[close]

I was at the recent basketball scrimmage between the MC girls and Muster. I was surprised with what I saw. Nixon and Robinson looked good, as well as the transfer from Illinois Edwards. I was more impressed with the freshman Ellenwood, I think she was one of MC's top soccer plays as well. I was wondering why McGee didn't play until late in the third quarter. After the game, I heard a couple of parents talking about some type of discipline problem with McGee and that coach Allen wasn't playing when he said there was going to be changes. Good job girls.

[Ang]

Welcome to the Board Close! And thanks for the run down on the 08/09 team!

*sigh*

I miss HS Athletics.

So, what do you think of the new coach?

[close]

Its hard to tell, about new coaches until the middle of the season. If he is changing the atmosphere of the team by benching a highly regarded player like McGee he is going to be good for the team. I was disappointed to see a few girls that played last year sitting in the stands. I understand that they were close to Coach Collins and chose not to play.

[Ang]

That would not surprise me at all. It's a shame that they would give up playing but I understand their loyalty. Gary Collins is an awsome Dude! It really is a shame what happened but he's got big shoulders and I am sure he has moved on to bigger and better things.

[Southsider2k12]

That would not surprise me at all. It's a shame that they would give up playing but I understand their loyalty. Gary Collins is an awsome Dude! It really is a shame what happened but he's got big shoulders and I am sure he has moved on to bigger and better things.

He is coaching at one of the township schools around Valpo IIRC. Hopefully the kids wise up and realize that they are only hurting themselves by not playing. I made the mistake of sitting out a couple of years of track and cross country in college because of a coach I didn't agree with. She didn't miss out on anything, I did.

I was at the recent basketball scrimmage between the MC girls and Muster. I was surprised with what I saw. Nixon and Robinson looked good, as well as the transfer from Illinois Edwards. I was more impressed with the freshman Ellenwood, I think she was one of MC's top soccer plays as well. I was wondering why McGee didn't play until late in the third quarter. After the game, I heard a couple of parents talking about some type of discipline problem with McGee and that coach Allen wasn't playing when he said there was going to be changes. Good job girls.

Thanks for the info! Stop by often and keep us posted!

[JHeath]

... I was more impressed with the freshman Ellenwood, I think she was one of MC's top soccer plays as well.

Ellenwood is one heck of an athlete. Whatever she does, she puts 110% into it. On top of all that, she's a great kid. Can't wait to go to the bball games to see her in action on the court.

[Roger Kaputnik]

It is hard to believe that someone would sit out because of the coach--without giving the coach a chance. SSider, that is not your situation; it was your coach you already had.

The other thing is I wish the girls hoops and boys would be scheduled together like CC is.

[Southsider2k12]

It is hard to believe that someone would sit out because of the coach--without giving the coach a chance. SSider, that is not your situation; it was your coach you already had.

The other thing is I wish the girls hoops and boys would be scheduled together like CC is.

I ran for her as a Freshman in college, both cross country and track. Our personalities didn't work well together. At 19, I thought it was a better idea not to clash and instead sat our until my senior year when we got a new coach. All that did for me was miss two year where I should have been on those teams. It was a mistake for sure. Hindsight is always 20/20, and I would hate to see those girls regret missing out on an experience they will remember for a lifetime.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=30434.22

HOT START
City girls win season opener by 50 points over S.B. Adams.

Adam Parkhouse
The News-Dispatch

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - First-year Michigan City girls basketball coach Terry Allen reached his 100th career victory Friday. During the game, his team set its sights on 100 points to celebrate.

The Wolves (1-0) didn't quite get there, but they had more than enough by game's end, forcing 42 turnovers in an 88-38 rout of South Bend Adams in South Bend.

"I was aware of it. There are a lot of milestones and I don't know if I'll get to 500," Allen said, "but 100, to me, is a great accomplishment."

Allen preached in the preseason that this would be a different style of play than in years past, and he wasn't kidding. The Wolves pressured non-stop for three quarters - calling off the dogs in the fourth - forcing turnover after turnover and scoring seemingly at will.

"I kept telling them, 84 feet for 32 minutes," Allen said. "Our goal is to put as much pressure on people as we can."

Allen also said he wanted to see between 30 and 40 3-pointers per game, and spent most of Friday's game imploring his girls to shoot from behind the line. The Wolves did just that, making 14 of 41 attempts (34 percent).

