New Palestine’s Steele Brasfield celebrates a basket against Eastern Hancock’s during their game on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
HANCOCK COUNTY — The holidays are here, and with the festivities upon us, that means it’s high school basketball tournament season.
An annual tradition throughout the Hoosier State, December brings with it time with both family and friends and plenty of holiday hoops cheer with four Hancock County basketball programs ready to unwrap some in-season tournament challenges.
Cougars heading to Lebanon
The first team set to contend for a potential post-Christmas gift is the Greenfield-Central girls basketball team. The Cougars will open the Bloom Bank Classic in Lebanon on Monday, Dec. 27 at 10 a.m. against the host Tigers in the first round.
The eight-team tournament runs two days with six games each day. On Monday, there are four, first-round games and one consolation and semifinal contest. On Tuesday, Dec. 28, play resumes at 9 a.m. with another consolation and semifinal before four placement games to settle the champion through seventh place.
The Cougars (3-9) are coming off a two-game winning streak, which they built with a key Hoosier Heritage Conference victory at Delta, 49-32, on Thursday, Dec. 18, and another at Connersville this past Tuesday.
In Connersville for a boys-girls varsity doubleheader, the Cougars overcame a 3-2 deficit and established a 10-5 halftime lead en route to an eventual 42-21 win.
In a game, that Cougars head coach Bradley Key called a “good team effort on both defense and offense,” Greenfield-Central found some even scoring with frosh Brooklyn McConnell setting the pace with a team-high 12 points.
Fellow freshman Chaney Brown had eight points, senior Annan Tiede added seven, freshman Josie White had five and junior Taylor Smith chipped in four. Both juniors Aryana Hibbard and Kammi Anderson contributed three points apiece.
The Cougars will look to replicate the production against Lebanon (5-6) with the losing team competing in the first consolation game on Monday at 4 p.m. and the winner advancing into the semifinal round at 6 p.m.
If the Cougars win both games, they will play in the championship game on Tuesday, Dec. 28 at 5 p.m. If they lose both first-day games, the Cougars will compete for seventh-place on Tuesday, Dec. 28 at 3 p.m. If the win the first game on Monday and lose the second, then they drop into the third-place game at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 28.
Dragons set for Plainfield
The New Palestine girls basketball team bounced back from its, 57-37, home loss to HHC foe Mt. Vernon on Dec. 14 with a solid, 60-39, road conference win over HHC opponent Yorktown on Saturday.
At 8-5 on the season, the Dragons’ holiday plans entail a trip to the Plainfield Winter Classic on Thursday, Dec. 30.
The Dragons face Roncalli at noon in the second of two first-round games. The first contest is between Greensburg and host Plainfield at 11:30 a.m.
The tournament’s third-place and championship games will take place later that day at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively.
Marauders trekking up north
The Mt. Vernon girls basketball team is busing to Monticello this holiday break for the Twin Lakes Tournament on Tuesday, Dec. 28.
An eight-team event that spans two days, Class 4A Mt. Vernon opens against 2A No. 13 Pioneer, the defending state champion, in the second first-round contest at 4:30 p.m.
The first day consists for four opening-round games, followed by eight contests on Wednesday, Dec. 29 with consolations at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and semifinals at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Placement games begin at 4 p.m. and conclude with the championship at 7:30 p.m.
If the Marauders win the first game, they play on Wednesday, Dec. 29 at 11 a.m. and will either advance to the title game or the third-place round at 6 p.m.
If they lose the first game, then they compete in the consolation bracket at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 29 with a chance to contend for either fifth or seventh at 5:30 p.m. or 4 p.m., respectively.
The Marauders (7-5) are in search of their offense after dropping two straight games due to some shooting woes against 3A Bishop Chatard, 51-43, on Saturday and versus 4A Mooresville, 38-33, this past Tuesday.
“The tournament is going to be a really good one. Pioneer, we have right out of the gate, and they were in the state. (Class 3A No. 9) Twin Lakes in ranked in the top 20,” Mt. Vernon head coach Julie Shelton said. “There are a lot of good teams there, and we need to get going again, so we’re going to have to take a break and come back refocused, and hopefully, have a good tournament to kind of get things turned around.”
Dragons set for tourney
New Palestine is the only local boys basketball program set for an in-season holiday tournament.
The Dragons (4-2) will compete in the eight-team Lebanon Tournament on Tuesday, Dec. 28 and 29, opening against Indianapolis Metropolitan at 7 p.m. in the third of four first-round games.
All first-round contests will be played on Tuesday, Dec. 28, followed by eight games on Wednesday, Dec. 29 with placement games starting at 4 p.m. and the championship game scheduled for 6 p.m.
