BOYS’ HOOPS: Five crucial factors in Jeff’s 78-35 win over Madison

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

JEFFERSONVILLE – On Dec. 9 at Johnson Arena, Jeffersonville completed a successful Hoosier Hills Conference weekend by crushing Madison 78-35. The night before, the Red Devils (4-0, 2-0 HHC) rolled past host Seymour 69-44.

It is the first time Jeff has started a season with four consecutive victories since the 2010-11 season.

Below are the five crucial factors in the Red Devils’ triumph over the Cubs (3-2, 1-1):

1. RED DEVILS SET UP-TEMPO TONE EARLY

From the outset, Jeff implemented its up-tempo style with its quickness and defensive pressure.

The Red Devils scored 13 of the contest’s first 15 points. Leading 15-7 at the end of the first quarter, Jeff exploded in the second by outscoring Madison 32-10 to take a 47-17 halftime lead. The Devils tallied the first 11 points of the period, which started a 20-3 run to put them up 35-10 with 3:15 left in the first half.

Third-year Jeff head coach Joe Luce thinks he has the roster this season to play the full-court style Red Devil fans desire.

“We’ve went through two rebuilding seasons where we’ve attempted to instill that type of play. You have to always adapt to the players that you have, and we haven’t had that type of player to play that style,” Luce said. “We do have guys that can play that way. We just hope to continue to get better so when our schedule gets stronger, we can play that way against good people.”

2. FIVE JEFF PLAYERS IN DOUBLE DIGITS

Five Red Devils had double-figure nights in the scoring column. Sophomore forward Tre Coleman was the game’s top scorer with 16 points, collecting all of them in the first half.

Red Devil forwards Jaden Coleman and Ezekial Smith each scored 13 points, while teammate Bailey Falkenstein chipped in 12. Jeff point guard Jacob Jones wound up with 11.

“We turned them over and we were able to get some easy baskets,” Luce said. “I thought our guys passed the ball and were very unselfish. That created opportunities for lots of guys to get in the scoring column. We’ve had four in double figures in all three games prior to this. To have five tonight is a good sign that we’re taking care of each other and being good teammates.”

3. RED DEVIL DEFENSE STINGY VERSUS

The Jeff defense held Madison to its second-lowest point total of the season, as the Cubs had no player score in double figures. Sophomore Mason Welsh paced Madison with nine points.

The Cubs shot only 41 percent from the floor (16-of-39) and committed 16 turnovers, with 10 coming off Red Devil steals.

“We were very good in the first quarter in our man-to-man defense. We extended it and created pressure. We didn’t steal the ball, but we forced them to turn it over. I thought we were very disciplined defensively,” Luce said. “In the second quarter, we decided to go to some of our trapping defense. Again, I thought we were disciplined in it. We didn’t do things that was more than what we needed to do. Consequently, they turned the ball over, it turned into some easy baskets for us and we got some confidence.”

4. SMITH PROVIDES JEFF SOLID MINUTES

Smith has given the Devils a boost so far, this season and he did that again versus Madison.

Along with his 13 points, Smith grabbed five rebounds and had four steals. He made six of his eight field-goal attempts.

“He’s a great role player. He continues to get better,” Luce said. “I think the Smith kid is finding a role. He’s becoming more comfortable after four games with the guys that he’s playing with. He just continues to show a very positive upside.”

5. GOOD FLOOR GAME FROM TRE

Tre Coleman did more than just score 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting for Jeff. The 6-6 standout shared game-high assist honors with Jones with five. The younger Coleman also blocked three shots and made a pair of steals.

* SOIN PREPS STAR: Tre Coleman, Jeffersonville – The 6-foot-6 sophomore forward showed his capability of being an all-around player. Coleman scored 16 points, dished out five assists, blocked three shots and made two steals, helping the Red Devils improve to 2-0 in the Hoosier Hills Conference.

JEFFERSONVILLE 78, MADISON 35

Madison                 7  10     8  10-35

Jeff                        15  32  13  18-78

Madison (3-2, 1-1 Hoosier Hills Conference): Mason Welsh 4-11 0-0 9, Ian Strouse 4-8 0-2 8, Cooper Yancey 3-6 0-0 7, Landon Conner 2-2 0-0 5, Nick Center 1-2 0-0 2, Blair Holt 1-4 0-0 2, Carson Livingston 1-3 0-0 2, Dawson Blades 0-0 0-0 0, Gabe Caudill 0-0 0-0 0, Skyler Dennison 0-0 0-0 0, Carson Howser 0-1 0-0 0, Luke Miller 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 16-39 0-2 35.

Jeff (4-0, 2-0): Tre Coleman 7-10 1-2 16, Jaden Coleman 4-6 5-6 13, Ezekial Smith 6-8 0-0 13, Bailey Falkenstein 4-7 4-5 12, Jacob Jones 4-9 2-2 11, Jaylen Fairman 1-2 2-2 4, Michael Garcia 1-1 1-2 3, Olufemi Kareem 1-1 0-0 3, Trevis Oglesby 1-3 0-0 2, Hunter Schmitz 0-1 1-2 1, Markez Jordan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-48 16-21 78.

3-point field goals: Madison 3-12 (Conner 1-1, Yancey 1-2, Welsh 1-5, Holt 0-1, Miller 0-1, Livingston 0-2); Jeff 4-11 (Kareem 1-1, T. Coleman 1-3, Jones 1-3, Smith 1-3, Fairman 0-1).

Rebounds: Madison 11 (Strouse 5); Jeff 27 (Oglesby, Smith 5).

Assists: Madison 3 (Conner, Livingston, Yancey 1); Jeff 17 (T. Coleman, Jones 5).

Steals: Madison 6 (Holt 2); Jeff 10 (Smith 4).

Blocked shots: Madison 0; Jeff 5 (T. Coleman 3).

Turnovers: Madison 16, Jeff 10.

Total fouls: Madison 19, Jeff 8.

Fouled out: none.

Junior varsity: Jeff 47, Madison 39.

