Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
ROCHESTER AT TRITON (Tonight)
Tip-off: 6:30 p.m. tonight in Bourbon
Coaches: David Burkett (Rochester), Joe Bennett (Triton)
Records: Rochester 8-11, Triton 12-7
Last game: Logansport 59, Rochester 56; Plymouth 42, Triton 39 OT
Last year: Triton 74, Rochester 66
Matchup: This game was originally scheduled for Friday, but was moved to Thursday due to Triton's girls team competing in Saturday's state finals. The Trojans played on the road Tuesday at Marshall County rival Plymouth, leaving the just one day to prepare for a feisty Rochester team. In Tuesday's game, the unranked Trojans took Class 3A No. 3 Plymouth (18-2) to the wire in overtime before falling 42-39. Triton led 23-18 at the half. A win over Bremen Feb. 9 gave Triton an 11-4 record. The Trojans have gone 1-3 since then. Senior frontliner Jim Read leads Triton with 11 ppg, while Joey Potter and Jake Burnett are close to 10 ppg each. Tyson Blackford and Steven Boyer are at eight ppg each. Read leads the team in rebounds at 5.6 per game, while Potter is second at 4.6. The Zebras enter on the heels of a three-point loss to Logansport and have won four of its last six games.
Burkett: "Triton is very, very quick. They are good on defense, they go to the basket good, and they rebound well. I saw them against Plymouth, and they did many good things and played with a lot of heart. We had been playing better, but then we got beat at Logansport. We're shooting the ball better percentage-wise, and recently we've beaten teams like Peru and Southwood. What makes Triton so good is their balance on offense. You can't let anyone alone on offense on their team. They will score inside or from outside. You have to stop that inside and outside game."
Bennett: "I think Rochester is an extremely athletic team. They run, jump, and shoot the ball well. They have a lot of different weapons. We're not afraid to run the floor, but we need to play good defense and not allow them good shots."
Friday Games
WARSAW AT KOKOMO
Tip-off: 6:15 p.m. Friday in Kokomo
Coaches: Al Rhodes (Warsaw), Mike Wade (Kokomo)
Records: Warsaw 13-7, Kokomo 11-8
Last game: Carroll 56, Warsaw 52; Noblesville 67, Kokomo 66
Last year: Warsaw 53, Kokomo 46
Matchup: Basil Mawbey and his slow-down style of play have left for Lewis Cass. First-year coach Mike Wade has the Wildkats playing more uptempo. After a slow start, Kokomo has won seven of its last nine. Blair Crawford leads Kokomo with 21 ppg, and Gordon Morgan adds 15 ppg. Crawford also leads in rebounds with seven per game, and Matt Bell leads with 4.5 assists per game. Warsaw senior Josh Buck averages 15.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Greg Clay adds 9.3 ppg, Paul Finnegan nine ppg and Chris Clay 7.6 ppg. Warsaw shoots 52 percent from the field compared to 46 for their opponents, and the Tigers outrebound teams 28-22.
Wade: "The kids have adjusted to a new system. Early on we weren't playing well, now we're coming on and playing hard. Warsaw is a very well organized team that runs their patterns well and gets the ball to the right spots. It will be a challenge for us. Warsaw is a physical team. Even their guards are physical."
Rhodes: "Kokomo has been on the upswing from the start of the season to the finish. They are one of the teams that have improved the most in the state. We will have to contain the dribble-penetration of their guards. They do a great job on fast-break situations and do a lot of scoring before other teams get back down the court."
WHITKO AT WAWASEE
Tip-off: 6:15 p.m. Friday in Syracuse
Coaches: Steve Pickett (Whitko), Phil Mishler (Wawasee)
Records: Whitko 9-10, Wawasee 4-15
Last game: NorthWood 70, Whitko 44; Tippecanoe Valley 70, Wawasee 61
Last year: Wawasee 87, Whitko 52
Matchup: This matchup features two teams trying to get back on track. Whitko has won two of its last five games, while Wawasee has won one of its last 14. This is the regular season finale, as both teams will play in Tuesday's first round of the sectional, and a win by the Wildcats would give them a .500 record heading into their sectional game with CMA. Sophomore Alex Frantz leads Whitko in scoring with 14.7 ppg, while Josh Hoffman adds 13.8 and Adam Wendel 10.8 Hoffman leads the team with 6.8 rpg, while Frantz is at 5.3. As of late, junior Justin VanLue has been coming on for the Warriors. In Wawasee's last game, he went for 28. He currently averages 8.7 ppg and shoots 42 percent from the field. Senior Andrew Packer has led the team in scoring all season and currently averages 12.1 ppg, while Scott Beasley is at 7.5. Packer leads the team in rebounding with 7.9 per contest.
Pickett: "[Wawasee's record] is really deceiving. If you look at their schedule, it is very competitive. They are a very talented team, and they are a difficult opponent to prepare for. We are working on rebounding and half-court defense.""
Mishler: "I think all five of Whitko's starters are capable of scoring, and then they have a couple guys off the bench that can score. That gives us some matchup problems. They have a height advantage on us. All but one of their starters is 6-1 or over except one. Like we've done all year, we're gonna use our quickness and try and stop the ball before it gets inside. We want to give their ball handlers trouble."
