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http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/20...cf143192670.txt

Elevated expectations

Michigan City’s Gigi Moore goes up for a layup in a game last winter against South Bend Clay in South Bend. Now a senior, Moore looks to lead the Wolves squad in a quest to return to the top of the Duneland Conference. Photo by Robb Quinn
MICHIGAN CITY GIRLS BASKETBALL PREVIEW
By Adam Parkhouse
Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, November 11, 2010 5:22 PM CST
Just in general terms, Michigan City girls basketball coach Mike Megyese is a confident guy.

But the 2010-11 edition of his Wolves squad has the second-year coach’s faith in his team at an all-time high.

“I haven’t been this excited in a long time,” Megyese said. “I can’t wait to get going.”

Not often will a fan of a team hear the coach talk so highly about a group dominated by sophomores, but that is the case with the Wolves.

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Megyese said six of his top 10 roation players will be sophomores, with Gigi Moore and Maggie Gondeck the only seniors in the program.

Moore was the second-leading scorer last season behind Essence Robinson, who has graduated. The team also lost Joslyn Edwards along with three other minor contributors.

Along with Moore, current sophomore Tica Murphy showed some scoring prowess a year ago, averaging nearly 10 points per game. In fact, from a purely physical standpoint, Murphy is a bit reminiscent of Ta’Kenya Nixon, currently a sophomore at Eastern Illinois University.

“In physical skills, she matches right there with her,” Megyese said. “She’s not totally there yet ... but you’re talking about the best player to ever play at Michigan City and one of the best ever for this part of the state.

“(Murphy) has the capability of being that big scorer for us.”

But, Megyese reminds, the Wolves do have plenty of scoring options. The likely starting five will consist of Murphy, Moore, junior Ashleigh Ellenwood, sophomore Jameka Collins and a combination of senior Maggie Gondeck and sophomore Keshyana Cooper at center.

Megyese spoke glowingly of Collins during her freshman campaign before a knee injury slowed her down and affected her confidence.

“She’s back 100 percent now, and we missed her big in that tournament,” Megyese said, referring to last year’s sectional where Collins played, but still hadn’t fully recovered from the injury. “She’s the key to our team. She just does so much on the floor.

“With her and Ellenwood in that full-court defense, it can be pretty special.”

Expect the Wolves to play some full-court defense and try to get up and down the court quickly. While that will be one of the big keys to the team, Megyese knows the team will need to improve in two areas to get to where it wants to be: Ballhandling and rebounding.

“I want all five girls to be able to handle the ball,” Megyese said. “Something I preach about all the time we have to work on is rebounding. We need to rebound it and get it and go.”

In the Duneland Conference, Michigan City expects to among Merrillville and Chesterton as the favorites to take the crown, but Megyese has even higher expectations.

“I look at my schedule and I know we can beat everybody on our schedule,” he said. “We’re not an underdog in any game. Nobody’s better than we are. Either we’re even or we’re better.

“We’re right there with everybody, so expectations are high. ... I’m very confident.”

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

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http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/20...cf143192670.txt

Those three other "minor contributers" were Victoria Hamm, Sparkle Carlock and Alissa Niswonger

I'm really excited to get back in the gym. These young women are be spectacular to watch.

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http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2010/1...78699169363.txt

Wolves open with solid victory

City's Gigi Moore shoots over South Bend Adams' DaMonique Morgan during the Lady Wolves' season opener Friday night in South Bend. Photo by Scott Allen
Girls Basketball: Michigan City 65, South Bend Adams 32
By Drew White
Staff Writer
Published: Saturday, November 13, 2010 5:25 PM CST
SOUTH BEND — Facing a South Bend Adams team that hasn’t won a game since Nov. 29, 2008, the Michigan City girls basketball team wanted to get in and out with a solid effort.

Sitting four starters for the first half of Friday night’s game for disciplinary reasons, the Wolves were still able to take a nine-point lead to the half and ultimately came away with a 65-32 win in City’s 2010 debut.

City guard Jameka Collins scored 11 first-half points to help the Wolves get through to halftime and in the second half, a full-strength lineup was able to outscore Adams 39-15.

“Jameka kind of got us going by herself,” Michigan City head coach Mike Megyese said. “In the

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second half, everybody else just kind of joined the party.”

Collins ended up leading the Wolves with 16 points, followed by 15 from Gigi Moore and Aubria Clifton went 3-for-4 from 3-point range, finishing with 13 points.

Adams, which has now lost 38 straight games, lost its second game of the season. The Eagles had opened the season on Thursday with a loss to NorthWood.

Former South Bend Clay head coach Steve Scott has taken over Adams’ reins and his team performed admirably and took advantage of City’s short-handed lineup in the first half.

The Eagles were led by freshman guard Taloni Reese who scored 18 points.

“My first goal was to get the girls to play hard and compete and we’re doing that,” Scott said. “We had a hell of an opening two games. I think Michigan City is one of the strongest teams in the area and NorthWood is always good.

“When you come into a program that hasn’t won a game in 36 games, that’s pretty tough.”