BOYS’ HOOPS: Langford scores 42 to lead Bulldogs in Tip-Off Classic 97-59

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

INDIANAPOLIS – On Dec. 19 at Southport Fieldhouse, New Albany rebounded from a disappointing overtime loss to Floyd Central by rolling past defending Class 4A state runner-up Fort Wayne North in the FORUM Tip-Off Classic 97-59.

Bulldog senior Romeo Langford scored a game-high 42 points, shooting 14-of-22 from the floor, 6-of-9 from 3-point range and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. The 6-foot-5 guard also recorded eight rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Fellow New Albany senior Sean East joined Langford in the solid floor-game department. The Bulldog point guard tallied 20 points as he made 8-of-16 field goals and 4-of-9 3-pointers. East also had a team-high seven assists, five rebounds and two steals.

Teammate Derrick Stevenson was the third Bulldog to reach double figures with 15 points. Stevenson connected on six of his seven field-goal tries and was 3-of-4 from behind the arc.

The Bulldogs (4-1) shot 37-of-61 from the field (60.7 percent) and 15-of-30 from 3-point range (50 percent). Standout forward Keion Brooks led the Legends (4-2) with 19 points.

SOIN PREPS STAR: Romeo Langford, New Albany – All-time great players know when to step up their games after a rough loss. Langford definitely did that against Fort Wayne North with another spectacular performance in front of a jam-packed crowd at Southport Fieldhouse with a good chunk of the fans chanting to Langford “IU, IU, IU, IU, IU.”

FORUM TIP-OFF CLASSIC

At Southport Fieldhouse

NEW ALBANY 97, FORT WAYNE NORTH 59

New Albany       19  23  24  31-97

FW North            9  14  17  19-59

New Albany (4-1): Romeo Langford 42, Sean East 20, Derrick Stevenson 15, Julien Hunter 8, Trey Hourigan 5, Anthony Irvin 5, Savion Southers 2, Cooper Biven 0, Chris Johnson 0, Darin Starks 0.

FW North (4-2): Keion Brooks 19, Austin Boucher 15, Brandan Johnson 11, Lucas Kroft 10, Coelone Davis 2, Jordan Moore 2, Jalen Causey 0, Jalen Lockett 0, Alijah Long 0.

3-point field goals: New Albany 15 (Langford 6, East 4, Stevenson 3, Hourigan 1, Irvin 1); FW North 3 (Boucher 3).

BOYS’ HOOPS: Bulldogs’ 20-game winning streak vs. county rival Floyd ends

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

FLOYDS KNOBS – On Dec. 8 at Highlander Gymnasium, Floyd Central snapped a 20-game losing streak in its Floyd County rivalry with New Albany in overtime, 49-47. It was the Hoosier Hills Conference opener for both teams.

The Highlanders (4-0) came out on fire as they built a 22-6 lead in the second quarter. But the Bulldogs (3-1) cut their deficit to 31-24 at halftime. They followed that up by outscoring Floyd 19-12 in the second half to tie the game at 43 and force overtime.

Highlander senior Gabe Shireman scored all four of his points early in the extra period. He nailed two layups to put Floyd up 47-43. New Albany answered with consecutive buckets by Trey Hourigan and Romeo Langford to tie the score at 47.

Floyd took the lead for good when senior guard Matt Weimer converted a layup, which was his only field goal of the game. In the final 3.8 seconds, Langford and Hourigan each missed potential game-winning 3-pointers as New Albany suffered its first loss of the season.

Senior guard Sean East paced the Bulldogs with a game-high 19 points, shooting 8-of-13 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range. East made three steals.

Langford scored 15 points as he battled strep throat throughout the week and got limited practice time in preparing to play the Highlanders. The 6-foot-5 senior guard was only 7-of-17 from the field, hitting just one 3. He also had eight rebounds and two blocked shots.

Senior Luke Gohmann shot 4-of-5 from beyond the arc to pace Floyd Central with 17 points. Gohmann also grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.

Highlander junior Cobie Barnes chipped in 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Barnes battled leg cramps late in the game and had to go to the hospital after the game to get treatment.

Teammate Evan Nichols wound up with 10 points as he connected on five of his six field-goal attempts.

* SOIN PREPS STARS: Luke Gohmann, Floyd Central – Gohmann’s double-double helped lead the Highlanders to an inspired overtime victory over rival New Albany. The future Marian University player had 17 points and 13 rebounds.

FLOYD CENTRAL 49, NEW ALBANY 47, OT

New Albany          4  20 11  8  4-47

Floyd Central     14  17   7  5  6-49

New Albany (3-1, 0-1 Hoosier Hills Conference): Sean East 19, Romeo Langford 15, Trey Hourigan 7, Julien Hunter 4, Darin Starks 2, Savion Southers 0, Derrick Stevenson 0.

Floyd Central (4-0, 1-0): Luke Gohmann 17, Cobie Barnes 14, Evan Nichols 10, Gabe Shireman 4, Cam Sturgeon 2, Matt Weimer 2, Levi Siewert 0, Nick Winchell 0.

3-point field goals: New Albany 5 (East 3, Hourigan 1, Langford 1); Floyd Central 5 (Gohmann 4, Barnes 1).

BOYS’ HOOPS: Despite win over Pirates, Murawski not thrilled about Pioneers’ effort

By GREG BURTON

Special to Southern Indiana Preps

CLARKSVILLE — Your team loses by 23 points one night, and you are happy with the way they played.

The team wins the next night by eight points, and you are unhappy.

This is the life of a high school basketball coach. This is the life of Providence head coach Rob Murawski.

On Friday night, his Pioneers lost to Class 4A No. 6 Floyd Central 53-30 at home, and he was very pleased with his team’s effort.

Saturday night his team defeated Charlestown 58-50. That was a smaller margin of victory than what many people expected.

The Pioneers, although they led nearly the entire game, were never able to put the scrappy visiting Pirates away. Charlestown would just not quit. In fact, they were within six points at 56-50 late in the game.

