Bloomington North
Lady Cougars Basketball
News Articles
Winter 2009-10 Sports
Ball State University Alumni Association Announces Coach of the Year Awards
May 3, 2010
The Alumni Association has announced six winter sports high school Coach of the Year Awards. The award is presented to Indiana high school head coaches in all IHSAA-recognized sports. Recipients are recommended and selected by colleagues throughout the state and Ball State athletics representatives. This year's recipients include:
Alana Harrington, '96, Bloomington High School North , Girls' Basketball
¨ 21-3 season win-loss record
¨ Conference Indiana Champions
¨ 2009-10 Conference Indiana Coach of the Year and Herald-Times All Area Coach of the Year
¨ Former Ball State Women's Basketball player
GIRLS' BASKETBALL
Freshmen get taste of varsity ball at Hoosier Hardwood Championships
By Jeremy Price - April 18, 2010
As freshmen, many of the members of Team Blaze Select got to dip their toes in the varsity waters. This weekend at the Hoosier Hardwood Championships, those same players are getting fully immersed in the AAU ocean. And that's exactly the plan for the Bloomington-based squad consisting of three players from Bloomington North, two from Bloomington South and one each from Bedford North Lawrence, Martinsville, Mooresville and Owen Valley.
"We're just trying to get them out there and show them what the whole AAU scene is about, the exposure part of it," Blaze director and coach Derrick Cross said Saturday. "Let them see some college coaches walking around and put them in that atmosphere and see how they do, see how they respond.
"This will be some stiffer competition against some girls that have been playing with a lot more experience than some of these girls have."
Bedford's Molly Chastain is one of those players trying to make the adjustment.
"There's a lot of competition up here, better than school ball," she said after Saturday's game against Ohio RGB Elite Red 15. "It's faster, more physical."
Cailin Nix of Martinsville said the pace of the game is faster, but there's plenty to be learned, even in defeat.
"We've lost, but it's been a real experience to play all of these teams from different places," the rising sophomore said of her first tournament with the Blaze. "It's a lot different than playing school ball."
That's music to Cross' ears.
"The whole key is put them up against different kind of athletes from everywhere around the country and kind of see what's out there versus your little small area," he said. "Yeah, you're pretty good, but now you see people from other areas, and they're pretty good too."
The other part of the equation for the Blaze is seeing the players develop specific skills in preparation for their high school future and even beyond.
For North's 5-foot-9 Shai Warfield, the area needing improvement is simple.
"My handles," she said. "I'm looking to be a point guard. Since I'm not going to grow anymore, I might as well, right?"
But the process of becoming a point guard comes with extra scrutiny since Warfield is being coached by Cross, her father.
"He's never really coached me before, so this is the first time I've been one of his players," she said. "Now that he's my coach, it's a little . it's a lot of pressure, because I want to show him I've been paying attention and working hard. But it's good, it makes me play better."
For his part, Cross said he tries not to put additional pressure on Warfield.
"I try to step back and let Al (Shields) do most of (the coaching)," he said. "Every once in a while, I have to grab her and say, 'Hey, you're not hustling or giving me the effort that I need.' Or, 'We went over this two times now, the third time you're not going to continue to do it. We need to correct it.'
"But just sitting over there and seeing her, I'm proud of her, and I want her to continue to get better."
And getting better is the ultimate goal for each player and the schools they represent.
"We want to see them mature and go back to their particular schools, whether it's Bedford, Martinsville, North, South, wherever and perform and get better because of playing this summer," Cross said. "That's really what it's about for us."
2010 GIRLS Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Academic All-State Team
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Twenty-five players were chosen as first team selections on the IBCA
(Indiana Basketball Coaches Association) Academic All-State Team.
Overall, 122 nominations were received from girls' varsity coaches.