For a season opener, City’s Megyese was more than pleased with his team’s performance and could only find fault in two areas — blocking out and perhaps being a little too prone to passing up the open shot.

“I’ve said it before and you saw it tonight, our team is almost too unselfish,” Megyese said. “We don’t care who scores.”

Michigan City opened a campaign in which Megyese has high hopes for his team.

“We’ve got a lot of talent and there’s a lot of things we can do,” Megyese said. “We’ve just got to keep working.”

Playing for the first time since last spring’s sectional loss to Merrillville, Megyese didn’t hesitate to reiterate his team’s objective for the season.

“It stings losing sectionals and I don’t like losing them,” Megyese said. “We don’t intend to lose it this year. We know what we’re capable of. We can get where we want to get.”

Contact sports writer Drew White at dwhite@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 447.

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http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2010/1...eb394625783.txt

'Sloppy,' but a win

City’s Jameka Collins (2) gets past Lake Central defenders while Gigi Moore (23) and Keshyana Cooper (14) follow her action Friday night at the Wolves Den. Photo by Robb Quinn

Girls Basketball: Michigan City 54, Lake Central 44
By Adam Parkhouse
Staff Writer
Published: Saturday, November 20, 2010 5:11 PM CST
MICHIGAN CITY — Michigan City girls basketball coach Mike Megyese summed it up succinctly.

“Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy,” the second-year coach said.

He was right, but at the end Michigan City picked up a 54-44 win over Lake Central on Friday at the Wolves Den and that’s all that matters.

The teams combined to commit 53 fouls — 29 for the Indians — and turned by ball over 55 times — 30 for the Wolves.

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City even shot a lowly 16-of-33 from the free throw line, yet somehow found a way to pick up the victory in both teams’ Duneland Conference opener.

“That early foul trouble put us in a bad situation,” Megyese said. “We do play hard and aggressive, but when you’re athletic as we are, you’ve gotta play smart because athleticism can get you in trouble.”

City also played this game and will play the rest of the season short-handed. Starting point guard, junior Ashleigh Ellenwood, is no longer with the team for personal reasons.

Nine Wolves dressed, seven played but six played a majority of the minutes.

“We’ll just have to play smarter,” Megeyese said of going with essentially a six-girl rotation. “We’re working on conditioning and now they’ll know we have to do it even more.”

The game remained close throughout, but City (2-0, 1-0 DAC) led for most of the contest.

But by halftime, City’s three post players — Maggie Gondeck, Keshyana Cooper and Gigi Moore — had three fouls apiece.

Gondeck picked up her fourth early in the third quarter, but Moore and Cooper were able to avoid picking up their fourth for the rest of the stanza.

That’s when City made its best run of the game. Moore made a layup with three minutes left to give the Wolves a 39-29 lead, its biggest of the game to that point. The lead grew to 11 before a late Indians rally cut it down to 40-35 heading into the fourth quarter.

At the end of the third, five girls — three Indians — had picked up four fouls in the game.

Midway through the final period, City’s other bugaboo on the night, turnovers, started to threaten its stranglehold on the victory. With 5:36 left, the Wolves’ 26th giveaway led to a transition layup from Isis Thomas making the score 42-39.

“I’m very disappointed in our passing,” Megyese said. “Most of our turnovers were from our passing.”

Three minutes later, City completed a 6-0 run after Moore scored back-to-back baskets, swelling the lead to nine and City didn’t look back from there.

“Give Lake Central credit, they always play hard and they scrap,” Megyese said. “They came into our house but they didn’t back down.

“This is the DAC … and I love it.”

Notes: Lake Central won the junior varsity game 37-22. … Despite its post players being in foul trouble throughout, City won the rebounding battle 42-28. Four different Wolves had at least seven rebounds, and Moore finished with a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double. … Sophomore Tica Murphy shot 10-of-12 from the foul line, but the rest of the Wolves were a combined 6-for-21.

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

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2010/1...ac420625915.txt

Strong DAC win

City’s Toni Murphy (3) goes up against Valparaiso’s Sarah Wallace on the baseline during their game Friday at the Wolves Den. Photo by Scott Allen

Girls Basketball: Michigan City 50, Valparaiso 42
By Ken Peterson
For The News-Dispatch
Published: Saturday, November 27, 2010 5:08 PM CST
MICHIGAN CITY — Competing in the ultra competitive Duneland Conference is tough for even the most seasoned and savvy basketball teams.

With a roster loaded with six sophomores, you’d think Michigan City’s girls basketball team would be going through the growing pains of competing in Northwest Indiana’s premier conference.

While coach Mike Megyese acknowledges his youthful team, the veteran coach has liked what he’s seen in the first three games of the 2010-11 campaign.

Friday’s 50-42 win over Duneland Conference foe Valparaiso (2-4, 0-2 DAC) was a big one for City (3-0, 2-0 DAC) not so much in winning the game, but how the Wolves won.

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City held a nine-point lead in the first half and kept its composure throughout the second half, holding off numerous Valpo runs and making big defensive stands when it needed to.