“The effort was not the same - that’s for sure,” said Murawski. “We had our moments. We had our spots, but the effort overall wasn’t there. It wasn’t anywhere near the effort we gave (Friday) night. And Charlestown to their credit played hard. They played well.”

Charlestown coach Jason Connell, on the other hand, was pleased even in defeat. He had been especially apprehensive after a 19-point loss to Rock Creek on Friday night.

“Tonight was a great effort. After (Friday) night’s game, I didn’t know how we’d come out tonight. I’m proud of the way they played tonight,” Connell said.

Each coach believes fatigue played a factor for their team. This was Charlestown’s ninth game in the young season.

“We’re tired,” said Connell. “It’s not an excuse or anything, but they’re tired. They’re exhausted. We’ve played more games already than everybody else, and the kids are tired.”

Providence (2-3) had a tough game against a much bigger and more physical Floyd Central Friday.

“That’s not an excuse,” said Murawski. “We’ve got to learn to play through that.”

In the first quarter, Charlestown grabbed its only lead of the game at 5-4. But it also managed to tie the game five times.

That first period was highlighted by Providence placing two of its most important starters, Blake Murphy and Cullen Ebert, on the bench with two fouls. To compound the matter, Murphy’s substitute, Hayden Burke, quickly picked up two fouls as well.

The second period appeared to be going the exact same way as the Pirates tied the game one final time at 21. Providence ended the half on a 10-0 run to put some distance between the teams. The Pioneers’ Sterling Huber hit a 3-pointer to end the run. Huber ended the night with five 3-pointers.

“Foul problems hurt us at first, but we’ve got to play through that,” said Murawski. “They didn’t really hurt us that much, though.”

Providence stretched its advantage to as many as 16 points in the final quarter at 49-33 after a Murphy field goal.

But Charlestown (2-7) would not give up. A 17-7 run got them to within six points late in the fourth quarter.

“When we got down 14, I thought we’re really going to fold now. But we didn’t,” said Connell. “I thought tonight I was very patient with them, and they didn’t succumb to the pressure. I’m very bad about being patient.”

Two points, in particular, displeased Murawski. One was his team’s defense, which it played well against Floyd Central.

“Our defense was not the same as it was (Friday) night,” said Murawski. “We gave up a lot of layups. It wasn’t there.”

The other item involves his big man, Murphy. The 6-foot-5 senior scored only six points against Floyd Central, and then tallied 13 against Charlestown.

“We’ve got to get Blake Murphy more involved. We’ve got to get him the ball more,” said Murawski. “He scored 13 tonight, but he could’ve had more than that.”

Huber led the Pioneers in scoring with 15 — all of them coming from outside the arc. Ebert ended up with 13.

Courtland Black, who transferred from Providence to Charlestown this year, led the Pirates in scoring with 14 points. Max Mitchell and Bo Braunecker added 13 apiece.

Providence will play three games in the Hancock County (Ky.) Tournament on Wednesday, Thursday and this coming Friday. The Pioneers will face 4-2 Central Hardin (Ky.) in the tournament opener at 5:40 p.m. Wednesday.

Charlestown will not play again until the Silver Creek Holiday Tournament semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29. The Pirates will play Clarksville (5-2) in the first semifinal.

PROVIDENCE 58, CHARLESTOWN 50

Charlestown    15   6   12   17—50

Providence       18 13   12   15—58

Charlestown (2-7): Brady Lathem 3, Max Mitchell 13, Courtland Black 14, Addison Logsdon 5, Bo Braunecker 13, Braiden Murphy 0, Matt Parrella 0, Ty Crace 2, Matt Fellows 0.

Providence (2-3): Cullen Ebert 13, Sterling Huber 15, Austin Barnett 0, Reece Libs 7, Blake Murphy 13, Nick Sexton 6, Hayden Burke 1, Aiden Finnegan 0, Trey Beatty 3.

3-point field goals: Charlestown 5 (Braunecker 3, Black 1, Logsdon 1); Providence 10 (Huber 5, Ebert 3, Sexton 1, Beatty 1).

Total fouls: Charlestown 20, Providence 15.

Fouled out: none.

Junior varsity: Providence 62, Charlestown 36.

BOYS’ HOOPS: Pioneers struggle against No. 6 Highlanders 53-30

By GREG BURTON

Special to Southern Indiana Preps

CLARKSVILLE — Floyd Central has a believer in Providence head coach Rob Murawski.

Friday night at the Larkin Center, Class 4A No. 6 Floyd Central visited and took control in the second period. The Highlanders fairly well dominated the game from that point and won easily by a score of 53-30.

“Wow! They play well. Their defense looked really good tonight,” said the Providence coach.

Just as they had done in their previous outing against New Albany, the Highlanders (5-0) put on a defensive clinic about how to slow down or stop the opposing team’s offensive threat.

Floyd Central’s Matt Weimer, in particular, and his teammates as helpers held Providence’s Blake Murphy to six points.

“Matthew is an outstanding defender,” said Floyd Central coach Todd Sturgeon. “We use him a lot to take the other team’s best player and make it tough for him. He is one of the best defensive players in Southern Indiana, and he gets a lot of help as well. Murphy scored a couple of times in the second quarter, but that’s about it for the night.”

The Pioneers (1-3) stuck with Floyd Central for the first period, which ended in a 9-9 tie. Then the Highlanders clamped down defensively and limited Providence in general and Murphy, in particular, to take command of the game.

“We controlled tempo early, I thought. But as the game progressed and they double-teamed Blake, it got tough,” said Murawski. “I think Blake got a little frustrated from the fact that these guys are all friends. They play AAU together and he wanted to have a good game against them. Coach Sturgeon had a great game plan how to defend.”

Floyd Central outscored Providence 16-6 in the second period and led at the break 25-15. Luke Gohmann and Cobie Barnes scored six and five points respectively, in the quarter. The pair led all scorers on the evening, as Barnes finished with 22, and Gohmann checked out with 20.

