering 6-2 Lew Wallace center Sharon Houston in a 71-49 victory. Guard Belinda Drake continues to shoot poorly but she had 10 points and eight assists against LC. Guard Isabella Rhenwick has 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead the way.

The Cardinals certainly are over the blowout loss to Fenwick (11-1) who has been paddling everyone in Illinois. I think EC will actually have to slow the game against West Side because they are not that fast. Kelly Watts has averaged 18.3 in her last 3 games.  Again... EC vs. West Side is Jan. 8.

3.  MERRILLVILLE (8-1)

The Pirates must be ready after two weeks off because they get Crown Point (8-3) and Valparaiso (11-1) in a five day span. Only one team (EC) has scored more (37 points) against the tall and quick Pirates all year.  Merrillville needs to maintain their dominance over Valparaiso with the sectional six weeks away.

4. Valparaiso (11-1)

Valpo swung back into action on Dec. 29 with a 32-28 win at Chesterton. Only Merrillville has scored more than 38 points against Valpo all year. In the first VHS-MVille game, Valpo was just 5-of-13 from the foul line and that's pitiful. VHS must slow the pace of the game against Merrillville and frustrate them. But, to be honest, Valpo doesn't have to beat M-Ville this week. They just have to figure out how to do it.

5.  CROWN POINT (8-3)

Cassie Pruzin (16.7 ppg., 5.1 assists, 5.5 steals) has been the region's top player so far and Kaitlyn Sertich (11.5 pg.) is coming on. If CP is going to beat either Valpo or Merrillville it will be Merrillville. The first of a potential 3 MVille-CP games is this weekend. Coach Tom May (398-140) can become the first region girls coach with 400 wins with a double-weekend sweep over Merrillville and Hanover Central (5-6).

6.  Chesterton (6-3)

The Trojans  need a good showing at the Big-8 Shootout in Lafayette this (Jan. 2-3) weekend against big schools. 6-foot Stephanie Boyle (14.5 ppg.) and guard Catherine Campbell (8.9 ppg,.) need to produce more on offense against the big teams.  Chesterton's defense is consistent and it will have to be against the schedule they have yet to play.

7.  LAKE CENTRAL  (5-5)

LC needs at least a split at the Center Grove tournament this (Jan. 2-3) weekend. The Lady Indians have to understand that their biggest games are yet to come. A lot of DAC teams are going to end up with ugly records due to the cutthroat 14-game league schedule. The final two game of LC's season are against Portage and Chesterton. Two wins and the first 18 games will be irrelevant.

8.  Boone Grove (11-1)

Boone Grove is continuing to win and developing depth. Karissa Walter (17.2 ppg,) hit 5 of 6 free throws to beat arch-rival Hebron 33-31 at Hebron. Senior Rachel Jenkins returned to the lineup after missing 3 games with a bad knee and freshman Cortney Flanigan is 15 of 17 (88.2) from the line. The Wolves can pretend they're not looking ahead but they must notice that 2A regional rivals Rochester (10-0) and Winamac (10-2) are having years equal to theirs. And sectional foe Wheeler (10-3) isn't far behind. Boone plays at Wheeler Saturday.

9. Highland (10-3)

Cassi Siska has 39 steals in 13 games and 5-10 forward Jody Shimanek is 56 of 70 (80.0%) from the line. Highland should roll against Adams (3-7) this weekend and the schedule isn't tough except for games (Jan. 13) with Chesterton (6-3), Jan. 24 with Lowell (10-3) and Feb. 6 at East Chicago (9-1).

10.  LOWELL (10-3)

Lowell's losses, at Crown Point (8-3), Highland (10-3) and especially the home loss to a mediocre Calumet (7-5) team leave the Devils a little suspect but there simply aren't a lot of good teams. Soph center Rachel Thiel has been in double figures in rebounding four times and the Devils needed a two week break after 13 games in the first six weeks. Lowell has something to prove but the next three games, Noll, Griffith and KV, cannot just be assumed victories.

Could be good.....                    

Wheeler (11-3)

Wheeler won their holiday tournament with wins over Hobart and Hammond. Freshman Becca Bruszewski scored 23 in the win over Hammond and her sister Alyse added 18. Now the hard part. With only eight varsity players, Wheeler must find a way to get the ball up the floor against Boone Grove this Saturday.


Coming Up......

BIG 8 SHOOTOUT at McCutcheon high school - Lafayette, IN
Jan. 2 1 Lafayette Jefferson vs. Gary West Side, 5:00 pm - 1st round
Jan. 2 2 Chesterton vs. Floyd Central, 5:00 pm -  1st round
Jan. 2 3 Harrison (West Lafayette) vs. Homestead, - 1st round
Jan. 2 4 Cambridge City at McCutcheon, 6:30 pm - 1st round
Jan. 3 5 Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 10:00 am - consolation
Jan. 3 6 Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 10:00 am - semifinal
Jan. 3 7 Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 11:30 am - consolation
Jan. 3 8 Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 11:30 am - semifinal
Jan. 3 9 Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 7, 5:00 pm - 7th place
Jan. 3 10 Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 7, 6:30 pm - 5th place
Jan. 3 11 Loser Game 6 vs. Loser Game 8, 5:00 pm - 3rd place
Jan. 3 12 Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 8, 8:30 pm -   championship

CHICAGOLAND CLASSIC at Willowbrook, IL
Jan. 16 Kokomo vs. Fenwick (Ill.), 8:00 pm -  1st round
Jan. 16 Warsaw vs. Neuqua Valley (Ill.), 9:30 pm - 1st round
Jan. 17 Niles North (Ill.) vs. Kokomo, 10:30 am - 2nd round
Jan. 17 New Trier (Ill.) vs. Warsaw, 12:00 pm - 2nd round
Jan. 17 Hamilton Southeastern vs. Loyola Academy, 6:30 pm - 2nd round
Jan. 17 Heritage Christian vs. St. Ignatius (Ill.), 6:00 pm - 2nd round
Jan. 19 Fenwick (Ill.) vs. Heritage Christian, 2:30 pm - 3rd round
Jan. 19 East Chicago Central vs. Fremd (Ill.), 2:30 pm -  3rd round

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