Player/School/Coach
Taylor Amber/Churubusco/Jamie Perlich
Kaleigh Andrews/Rushville/Melissa Marlow
Shanlynn Bias/Griffith/Tom Golumbeck
Erin Bloomfield//Bortz University/Paul Gianakos
Amanda Braunecker/Forest Park/Marty Niehaus
Renee Frantz/ Freemont/ Neal Frantz
Kelci Freds/ Warsaw/ Michelle Harter
Alexandria Gasaway/ Crawfordsville/ Darren Haas
Tabitha Gerardo/ Fort Wayne Canterbury/ Scott Kreiger
Madison Gervais/ Mishawaka/ Kevin Gradeless
Hilarie Hahus/ Perry Central/ Bill Dickerson
Casey Hueni/ Bremen/ Martin Huber
Maureen Hirt/ Bloomington North/ Alana Harrington
Caitlyn Janes/ North Harrison/ Hal Pearson
Mandy McDivitt/ Connersville/ Michael Thompson
Katelyn Lakes/ Hagerstown/ Chris Oliger
Katy McIntosh/ Austin/ Jared Peterson
Amanda Miller/ Charlestown/ Tony Hall
Rachel Muessel/ Shawe Memorial/ Rachael Baudendistel
Anna Munn/ Decatur Central/ David Cupp
Andrea Newbauer/ Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran/ Dave Miller
Rachel Puckett/ Fishers /Michael Gaines
Jean Ann/ Scarafia Castle/ Ryan McKinney
Melanie Trammell/ Greensburg/ Mike Miller
Shelby Wall/ Taylor/ Dennis Bentzler
Jamie Wehmiller/ Brownstown Central/ Karla Rieckers
Kayla Wilcox/ Gibson Southern/ Mark Monroe
Alana (Hancock) Harrington named 2010 Ball State Alumnus Girl's
Basketball Coach of the Year
Ball State University Alumni Association Press Release April 13, 2010
Alana (Hancock) Harrington named 2010 Ball State Alumnus Girl's Basketball Coach of the Year!
Kate Webber
Director, Alumni and Student Programs
Coach of the Year Award Coordinator
Ball State University Alumni Association
H-T All-Area Girls' Basketball Team
By Jeremy Price - March 16, 2010
FIRST TEAM
STEPHANIE FOUGEROUSSE, Linton, 6-1, Sr., C
Averaged a career-high 22.6 points, including a career-best 40 vs. Shakamak on Dec. 30. Also set a career mark with 14.6 rebounds per game, including a stretch of three straight games with 23 boards. Set school records for rebounds in a game (23), single-game free-throw percentage (12-of-12), single-game field goal percentage (10-of-10), season scoring (564), season rebounding (365), season free throws made (174), season free throws attempted (213), season free-throw percentage (81.7) and became the all-time leading girls' scorer in Greene County history (1,801). She also helped the Miners win their first SWIAC title in over 20 years and first sectional title since 1986.
MO HIRT, North, 5-8, Sr., G
Sharp-shooting guard averaged a career-high 14.7 points per game in pacing the Cougars to their most wins in seven years and an outright Conference Indiana title, the school's first in six years. Hirt drew a box-and-one from multiple opponents but showed outstanding patience, rarely forcing her own shot. Her leadership and clutch play was even more apparent after Shaw-Nee Winningham's season-ending knee injury. She was second-team all-area last year.
KAILA HULLS, South, 5-10, Jr., G/F
Do-everything wing led the sectional champion Panthers' in scoring (16.1), rebounding (7.7), steals (3) and free-throw percentage (83.3). Shooting over or posting up smaller defenders while driving around bigger defenders made Hulls one of the area's toughest one-on-one covers. She even had 15 points in a loss to top-ranked Ben Davis and has been named to the South Junior All-Star team. This is her second straight first-team honor.
JESSICA PARKER, South, 6-0, Sr., F
Eastern Illinois-signee enjoyed a superb senior season, ranking second in scoring (13.3) and rebounding (6.6) for the Panthers, who won a second straight sectional title. Up from second team all-area a season ago, Parker made teams pay for keying on Hulls too much. Her ability to shoot from the perimeter and finish close to the basket made her a tough cover, but the fact that she led the team in defensive rebounding is indicative of her all-around game.
KAITLIN SWEATMAN, Owen Valley, 5-10, Sr., F
Patriot senior won both a conference and sectional title every season, finishing as OV's all-time leader in games played with 104. A second team all-area selection last season, Sweatman set a career high with 16.5 points per game, totaling 1,048 points for her career. Missouri-St. Louis recruit also pulled down a career-best 8.6 rebounds per game, setting a single-season school record with 224 total rebounds.