Besides dominating defensively, the Highlanders also controlled the boards. For most of the night, Providence could only get one shot at the basket per possession against taller Floyd Central.

“We kind of dominated the boards,” said Sturgeon. “When we didn’t give them an outright layup, they didn’t get many second chances.”

“How do you rebound against their height? We were one-and-done all night,” agreed Murawski. “They’re so big. They’re strong.”

Floyd Central won the last 3 quarters outright, steadily increasing the lead.

Barnes had two highlight-film dunks in the second half. One was on a fast break, and the other was an alley-oop from Gohmann that brought the Highlander fans to their feet.

Cullen Ebert led the Pioneers in scoring with eight points.

Despite the loss, Murawski is pleased with the progress his team is making.

“We’re developing. We’re getting better day by day, and I see the progress,” said the Providence coach. “For the most part, I’m proud of them tonight. We held them to 50 points, but that’s a good team out there. If you would’ve told me after the Austin game (a season-opening loss), we’d hold Floyd Central to 50 points, I would’ve laughed at you.”

Floyd Central will play next Saturday against Hamilton Heights in the semifinals of the Indianapolis Roncalli Tournament.


FLOYD CENTRAL 53, PROVIDENCE 30

Floyd Central          9   16   19   9-53

Providence              9     6     8   7-30

Floyd Central (5-0): Matt Weimer 0, Gabe Shireman 0, Evan Nichols 6, Luke Gohmann 20, Cobie Barnes 22, Nick Winchell 1, Cam Sturgeon 2, Braxton Cerqueira 2, Jake Heidbreder 0, Levi Siewert 0, Jalen Poates 0, Collin Braswell 0, Harrison Eades 0.

Providence (1-3): Cullen Ebert 8, Sterling Huber 3, Reece Libs 2, Austin Barnett 3, Blake Murphy 6, Nick Sexton 2, Hayden Burke 6, Bishop Edwards 0, Trey Beatty 0.

3-point field goals: Floyd Central 4 (Barnes 2, Gohmann 2); Providence 4 (Ebert 2, Murphy 1, Barnett 1).

Total fouls: Floyd Central 7, Providence 12.

Fouled out: none.

Junior varsity: Floyd Central 67, Providence 21.

GIRLS’ HOOPS: Bulldogs rally to beat Pioneers; Wolford sets Providence record

By GREG BURTON

Special to Southern Indiana Preps

CLARKSVILLE — The night belonged to Providence’s Hannah Wolford. The second half — and the game — belonged to New Albany.

Wolford set the Robert I. Larkin Center on fire Thursday night, setting a new school record in scoring 36 points. The senior scored 16 points in the second quarter and 11 in the fourth period. Her offensive output put her team up by 10 points at halftime, and she kept them in the game until near the end.

New Albany, though, erased the 10-point deficit and pulled away at the very end to win 70-56.

Although New Albany (8-3) had a balanced scoring attack, most of the second-half damage could be attributed to the Lady Bulldogs’ Kelsy Taylor. She dominated the boards, and Providence could find no answer for her.

“Taylor on the boards in the second half — we couldn’t keep her off the boards,” said Providence coach Brad Burden. “She probably had around 20 rebounds. She just competed.”

Wolford agreed with her coach about rebounding being the key to the New Albany victory.

“The big difference in the game was rebounding,” said Wolford. “We weren’t able to keep Kelsy Taylor and Savanna Pinkston off the boards in the second half.”

New Albany coach Tammy Geron was pleased with the difference in the two halves for her team.

“Our energy level was better in the second half,” said Geron. “We executed better and dominated the boards. We made some changes at halftime and challenged the kids a little bit.”

After trailing by two points at 15-13 at the end of the first quarter, Providence (5-5) put together a powerful offensive show in the second period. The Pioneers outscored their guests 22-10 during the quarter, led by Wolford’s 16.

The big second quarter provided Providence with a 35-25 lead at the break.

New Albany came out at a much higher intensity level the third quarter and quickly erased the deficit. The Lady Bulldogs possessed the lead at 48-47 when the third quarter ended.

The fourth quarter New Albany completely controlled the glass, and was pulling away at the end.

Wolford’s night, however, was the most impressive feature of the game. New Albany could not find a solution for her.

“Hannah Wolford proved tonight she’s one of the best, not just in this area, but in all of Southern Indiana,” said Burden. “Thirty-six points tonight are a new school record. She is second in school scoring for girls to Claire Rauck. She will be either first or second in every statistical category by the time she finishes. I’m glad I get to coach her. She makes me look smart.”

“I was really feeling it tonight. At first, my shot seemed a little off. But it came to me and I just kept shooting it,” said Wolford.
New Albany had four players in double figures. Ally Willis paced the Lady Bulldogs with 20 points. Taylor finished with 16, 14 of which came in the second half. Julyen Condra checked out with 14 points, while Pinkston added 10.

“We’ve had balanced scoring all year,” said Geron. “One night it’s this kid, the next night it’s another kid and they’re all right with that.”

Providence was hindered by missing its center, Brigid Welch, who was out with an injury.

Burden was happy with his team’s effort.

“I was really proud of the kids. They played really hard. We’ve got to keep building on our good things,” said the Pioneer coach.

Providence will return to action at about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Charlestown Holiday Tournament semifinals. The Pioneers will play Silver Creek (5-8) in the second game.

New Albany will play at Evansville North (7-1) at 2:30 p.m. EDT Saturday.

NEW ALBANY 70, PROVIDENCE 56

New Albany      15   10   23   22—70

Providence        13   22   12   11—56

New Albany (8-3): Julyen Condra 14, Alayasia Douglas 8, Ally Willis 20, Savanna Pinkston 10, Kelsy Taylor 16, Mya Jackson 2, Layne Burke 0, Ke’ona Murrell 0.

Providence (5-5): Kaylee Kaiser 4, Sierra Brooks 8, Hannah Wolford 36, Brinley Prather 8, Alaina Banet 0, Bailey Brown 0, Natalie Boesing 0.

3-point field goals: New Albany 2 (Condra 1, Willis 1); Providence 6 (Wolford 5, Prather 1).