"We did what I wanted us to do," Allen said. "I think we've got a lot of great 3-point shooters. Those 14 threes gives us 42 points. That's tough to contend with."

City set the tone early, racing out to a 13-0 lead before Adams even attempted a shot. During that span, City had nine turnovers and had forced 29 by the half.

Through two quarters, the Wolves had a commanding 46-15 lead and everyone that dressed had seen the floor By game's end, all 12 players had taken a shot and nine scored.

Leading the way in the scoring column for City was new-look junior Essence Robinson. Out of necessity, Robinson had played more of a post position so far in her career, but Allen let her loose Friday.

She scored a team-high 20 points and hit 5-of-13 shots from downtown.

"Basically they had her down on the blocks which was not her natural position," Allen said. "For her, natural is on the wing. She's a good shooter, there's no way around that."

Senior point guard Ta'Kenya Nixon got her final season off to a magnificent start. She had 16 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double, but also had nine assists and nine steals to come oh-so-close to a rare quadruple-double.

Thursday, Nixon and long-time running mate Bianca McGee committed to play at Eastern Illinois University.

"This is just a change," Nixon said of the different style of play. "We're trying to let people know we're playing a whole other game. We're showing we all can play. Tonight it was me and Essence, next game it could be Sierra (Richard) and Bianca."

From the faces in the crowd department, South Bend Washington senior Skylar Diggins was in attendance getting a look at the team her Panthers have knocked out of the postseason for the last three years. Other scouts from local teams were on hand to see the new-look Wolves.

"I'll tell everyone that comes to scout us they'll see a lot of things: Shooting, pressure defense ..." Allen said. "But we haven't even put everything in yet. They haven't seen a third of what we're gonna be doing."

Five Wolves scored in double figures, including McGee (13), transfer Joslyn Edwards (11) and Gigi Moore (10). Freshman Ashleigh Ellenwood started and scored nine points.

Notes: City won the junior varsity game 20-18 behind Ellenwood's eight points. ... Robinson rebounded from a tough first quarter where she went 0-for-4 from the field (all 3-pointers) and 0-for-2 at the free throw line. ... McGee didn't make the start and Allen didn't say when or if she'd make her return to the starting lineup. She did play well in the time she was on the court. "She accepted that role coming off the bench," Allen said. "I was worried about that, how she would respond." ... Allen had a 99-56 career record during eight seasons coaching Austin Community Academy and Fenger Academy in Chicago.

Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Is that Gondeck girl playing bball?

[MC Born & Raised]

Is that Gondeck girl playing bball?

Yeah. She's a starting forward/center.

[Southsider2k12]

Yeah. She's a starting forward/center.

Hey Adam, are they running the Valpo fastbreak offense, or something else?

[Roger Kaputnik]

Don't you mean the MC fastbreak offense!?

The first team I remember really doing the run offensse was the UNLV teams under the Shark.

[Southsider2k12]

Don't you mean the MC fastbreak offense!?

The first team I remember really doing the run offensse was the UNLV teams under the Shark.

The Valpo womens team used to run (they may still, but it has been a while) a nice fastbreak offense, which set up into a predominantly three point shooting half court game. They also used the press to set up their offense. The idea was to have a shot off in under 15 seconds if they could.

When I was in college I helped out as assistant coach for a year, under a coach who came from Valpo and took over our program. We were in the top 5 in the nation in scoring the first year she took over. It was awesome to watch.

[Roger Kaputnik]

I would enjoy bball a lot more if I was in on the tech stuff you mention. Is there any source for it?

[Southsider2k12]

I would enjoy bball a lot more if I was in on the tech stuff you mention. Is there any source for it?

Not that I am familiar with. For myself it was a lot of watching, playing, helping, and broadcasting basketball.

[MC Born & Raised]

I would enjoy bball a lot more if I was in on the tech stuff you mention. Is there any source for it?

Yes. The upcoming WIMS broadcasts. ;-)

[Roger Kaputnik]

I am not sure that my very cerebral approach to sports would play well on the radio. The cerebral approach is due to being a terrible sports participant; i.e., I stink on the court!