“If you look at what Valpo has done against some pretty good teams, they’re right there with everybody,” Megyese said, noting the Vikings losses to Carmel, Hamilton Southeastern and Merrillville. “I’m happy to get a win anytime in the Duneland Conference. You get a win, I don’t care what the score is, you’re happy to win.”

Sophomore Toni Murphy had 23 points and Jameka Collins 10 to lead the Wolves. Murphy made some big shots throughout the game.

“If we can keep the ball in her hands, you saw why she is one of the best players in the area,” Megyese said of Murphy.

Gigi Moore had five points and finished 2-7 from the field.

“She didn’t have one of her best games because their defense did a nice job,” Megyese said. “But Toni was able to pick things up and Jameka had a huge fourth and she is so quick and so aggressive to the basket.”

Maggie Gondeck and Keshyana Cooper each had five rebounds to lead City while Toni Murphy had three assists. Cooper fouled out in the fourth quarter and Gondeck finished with four fouls.

“I thought Gondeck did a good job,” Megyese said. “But Cooper had some foul trouble. But when the four sophomores are out there, I’ll challenge anybody to find four better sophomores in the area.”

Michelle Rosenbaum had 13 points and Laura Ferrari 11 to lead the Vikings.

City never trailed as it used its quickness to stay a step ahead of Valpo. The Wolves led 15-8 after on and Murphy scored five of the first seven City points of the second quarter as the hosts built a 22-13 lead with 5:14 left in the first half.

But coach Jeanette Gray’s Vikings would not go away, stubbornly hanging in the game and cut the Wolves lead to 36-34 early in the fourth quarter.

But the Vikings came up short when it was in a position to either tie or take the lead.

“We had two opportunities and we missed a layup and two free throws,” Gray said. “I told them that missed free throws and layups are like turnovers. You’ve got to be able to execute and in varsity basketball you have got to be able to execute those.”

From that point, the Wolves took charge and seized control and put the game away.

“Every time a key situation came, I looked at their eyes and they came down the court and they were cool,” Megyese said. “I like the fact for our team being so young, we were pretty cool under pressure.”

City is at home Tuesday night to take on New Prairie before embarking on a three-game DAC road trip starting next Friday at Portage.

“Overall, I am pretty happy,” Megyese said. “I thought we did some good things and even when they hit a couple of shots to cut it to two, we just kept our poise. And that is going to be a big key for us. We’re about six deep right now. This is a good game for us as we continue to play with a new team.”

Valpo win the JV game 45-31. Kelsey Kilgore had 11 and Dejania Evans 10 to lead the Wolves.

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http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/20...34799223934.txt

Speed kills

City’s Jameka Collins (2) drives to the baseline against New Prairie’s Katie Singleton (34) on Tuesday night at the Wolves Den. Photo by Scott Allen

Girls Basketball: Michigan City 55, New Prairie 30
By Adam Parkhouse
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, December 1, 2010 5:09 PM CST
MICHIGAN CITY — For one half, New Prairie’s girls basketball scratched and clawed and did all they could to stay close with Class 4A No. 13 Michigan City.

In the end, the Wolves’ size and speed were too much and City rolled to a 55-30 win at the Wolves Den on Tuesday night.

“They’re very athletic,” New Prairie coach Dan Shead said of the Wolves. “By the time we had their quickness figured out, their size hurt us.”

For City coach Mike Megyese, the game and first half in particular, were a bit sleepy.

“It looked like a Tuesday night game,” Megyese said. “I thought the kids, in the first half, played lazy and very aggressive.”

City did lead 13-3 after one quarter, but increased that lead by just one going into the half. The Cougars (1-4) made just 5-of-18 shots, missing out on many open looks that could have pulled the game closer.

“Our leading scorer (Courtney Spencer) gets one point, it was just a tough night,” Shead said.

If the Wolves (4-0) were groggy in the first half, they were energized in the second. Their pressure defense forced more turnovers, 26 for the game, and forced the Cougars to shoot just 3-of-23 from the field in the final two quarters.

City, down to basically a six-girl rotation at the varsity level, wasn’t even at 100 percent for this game. Senior Gigi Moore scored just two points on 1-of-3 shooting and was limited by a sore ankle.

Stepping up in her absence, particularly on the glass, were senior Maggie Gondeck and sophomore Keshyana Cooper. The two combined to score 13 points with 17 rebounds and Cooper swatted four shots, a couple of the emphatic variety.

“I was real pleased with Cooper,” Megyese said. “She did very well.”

Sophomore Tica Murphy came off the bench to score a team-high 16 points, making 9-of-12 shots from the foul line.

“Tica just looked so poised,” Megyese said.

Murphy making good on most of her free throws helped pull City’s otherwise abysmal free throw shooting up. Other than Murphy’s attempts, the Wolves were 8-for-17 and missed seven of their first eight.

“I don’t get it, because it’s something we practice in different ways,” Megyese said. “But it’s something we’ve gotta get better at because down the road that will hurt you.”