Total fouls: New Albany 16, Providence 12.

Fouled out: none.

Junior varsity: New Albany 35, Providence 19.

BOYS’ BREAKDOWN: Devils rally past Wayne in home opener 75-58

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

JEFFERSONVILLE – After falling behind 13 points at the end of the opening quarter, Jeffersonville bounced back Dec. 2 at Johnson Arena and won its home opener over Fort Wayne Wayne 75-58. It is the first time the Red Devils have started 2-0 since they prevailed in their first three games of the 2013-14 season.

Three Red Devils scored in double figures. Senior forward Jaden Coleman led Jeff with a game-high 22 points, shooting 7-of-8 from the field and 8-of-10 from the free-throw line.

Coleman’s younger brother, Tre Coleman, tallied 20 points and grabbed six rebounds. He connected on seven of his 14 field-goal attempts, shot 3-of-6 from 3-point range and was 3-of-4 at the stripe.

Jeff senior Bailey Falkenstein wound up with 16 points, shooting 7-of-14 from the floor. Also for the Red Devils, sophomore point guard Jacob Jones had eight points and game-highs in assists (eight) and steals (six) and senior Ezekial Smith snagged a game-high eight boards.

“Overall, it was a fantastic effort by our team,” Jeff head coach Joe Luce said. “We’ve progressed each week. We’ve gotten better from the first week of practice to our scrimmage. It’s been a progression from the start and we want to continue that movement going forward.”

DEFENSE HELPS JEFF MAKE RALLY

The Generals came out on fire in their season opener. They hit 10 of their 11 shots in the first quarter (90.9 percent), including 6-of-6 from 3-point range, to pull out to a 28-15 lead.

The Wayne player who the Red Devils had no answer for in the opening stanza was Dillion Redding. The junior forward poured in 15 points in the period by going 5-of-5 from behind the arc.

However, after the first, the Jeff defense took over.

The Red Devils allowed only 30 points in the final three quarters. During that stretch, the Generals were 13-of-32 from the floor (40.6 percent) and 2-of-7 from 3-point range (28.6 percent). As for Redding, he only scored two points in the last three periods and wound up with a team-high 17 points.

“We made a couple of small adjustments at halftime to make sure that (Redding) did not get any good catches,” Luce said. “Tre went on him to put some length on a shooter as well as being over the top of him, so he forced (Redding) to the baseline. He couldn’t come off screens to get 3’s.”

ELDER COLEMAN KEEPS DEVILS IN GAME

Jeff might have been in a bigger hole in the first half if it was not for Jaden Coleman.

Coleman registered 17 of his 22 points in the opening 16 minutes. After scoring eight in the first quarter, he tallied nine of the Red Devils’ 18 second-quarter points to pull them within 39-33 at halftime. In the first half, Coleman nailed all six of his field-goal attempts and went 5-of-6 from the stripe.

“I can’t take anything away from Jaden Coleman. He’s special and he’s showing it every night,” Luce said. “He’s pretty with it right now. He’s making some good decisions and playing strong. He’s giving us a lot of energy and lot of emphasis on the boards.”

FALKENSTEIN, TRE COLEMAN STEP UP IN LATTER HALF

Following an opening half where Falkenstein and Tre Coleman combined for seven points, both of them stepped up their offensive production immensely in the second half.

In the latter half, the Red Devil pair combined to pour in 29 points as Jeff outscored Wayne 42-19 in the final 16 minutes. Tre Coleman scored 17 points in the second half, while Falkenstein had 12.

“I felt like we were in a good position after the first half with them (making eight) 3’s and Bailey having (four) points,” Luce said.

SOIN PREPS STAR: Jaden Coleman, Jeffersonville – The senior forward kept the Red Devils’ heads above water after they fell behind 13 points in the first quarter. Coleman scored 17 of his game-high 22 points in the opening half and provided jolts of energy throughout the game for Jeff.

JEFFERSONVILLE 75, FT. WAYNE WAYNE 58

FW Wayne            28  11    8  11-58

Jeff                        15  18  21  21-75

FW Wayne (0-1): Dillion Redding 6-7 0-0 17, Craig Young 5-8 3-4 13, Kylon Jarreau 4-11 0-0 10, Darian Causey 2-7 2-2 6, Shaquan Sanders 2-4 0-0 4, Michael Redding 1-1 0-0 3, Darius Alexander 1-2 0-1 2, Andrew Rhodes 1-1 0-0 2, Deante Causey 0-0 1-2 1, Anthony Phillips 0-2 0-0 0, Cam Starks 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-43 6-9 58.

Jeff (2-0): Jaden Coleman 7-8 8-10 22, Tre Coleman 7-14 3-4 20, Bailey Falkenstein 7-14 1-4 16, Jacob Jones 1-4 6-8 8, Ezekial Smith 2-3 1-2 5, Markez Jordan 1-1 1-2 4, Jaylen Fairman 0-0 0-0 0, Michael Garcia 0-0 0-0 0, Olufemi Kareem 0-0 0-0 0, Trevis Oglesby 0-0 0-0 0, Hunter Schmitz 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-44 20-30 75.

3-point field goals: FW Wayne 8-13 (D. Redding 5-6, Jarreau 2-3, M. Redding 1-1, Da. Causey 0-3); Jeff 5-12 (T. Coleman 3-6, Jordan 1-1, Falkenstein 1-2, Jones 0-3).

Rebounds: FW Wayne 28 (Young 6); Jeff 24 (Smith 8).

Assists: FW Wayne 8 (Phillips 3); Jeff 18 (Jones 8).

Steals: FW Wayne 3 (Da. Causey 2); Jeff 14 (Jones 6).

Blocked shots: FW Wayne 1 (Alexander 1); Jeff 5 (J. Coleman 3).

Turnovers: FW Wayne 20, Jeff 6.

Total fouls: FW Wayne 23, Jeff 12.

Fouled out: FW Wayne – Jarreau, Phillips.

