Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WABASH AT TIPPECANOE VALLEY
Tip-off: 6:15 p.m. Tuesday in Akron
Coaches: Mike Noszka (Wabash), Bill Patrick (Tippecanoe Valley)
Records: Wabash 0-2, Tippecanoe Valley 1-0
Last Game: Manchester 61, Wabash 46; T.Valley 59, Warsaw 56
Last Year: Tippecanoe Valley 63, Wabash 43
Matchup: Valley enters tommorrow's game after beating county rival Warsaw, a team the Vikings have defeated four times in school history. Senior forward Cody New led the Vikings in the win over Warsaw with 24 points, including nine in the fourth quarter. He nailed four free throws in the final 29 seconds of the game. Valley got 10-point efforts from senior guard Anthony Domenico and senior forward Andy Martin. Wabash, a team that went 0-21 a year ago, enters Tuesday's game with an 0-2 record. Coaches have tabbed Wabash, which went through the first half of last season with suspensions to key players, as a much improved team. After trailing 16-4 in the early going against Manchester Saturday, Wabash came back and had opportunities to take control of the game. Senior Greg Ripple, a 6-foot-3 senior forward, led Wabash with 16 points before fouling out against the Squires. Senior Pete Lundy added 11, while sophomore center Joshua Nordman chipped in with nine.
Noszka: "(Valley) beat Warsaw by three. I felt we played well against them last year. They're a load. Their screening might give us some trouble. If we don't go up there and play well defensively, we're gonna be in trouble. We have to get off to a good start. If we go up there and play well as a team, and possibly win, we'll feel a lot better about ourselves."
Patrick: "I saw the Manchester/Wabash game, and I saw the tape of Wabash's game with North Miami. Wabash is a lot better team than last year. Their size is going to be a big problem for us. Josh Nordman is 6-4, 210 and Braden Nordman is 6-4, 260. They take up a lot of room. Ripple is 6-3 and he had 21 points against us last year. Lundy is a pretty good point guard; he had six threes against North Miami. They have everybody back from last year. Rebounding will be a big key. We had trouble rebounding with Warsaw; we didn't block out. Wabash does a good job defensivley. Offensively, they like to push the ball up the court. The thing we're gonna struggle with all year long is rebounding. I think our kids are aware that Wabash is gonna show up with some talented kids. The only way we're gonna win is if we shoot well. I don't think it's a situation where just because we beat Warsaw that the kids think they just have to show up."