Notes: Michigan City had a miraculous finish to pull out a 31-30 win in the junior varsity game. Trailing 30-25 with less than 20 seconds to play, Aubria Smith drained a 3-pointer out of the corner to cut the lead to two. City then forced a turnovers and had a two-on-one break to tie the score in the closing seconds, but threw the ball away with less than three seconds showing on the clock. Kelsey Kilgore then came up with a steal on the inbound and drained a long 3-pointer to win the game at the buzzer. Diamond Thompkins finished with 10 points for City and Kilgore had eight. ... Now through four games, City has allowed just 37 points per game this season. The Wolves are scoring 56 ppg.

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

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2010/1...96524818040.txt

Playing in primetime

Unwritten No More
By Drew White
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, December 8, 2010 5:09 PM CST
A funny thing happened following the Michigan City-Portage girls basketball game last Friday night in Portage.

Few, if any, people left.

The Wolves of the fairer sex had already wrapped up their victory over the Indians, been to the locker room and changed and come back to the gym floor where fans, students, players and coaches were still gathered.

Their eyes were locked on a message board located in the corner of the gym. During the girls’ game, the score of the Michigan City-Portage boys basketball matchup that was being contested back in Michigan City at the Wolves Den was regularly updated on the display.

As the boys game approached overtime, the crowd had already started cheering and groaning with every updated score. After the girls left for the locker room, the crowd spilled out onto the floor and the reactions continued with every update from the PA announcer.

Soon, someone had figured out a way of playing the radio broadcast over the speakers.

When the City boys had joined the City girls in the win column, the players, coaches, parents and other supporters of the Lady Wolves let out a collective cheer while the Portage fans were also entertained, but disappointed.

Within the last decade, there have been changes to make the scheduling of sports more equal between the genders, most noticeably in girls basketball.

Whereas in the past, girls would usually have their games relegated to Saturday mornings and other weekday nights, the boys were almost exclusively given the primetime on Friday and Saturday nights.

Now, you will usually find the girls playing at the same time as the boys, more times than not at opposite locations.

The Wolves and La Porte have created a routine of allowing the girls to be the first game of a varsity doubleheader.

I really like the idea of the boys and girls varsity teams playing back-to-back, particularly because it gives the attending fans more bang for their buck.

Most fans don’t begin to show until the final quarter of a junior varsity game, but the attendance generally picks up earlier when a varsity game is being played.

Also, this allows the team playing in the first game to get the support of the team playing the second game for the first half of their game, and then the first team can show their appreciation by sticking around for the second game.

Seeing the City girls standing in the Portage gym cheering for the boys on the radio reminded me of the scene in the movie “Hoosiers” where Dennis Hopper is relegated to his hospital room, listening to his son and the rest of the Hickory Huskers play for the Indiana state championship.

You could tell they would’ve loved to have been at the Wolves Den to cheer on the boys, but their own business had them in Portage.

There really should be more consideration toward making these boys-girls varsity doubleheaders more common place.

Honestly, I think it is still kind of unfair to make fans choose — girls or boys?

A lot of the City faithful that don’t get a chance to watch the girls would appreciate the basketball that they are playing.

Let them have two-for-the-price of one.

Contact sports writer Drew White at dwhite@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 447.

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/high-school...6a54ecb177.html

The Times Girls Basketball Top 10

* Story
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The Times Girls Basketball Top 10

Posted: Thursday, December 9, 2010 9:45 pm | No Comments Posted

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(Last week's ranking in parentheses)

1. Michigan City (2) 5-0

The Wolves have seen production from the offense, the defense, the seniors, the sophomores and held their own in the early games of the Duneland Conference schedule. The next three games -- Chesterton, Merrillville and Crown Point -- will help write the story of Michigan City's season.

2. Hobart (4) 7-1

Without Northern Illinois-bound Amanda Corral, the Brickies aren't just a player short, they've got points, enthusiasm and momentum sitting on the bench with crutches. So far, OK for Hobart, but surviving tall, athletic Andrean next week will show how the remaining seniors can perform.

3. Crown Point (5) 7-0

This is the part of the season that has turned the tide on successful Bulldogs programs in the past five years. If C.P. can survive the meat grinder of Lake Central, Valparaiso and Michigan City before hitting the winter break, then a 10-0 start is no longer a dream.

4. Merrillville (1) 4-2

The Pirates lost for the first time in the regular season since Feb. 5, 2009, which also marks the last time the team lost consecutive games. Merrillville can't forget what made them so good last year, and that was simply the will to win, no matter the adversity.

5. West Side (6) 6-0

As the first region team to introduce the Aussies travel team to Northwest Indiana basketball, the Cougars put out a welcome wagon of speed and height. That's what opponents will see all season when facing West Side.

6. Chesterton (8) 4-2

Chesterton's 1-2 punch has proven it has the supporting cast to pull off the big wins. The decrowning of Merrillville was huge in the DAC rumble this season, and with Michigan City on the docket, every part of the Trojans' battering ram will need to show up.

7. Boone Grove (9) 6-1

The Wolves powerhouse continues to produce, and the Porter County Conference doesn't have the horses to compete. The schedule will keep Boone Grove on top for a while, especially as the team is on a respite until Tuesday.