Junior varsity: Jeff 45, FW Wayne 30.

BOYS’ HOOPS: Pioneers earn first win of season with rout of Scottsburg 62-40

By GREG BURTON

Special to Southern Indiana Preps

CLARKSVILLE — “We started well. We played well from the get-go.”

Providence coach Rob Murawski summed up his team’s performance at the Larkin Center on Saturday night succinctly. His Pioneers picked up their first win of the season in a demonstrative manner, easily dispatching visiting Scottsburg 62-40. The win moved Providence to 1-2 on the season.

Providence jumped on the Warriors from the opening tip, building a quick 10-2 lead, and the Pioneers never looked back thereafter.

By the end of the first quarter, Providence had built a 17-6 margin, and the Warriors managed only once for the remainder of the game to cut the deficit to fewer than 10 points at 17-8.

Murawski has been pleased with his team’s offense throughout the first three games, and he has no worries about that. The other side of the ball is what concerns him.

“Offensively, we do well,” he said. “We’re getting everybody touches, unlike what we did early at Austin. We would have had more if we hadn’t gone 11-of-20 from the free throw line.

“Offensively, we’re OK, but I think it’s more of a defensive thing. We didn’t play well defensively in the fourth quarter. We changed defensive philosophies at the beginning of the year to kind of fit what we have instead of sticking with what we’ve done the last three years. That’s fully on me. I should’ve continued doing what I know, and we would be better defensively at this point.”

Scottsburg, which dropped to 0-5 to start the season, had no answer for an inside-outside combination from Providence guard Cullen Ebert and big men Blake Murphy and Reece Libs. Ebert drained four 3-pointers en route to a 19-point night, while Murphy added 14 points and Libs had 10.

In addition, a balance by the other players found Scottsburg without a remedy for the entire game.

Providence’s Hayden Burke finished with seven points. Teammates Austin Barnett and Nick Sexton each scored six. Sexton’s points all came off the bench.

Libs, Burke, and Murphy have form a tough group to combat underneath for the Pioneers.

“We’ve got big boys. They’re big, they’re strong, they’re athletic. We’ve got to keep Reece out of foul trouble, though,” Murawski said.

In accumulating his 10 points, Libs spent considerable time on the bench with foul difficulties. He finished with four fouls.

The Pioneers did well not turning the ball over as well. They committed just eight turnovers for the game, compared to 20 for Scottsburg.

Late in the second period, Providence had extended its lead to 21 points at 33-12, and led at the intermission 33-15. The lead remained around 20 and got as high as 23 throughout the third quarter.

The last quarter, however, Scottsburg was able to cut into the deficit somewhat, getting as close as 16 at 49-33. Providence responded to keep the Warriors at bay.

Providence will play a doubleheader at home next weekend, with a challenge on Friday night against Class 4A No. 14 Floyd Central (4-0), which knocked off Class 4A No. 1 New Albany in overtime last Friday night 49-47. The Pioneers will then play Charlestown (2-5) next Saturday.

“Right now, my hope is that we’ll have a full team for practice on Monday,” said Murawski, whose team has battled sickness early in the season. “We’ve got to come in Monday and get better ourselves. We’ll worry Thursday about the two games we’ve got coming up.”

PROVIDENCE 62, SCOTTSBURG 40
Scottsburg        6     9   13   12—40
Providence     17   16   14   15—62
Scottsburg (0-5): Mitchell Prince 13, Bradley Whitler 1, Treyton Owens 15, Bradley Deaton 3, Nicholas Sebastiao 8, Patrick Lincoln 0, Ethan McGinnis 0, Jerred Lewis 0, Brent Strobl 0.
Providence (1-2): Cullen Ebert 19, Sterling Huber 0, Austin Barnett 6, Reece Libs 10, Blake Murphy 14, Nick Sexton 6, Hayden Burke 7, Aiden Finnegan 0, Bishop Edwards 0, Alec Fougerousse 0.
3-point field goals: Scottsburg 4 (Prince 3, Owens 1); Providence 5 (Ebert 4, Murphy 1).
Turnovers: Scottsburg 20, Providence 8
Total fouls: Scottsburg 18, Providence 12.
Fouled out: Scottsburg - Sebastiao.
Junior varsity: Scottsburg 48, Providence 44.

GIRLS’ HOOPS: Fatigue plagues Pioneers in 40-26 loss to South Central

By GREG BURTON

Special to Southern Indiana Preps

CLARKSVILLE — Providence played Class A No. 5 South Central even except for about six minutes of the game Tuesday night at the Larkin Center.

Those six minutes pretty much made all the difference in the game. South Central scored the first 11 points of the game in the first five minutes to build a lead it would never surrender. The end of the game the Lady Rebels added a few extra points on as the Pioneers were forced to foul.

Everything in between was pretty much dead even. In the end, South Central bested Providence 40-26.

Providence coach Brad Burden thought the reason for the slow start was obvious.
“Tired legs,” he said. “The girls had tired legs. We’d played two really tough games over the weekend, and they were tired.”

Providence (4-4) got the shots it wanted, but they were shot in vain, especially early.

“We executed our plan the way we wanted,” said Burden. “We got the shots - they just wouldn’t fall. That was because of our legs.”

A 3-pointer by South Central’s Jordan Renn got things going for the Lady Rebels (5-2) right off the bat. Teammate Ally Davis followed that with a regular field goal, and the Pioneers were in a hole.

South Central freshman Brooklyn Davis tacked on two free throws, and then buckets each by Lexie Knear and Jenna Baelz ran the count to 11-0. All five South Central starters scored to open the advantage.

After a Providence timeout, the Pioneers turned to their go-to player, Hannah Wolford, to put points on the board. Two free throws by the senior made it 11-2. Wolford added another free throw before the end of the period to make it 11-3 at the first stop.

For much of the night, Wolford provided much of the offense. She finished as the game’s leading scorer with 11 points, although she struggled like her teammates from the field.

The Pioneers closed the gap to five at 17-12 at the half, and they got as close as four at 21-17 after a bucket by Brigid Welch in the third quarter.