COACH OF THE YEAR
ALANA HARRINGTON, North
After back-to-back 13-8 seasons her first two years, Harrington guided the Cougars to a 21-3 mark, including the outright Conference Indiana regular-season crown. North's winning formula was a patient offense that didn't turn the ball over combined with a defense that could be suffocating at times. 2009-10 Cougars' trademark was putting together sustained runs that would ultimately bury the opponent, whether it was the beginning, middle or end of the game.
SECOND TEAM
SAM COOPER, Owen Valley, 5-2, Sr., G
Third team all-area last season, Cooper added five points to her scoring average (13.1) while maintaining an average of four assists per game. She set a new OV career mark with 391 assists. The point guard was calming influence and her ability to play with pain, even after a knee sprain in the sectional semifinals, was a big reason why the Patriots won a fifth straight sectional title.
SHAW-NEE WINNINGHAM, North, 5-9, Jr., G/F
An explosive forward who was a perfect fit for Cougars' smothering defense and high-percentage offense, shooting nearly 52 percent from the field and averaging better than four steals per game. Despite missing the final five games with an ACL injury, Winningham still led North in total rebounds. A third-team pick last season, she averaged career bests with 10.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
KAMI GRABER, Brown County, 5-8, Jr., G
Point guard was both the primary ballhandler and scorer for the Eagles, averaging 17.7 point, 4.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game. A third-team all-area performer last year, Graber added two points per game to her scoring average and was the area's third-leading scorer.
HANNAH ROMMEL, Edgewood, 5-7, So., G
Athletic guard found her scoring touch late in the season, finishing as the Mustangs' leading scorer at 12.4 per game. But she also contributed in other ways, ranking second in rebounding (5.3) and assists (3.3). Led the team in steals at 2.2 per game, including a school record 13 steals against West Vigo.
PENDAH JALLOW, North, 5-9, Sr., F
Senior forward's quickness and athleticism made her difficult to guard and difficult to box out. Ranked second for the Cougars in scoring (10.5) and steals (1.8), third in rebounding (5.5) and first in assists (2.6). That ability to find shots for others helped last year's third-team all-area selection shoot 47 percent from the field.
THIRD TEAM
KELSEE ENNIS, South, 5-6, Jr., G
Panthers' floor leader led the team in assists (2.5) and ranked second in steals (2.5). She was also the third-leading scorer (8.1) and rebounder (2.7). Scored a career-high 17 points against Bedford North Lawrence, including five 3-pointers.
ANGELA HACKER, Edgewood, 6-0, So., F
Sophomore really found her stride down the stretch, a big reason why Mustangs came within just a few minutes of winning a sectional title. Led Edgewood in rebounding (8.1) and blocked shots (0.9), was second in scoring (11.2) and third in steals (1.6).
KAITY HOY, North, 6-0, Jr., F
Whether it was as a starter or coming off the bench, the junior often provided spark for Cougars by attacking the basket and providing a physical presence in the paint. Topped North in blocked shots (1.8) and was second in rebounding (6.0) to go with 8.6 points per game.
ALICIA TALLY, WRV, 5-6, Sr., G
Not only was she the only returning starter, but the only returning player. After averaging just over six points last season, she ranked as the area's second-leading scorer in 2009-10 at 18.3 points per game, including a career-high and school-record 37 points in a loss to Washington Catholic.
ELYSE WEDDLE, Bloomfield, 5-10, Sr., F
Excellent finisher around the basket, senior anchored the Cardinals with 11.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Also ranked second in assists (1.7). She shot nearly 47 percent from the field while getting to the free-throw line a team-best 97 times.
HONORABLE MENTION
Erin Kinzer, North; Brittney Combs, Bloomfield; Mack Evans, Owen Valley; Laura Luther, Edgewood; Chelsea Miller, Edgewood; Sam Reed, Eastern Greene.
GIRLS' BASKETBALL
Sectional title comes with payback for South
By Jeremy Price
February 17, 2010
Consider the payback tour complete.
