MCHS basketball team raises funds for freshmen uniforms

By Deborah Sederberg
Staff Writer
Published: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 5:08 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — Some customers did a double-take as they entered Culver's Restaurant Monday evening, or as their servers delivered their food to their tables or as they approached a vehicle in line at the drive-thru window.

The servers were junior and senior members of the Michigan City High School basketball team.

Yes, said Coach John Boyd, the players were at Culver's from 5 to 8 p.m. to give back, to serve customers and to give thanks to Culver's owner Larry Fisher, who was making a donation to the basketball program.

The basketball team had tickets to distribute to potential diners. Fisher donated 10 percent of the before-tax check for every diner who presented a ticket that had been handed out by the team.

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"They're earning money to buy uniforms for the freshman basketball team," said Kathy Workman who, with her husband, Greg started a basketball parents' group. "The football team has had a group for years now," Greg said.

"This kind of fund-raiser can save the parents out-of-pocket money," Kathy said. "And it's good for the kids to know they have something to contribute."

A couple of players greeted diners at the door, holding the door for individuals or entire families of diners.

Coach Boyd was happy to participate in the Culver's event. "It's good for the kids," he added.

The team also was selling posters called "The Ball is in Our Court."

The team is pictured in various parts of Judge Richard Stalbrink's Superior Court 2 courtroom, with the coach as judge.

Posters are available from Michigan City High School for $5 each.

It is nice to hear stories like this and know that the players are active in showing their appreciation. Kudos to the Workmans. They have been a part of the Michigan City sports family for years and have offered a lot of hours of time to this dedication. Wish the basketball team the best of luck this season. GO WOLVES !!!

3. Can Michigan City's youth continue to roll in the Duneland Athletic Conference?

Despite having one of the younger teams in the DAC last season, Michigan City lost just twice in conference play, to Chesterton early and to LaPorte in double OT to end the regular season.

The Wolves finished their year with a pair of close losses, hoping their young class of sophomores that dominated offensively learned from that heartbreak.

If they did, the conference goes through M.C. If not, it's anybody's game and can be taken by ...

2. Can the three-way tie in the DAC be broken?

Two of three teams that finished second in the conference -- Crown Point, Chesterton and Merrillville -- will return their top scorers. The Trojans lost the talent of Times Player of the Year Claire Holba.

With a new coach at C.P. and rising talent at Merrillville, the three-way tie has the potential to remain the same, only at the very top and not for second place.

Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/columnists/...l#ixzz1bi5CawZ3

Michigan City Wolves
The Wolves tied for fourth with Lake Central with a .500 conference re-cord last season, 12-10 overall. The team has made progress in the first two years un-der head coach John Boyd, with a combined record of 23-20. Although they lack the proven players that teams likes Lake Central and Merrillville have, Michigan City will have an opportunity to finish above .500 and compete for a slot in the top half of the con-ference standings.
Taylor Lavery and Jabbar Washington lead the senior class for Michigan City. The Wolves had a flare for the dramatic last sea-son, winning three games in overtime. They pulled off a 55-54 upset over Valparaiso on Feb. 25, and went a combined 7-0 against LaPorte, Chesterton and Portage. The 2011-2012 campaign cranks up with five straight road games before they finally come home on Dec. 16 against Crown Point.

Michigan City Wolves
The Michigan City Wolves are the defending conference champions after going 12-2 in the DAC and 19-3 overall during the 2010-2011 season. The Lady Wolves were upstaged in the sectional opener at the hands of Chesterton 61-58.
Last year‟s team thrived on its lock-down defense, allowing a conference
fewest 45.5 points per game. Last year‟s leading scorer, Toni Murphy, will return for her junior season. Murphy, who averaged 14.7 points per game, leads a talented junior class that also includes fellow guard Jameka Collins (10.6 ppg), forward Keshyana Cooper (8.1 ppg) and guard/forward Abria Clifton (7.8 ppg).
With the damage that this class was able to do as sophomores last year, it is clear that Michigan City will be a Duneland front-runner for the next two years. Head coach Mike Megyese is 34-12 in his first two years with the school. The Wolves open the season on Nov. 11 by hosting South Bend Adams, with conference play starting on Nov. 18 at Lake Central.