After Welch’s bucket, though, South Central went on a 12-0 run that extended into the final quarter to build its lead to 33-17.

Providence was never able to trim the lead to single digits the remainder of the game, although it did climb to within 10 at 33-23.

The problem with the Pioneers was strictly offensive.

“South Central came in averaging 57 or 58 points per game,” said Burden. “We held them to 40. It was just offensively we struggled because our legs were tired.”

Knear led South Central in scoring with 10 points.

Providence will return to action on Friday at home against Henryville (5-7), tipping off at 7:30 p.m. The Rebels will host Crothersville (7-3) in their Southern Athletic Conference opener at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

The game was a Coaches vs. Cancer night. Providence publicly recognized several people for their battle against the disease, including Chloe Shafer, the young sister of Pioneer football player Brandon Shafer. Also recognized was Marsha Schoen, wife of South Central coach Randall Schoen.

SOUTH CENTRAL 40, PROVIDENCE 26
South Central      11  6  13  10—40
Providence             3  9    5    9—26
South Central (5-2): Jordan Renn 9, Brooklyn Lewis 7, Ally Davis 6, Lexie Knear 10, Jenna Baelz 6, Kaitlyn Harl 2, Hailey Kiper 0, Marie Goodwin 0, Annabelle Faith 0, Maddison Spalding 0, Kaylee Logsdon 0.
Providence (4-4): Sierra Brooks 2, Natalie Boesing 4, Brigid Welch 5, Brinley Prather 4, Hannah Wolford 11, Kaylee Kaiser 0, Helena Stoner 0, Maggie Purichia 0, Bailey Brown 0,
3-point field goals: South Central 4 (Knear 2, Renn 1, Lewis 1); Providence 2 (Wolford 2).
Team fouls: South Central 12, Providence 13.
Fouled out: none
Junior varsity: South Central 36, Providence 20.

BOYS’ BREAKDOWN: No. 1 Bulldogs hold off South, Coyle in 70-58 victory

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

BLOOMINGTON – Despite a tremendous performance from Bloomington South senior Chance Coyle, Class 4A No. 1 New Albany found a way to earn its second victory of the season Saturday, Nov. 25 at J.R. Holmes Court.

Senior guard Romeo Langford scored 24 points to lead the Bulldogs past the Panthers 70-58 in front of a near-capacity crowd. Fellow New Albany senior Sean East chipped in 20.

Coyle finished with a game-high 38 points as he kept South (1-1) close to the Bulldogs (2-0). The 6-foot-4 guard shot 14-of-18 from the field, 4-of-6 from 3-point range and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. Plus, Coyle drew the defensive assignment of helping guard Langford, who was constantly double-teamed throughout the game.

“He was extraordinary tonight,” New Albany head coach Jim Shannon said. “In the other three years that he’s played against us, he’s never really hurt us. Sometimes you’ve just got to tip your hat to somebody. We didn’t have an answer for him.”

EAST HAS BIG FOURTH QUARTER FOR DOGS

East stepped up in a major way in the fourth by scoring 13 of his 20 points, while Langford only had two points in the stanza. In the fourth, East was 3-of-3 from the floor, including one 3-pointer, and knocked down all six of his free-throw tries.

“He was slow today getting going in the first quarter. I wasn’t really happy with him early. But I thought he played a great second half,” Shannon said. “He was very, very critical at the end. That’s what seniors have to do. They have to take over the game at the end.”

East’s lone 3 in the quarter came at a crucial time. After the Panthers pulled within 57-53 with 3:49 left on a Chris Bomba foul shot, East nailed the triple to put New Albany up seven points.

Coyle converted a three-point play with 1:21 remaining to cut South’s deficit to 64-58. But the Bulldogs sewed up the victory by going 6-of-6 from the line. East hit four of those free throws and Langford made the other two.

ROMEO’S NIGHT

Langford shot 8-of-13 from the field, 2-of-6 from 3-point range and 6-of-7 from the stripe. He also had nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots.

Langford moved up to 21^st on Indiana’s boys’ career scoring list with 2,151 points. He now trails all-time leader Damon Bailey from Bedford North Lawrence by 983 points. Bailey scored 3,134 points in his prep career.

HUNTER POSTS SECOND DOUBLE-DOUBLE IN A ROW

New Albany sophomore Julien Hunter recorded his second double-double in as many games last Saturday. The 6-foot-3 forward recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds versus the Panthers.

Hunter had 10 points and 15 boards in the Bulldogs’ 110-36 season-opening victory at Charlestown Nov. 21.

“Around the basket, he’s something else,” Shannon said. “He plays a lot bigger than 6-3. He’s doing a great job for us – he really is.”

SOIN PREPS STAR

·       * Chance Coyle, Bloomington South – Most likely in the future, this honor will be given to Langford. But Coyle was the star in this contest with his 38-point effort that helped keep the Panthers within striking distance of the Bulldogs. Plus Coyle assisted in the defensive effort that held Langford to 24 points. Langford scored only eight points in the second half, including two in the final quarter.

NEW ALBANY 70, BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 58

New Albany        17    9  23  21-70

Bl. South              11  17  13  17-58

New Albany (2-0): Romeo Langford 8-13 6-7 24, Sean East 6-11 6-6 20, Julien Hunter 5-7 0-0 10, Derrick Stevenson 2-6 4-4 9, Trey Hourigan 2-8 2-3 7, Anthony Irvin 0-0 0-0 0, Savion Southers 0-0 0-0 0, Darin Starks 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 23-48 18-20 70.

Bloomington South (1-1): Chance Coyle 14-18 6-7 38, Adam Graham 6-8 0-0 13, Noah Jager 1-5 0-0 3, Anthony Leal 1-11 0-0 3, Chris Bomba 0-2 1-2 1, Connor Hickman 0-2 0-0 0, Ryan Parker 0-0 0-0 0, Grayson Rolen 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-47 7-9 58.