[Southsider2k12]

The ND sites sports material hasn't been updated since Friday, so here is the Gary version of the story.

http://www.post-trib.com/sports/highschool...kwolves.article

Wolves pull out sloppy victory over Indians
November 22, 2008BY STEVE T. GORCHES Post-Tribune deputy sports editor
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MICHIGAN CITY — It was more about the middle two quarters for Michigan City than the first and last.

In quarters two and three, the Wolves showed why they are again a big favorite to win conference and sectional titles.

First-year coach Terrence Allen’s philosophy of more 3-point shooting and more tenacious defense led by a full-court press was working well to the tune of an 18-point lead after 24 minutes against Lake Central in both team’s first Duneland Conference contest on Friday.

But the Indians wouldn’t go away and it took a little extra hard work in the final period for the host Wolves to hold off Lake Central 58-49.

In fact, Allen admitted it was an ugly game at times, with loose balls and turnovers all over the place.

“You have to win these kinds of games, but I would have preferred it wasn’t (so ugly),” Allen said. “We had them down and let them back in it, so that gave them confidence to make it closer.”

Despite the ugly moments, Michigan City (2-0, 1-0 DAC) had scattered runs of near-perfect play that epitomized Allen’s new style.

That style is to shoot plenty of 3-pointers and get up and down the court.

The Wolves drained 9-of-23 from long range — much less than Allen’s goal for each contest.

“We didn’t quite meet our goal of 40,” he quipped.

Three of those 3-pointers came in succession to open the second quarter. That run took a precarious five-point lead to 14 instantly. All three came from MC’s duo of future teammates at Eastern Illinois, Ta’Kenya Nixon and Bianca McGee.

Nixon came close to a triple-double for the second straight game (she had 16 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists and nine steals in the Wolves’ 88-38 trouncing of South Bend Adams to start the season). She had 16 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and five steals on Friday, while McGee added 14 points and six rebounds.

“It was a team effort — it just appears she’s doing more because she works so hard every minute she’s on the floor,” Allen said of Nixon, who was the Post-Tribune Player of the Year as a junior last year.

But the first and fourth quarters tempered Allen’s enthusiasm for his second victory as Wolves coach.

“We were a little off tonight,” he said. “Lake Central was a little more physical than my girls anticipated.”

That physical style enabled the Indians (1-3, 0-1) to hang with Michigan City on the boards and out-score the hosts 18-9 in the final eight minutes, including a 7-0 run to start the fourth period.

LC was led by Grace Myers, who had a game-high 19 points and 14 rebounds, while 6-foot-6 junior Andrea Kras added 14 rebounds of her own.

“I was really nervous about our rebounding,” Indians coach Leslie Iwema said. “That hurt us last year in two blowout losses against (the Wolves).”

The aspect of the game that hurt the Indians the most was shooting — or more accurately, accuracy. LC shot worse than 30 percent for the game.

“It just wasn’t our night shooting,” Iwema said. “Some of my shooters are coming off playing soccer or volleyball, so I’m not surprised we’re a little cold right now.”

Contact Steve Gorches at 648-3141, sgorches@post-trib.com or visit his blog at blogs.post-trib.com/gorches.
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[Southsider2k12]

http://www.post-trib.com/sports/highschool...-brf.highschool

1. Michigan City

Two games into the season and the Wolves look like they haven't lost a beat, but DAC?challenge looms tonight in Valparaiso.

2. Chesterton

Trojans didn't look good at all in 50-point thrashing to Penn, but Penn is pretty good. Tonight's game against CP is more important.

3. Valparaiso

Are the Vikings for real this year??Tonight's game at Michigan City will go a long way toward answering that question.

4. Merrillville

Pirates bounced back from Valpo loss with nice win over East Chicago. Next five games are all DAC?matchups.

5. Hobart

Yes, the Brickies caught us by surprise, but they look like they're for real so far as they try to hang with perennial area powers.

6. West Side

Rod Fisher's squad has looked bad one night and good the next. That's high school hoops in a nutshell, but not usually for the Cougars.

7. Hammond

Wildcats looked good for three games, then didn't against West Side. But in the long run that loss could help more than hurt.

8. Crown Point

Nice 4-0 start for the Bulldogs, but after last year's dismal campaign we need a little more convincing before moving them higher.

9. Calumet

That's what we get for saying they had a chance at going undefeated, but Hobart loss isn't too much to worry about in long run.

10. Hanover Central

Jordan Kramer and company look good so far, but a big test in the early going comes on Saturday against Crown Point.