Junior core gives Wolves big hopes

Michigan City’s Jameka Collins goes up for a layup during a game with La Porte last season at the Wolves Den. Collins, along with classmates Tica Murphy, Keshyana Cooper and Aubria Clifton have the Wolves thinking big things this season. Photo by Robb Quinn
By Drew White
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, November 9, 2011 5:06 PM CST
MICHIGAN CITY – A year removed from 19 wins and a Duneland Conference championship, Michigan City High School head coach Mike Megyese wants more out of his Wolves this season.

As a coach who already has a state championship on his coaching resume, Megyese has lofty aspirations.

“If they work hard, do their job everyday, and listen to what we tell them, have no excuses, and just believe that they can do it – this team can go a long way,” Megyese said. “They just have to play basketball with no excuses and give 100 percent everyday. The sky is the limit.”

City lost a pair of frontcourt regulars in Gee Gee Moore and Maggie Gondeck, but return four regular starters from last year’s 19-4 squad.

*
The Wolves will likely feature a three-guard line up led by junior tandem Toni Murphy and Jameka Collins, along with freshman newcomer Michal Miller.

Murphy averaged 14.3 points per game last season, including a 30 point effort against Chesterton. Collins is one of the Wolves’ top defenders and and averaged 11.2 ppg a year ago.

Miller is expected to make an immediate impact on the City lineup.

“She’s got some work to do on defensive execution and fundamentals, but she’s got really good offensive skills,” Megyese said. “She can get to the basket and she’s not afraid.

“She’s got the basic skills, now it’s just a matter now of refining everything. She listens, pays attention, and does what we ask her to do.”

Junior Keshyana Cooper, City’s leading rebounder from a year ago, will team up with classmate Aubria Clifton to form the City frontcourt. Cooper averaged 9.5 ppg a year ago.

The junior quartet, once considered young, provide a solid City nucleus for the next two campaigns.

“You’ve got a shooting guard, you’ve got a guard that powers to the basket, you’ve got a shooting forward from the left side, and you’ve got an extremely athletic center/forward,” Megyese said. “We’ve got four kids that just give us different things. If a couple of our freshmen live up to the potential that I think they can, you’ve got to stop five.”

The first two off the bench will include junior Aubria Smith and freshman Cheyanne Gerron.

The Wolves went 12-2 in winning the DAC last season, three games ahead of a second place logjam of Chesterton, Crown Point, and Merrillville at 9-5. Their postseason lasted just one game, falling to eventual sectional champion and regional finalist Chesterton in the Portage Sectional quarterfinals, 61-58.

Megyese believes the quick exit won’t rest in the minds of his returners during the regular season, but should provide extra motivation come sectional time.

“I don’t think they’re going to worry about it over the first half of the season,” he said. “When that drawing comes, they’re going to say, ‘We don’t want a repeat.”

With no seniors on the roster, Megyese has his eyes set on immediate results but knows that the next two years should be pretty exciting at the Wolves Den.

“The roster isn’t going to change too much next year,” Megyese said. “We don’t plan on waiting for next year.”

Wolves roll to road win at Lake Central

Michigan City’s Tica Murphy puts up a shot over a Lake Central defender during Friday’s game in St. John, Ind. Photo by Robb Quinn

By Drew White
Staff Writer
Published: Saturday, November 19, 2011 5:06 PM CST
ST. JOHN, Ind. — Typically, having an opponent go on an 18-2 run to end a game would be reason for concern.

For the Michigan City girls basketball team Friday night, it was just the matter of winning by 27 or 11.

The Wolves opened their defense of the Duneland Conference championship with a 70-59 win over Lake Central in St. John in impression fashion.

“The bottom line is, everybody that was at the game knows this wasn’t an 11-point game,” Michigan City coach Mike Megyese said. “It became a good, old-fashioned butt whipping. I’m glad that we were on the up side of that.”

The Indians rallied against an emptied City bench, scoring many of their points from the foul line.

Wolves sophomore Toni Murphy scored a game-high 28 points, including an 11-for-12 effort from the free throw line. She was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field in the second half.

“Tonight, Toni Murphy showed why she is one of the best guards in the area,” Megyese said. “You saw how she controlled the game out there. We wanted the ball in her hands and she got it done.”

City held an 11-point lead at halftime at 30-19 and slowed down the tempo of the game in the third quarter, building the lead to 14. The Wolves went on a 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter and had outscored the Indians 22-7 to build the lead to 68-41.