8. Andrean (7) 4-3

The 59ers have shown ups and downs and Sybil behavior already in the young season. They can play good enough to be a sectional champ or just enough to lose. With Griffith on the grind next, who will be in Andrean unis?

9. Roosevelt (10) 6-1

The Panthers have a ton of skill and a schedule that allows that to show off. They'll be holding on to this winning record with more sub-.500 teams on the docket through the holiday.

10. Calumet (NR) 5-3

Without the prolific scorers of the past, the Warriors have quietly kept pace with their tough schedule, beating Gavit and opening the season with a 2-0 lead in the GSSC.

On the bubble: Morgan Twp. (8-0), River Forest (5-3), E.C. Central (7-1), Gavit (5-3), Griffith (4-3), Hanover Central (3-3).

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/high-school...6a54ecb177.html

The Times Girls Basketball Top 10

* Story
* Discussion

The Times Girls Basketball Top 10

Posted: Thursday, December 9, 2010 9:45 pm | No Comments Posted

Font Size:
Default font size
Larger font size

*
*

(Last week's ranking in parentheses)

1. Michigan City (2) 5-0

The Wolves have seen production from the offense, the defense, the seniors, the sophomores and held their own in the early games of the Duneland Conference schedule. The next three games -- Chesterton, Merrillville and Crown Point -- will help write the story of Michigan City's season.

2. Hobart (4) 7-1

Without Northern Illinois-bound Amanda Corral, the Brickies aren't just a player short, they've got points, enthusiasm and momentum sitting on the bench with crutches. So far, OK for Hobart, but surviving tall, athletic Andrean next week will show how the remaining seniors can perform.

3. Crown Point (5) 7-0

This is the part of the season that has turned the tide on successful Bulldogs programs in the past five years. If C.P. can survive the meat grinder of Lake Central, Valparaiso and Michigan City before hitting the winter break, then a 10-0 start is no longer a dream.

4. Merrillville (1) 4-2

The Pirates lost for the first time in the regular season since Feb. 5, 2009, which also marks the last time the team lost consecutive games. Merrillville can't forget what made them so good last year, and that was simply the will to win, no matter the adversity.

5. West Side (6) 6-0

As the first region team to introduce the Aussies travel team to Northwest Indiana basketball, the Cougars put out a welcome wagon of speed and height. That's what opponents will see all season when facing West Side.

6. Chesterton (8) 4-2

Chesterton's 1-2 punch has proven it has the supporting cast to pull off the big wins. The decrowning of Merrillville was huge in the DAC rumble this season, and with Michigan City on the docket, every part of the Trojans' battering ram will need to show up.

7. Boone Grove (9) 6-1

The Wolves powerhouse continues to produce, and the Porter County Conference doesn't have the horses to compete. The schedule will keep Boone Grove on top for a while, especially as the team is on a respite until Tuesday.

8. Andrean (7) 4-3

The 59ers have shown ups and downs and Sybil behavior already in the young season. They can play good enough to be a sectional champ or just enough to lose. With Griffith on the grind next, who will be in Andrean unis?

9. Roosevelt (10) 6-1

The Panthers have a ton of skill and a schedule that allows that to show off. They'll be holding on to this winning record with more sub-.500 teams on the docket through the holiday.

10. Calumet (NR) 5-3

Without the prolific scorers of the past, the Warriors have quietly kept pace with their tough schedule, beating Gavit and opening the season with a 2-0 lead in the GSSC.

On the bubble: Morgan Twp. (8-0), River Forest (5-3), E.C. Central (7-1), Gavit (5-3), Griffith (4-3), Hanover Central (3-3).

[Southsider2k12]

Lady Wolves fall to Chesterton for their first loss of the season 60-54, but they lacked Gigi Moore who is hurt, and might be out a while.

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.post-trib.com/sports/highschool...hs-1211.article

Trojans hang on to defeat Wolves
Gorman's big shot helps stem MC rally
December 11, 2010BY STEVE T. GORCHES, (219) 648-3141 OR SGORCHES@POST-TRIB.COM, BLOGS.POST-TRIB.COM/GORCHES
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CHESTERTON -- When the game's in doubt, go with the hot hand.

And in the second half of Friday's Duneland Conference game between Chesterton and Michigan City, Lindsay Gorman was definitely on fire.

With just under four minutes left and the Trojans clinging to a two-point lead, Gorman drained a 3-pointer from just to the right of the top of the key, extending the lead to five as Chesterton hung on for a 64-56 victory and its second straight win over a previously undefeated conference opponent.

But it was the way that the play in which Gorman hit the key trey developed that was unique.

Instead of point guard Brooke Gardner bringing the ball up up the court, it was Gorman.

Then, after surveying the situation, she stopped about two inches behind the 3-point line, tossed up another long range bomb, and hit nothing but nylon for a perfect night.

She was 6-of-6 from 3-point range for 20 points.

"We were trying to look to Claire (Holba) in the post, but she was well-guarded and nobody came up to guard me," Gorman said. "If other teams try to shut down Claire and Brooke -- and rightfully so -- someone needs to step up. Brooke did a great job of getting me the ball."

