Lawrence North Athletics
The girls’ basketball regular season is entering the final month of the regular season, while the boys are getting ready for county tournaments coming up in a couple weeks. Some of the best in-state talent will be going head-to-head this weekend. Here are the top five matchups to watch for this week in central Indiana.
JEFFERSONVILLE vs CRISPUS ATTUCKS (BOYS) – JAN. 2
Crispus Attucks is off to another strong start with a 6-2 record, but Thursday will be their toughest test yet when they take on 6-3 Jeffersonville. Senior G and Western Illinois commit Sincere McMahon has been one of the top scorers in the state this season, averaging 25.1 points per game. McMahon will need to be at his best against a Jeffersonville defense that has allowed 53.3 points per game this season.
Jeffersonville’s transition from former head coach Joe Luce to first-year coach Chris Moore has been smooth. The Red Devils had a strong week winning the Phil Cox Memorial Tournament in Kokomo. Jeffersonville has relied on their own standout prospect this season with Nevada commit Tre Coleman. If Jeffersonville can limit McMahon and get Coleman into an early rhythm, that will bode well for their chances at getting the road win.
LAWRENCE NORTH vs RONCALLI (GIRLS) – JAN. 2
Seven games stand in the way between Lawrence North and an undefeated regular season. It’s going to be a tall task with games still to come against Homestead, Hamilton Southeastern, Fishers and Center Grove and of course their next game at Roncalli. Head coach Chris Giffin has relied on the team’s versatility on defense, and that’s going to have to continue if Lawrence North is going to reach their goals they set in the preseason.
Roncalli is looking for a signature win after being run out of Noblesville’s gym, 84-34. The Lady Rebels are led by senior F Alana Vinson, who dropped a career high 30 last week in a win over Ben Davis. Roncalli will need to find a way to limit senior standouts Katie Davidson, Kristian Young and Lauren Gunn to pull off the upset.
CATHEDRAL vs AVON (BOYS) – JAN. 3
The 6-2 Fighting Irish visit 5-3 Avon on the first night of a back-to-back. Cathedral is looking to bounce back after a fifth place finish in the Bob Wettig Tournament last week at Richmond. Sophomore G Tayshaun Comer had a solid tournament averaging 13 points per game in four outings. Pete Moe, Grant Taueg and Jalen Johnson have also averaged double digit points through eight games.
Avon split a pair of games last week, beating Southport, 64-51, before losing to North Central, 66-63. The Orioles feature a dynamic duo with junior guards Jayden Brewer and Gabe McNary. On defense, Avon has allowed 58.4 points per game. Cathedral’s offense has averaged 79 points per game this season. Something will need to give on Friday.
HOMESTEAD vs NORTH CENTRAL (GIRLS) – JAN. 3
It’s a been a roller-coaster season for the Lady Panthers. After winning nine of their first 11 games, North Central went on a four-game losing streak starting with the Marion Co. Tournament championship. North Central snapped the losing streak last Saturday after a 66-54 win over Henderson Co. (KY). The final month of the regular season hardly offers any breaks for North Central; the combined record of their final eight opponents is 80-30.
Up next is a good test against 12-1 Homestead. North Central and Homestead played one of the better girls’ basketball games last year in the Manual Extravaganza, a 68-61 thriller that was decided in overtime. The Lady Spartans are led by one of the top recruits in the nation in 6’2” F Ayanna Patterson. The biggest key to a North Central win is to limit the turnovers – the Lady Panthers have averaged around 20 turnovers a game this season.
PENN vs CARMEL (GIRLS) – JAN. 4
Don’t discount the Lady Greyhounds based on their 6-6 record. Carmel has been playing solid basketball with three consecutive road wins over Brownsburg, North Central and Lawrence Central. Kiara Gill has been the vocal leader for this team, but the underclassmen have been leading the way this season. Sophomore Kate Clarke has scored at least 19 in her last three games while junior Bridgett Dunn has averaged 11 points and 8.2 rebounds this season.
Coming to town on Saturday will be Hall of Fame Classic runner-up Penn. They suffered their first loss of the season in the championship game to Crown Point, 49-37. Penn is led by Trinity Clinton and Reganne Pate, averaging 17.1 and 11.2 points per game, respectively. Penn has one of the top scoring defenses in the state, only allowing 33.6 points per game.