“We took it back a little bit and then we went pedal to the metal,” Megyese said of the second half. “We just kind of went for it.”

The Wolves received balanced scoring from the rest of its lineup as Aubria Clifton, Jameka Collins, and Michal Miller each scored 10 points. Keshyana Cooper scored six points, had five blocks, and grabbed six rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

Lake Central’s Jessica Bell scored 12 and Jordan Horan added 8.

Michigan City (2-0, 1-0 DAC), which is ranked 13th in the state in Class 4A, won its DAC opener for the second straight year.

“Lake Central is a team that is going to challenge some teams,” Megyese said. “I’m always worried about the first conference game.

“When you can go on the road and do that in the DAC, you’ve done something.”

Happy Birthday coach John Boyd.

They can win it all

By Drew White
Unwritten No More
Published: Monday, November 21, 2011 11:25 PM CST
The Michigan City girls basketball team can win a state championship in the next two years.

I make that declaration knowing that there are many criticisms that can ultimately come my way as the result of saying it.

I’m not saying they will. I’m not saying they should.

I’m saying they can.

*
Yes, technically any team that enters the Indiana High School Athletic Association’s 20 tournaments throughout the course of a school year can win a state championship. There are just some teams that hold an infinitely better chance of winning a state title than others.

I’m all in on the idea that the Class 4A No. 13 Wolves are among the teams in that group this year. Without a senior on this year’s roster, they should be even more dangerous next year.

Head coach Mike Megyese has been emphatic in his belief that his team is capable of going deep in the tournament.

Winning last year’s Duneland Conference championship meant little to Megyese. He knows that the ultimate measure of a high school basketball team in the state of Indiana lies in postseason success.

He knows what a state championship team looks like. He coached one in 2005.

It’s not that he doesn’t appreciate what the DAC championship meant to the girls on the team or to the school. He just believes that conference titles are the result of doing what you’re supposed to be doing — winning basketball games.

Winning basketball games is something the Michigan City girls basketball program has been doing for the past six years.

Over that time, the Wolves have averaged over 18 wins per season.

In 2008 and 2009, they reached the regional and both times they ran into South Bend Washington and star Skylar Diggins. Those City teams included some pretty spectacular players — Ta’Kenya Nixon, Bianca McGee, and Essence Robinson just to name a few.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t clear the hurdle.

This year’s team is deeper and has as much, if not more, talent than those teams.

The potential is there.

There are probably going to be a few people that will tell me it is unfair to place such expectations on a group of high school girls.

If City loses again in the sectional, I’ll be subjected to the, “So what were you saying about the Wolves winning a state championship?” from colleagues at other newspapers and coaches at other schools.

I’m prepared to deal with whatever comes along.

My greatest fear for this team is based on a column I wrote over the summer regarding an inspirational quote I saw on a sign outside Krueger Middle School.

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right,” read the board.

The girls on this team have to believe they can.

These are good kids that have the chance to do something special. I really hope that each and every one of them realizes just how important they are to one another — and the community.

It’s not a matter of having the talent and ability. They have it.

It’s about them — and Michigan City as a whole — recognizing it.

I don’t think that I have to emphasize just what a basketball state championship could mean to this community.

Believe me.

10. Michigan City (12-10)

Is this the year the John Boyd hiring finally make sense? All the Gary transfers have now graduated except for Taylor Lavery. Another move-in, Ryan Taylor from Crown Point, is getting D-I looks. This could be a make-or-break year in the little city by the lake.

Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/high-school...l#ixzz1eRp1gJcR

City boys ranked #10 in preseason NWI Times basketball poll

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/high-school...bde1964ddb.html

Could that snippet be filled with more condescension? What about the hire doesn't make sense? "Little" city by the lake? Dwarfed by whom? Hammond? Merrillville? Good lord. #inferioritycomplex

WOLVES DROP OPENER

City falls on road despite leading most of the way
By Adam Parkhouse
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, November 23, 2011 11:02 PM CST
EAST CHICAGO, Ind. — Though John Boyd wasn’t privy to the inner workings of East Chicago’s locker room following Wednesday’s season opener, he’s pretty sure he had the mood pegged.

“We’ve got a very excited and jubilant team over there because they beat a team that should not have lost that game,” Boyd said.

