Semi-State Preview: Class 1A North

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The IHSAA Indiana girls' basketball state tournament is well underway. As we enter week-3 of competition, there are only 32 of 392 teams remaining in the entire state, and by the end of this coming Saturday's contests, the field will be whittled down to just 8 teams, 2 in each of the four classes. Below is a look at the 4 teams remaining in the North in Class 1A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+3">at Huntington North</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">10:00a - North Miami (18-8) vs. Elkhart Christian (22-4)</font></strong><br>North Miami has had three of their four postseason games thus far finish in single digits, so they have figured out how to win the close games, and that could prove tough for any upcoming opponents, including Elkhart Christian. The Warriors' 40-36 victory over Fountain Central last week was a mild upset, so they are also proving to play above where they were all throughout the regular season. They are a balanced team, and they're being paced by three upperclassmen who provide a bulk of their production. 5-7 Senior point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1357838' first='Laney' last='Musall']</strong> (<em>13.3p, 3.2r, 2.6a, 1.8s</em>) is the steady hand in the backcourt. She has years of experience, she plays with skill, poise, and patience, and she can knock down shots or get the ball where it needs to go equally well. 5-10 Junior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1223004' first='Kayden' last='Donaldson']</strong> (<em>12.5p, 8.6r, 4.0b</em>) and 5-11 Senior forward <strong>Grace Sailors</strong> (<em>9.7p, 10.4r, 2.6a, 1.8s, 2.5b</em>) are both very athletic front-liners who double as talented volleyball prospects. They patrol the paint, they're great in the mid-post, and they scoop up most rebounds and block or alter many shots that come their way. The Warriors then turn to a trio of Sophomores to round out the lineup and provide support for their veterans. 5-10 wing <strong>Layla Hampton</strong> (<em>4.5p, 4.0r, 1.6a</em>) adds additional height, length, and athleticism, while 5-6 guard <strong>Porscha Pickett</strong> (<em>4.2p, 2.7r, 1.7a, 1.5s</em>) and 5-5 guard <strong>Audi Medina</strong> (<em>4.2p, 1.5r</em>) help stabilize the backcourt and knock down open shots. 5-8 Junior wing <strong>Laina Kling</strong> (<em>2.5p, 2.1r</em>) brings some depth and versatility to the rotation as well. As for Elkhart Christian, they won their first Sectional in program history a year ago, and they made it all the way to this round, so they are both relatively new to this and experienced at the same time. Additionally, they've been among the top Class 1A teams in the state for the better part of a season and a half, and they do it with a ton of youth, backed up by some Senior leadership. 5-5 Sophomore point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1225067' first='Kyla' last='Yordy']</strong> (<em>10.4p, 4.2r, 5.4a, 3.6s</em>) is the playmaker of the group. She can shoot/score it when necessary, but she's always looking to create and make plays off the dribble for others, she'll hunt down rebounds, and she is a gnat defensively and creates turnovers. 5-3 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1203491' first='Lily' last='Maxwell']</strong> (<em>11.6p, 3.1r, 1.7a, 2.9s</em>) is actually their leading scorer, and she does a nice job of finding shots at all levels, putting pressure on the defense, but she can also be a pest defensively as well. 5-7 Senior <strong>Ivy Clapsaddle</strong> (<em>10.1p, 2.6r, 1.7a, 2.6s</em>) adds Senior leadership and experience to the lineup, and she has done it for a couple of years now. She is another versatile guard who can make shots. Fellow Seniors <strong>Justine Yordy</strong> (<em>3.7p, 2.4r, 1.5s</em>), a 5-5 wing, and <strong>Sydni Haviland</strong> (<em>3.6p, 4.6r</em>), a 5-6 forward, add experienced depth, and both are counted on to make hustle plays for the Lady Eagles. While all those ladies played roles a season ago, Elkhart Christian added a pair of hot-shooting Freshmen to the mix this year in the way of <strong>Mia Hibbard</strong> (<em>10.2p, 5.8r, 2.1a, 1.8s, 47 made 3-pointers at 40%</em>) and <strong>Myla Hanlon</strong> (<em>7.0p, 1.6r, 46 made 3-pointers at 36%</em>). That new wrinkle to their rotation has proven to be tough for opposing coaches to decide who to shut down on a given afternoon. This matchup will come down to North Miami's ability to handle the quickness of Elkhart Christian. If North Miami can keep the game in the 30s or 40s, work the ball inside to their taller forwards, and control the boards, then they have the upper hand. But Elkhart Christian often does a nice job of speeding up tempo, and they'd like to play in the upper 50s and 60s if possible.