3-point field goals: New Albany 6-18 (East 2-4, Langford 2-6, Hourigan 1-3, Stevenson 1-3, Starks 0-2); Bloomington South 7-19 (Coyle 4-6, Graham 1-1, Jager 1-2, Leal 1-6, Hickman 0-1, Rolen 0-1, Bomba 0-2).

Rebounds: New Albany 36 (Hunter 10); Bloomington South 17 (Bomba, Coyle, Graham, Leal 3).

Assists: New Albany 10 (East 6); Bloomington South 10 (Jager 7).

Steals: New Albany 5 (East, Langford 2); Bloomington South 3 (Jager 2).

Blocked shots: New Albany 4 (Langford 2); Bloomington South 1 (Leal 1).

Turnovers: New Albany 11, Bloomington South 11.

Total fouls: New Albany 15, Bloomington South 19.

Fouled out: Stevenson; Bomba.

Junior varsity: Bloomington South 60, New Albany 53.

BOYS’ HOOPS: Langford posts 47 in New Albany’s 96-59 victory

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

NEW ALBANY – New Albany’s Romeo Langford nearly broke his own single-game school scoring record last Saturday at The Doghouse.

Langford scored 47 points to lead the Class 4A No. 1 Bulldogs past visiting Evansville Harrison 96-59. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard moved up to 18^th on the Indiana boys’ career scoring list. Langford now has 2,198 career points and is 936 points behind recordholder Damon Bailey, who played at Bedford North Lawrence.

Langford shot 16-of-24 from the field, 4-of-9 from 3-point range and 11-of-13 from the free-throw line. The 6-foot-5 senior guard completed a double-double with a team-high 12 rebounds. Langford also had six assists, four blocked shots and three steals.

Senior guard Sean East chipped in 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, five assists and four steals for the Bulldogs (3-0). Teammate Darin Starks scored 13 points.

New Albany will visit Floyd County rival Floyd Central (3-0) at 7:30 p.m. Friday. It will be the Hoosier Hills Conference opener for both teams.

* SOIN PREPS STAR: Romeo Langford, New Albany – It was another fantastic all-around performance from one of the best high school players in the nation.

NEW ALBANY 96, EVANSVILLE HARRISON 59

Ev. Harrison       15  14  15  15-59

New Albany        19  23  26  28-96

Evansville Harrison (2-1): Ja’korion Lindsey 23, Rilee Epley 12, Jason Williams Jr. 11, Robin Duncan 7, Kel’Ondre Dixon 3, Isaiah Edinburgh 2, Nick Bennett 1, Mason Boykin 0, Chase Retter 0, Erik Thomas 0.

New Albany (3-0): Romeo Langford 47, Sean East 19, Darin Starks 13, Anthony Irvin 7, Savion Southers 6, Trey Hourigan 2, Derrick Stevenson 2, Cooper Biven 0, Caleb Brown 0, Julien Hunter 0, Chris Johnson 0, Josh Oberhausen 0.

3-point field goals: Harrison 5 (Lindsey 4, Dixon 1); New Albany 9 (Langford 4, East 2, Starks 2, Irvin 1).

GIRLS’ HOOPS: Trinity Lutheran rallies to edge Pioneers 42-41

By GREG BURTON

Special to Southern Indiana Preps

CLARKSVILLE — For most of the game Saturday night at the Larkin Center against Trinity Lutheran, it appeared that Providence had recovered from its two-point overtime loss to Salem on Friday.

The Pioneers took command of the game in the second period. They turned a close game into a nice six-point margin at halftime, 19-13.

Then in the third period, the Pioneers really got things rolling, extending their advantage to as many as 13 points on three occasions. The last time was at 33-20 just before the close of the third period.

However, Class A No. 8 Trinity Lutheran (7-1) scored the final two points of the third quarter, then outscored their hosts 20-8 in the final eight minutes to eke out a 42-41 victory over Providence.

Trinity Lutheran never led in the second half until the very end. That is when Jodi Goecker, standing at 5-foot-4, got a rebound in the lane, and put the ball back up and in with 0.3 seconds to play in regulation.

This culminated a challenging, tough weekend for Providence (4-3), which lost both games by a total of three points.

Providence appeared to have weathered the storm and was on track to emerge victorious against the Cougars. But Trinity Lutheran had gotten to within two points at 38-36 with 36 seconds to play.

Then Providence’s Hannah Wolford sank two free throws to extend the lead to four. Trinity Lutheran’s Sydney Janes countered with two free throws of her own to get back to within two at 40-38.

Wolford then sank one free throw, making the score 41-38. The Pioneers then purposely fouled Goecker with 14.1 seconds remaining. She sank both free throws, making it a one-point game at 41-40.

Providence needed to hit free throws to secure the game, but missed two, giving the ball to Trinity Lutheran for the last shot.

Janes missed a field goal, and that’s when Goecker grabbed the missed shot and put in the game-winner.

Wolford led the Pioneers in scoring with 20 points. Janes, a 6-1 freshman, was held scoreless for the first half, but put in 13 points in the second half to lead her team in scoring. Abby Hackman also reached double figures with 10 points for Trinity Lutheran.

Providence will be at home on Tuesday as it takes on Class A No. 5 South Central (4-2).

TRINITY LUTHERAN 42, PROVIDENCE 41

Trinity Lutheran     6     7    9  20—42

Providence               5  14  14     8—41

Trinity Lutheran (7-1): Jodi Goecker 4, Piper Acton 8, Savannah Harweger 3, Sydney Janes 13, Abby Hackman 10, Savanna Setty 0, Maddie Bell 4.

Providence (4-3): Sierra Brooks 8, Natalie Boesing 9, Hannah Wolford 20, Brinley Prather 2, Brigid Welch 0, Kaylee Kaiser 2, Bailey Brown 0.

3-point field goals: Trinity Lutheran 2 (Janes 2); Providence 2 (Wolford 2).

Total fouls: Trinity Lutheran 16, Providence 13.

Fouled out: none.

Junior varsity: Trinity Lutheran 34, Providence 12.