Holba knew it was the right decision.

"She was wide open and I wasn't," Holba said. "She was on fire tonight. She stays after practice and shoots a lot of 3s."

And it showed Friday as she made her threes from everywhere -- left corner, right corner, left elbow, right elbow, top of the key.

It was a huge boost to a Chesterton (5-2, 3-1 DAC) team that jumped out to a 16-3 lead, but gradually let Michigan City back in the game.

"It's not just the Brooke and Claire show all the time," Chesterton coach Jack Campbell said. "Other kids have to step up and make shots."

Holba still led the team in scoring with 21, while Gardner had 10 points, six assists and five steals.

Needing to focus on guarding a trio of scorers was just too much for the Wolves (5-1, 3-1).

"We did some good things in the first half," MC coach Mike Megyese said. "The kids did a good job of battling back. There were just some situations where our youth showed up."

Michigan City was playing its first game without senior standout Angelique Moore, who was hobbling around on crutches on the sidelines after injuring her foot in the Valparaiso game.

Sophomore guard Toni Murphy led Michigan City with 19 points, while fellow sophomore Keshyana Cooper provided a spark off the bench with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/20...d0934404086.txt

City gets it

City’s girls basketball coach Mike Megyese, Aubria Smith (12) and Wolves’ fans react to Tica Murphy’s 3-pointer that secured the win in the last seconds against Crown Point on Friday. Photo by Scott Allen

Girls Basketball: Michigan City 51, Crown Point 46
By Drew White
Staff Writer
Published: Saturday, December 18, 2010 5:09 PM CST
MICHIGAN CITY — It was the only 3-pointer the Michigan City girls basketball team made Friday night, but it was a big one.

Sophomore Tica Murphy drained a trey with 6.2 seconds remaining to break a tie and she added two more free throws to ice the victory as the Wolves reclaimed a piece of first place in the Duneland Conference with a 51-46 win over previously undefeated Crown Point at the Wolves Den.

“At the timeout, I looked at her and she looked at me — she’s not a real talkative kid — she just looked at me and smiled and said, ‘I’m good,’” City head coach Mike Megyese said. “I told her to finish it up, and she did.”

Murphy capped off a 9-0 Wolves run to finish the game as City rallied from four down in the fourth quarter. It was the Wolves’ second major run of the game.

The Bulldogs (9-1, 5-1 DAC) used four 3-pointers to jump out to an early 14-2 lead in the first quarter, but the Wolves countered with 10 unanswered and trailed by only two at the end of the first quarter.

The Wolves caught up in the second quarter and took a 28-25 advantage to halftime.

“They do that every game,” Megyese said of Crown Point’s initial burst. “They were on fire. They were hitting everything in sight early on.

“We warned the kids they would come out strong.”

City would stretch its lead to nine in the third quarter at 41-32, but the Bulldogs used a 9-0 run that lasted into the fourth quarter to tie the game up and eventually took a four-point lead at 46-42.

Murphy’s seven points in the fourth quarter held propel City into a 46-46 tie with about one minute to go, setting up her ultimate heroics.

Crown Point shot a disappointing 5-of-14 from the charity stripe. The nine misses represented nine points that Crown Point could have used down the stretch.

Murphy’s shot came out of a timeout with under 15 seconds left after City regained possession after a failed drive.

Bulldog head coach Mike Cronkhite cited free throws and rebounding as two areas of emphasis throughout the week.

“We got beat by a very good basketball team,” Cronkhite said. “We looked good when the ball goes in the basket.

“We needed one stop and one rebound and didn’t get it.”

Crown Point’s Courtney Kvachkoff led all scorers with 22 points, including nine each in the second and third quarters.

Murphy and Keshyana Cooper tied with 12 points to lead the Wolves, who improved to 7-1 overall and 5-1 in the DAC. Jameka Collins had 11 points and Maggie Gondeck added nine.

Cooper also had 12 rebounds.

“This was a game of runs on both sides,” City’s Megyese said. “The bottom line is, the last run is the one that won it for us.

“We beat an excellent team tonight.”

The Bulldogs had averaged 73 points a game heading into Friday night.

“I don’t think we get enough credit for it,” Megyese said of the Wolves’ defense. “We’re not perfect, but we’re getting better and better at it.

“To hold that team to 46, that’s how you beat that team.”

With a Chesterton win over Portage Friday night, a three-way tie atop the DAC exists between the Wolves, Bulldogs, and Trojans. Each holds 5-1 records with one game left in the first half of league play.

“It’s going to be one hell of a ride the rest of the season,” Megyese said.

City wraps up the first run-through of the double round robin Tuesday night when they host rival La Porte at 6 p.m. in the first game of a girls-boys doubleheader.

Contact sports writer Drew White at dwhite@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 447.