The South girls' basketball team avenged a regular-season loss for
the second straight game Tuesday night, pulling away in the fourth
quarter for a 45-32 win over No. 6 North. It is the second straight
sectional title for the No. 15 Panthers, who advance to take on
third-ranked Mooresville at 10 a.m. Saturday in the 4A Bedford
Regional.
"You can look at the rankings and all that stuff, but that's just
numbers," South coach Larry Winters said. "I thought against Columbus
North and against Bloomington North both, we had those
(regular-season) games in hand and got what I call team cocky. We
just thought they were going to lay down and let us win.
"I thought we stayed focused once we got the lead this time. We may
have thrown the ball away a little bit, but we kept them from scoring
on the other end, (that) was the big difference."
The opening quarter saw the Panthers run out to a 7-1 lead, but the
Cougars closed the quarter with a 10-4 run to tie the game at 13.
And the initial frenzied pace slowed to a crawl as the defenses took
control in the second quarter, which ended with South holding a slim
19-18 edge.
Kaity Hoy's pullup jumper to open the third quarter gave North it
second and final lead of the game, and that's when Kaila Hulls began
to take over.
Hulls gave South the lead for good on a putback, then stole a rebound
from the Cougars' Hannah Lukemeyer and scored, then was fouled
following another offensive rebound with the ensuing free throw
making it 24-20. After another Hoy runner, Hulls grabbed an offensive
rebound and made both free throws. The Panther junior finished with
11 rebounds in the game, six of them offensive, to go with her
game-high 27 points and six steals.
"That's one of the big things that hurt us last time (against North),
was our defense and not rebounding," she said. "So offensive boards
were huge."
With Hulls spearheading the charge, South won the rebounding battle,
34-19, including 10 offensive rebounds.
"I think the bottom line was that they were a little more physical
than we were," North coach Alana Harrington said. "You've got to take
care of the basketball, you've got to attack and rebounds are
obviously a big key.
"That's just desire and heart. They played with a lot of heart, and I
thought we did too, but they were the better team tonight,
unfortunately. They deserved it."
Hulls scored the final basket of the third quarter on a nifty feed
from Jessica Parker to send the Panthers to the fourth quarter with a
seven-point lead. She added a turnaround jumper in the post to star
the fourth quarter, Parker made a steal and converted the three-point
play, Hulls scored again in the post and when Morgan Woodruff nailed
a 15-foot jumper, it was the capper in an 11-0 run that had South in
front 42-26 with 4:04 remaining.
"That just really pumped us up, and we were like, 'Yeah, we've got
this,'" Hulls said of Woodruff's jumper. "We just needed to play
defense for the rest of the game, and we knew we'd be cutting nets
down at the buzzer."
And while North had rallied from 10 down in the fourth quarter to
beat Columbus East in the semifinals, this time the deficit for the
Cougars, who were led by Mo Hirt's 14 points, was too much.
"We've had one great season and persevered through a lot of adversity
throughout the season and overcame a heckuva lot," Harrington said.
"I can't be more proud of these young ladies than I am today. I'm
disappointed, yes, in our loss, I'm very disappointed, but you know
they rolled through an entire season and accomplished some great
things."
GIRLS' BASKETBALL
North, South set up all-Bloomington final
Cougars, Panthers will meet for sectional title Monday after thrillers
By Jeremy Price
February 14, 2010
And a senior shall lead them.
The prophecy came true Saturday night for North and South in the
Class 4A Sectional 14 semifinals.
Mo Hirt scored the last seven points to rally the host Cougars to a
52-51 victory over Columbus East, while Jessica Parker scored 11
fourth-quarter points to pace South to a 47-42 comeback win over
Columbus North. That sets up an all-Bloomington championship game
Monday night at 7:30 p.m.
"If it's going to be in Bloomington, it might as well be an
all-Bloomington sectional final," South coach Larry Winters said.
While the Panthers' victory wasn't a done deal until two Parker free
throws with 16.6 seconds remaining, the Cougars needed even greater
theatrics in the opener.
Columbus East sprinted to a 7-0 lead, but sixth-ranked North (21-2)
rallied back to lead by as many as four points in the third quarter.