BREMEN AT TIPPECANOE VALLEY
Tip-off: 6:15 p.m. Friday in Akron
Coaches: Gary Hudson (Bremen); Bill Patrick (Valley)
Records: Bremen 7-11; Valley 14-5
Last game: Bremen 62, Culver 29; Valley 70, Wawasee 61
Last year: Valley 69, Bremen 53
Matchup: Bremen is coming off a win over Culver. The Lions hope a balanced scoring attack will help them notch a win over Valley. While Bremen has no player averaging in double figures scoring, three Lions average nine points per game. Kevin Faulstich, Greg Neeley and Matt Cunningham lead the Bremen offensive attack. Faulstich leads the squad in rebounding. The Vikings are looking to end the season with a win to boost their confidence before playing Plymouth in the sectional. Valley will look to senior starter Cody New and his 24.7 points per game to lead the offense. New's 8.9 rebounds per contest lead the Viking defense as well. Sophomore center Trey Eaton chips in 17.4 ppg while pulling down 8.0 rebounds per game.
Hudson: "Valley is a very good basketball team. They are well coached, and they are athletic. They have quick players with long arms. When we played Valley last year, they switched up their defenses, and we handled it alright. With this year's team, I think we are more susceptible to the changing defenses. We are also trying to get ready defensively, get everybody on the same page."
Patrick: "Bremen is a fairly young team with several sophomores. They have played a lot of close games. They always play hard, and they dont play an easy schedule. They are pretty quick and they have good size. They start three kids who are 6-foot-3. Bremen plays good defense. The key for us will be basically the same as it has been - how well we take care of the basketball. This will be a good game to play before the sectional because Bremen plays hard."
No. 6 (2A) JOHN GLENN AT NORTHWOOD
Tip-off: 6:15 p.m. Friday in Nappanee
Coaches: Gordon Mosson (Glenn); Dan Gunn (NorthWood)
Records: Glenn 16-3; NorthWood 14-5
Last game: Plymouth 63, Glenn 48; NorthWood 70, Whitko 44
Last year: Glenn 68, NorthWood 60
Matchup: Both of these teams are looking to get a win and go into the sectional on a positive note. Glenn is coming off a loss to Plymouth. The Falcons will look to Chris Adkins to lead their offensive attack. He tosses in an average of 20.2 ppg, while teammate Matt Jerrell adds 15.7 ppg. NorthWood is on a three-game win streak after defeating Whitko Friday night. The Panthers will look to Rory Clouse (16.2 ppg) and Willy Will (15.3 ppg) to lead the scoring attack. The powerful duo also leads the Panthers in rebounding, as they have combined for 237 so far this season.
Gunn: "Glenn is strong offensively. They are 16-3, and they are a good team. Chris Adkins is a big scorer for them, and we will try to keep him under control. Glenn is similar to Lakeland in that respect, so this will be a good game to help prepare for the sectional."
Mosson: Mosson did not return phone calls.
MANCHESTER AT MARION
Tip-off: 6:30 Friday in Marion
Coaches: Moe Smedley (Marion), Gary Goshert (Manchester)
Records: FW Snider 55, Marion 52, Manchester 12-7
Last game: Manchester 61, Churubusco 49
Last year: Marion 92, Manchester 68
Matchup: Once a traditionally tough place to play, Marion owns just a 4-6 record at Bill Green Arena this year. A year after cruising to a 28-1 record and a Class 4A state championship, the seventh state title in school history, Marion owns an 11-8 record. Six-foot-5 junior Allen Miller, a starter on last year's state title team, averages 15 points and eight rpg, while 6-9 Kevin Cates chips in with close to 11 points and nine rebounds per contest. The Squires enter after a 12-point win over Churubusco and have won four of their last five games. Anthony Frieden leads Manchester with 15.9 ppg, while Klint Rupley is at 12.1 and Nate Kerr 10.4. Kerr leads the team in rebounds with 5.3.
Smedley: "This team is no different than any of Gary Goshert's Manchester teams. Their work ethic is second to none, and they work as hard as anyone on our 20-game schedule. The Rupley kid exemplifies a Manchester player. He plays hard and a lot bigger than his size. They play real good defense and their shot selection is real good. We haven't played real well the second half of the season. My intent is to play 32 minutes of intense basketball. Our work ethic and intensity has to pick up. If we play intense, we can play with them. If we don't, it might be a long night."
Goshert: "#Marion is still a very good team. They have tremendous size in 6-9 (Kevin) Cates and 6-5 Allen Miller. Miller is very athletic and has a lot of skill. Their guards are very good. Bobby Pittman can shoot from the arc, or shoot off the dribble. I think they play exceptional defense with their 1-2-2 zone. They are a very explosive and very dangerous team. They play a completely different level of teams than we play. It's gonna be a very difficult game for us. The key for us will be handling the ball. If we don't handle the ball against their pressure we won't have a chance to play our offense very well. Handling the ball will be the key to us having a good game."