[Southsider2k12]

http://heraldargus.com/articles/2010/12/29...16467974478.txt

After two straight victories in Classic, City girls could have showdown

Jameka Collins
By Adam Parkhouse
Staff Writer 1-866-362-2167, Ext. 13869 sports@heraldargus.com
Published: Wednesday, December 29, 2010 5:07 PM CST
SOUTH BEND — Michigan City’s girls basketball team and coach Mike Megyese moved two steps closer Tuesday to what could be an explosive early-season clash of two potential postseason powers.

The Wolves beat Tri-Central, 51-42, and South Bend Clay, 66-24, to win the first two games of pool play in the annual girls basketball South Bend Holiday Classic at Adams High School.

A win today against Mishawaka Marian at noon CST would give City a game against Class 4A power Elkhart Memorial, which also easily won its two pool-play matchups Tuesday.

“(Elkhart Memorial) is an opponent you look for,” Megyese said. “In Northern Indiana, they’re the measuring stick, period. End of discussion.

“Every year, my goal is to get to the state championship. If I can’t win the sectional or beat Elkhart Memorial, then we can’t achieve that goal.”

In Tuesday’s first game, the Wolves (10-1) struggled to a narrower-than-expected win against Class A Tri-Central behind 21 points from Jameka Collins, 18 from Tica Murphy and 11 from Aubria Clifton.

But free throws were a bugaboo for City in that game, a trend that continued in the nightcap for a team normally dependable at the charity stripe. On the day, City connected on just 20-of-44 free throws.

But against Clay, the 9-of-22 performance on freebies didn’t matter. The Wolves overmatched and outplayed the Colonials from the jump.

All nine Wolves who dressed for the game played and grabbed at least two rebounds. Clifton and Collins led a balanced effort with 16 points each and Murphy added 14. Dee Evans and Keshyana Cooper had eight points each.

In the nightcap, City had eight “and-ones,” or a made shot with a foul attached. They converted four of those eight free throws to give them 20 points in those situations, or just four points shy of Clay’s total for the entire game.

“We do talk all the time that we wanna be aggressive and go strong to the basket to make teams foul us,” Megyese said. “Hopefully they’re understanding we want them to be aggressive.”

Megyese also announced afterward that senior captain Gee Gee Moore had a cast removed from her foot and is getting closer to returning to action.

She’s in a walking boot, but Megyese estimates she could return to the court in a couple weeks after rehabbing various ankle and foot injuries.

[Southsider2k12]

A nice recap I got sent from the girls game...

The Lady Wolves beat the Lady Colonials last week by 37 points. Tonight they rested two of their starters and played 4 junior varsity players on varsity tonight. Very nice sportsmanship by the Wolves and a fun night of basketball in the Wolves Den.
City was led by Aubria Clifton with 16, Tica Murphy with 15 and Dee Evans with 8. The Lady Colonials were led in scoring tonight by sophomore Michelle Adeniyi with 12, junior Shawniece Watson with 8 and junior Sasha Gabrich and sophomore Samantha Burrows with 6 points each.

City.....8...31...41...51
Clay....4...15...23...36

City JV won their second game of the year tonight 36-17.

City....13...26...36...36
Clay...05...07...13...17"

[Grammy515]

A nice recap I got sent from the girls game...

Sure would've been nice to have a little coverage of the Lady Wolves win vs Lake Central on Wednesday night. The Times and Post both had nice articles. I didn't expect anything in Thursday's paper but surely this morning there should have been a mention of the game.
The Lady Wolves team has been the most successful program at our high school for quite a few years now and a little respect from the News Dispatch isn't asking too much.
The girls are 15-2 now. Number 1 in DAC. Tomorrow they play another conference foe @ Valpo.

I'm just saying....

[Southsider2k12]

Sure would've been nice to have a little coverage of the Lady Wolves win vs Lake Central on Wednesday night. The Times and Post both had nice articles. I didn't expect anything in Thursday's paper but surely this morning there should have been a mention of the game.
The Lady Wolves team has been the most successful program at our high school for quite a few years now and a little respect from the News Dispatch isn't asking too much.
The girls are 15-2 now. Number 1 in DAC. Tomorrow they play another conference foe @ Valpo.

I'm just saying....

If you are going to games, I would love to see recaps!

[indianamaniac]

The Lady Wolves team has been the most successful program at our high school for quite a few years now and a little respect from the News Dispatch isn't asking too much.

I'm just saying....

Of the 17, and as of this morning, 18 City girls games, the N-D will have covered all but one.

"a little respect from the News-Dispatch" suggests that the N-D has been neglecting the girls team. I beg to differ...

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/high-school...0480723283.html

ALPARAISO | Tica Murphy toted around a Spongebob Squarepants doll during a postgame interview Saturday afternoon, but neither the Michigan City sophomore guard nor her fellow classmates acted their age on the court.

Murphy drained a crucial 3-pointer and sank a pair of free throws in the final 1:47 to give the Times No. 2 Wolves a 51-48 Duneland Athletic Conference win over host Valparaiso.

"She's the biggest money player in the conference," Michigan City coach Mike Megyese said of Murphy, who scored a team-high 21 points. "Nothing stops her."