The Olympians (11-10) recovered to take a four-point lead into the
fourth quarter and extended the advantage to 10 with just over seven
minutes remaining.
North got within five but missed a chance to cut the deficit to three
with just over three minutes left. And when East's Kreigha Henney
dropped in two free throws with 2:43 to play, the Cougars trailed
47-40.
But the Olympians' Alicia Hopkins aided the North cause as she twice
missed the front end of a 1-and-1. Pendah Jallow scoring after each
miss to make it 47-44. A Kaity Hoy free throw made it a two-point
game with 55.2 seconds remaining, but Henney converted two more free
throws at the other end.
Hirt wasn't ready to to let her high school career go.
"I just had to step up and be like, 'I'm not going to lose,' just
have that resiliency," she said.
On the ensuing possession, Hirt ran down an offensive rebound and
drilled a long 3-pointer with 28 seconds left to make it 49-48.
Columbus East then broke the North press for a layup, but Hirt was
fouled on the inbounds pass and sank both ends of the 1-and-1 to keep
North within one.
Henney again was fouled, but this time she missed both free throws.
Jallow grabbed the rebound and drove the ball all the way to the
basket. Her driving layup caromed long, but Hirt was right there to
scoop up the loose ball and draw the foul with 10.9 seconds left.
"I just had to have confidence," she said. "I've been shooting free
throws all the time. It's just block everything out and do what you
do every day shooting hundreds of free throws.
"As a senior, you need to be able to step up in that position."
Hirt, who finished with a game-high 18 points, buried both shots
after a time out, and when the Olympians' Shana Tooley missed a
runner off the glass just before the buzzer, the Cougars had a berth
in the title game.
"You never want a game to come down to that, but this team has just,
through their senior leadership, has proven time and time again what
big hearts, what character they bring to the court," North coach
Alana Harrington said. "They just willed that game."
Hirt's senior classmate, Jallow had a double-double with 14 points
and 12 rebounds. Hoy did likewise with 10 points and 10 rebounds, and
Erin Kinzer added 10 points.
ICGA CLASS 4A POLL (2-11-10)
1. Ben Davis (21-0)
2. Jeffersonville (20-1)
3. Mooresville (22-1)
4. Floyd Central (20-1)
5. Merrillville (19-1)
6. BLOOMINGTON NORTH (20-2)
7. Elkhart Memorial (21-2)
8. Kokomo (17-2)
9. Penn (16-2)
10. Westfield (19-2)
11. Logansport (20-1)
12. South Bend Clay (19-4)
13. Mishawaka (17-3)
14. Decatur Central (17-4)
15. Bloomington South (16-4)
16. Columbus North (14-6)
16. Seymour (15-5)
16. Warren Central (18-4)
16. Carmel (14-7)
16. Northridge (15-6)
16. Warsaw (15-5)
IBCA POLL - 2/11/10
1. Ben Davis (21-0)
2. Jeffersonville (20-1)
3. Mooresville (22-1)
4. Floyd Central (20-1)
5. Rushville (20-2)
6. Merrillville (19-1)
7. Norwell (20-0)
8. BLOOMINGTON NORTH (20-2)
9. Penn (16-2)
10. Westfield (19-2)
11. Kokomo (17-2)
12. Elkhart Memorial (21-2)
13. Decatur Central (17-4)
14. Winchester (20-0)
15. Warren Central (18-4)
16. Bloomington South (16-4)
17. Carmel (14-7)
18. Logansport (20-1)
19. Fort Wayne Canterbury (18-2)
20. Gibson Southern (21-1)
GIRLS' BASKETBALL
Cougars use early burst to down Mustangs
North's 64-43 win on Senior Night to finish a perfect 11-0 at home
By Jeremy Price
February 3, 2010
The Cougar Den was decorated for a party Tuesday night with gold and
maroon streamers, balloons and banners.
The occasion was Senior Night for the North girls' basketball team,
and Edgewood was tapped to provide the entertainment.
While the Mustangs provided plenty of resistance early, the Cougars
used a 14-0 second-quarter run to break the game open and cruised to
a 64-43 victory.
The win put the capper on a perfect 11-0 home record for North
(20-2), which also recorded its 20th victory in a season for the
first time since 2002-03.