City led most of the way but faltered down the stretch, dropping a 55-52 decision at the John A. Baratto Center.

It wasn’t a particularly smooth effort from either team, but City had built a 47-42 lead with 6:13 to play after sophomore Keenan Simmons converted offensive rebounds into baskets on two consecutive possessions.

*
Not moments before, Boyd had lectured his team during a timeout about a lack of second-chance points. In both instances, Simmons was fouled, but he missed the free throw each time.

A couple minutes later, Joshua Ochoa knocked down a 3-pointer to tie the score, 47-47, but on City’s next trip Taylor Lavery turned another offensive rebound into a 3-pointer of his own.

Just 15 seconds later, Ochoa connected again, tying the score at 50-50 but swaying the momentum heavily in East Chicago’s favor.

“You could feel the momentum swinging,” Boyd said. “Their crowd started getting loud.”

With 2:09 to play, Simmons collected yet another offensive rebound and scored, tying the score at 52-52. Unfortunately for the Wolves, they wouldn’t score again.

However, down by three after some Cardinals free throws, City did have one last-ditch chance. The Wolves forced a turnover in the closing seconds and Lavery found himself with a wide open look at a potential game-tying 3-pointer.

However, he missed and two offensive rebound putback attempts for City were also no good as time expired.

“We definitely need to focus more on hitting the boards,” Boyd said, noting the rebounding wasn’t very good through three quarters. “That’s how East Chicago won the game. That’s just a matter of desire.”

City had chances down the stretch to tie or take the lead, but the Wolves just couldn’t execute offensively.

“Every time we tried to get the lead we kept getting a turnover or taking an ill-advised shot,” he said.

There were certainly bright spots. Lavery scored a game-high 13 points and Jabbar Washington came off the bench to score all eight of his points in the first half, including a steal leading to a two-handed dunk that got the visiting crowd stirring.

City won the junior varsity game 31-27. Corey Workman had 11 points.

q

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

EAST CHICAGO 55, MICHIGAN CITY 52

MICHIGAN CITY (0-1)

Whitt 1-2 0-1 2, Jenkins 3-9 2-4 8, Wilson 0-0 0-0 0, Davis 1-6 2-2 4, Taylor 2-7 0-0 5, Lavery 3-7 5-5 13, Washington 4-9 0-0 8, Carlock 1-1 0-0 2, Simmons 4-7 0-2 8, Johnson 1-2 0-1 2. Totals 20-50 9-15 52.

EAST CHICAGO (1-0)

JoOchoa 3-5 3-4 11, Lloyd 0-2 0-0 0, Edwards 2-11 6-6 12, JeOchoa 0-0 0-0 0, Epps 2-3 0-0 4, Brown 2-6 4-6 8, Coleman 2-5 1-3 5, Sells 0-0 0-0 0, Carter 1-4 1-2 3, Burnett 4-5 3-5 12. Totals 16-41 18-26 55.

Michigan City`17`13`11`11`—`52

East Chicago`13`15`11`16`—`55

3-point shooting — Michigan City 3-11 (Lavery 2-4, Taylor 1-5, Jenkins 0-1, Washington 0-1), East Chicago 5-11 (JoOchoa 2-4, Edwards 2-4, Burnett 1-1, Lloyd 0-1, Coleman 0-1). Rebounds — Michigan City 24 (Simmons 5), East Chicago 29 (Coleman 9). Total fouls — Michigan City 24, East Chicago 14. Turnovers — Michigan City 16, East Chicago 20.

1. Michigan City Wolves (3-0, 2-0) Last Week #1

Back in the number one spot in this week’s poll, the Michigan City Wolves are making it look easy. Even a day off for the holiday didn’t stop Michigan City. On Friday the Wolves knocked off Valparaiso 58-33 to pick up their second win in the Duneland Conference. This week it’s a trip to South Bend Clay to take on a 1-3 team, then back home to face a 1-3 Portage squad.

Revealing opener for Wolves

By Adam Parkhouse
Home Cookin'
Published: Monday, November 28, 2011 11:40 PM CST
As soon as I saw the schedule for Michigan City’s 2011-12 boys basketball season, I was concerned.

All those road games to start the season and overall playing 12 of 20 away from the Wolves Den seemed troublesome. Wednesday, the Wolves learned why it can be so difficult to beat a good team on the road.