Classmate Jameka Collins added a pair of steal-and-layup combinations in the fourth, finishing with 15 points for the Wolves (14-2, 8-1)

Of the seven players in the lineup, six are sophomores. Also, the young lineup has had to pick up its game with the absence of senior starter Angelique Moore, who is out with a foot injury.

"They've shown what they can do during crunch time," said Megyese, whose team is tied for first in the DAC with Chesterton. "These girls are cool customers."

Murphy's 3-pointer at 1:47 answered a layup by Valparaiso senior Ariana Paul, and gave the Wolves the lead for good.

"I just wanted to help the team the next time down," Murphy said of her clutch 3. "We just want to win, and we do what we need to do."

The Vikings (5-9, 2-7) almost did enough to pull off the upset, taking the lead two different times in the fourth quarter. After a Wolves turnover with 15 seconds left and two Valpo timeouts, Katherine Berning's buzzer-beating 3-pointer came up short.

Berning and Paul kept Valparaiso in the contest. The junior reserve drained three 3-pointers and converted a conventional 3-point play for 12 points.

"She's a great shooter," Valparaiso head coach Jeanette Gray said of Berning. "She caught my eye when I was still at Highland and she was a freshman. We're just trying to make her comfortable in the varsity game."

That's not an issue for Paul. The senior scored 11 points in the second half, and tied Murphy for game honors with 21. Paul also added five rebounds, three steals and three assists.

"She's got to carry a lot of the load for us," Gray said. "She played great and made some tough plays."

Gray hopes her team can build off this close call.

"That's the best game we've played in a month," Gray said. "We got on them in practice to do the right thing, and we executed about what we wanted to do."

[Grammy515]

Of the 17, and as of this morning, 18 City girls games, the N-D will have covered all but one.

"a little respect from the News-Dispatch" suggests that the N-D has been neglecting the girls team. I beg to differ...

Beg to differ???? Don't beg...it's not becoming. Maybe I should have said THE LADY WOLVES DESERVE MORE RESPECT......would you still "beg to differ" then?
Maybe I'm just biased. But I have been with these sophomores since 6th grade. These are the same girls who were apart of the now defunct MCBA. These are the girls that suffered because the "powers that be" decided to have a "mines' is bigger than yours" contest. (That whole situation w/ the Park and Rec and Studtman/Collin
s/Butler/Falls/Kintzele). REMEMBER THAT?

[indianamaniac]

Beg to differ???? Don't beg...it's not becoming. Maybe I should have said THE LADY WOLVES DESERVE MORE RESPECT......would you still "beg to differ" then?
Maybe I'm just biased. But I have been with these sophomores since 6th grade. These are the same girls who were apart of the now defunct MCBA. These are the girls that suffered because the "powers that be" decided to have a "mines' is bigger than yours" contest. (That whole situation w/ the Park and Rec and Studtman/Collin
s/Butler/Falls/Kintzele). REMEMBER THAT?

Yes, I would still "beg to differ" because I can't really think of a term more suitable that wouldn't sound offensive, and I'm not interested in being offensive.

The Michigan City girls basketball team is an exciting group of girls that I enjoy, no, love following. The sophomores have been outstanding, and the supporting cast has done a stellar job of making up for the loss of two key players.

Mike Megyese is one of the most animated, intriguing, and talented coaches I have ever met. What I love most is that I really feel that there is no place he'd rather be than coaching the Wolves. We need more of those.

There was a time when girls basketball in this town maybe got coverage of four or five games per season, and now to hear you say that they "DESERVE MORE RESPECT" is part laughable, but more offensive than anything. 17 out of 18 games have been covered and extensively written about by the N-D and one game not covered shows a lack of respect to the program? There are other programs that would be more than thrilled with that kind of coverage.

[Grammy515]

Yes, I would still "beg to differ" because I can't really think of a term more suitable that wouldn't sound offensive, and I'm not interested in being offensive.

The Michigan City girls basketball team is an exciting group of girls that I enjoy, no, love following. The sophomores have been outstanding, and the supporting cast has done a stellar job of making up for the loss of two key players.

Mike Megyese is one of the most animated, intriguing, and talented coaches I have ever met. What I love most is that I really feel that there is no place he'd rather be than coaching the Wolves. We need more of those.

There was a time when girls basketball in this town maybe got coverage of four or five games per season, and now to hear you say that they "DESERVE MORE RESPECT" is part laughable, but more offensive than anything. 17 out of 18 games have been covered and extensively written about by the N-D and one game not covered shows a lack of respect to the program? There are other programs that would be more than thrilled with that kind of coverage.

My opinion is part laughable and offensive to u? Well that happens sometimes. I'm a adult,I understand that not everyone will agree with everything I say. It's okay......
I'm glad to know that u're following the team and impressed with the coach.
I feel EVERY PROGRAM should be covered to the NTH degree win or lose, but EVEN MORESO when the program is as successful as this team.(BUT THAT'S JUST ME...)
Like I said my previous post----maybe I'm biased. Yeah....I AM BIASED. I wish the entire community would come out and support them. Cause attendance has been low....(BUT AGAIN THAT'S JUST ME...)