Girls basketball sectionals tip off this week

by Beau Wicker

Logansport’s girls basketball team is enjoying its best season ever as far as the number of wins are concerned.

What do the 20-1 Berries get as a reward? A matchup against the only team that knocked them off during sectional play, Kokomo, in a semifinal game of the Class 4A Harrison Sectional Friday night.

“We wanted to play Kokomo,” Logan interim coach Dick Farrer said. “Did we want to match up with them in the championship game? Sure. But hey, to be the best you have to beat the best.”

Eighth-ranked Kokomo (17-2) was ranked fifth before its surprising 60-38 loss at Westfield in its regular-season finale last Thursday. The Wildkats’ only other loss was an overtime loss to Elk Grove, Ill., in a game played in Chicago on Jan. 18.

“I’m going to try to get on the phone and see what went on at Westfield,” Farrer said Thursday night. “[Kokomo’s] had a great year. They’ve only lost a couple games. The competition they’ve played has been pretty stiff. Kokomo the last few years has been a big rival for us. They got us during the season and were the [North Central Conference] champs because of that. We’ll see how we match up.”

The Berries have the 11th most votes in the Class 4A poll. They are led by DePaul-bound Jasmine Penny, who led the NCC in scoring (25.0), blocked shots (2.1) and free throw attempts per game (7.9), was second in rebounding (8.8) and field-goal percentage (54.6) and was fifth in steals (2.4) and sixth in assists (3.1).

Junior Jennifer Tierney, who missed the final game of the season with a knee injury, averaged 9.4 ppg and 6.4 rpg, and led the NCC in field-goal percentage (58.1). Senior LuQueena Roe averaged 8.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.7 apg and 2.7 spg.

Kokomo’s Skylarr Shurn was second in the NCC in scoring (17.7). Kelly Hopkins averages 12.5 ppg and 6.1 rpg, and Clarissa Woodard adds 7.4 ppg and 7.2 rpg. Abby Hemmeger scores 8.4 ppg.

McCutcheon (15-6) and Lafayette Jeff (15-6) open the sectional at 7 o’clock tonight. The winner faces Harrison (2-19) on Friday following Logan-Kokomo. The title game is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Berries own wins over McCutcheon (38-37) and Harrison (52-33). They haven’t played against Jeff, the defending sectional champ.

Farrer took over the Logan program from Jerry Hoover, who had successful heart bypass surgery last week but will miss the remainder of the season. Both Farrer and assistant coach Doug Jennings have coached under Hoover the past five seasons.

Farrer was the varsity girls basketball head coach at Pioneer “a long time ago. Right after they cut the hole in the peach basket.”

He’s also currently the head baseball coach at Pioneer, and has been a varsity baseball coach for what he says is “centuries.”

Class 2A N. Miami Sectional

Lewis Cass (1-19) opens the sectional at 6 p.m. tonight against Southwood (4-16).

“They’ve got some big girls in the post,” Cass coach Lindsay Leffert said of the Knights. “They have four girls who are around 5-10, and one girl who’s 6-1. They’re big in the post but weak at the guard spot. We’ll have to pressure them like crazy on the perimeter and pack it in against their big players.”

The Cass-Southwood winner faces North Miami (5-15) at 6 p.m. Friday night. Sixth-ranked Wabash (19-1) plays Manchester (11-9) tonight following the Cass-Southwood game. The winner faces Northfield (7-13) Friday night. The title game is Saturday night.

Cass is 1-3 against the sectional field, with a win over North Miami (63-59) and losses to Northfield (44-36), Manchester (55-44) and Wabash (78-33).

“The girls have been improving throughout the season and have been playing very hard,” Leffert said. “We want to win a couple games and get into the sectional championship game.”

Class 2A Hebron Sectional

Winamac (14-6) faces Culver (10-10) to open the sectional at 6:30 p.m. tonight. Culver won at Winamac 51-44 in the third game of the season back on Nov. 17.

“This game is gonna be a little different than the first game,” Warrior coach Jim Swaney said. “First of all I believe we’ve gotten a lot better as a team since then. Secondly, unless something major health-wise happens, their big 6-3 girl, [Patrice] McBee, will not play because she had an operation on her shoulder quite a while ago. She hasn’t played in their last 13 or 14 games.”

The Winamac-Culver winner plays North Newton (9-11) at 6:30 p.m. Friday night. Hebron (7-13) faces fourth-ranked Boone Grove (20-1) tonight following Winamac-Culver. The winner faces North Judson (9-11) Friday night.

Jordan Brandt and Allie DeFries lead the Warriors, each at 13.5 ppg.

“They’ve been very consistent all year,” Swaney said. “We’ve also been getting good basketball from other people. Ellie Kiser has had decent games lately. Whitney Schmicker has been playing better. Sarah Redweik has done a lot better job. We’ve had a couple players off our bench help us lately in Katy Sommers and Stef McGovern. ... I think we’re better than we were earlier because our depth has gotten better.”

Class A Caston Sectional

The sectional kicks off tonight when West Central (15-5) plays North White (3-17). Then on Wednesday night South Newton (5-14) faces Covenant Christian (9-10) at 6:30 p.m., followed by Caston (5-15) vs. Tri-County (14-6).

Pioneer (9-10) faces the West Central-North White winner at 6 p.m. Friday night, followed by the winner of Wednesday’s contests.

Caston was defeated at Tri-County 45-25 on Jan. 28.

“It’s a tough game for us obviously,” Comet coach Richard Scully said. “But I think being at home and the distance they have to drive, and as always in the sectional if you play well that one night you can move on. That’s obviously our goal, take it one step at a time.”

The Cavaliers have had injuries to their two top scorers recently.

“My understanding is that [Ricka] Wireman broke her foot and that she’s out,” Scully said. “[Megan] Dixon didn’t play against West Central but she’ll be back for our game.”

Emily See leads the Comets at 9.5 ppg and 2.5 apg this season. Haley Markley adds 7.5 ppg, and Jada Powlen leads the team in rebounding (7.5).

Pioneer is 1-1 against its possible Friday night opponent, with a win over North White (67-40) and a loss to West Central (42-34), with both games being played in January.

“West Central might be the team to beat,” Pioneer coach Darren McKaig said. “We played them earlier and didn’t hit many shots. We were within three points for quite awhile but didn’t get the shots to fall at their place. Being on a neutral court, I don’t want to count out North White because they’ve been playing well lately, but we could pull the upset on a neutral court.

“We need to play hard and cause problems for the other teams with our press and knock down some threes. But West Central played some of the toughest defense that we saw all year.”

Kelsey Williams leads the Panthers in scoring at 15.1 ppg. Morgan Shanks adds 8.3 ppg and Cortney Hanson averages 7.0 ppg.

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