Before going any further, I can say unequivocally that City should have won that game. Coach John Boyd echoed that sentiment afterward. The Wolves were in control most of the way but failed to extend the lead multiple times when given the opportunity and paid dearly for it in the end.

Missed free throws, untimely turnovers and shaky offensive execution were the main culprits, but the crowd played a part, too.

*
East Chicago’s Joshua Ochoa made two 3-pointers on consecutive trips down the floor, lighting a spark under the seats of the previously dormant EC crowd.

When that second trey splashed through the net to tie the game, you could feel the momentum sway from one side of the court to the other. At that moment, I felt really bad about City’s chances to win the game.

By not extending the lead given numerous opportunities and letting East Chicago be in that game, City left the door open for the home-court advantage to come into play. Now the Wolves are 0-1 because of it.

If not controlling the home crowd was one issue for City in Wednesday’s opener, the lack of a go-to scorer was another.

In my column that appeared in our basketball preview section Wednesday, I pointed out that would be a key for the Wolves this season. At the end of tight games, it’s nice to have a guy you feel comfortable with taking shots at the end of the game.

I do like the makeup of City’s roster. There’s a remarkable blend of size, speed and athleticism. There are shooters and there are bangers. There are good perimeter defenders and intimidating inside presences.

But what there isn’t, at least as far as I can tell, is a go-to scorer.

That’s not to say that a team which has such a player needs to have him or her take every shot down the stretch. But that person commands the attention and respect of the defense, which can leave other players wide open for potential game-winning shots.

I don’t know who that guy can be on this team. There are candidates, to be sure, though I know that’s not exactly Boyd’s style. He likes the way his team is composed and I don’t really blame him. I like it, too.

Make no mistake, though, this certainly can become a persistent issue. Because of the style the Wolves play, they’re going to be in a lot of tight games, so there will be numerous chances to figure this out.

Stakes are high for this team. Given the makeup of other sectional teams, this could be City’s best chance to advance to the regional in a long time.

The pieces are there. It’s all a matter of how they fit together.



Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461. Also, follow @LPCSportsGuy on twitter for live updates from City games.

PORTAGE — When Taylor Lavery passes up a shot attempt, he hears it from the bench.

“Shoot.”

The Michigan City senior guard can’t score if he doesn’t shoot. And the Wolves need him to score.

“We’ve made that obvious to him and the other kids,” Michigan City coach John Boyd said. “He has to be very aggressive in his shot selection.”

Despite missing his first three 3-point attempts Friday, Lavery settled in and scored a game-high 19 points to lead the Wolves to a 56-41 victory over Portage in the Duneland Conference opener for both teams.

“I definitely feel more comfortable with the ball in my hands this year,” Lavery said. “And my teammates have more confidence in my game.

Lavery did it with his defense, too. He had seven steals, directly resulting in three easy buckets.

“Coach has us doing defensive slides in practice and has us working on keeping our hands up and moving,” Lavery said. “It’s all about getting easy steals and easy baskets.”

Michigan City (1-1) built a 10-0 lead and cruised from the get-go. The Wolves held the Indians (0-2) scoreless for the first 6:34 until Michael Lattanzi hit a jumper to snap an 0-for-9 shooting start from the field.

“Defense has been a staple of our program,” Boyd said. “We got into the passing lanes and we rebounded well, holding them to one shot.”

Michigan City built a 29-10 halftime lead and led by as many as 25 in the third quarter.

Sophomore Keenan Simmons added 10 points and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds for Michigan City.

Tyler Gonzalez led Portage with 12 points on four 3-pointers. David Jercha added nine points.

“We’re learning each game,” said Indians coach Rick Snodgrass, noting he has just one player back this year with varsity experience. “I was more pleased in the second half with our execution.”

Did City find its go-to scorer?

By Adam Parkhouse
Home Cookin'
Published: Monday, December 5, 2011 10:12 AM CST
Less than one week later, I may already have an answer to my biggest question surrounding Michigan City boys basketball.

Knee-jerk reaction? Perhaps. I’d accept that. But it’s possible Taylor Lavery could be that go-to guy in City’s offense that I’ve been calling for.

Yeah, I know. The season is only two games old and Lavery has been a bit streaky. But I saw something Friday in the senior guard I hadn’t seen in his previous two seasons: confidence.