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">12:00p - Fremont (26-2) vs. Monroe Central (21-2)</font></strong><br>The Fremont Lady Eagles are an outstanding team, and they have won 62 games, 3 Sectionals, and now a Regional in the last three years. But last Saturday they took down a Class 1A program in Marquette who has been a heavyweight over the past 15 years, so it's time the state gets familiar with these Eagles. They aren't very deep, relying heavily on their starting five. 5-5 Junior point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751063' first='Grace' last='Scharlach']</strong> and 5-8 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751110' first='Mya' last='Turner']</strong> are their driving force offensively. Scharlach is a strong-for-her-size, compact, but quick, fast, and explosive playmaker. She has drawn elite small college interest/offers, and she can fill it up from all levels or facilitate and find open teammates when pressured and doubled. Not only did Scharlach score 20 points against Marquette, but she also tallied 6 assists. Additionally, she's highly competitive, and she'll rebound &amp; defend with great effort. Turner is an extremely long, wiry, fluidly athletic wing guard. She has gotten better and more consistent each season as she has added strength and experience. She's playing at an all-time high right now, making shots, using her length defensively, and she led Fremont with a game high of 26 points Saturday, scoring her 1000th career point. From there, the Eagles get a little size in Senior forward <strong>Hailey Heller</strong> and Junior forward <strong>Mallorie Hufnagle</strong>, and those two account for a lot of their rebounding and interior defense. Junior guard <strong>Chloe Verdin</strong> helps in the backcourt, and she is a feisty defender who will make a lot of hustle plays. This week, the Eagles take on the Golden Bears. Monroe Central has had some nice seasons in girls' basketball over the past decade or so. They have just the two losses this year, and their win over Carroll (Flora) last weekend could be considered an upset. The Golden Bears are playing several youngsters, with six Sophomores and a Freshman in their top eight. Sophomore guards <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1327394' first='Aberee' last='Ervin']</strong> (<em>15.6p, 5.0r, 3.8a, 4.0s</em>) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='992343' first='Brynlee' last='Patterson']</strong> (<em>14.1p, 5.0r, 2.5a, 3.1s</em>) are their heart &amp; soul. Ervin plays compact, she's tough-nosed, hard-working, and she can run offense, plus she does a nice job of getting into the paint for scores. She's also a solid defender and is a willing rebounder. Patterson is a wiry-strong athlete who can play either guard spot, she can knock down shots or attack the basket, and she is another effortful, somewhat gritty defender/rebounder. Sophomore guard <strong>Finja Heckelmann</strong> (<em>5.4p, 1.8r, 1.7s</em>) and Senior guard <strong>Avery Thomas</strong> (<em>3.3p, 1.5r</em>) offer additional ball-handling and perimeter shooting to the lineup. Up front, the Golden Bears rely on Sophomores <strong>Charlee Morris</strong> (<em>6.6p, 4.5r, 1.7s</em>) and <strong>Oaklei Davis</strong> (<em>3.9p, 5.4r</em>), plus Freshman <strong>Lucy Huston</strong> (<em>2.8p, 2.5r</em>), for additional rebounding and interior defense. Morris (<em>37% from '3'</em>) and Huston (<em>15 made 3-pointers</em>) have also proven to be threats at times around the perimeter. This game looks like it could be the battle of the backcourt duos. Will the experience of Scharlach and Turner outweigh the youthful energy of Ervin and Patterson? From there, who else is going to step up for either team if those four are struggling to find easy shots? This strikes me as a situation where Fremont is ready to take that next step forward, while Monroe Central is in a similar situation but maybe a year behind as a program. This could be a good one.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">8:00p - Winner @ 10:00a vs. Winner @ 12:00p</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->