It was due in no small part to Cougar seniors Mo Hirt and Pendah
Jallow, who were the guests of honor.
"To end the regular season with a lot of emotion, it's tough to play
like that," North coach Alana Harrington said. "(The seniors) have
worked their tails off, been exceptional leaders, exceptional
teammates on and off the floor, and they really deserved the season
that they had. And deserved tonight to be that special night."
Hirt and Jallow combined to score 16 of the Cougars' first 18 points,
but Edgewood (15-7) was still within three despite losing their own
senior starter in the opening minute of the game.
Chelsea Miller crumpled to the ground clutching her right knee with
the game tied at 2, clearly a deflating blow to the Mustangs.
"It was, and you could see it in our eyes a little bit," Edgewood
coach Gary Sims said. "Hopefully, she's OK, but we won't know . we'll
see."
Leading just 18-15, North reeled off 14 quick points - six by Jallow
- to take a 32-15 lead.
"It's definitely hard to go from Senior Night mode into basketball
mode," Hirt said.
Edgewood committed eight of its 20 turnovers in the quarter, making
it impossible to keep pace.
"We were stuck on 15 for I don't know how long," Sims said. "It
wasn't because we were missing shots, we weren't even getting shots."
A basket by Kelsey Weddle ended the Mustangs' drought, but Hirt
drilled a 3-pointer from nearly 30 feet just before the halftime
buzzer to make it 35-17.
"That was a lot of fun," Hirt said. "I like those end of the half,
halfcourt-shot type things. It was good to hit that one."
And the Cougars kept having fun in the second half, shooting 9-of-13
as a team in the third quarter as the lead reached as high as 27.
Jallow finished with 22 points and six rebounds, while Hirt and Erin
Kinzer each added 15 points.
Angela Hacker paced Edgewood with 21 points and eight rebounds.
Harrington said it was no coincidence her seniors led the way again.
"They've been leaders for us all year," she said. "It doesn't
surprise me, not one bit."
Once the on-court fun was all over, the party began in earnest with
speeches, gifts, tears and laughter, not to mention cake.
And with a conference championship to go with 20 wins and an unbeaten
home record, things have come full circle for Hirt and Jallow, who
came in as freshman a year after North last won a sectional title in
2006, reaching the regional final.
"We had to do it by rebuilding a couple of years and now we're back
on top," Jallow said. "And. hopefully, we can go as far as them, if
not farther."
Added Hirt, "We just want to continue the tradition of the basketball
program."
But even as they enjoyed the party, one eye was already looking
ahead.
"We made goals at the beginning of the season, and right now we've
gone above and beyond most of them," Jallow said. "We still have
sectionals we're looking forward to, but it feels good."
ICGA CLASS 4A POLL - 2/1/10
1. Ben Davis (20-0)
2. Floyd Central (19-0)
3. Jeffersonville (19-1)
4. Mooresville (20-1)
5. Kokomo (16-1)
6t. Merrillville (18-1)
6t. BLOOMINGTON NORTH (19-2)
8. Penn (16-2)
9. Elkhart Memorial (19-2)
10. Decatur Central (16-4)
11. Logansport (18-1)
12. Westfield (17-2)
13. Carmel (13-6)
14t. Warren Central (16-4)
14t. South Bend Clay (17-4)
16. Bloomington South (14-4)
17. Mishawaka (16-2)
IBCA POLL - 2/1/10
1. Ben Davis (20-0)
2. Jeffersonville (19-1)
3. Mooresville (20-1)
4. Floyd Central (19-0)
5. Rushville (19-2)
6. Kokomo (16-1)
7. Norwell (18-0)
8t. Merrillville (18-1)
8t. BLOOMINGTON NORTH (19-2)
10. Westfield (17-2)
11. Penn (16-2)
12. Elkhart Memorial (19-2)
13. Decatur Central (16-4)
14. Winchester (19-0)
15. Bloomington South (14-4)
16. Warren Central (16-4)
17. Gibson Southern (19-1)
18. Fort Wayne Canterbury (16-2)
19. Carmel (13-6)
20. Logansport (18-1)