Lavery’s a bit of a tough player to figure. I’ve watched this kid shoot in warm-ups a few dozen times, and he never fails to amaze me.

*
I can remember years ago watching La Porte legend Steve Drabyn warm up before a sectional game against Michigan City. The kid never missed.

I kinda get the same feeling watching Lavery. He rarely misses during these pregame sessions. He’s as smooth and as pure a shooter as City has seen in a long, long time.

In games, however, Lavery has struggled to find consistency. For the last two years, he’s played on teams with top scoring options like Alajowon Edwards, James Sanders or Shereff Knight. So, if Lavery missed a couple shots, there weren’t a lot of chances to shoot himself out of it.

Friday, before the Duneland Conference opener against Portage, I again watched Lavery consistently find the bottom of the net. In the first quarter, though, Lavery made just 1-of-5 shots — a fast-break layup — and missed all three of his 3-point tries.

This season is different for Lavery, though. He’s a starter and a relied-upon option. Now, he gets to keep shooting and looking for his shot. The results were important for City: Lavery made seven of his final nine shots on his way to a game-high 19 points.

In doing so, Lavery looked like the player I’ve thought he could be, and even flashed a terrific defensive game. He was jumping in passing lanes, getting deflections and turning turnovers into easy points for City.

But the Wolves have defenders. Whatever they get from Lavery in that department is gravy. The Wolves need offense from No. 23, and on this night at least, he gave it to them. He made open shots, created his own looks with dribble penetration and looked a potentially dominant scorer.

Of course, Portage is far from the most difficult opponent on City’s schedule.

Still, it was great to see some swagger in Lavery’s step. With the trust of the coaching staff behind him, Lavery has the green light offensively, regardless of whether or not his first few shots fall.

Time will tell if Lavery is the Wolves’ down-the-stretch answer. Right now, at least, he looks good for the job.



Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461. Follow him on twitter @LPCSportsGuy.

Boys basketball: Michigan City knocks off Chesterton at the buzzer

By Christian Zavisca Post-Tribune correspondent December 9, 2011 11:24PM

Updated: December 10, 2011 2:02AM


CHESTERTON — It was a game without much offensive rhythm for most of the night, but Michigan City and Chesterton gave fans of both teams a fantastic finish on Friday.

Michigan City’s Ryan Taylor hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the visitors a 47-45 victory, setting off a joyous celebration as his teammates rushed the court to congratulate him.

“When it left his hand, I knew it was going in,” Wolves coach John Boyd said of the 6-foot-2 junior’s game-winner. “Ryan was able to make a big shot.”

Taylor’s heroics were necessary after Chesterton (1-3, 0-2 DAC) mounted a last-minute comeback. The Trojans rallied behind two late 3-pointers by K.J. Zelenika, the second of which tied it at 40 with 1:51 left. Michigan City’s Taylor Lavery, who led all scorers with 16 points, answered with two free throws to put the Wolves ahead 42-40.

Cole Teal responded by scoring in the lane and drawing a foul, with his free throw giving Chesterton a 43-42 lead with 59 seconds left. Lavery answered this time with a bank shot: 44-43 Wolves, 20 seconds to go.

Teal wasn’t done, making another roller in the lane in the closing seconds to give the Trojans a 45-44 advantage. Boyd didn’t call a timeout, counting on his players to get the ball up court quickly and come through.

They did.

“Sometimes you have to have faith in your players,” Boyd said. “You’ve got to believe in them.”

Michigan City (2-1, 2-0) outscored Chesterton 11-2 to close out the first half with a 24-21 advantage.

Lavery scored nine second-quarter points after going scoreless in the first period. In a rough-and-tumble first half, the two teams combined for far more fouls (21) than field goals (13).

Zelenika and KeMonte Price finished with nine points each for Chesterton, and 6-foot-6 freshman Matt Holba had six points and 12 rebounds.

Taylor had 10 points for Michigan City, which was missing starter Jabbar Washington because of injury.

MICHIGAN CITY | Times No. 1 Michigan City just has too much athleticism and aggression.

The Wolves (6-0, 4-0) used speed and tenacious defense to maintain their undefeated record with a 66-37 win over Duneland Athletic Conference rival Chesterton.

The win sets up a matchup with Times No. 2 Merrillville on Tuesday.

At times Friday night, though, Michigan City may have been too anxious. The Wolves racked up 23 team fouls on the night and put the Trojans in the bonus early in both halves.