If the Dragons win the first game, they could run into Class A No. 5 Gary 21st Century (4-1) in the semifinals on Wednesday, Dec. 29 at 10 a.m.
If they lose the first game, then they move into the consolation bracket with a game on Wednesday, Dec. 29 at 10 a.m. and then either on to the fifth-place game at 6 p.m. or the seventh-place game at 4 p.m.
The Dragons have won four of their last five games, losing to HHC foe New Castle, 48-37, on the road Dec. 17 before rebounding with a thrilling 57-56 overtime win at Franklin Central this past Saturday.
2021 Holiday Tournament Schedule
Girls Basketball
Bloom Bank Classic (Lebanon Tournament)
Monday, Dec. 27
First Round
Gm 1: Greenfield-Central at Lebanon, 10 a.m.
Gm 2: Lafayette Jeff vs. Perry Meridian, noon
Gm 3: Richmond vs. Lowell, 4 p.m.
Gm 4: Indian Creek vs. Mooresville, 6 p.m.
Consolation
Gm 5: Gm 2 loser vs. Gm 1 loser, 4 p.m.
Semifinal
Gm 6: Gm 2 winner vs. Gm 1 winner, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 28
Consolation
Gm 7: Gm 4 loser vs. Gm 3 loser, 9 a.m.
Semifinal
Gm 8: Gm 4 winner vs. Gm 3 winner, 9 a.m.
Seventh-Place Game
Gm 9: Gm 5 loser vs. Gm 7 loser, 3 p.m.
Fifth-Place Game
Gm 10: Gm 5 winner vs. Gm 7 winner, 3 p.m.
Third-Place Game
Gm 11: Gm 6 loser vs. Gm 8 loser, 5 p.m.
Championship Game
Gm 12: Gm 6 winner vs. Gm 8 winner, 5 p.m.
Plainfield Winter Classic
Thursday, Dec. 30
First Round
Gm 1: Greensburg at Plainfield, 11:30 a.m.
Gm 2: New Palestine vs. Roncalli, noon
Third-Place Game
Gm 3: Gm 2 loser vs. Gm 1 loser, 4 p.m.
Championship Game
Gm 4: Gm 2 winner vs. Gm 1 winner, 6 p.m.
Twin Lakes Tournament
Tuesday, Dec. 28
First Round
Gm 1: Logansport vs. Clinton Prairie, 3 p.m.
Gm 2: Pioneer vs. Mt. Vernon, 4:30 p.m.
Gm 3: Kankakee Valley vs. North White, 6 p.m.
Gm 4: Rochester at Twin Lakes, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 29
Semifinal
Gm 5: Gm 2 winner vs. Gm 1 winner, 11 a.m.
Consolation
Gm 6: Gm 2 loser vs. Gm 1 loser, 11 a.m.
Semifinal
Gm 7: Gm 4 winner vs. Gm 3 winner, 12:30 p.m.
Consolation
Gm 8: Gm 4 loser vs. Gm 3 loser, 12:30 p.m.
Seventh-Place Game
Gm 9: Gm 6 loser vs. Gm 8 loser, 4 p.m.
Fifth-Place Game
Gm 10: Gm 6 winner vs. Gm 8 winner, 5:30 p.m.
Third-Place Game
Gm 11: Gm 5 loser vs. Gm 7 loser, 6 p.m.
Championship Game
Gm 12: Gm 5 winner vs. Gm 7 winner, 7:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball
Lebanon Tournament
Tuesday, Dec. 28
First Round
Gm 1: Gary 21st Century vs. Perry Meridian, 11 a.m.
Gm 2: Evansville North vs. Mooresville, 1 p.m.
Gm 3: Indianapolis Metropolitan vs. New Palestine, 7 p.m.
Gm 4: Lowell at Lebanon, 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 29
Consolation
Gm 5: Gm 1 loser vs. Gm 2 loser, 10 a.m.
Gm 6: Gm 3 loser vs. Gm 4 loser, noon
Semifinal
Gm 7: Gm 1 winner vs. Gm 2 winner, 10 a.m.
Gm 8: Gm 3 winner vs. Gm 4 winner, noon
Seventh-Place Game
Gm 9: Gm 6 loser vs. Gm 5 loser, 4 p.m.
Fifth-Place Game
Gm 10: Gm 6 winner vs. Gm 5 winner, 6 p.m.
Third-Place Game
Gm 11: Gm 8 loser vs. Gm 7 loser, 4 p.m.
Championship Game
Gm 12: Gm 8 winner vs. Gm 7 winner, 6 p.m.