"We're an aggressive team, but we were overly aggressive," coach Mike Megyese said. "There's some things we had to work on, but overall we did what we had to do to be successful."

Chesterton (2-3, 1-3) was able to stay in the game in the first half by scoring 15 of its 24 points from the charity stripe. They kept the lead around 10 points until a Michigan City run just before the break.

"We probably have more talent than Chesterton does," Megyese said. "But those kids played extremely hard. That's a credit to Jack (Campbell)."

In the second half, though, the Wolves broke the game open and they did it with defense. The Trojans managed only 13 second-half points. Michigan City finished the game with 14 steals.

"We're still going to have to do a better job defensively in our next game," Megyese said.

Tica Murphy did the bulk of the damage for M.C. The junior guard led all scorers with 21 points while directing the offense from the point. Jameka Collins added 12 while Aubria Clifton had 10 points and seven rebounds.

Lindsay Gorman led Chesterton with 15 points.

"We have a few more tricks up our sleeve that we didn't show tonight," Megyese said. "Hopefully those tricks will work on Tuesday."

Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/high-school...l#ixzz1g9JzZmUq

By Al Hamnik al.hamnik@nwi.com, (219) 933-4154 | Posted: Tuesday,
Jonathan Miano | The Times

Merrillville senior Edward Seay blocks the shot of Highland senior Nick Hardrict during Merrillville's 66-58 win over Highland on Friday at Highland.

Merrillville senior Edward Seay and Highland senior Nick Hardrict
Merrillville boys basketball player Edward Seay

No. 6 Merrillville 48, Michigan City 47

Edward Seay scored nine of 13 points in the second half.

MERRILLVILLE | They say close is for horseshoes, but coaches T.J. Lux of Merrillville and Michigan City's John Boyd would love to have some breathing room in their basketball games this season.

Two Edward Seay free throws with 1.8 seconds remaining Tuesday night lifted Lux's Pirates to another nailbiter, 48-47, against the Duneland Athletic Conference rival Wolves.

Merrillville (3-3, 2-1) is now 3-2 in games decided by nine points or less.

Michigan City (2-3, 2-1) is 1-3 in games decided by three points or less.

"It was huge with a capital H-U-G-E," Lux said. "It was sloppy but we're still finding our way. We've let some leads slip away except for the Andrean game.

"Tonight, Jelani Pruitt stepped up the second half with some big points so it was huge to find another scorer. Seay absolutely stepped with those free throws at the end. He did what senior players are supposed to do."

Seay had nine of his 13 points in the second half, seven coming in the final period. Zoran Talley had 11 for the game and Pruitt added eight.

Merrillville finished 10-for-17 at the line, but was 3-of-9 in the middle two quarters.

Michigan City, losing its eighth in a row to Merrillville, was led by Taylor Lavery's 12 points. Keenan Simmons grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

Both teams had great difficulty hanging on to the basketball, with Merrillville having 25 turnovers and Michigan City 29.

Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/high-school...l#ixzz1gWqtBrLC

MERRILLVILLE — One down, two to go. At least that’s how many times the players and coaches of the Merrillville and Michigan City girls basketball teams assume they will meet.

Twice in Duneland Conference play and again in a tough sectional.

Why shouldn’t they assume that? Both teams were undefeated after about a month of the campaign. Both were ranked in the state coaches poll — Merrillville at No. 7 and MC at No. 10. Both were at the top of local media polls.

And Round 1 went to the Pirates as they used a 13-0 second-quarter run to build a double-digit lead and hold off every Wolves comeback attempt for a 76-71 victory.

“It’s just Round 1 to them,” MC coach Mike Megyese said. “Hopefully we’ll play better the next time.”

Actually, it wasn’t necessarily that his defending conference champs didn’t play well.

There were some lapses for the Wolves (6-1, 4-1 DAC) — some foul trouble in the first half, missed free throws in the second half — but the Pirates were just the better team on Tuesday night.

Megyese admitted it and the Merrillville (8-0, 5-0) players wanted to prove it.

“We were pumped because the newspapers had them No. 1 and they were undefeated,” said Pirates senior guard Raveen Murray, who led all scorers with 22 points. “We wanted to prove we’re the best in the area.”

So far, so good.

And Murray was the catalyst, not just because of her scoring. She had three assists, including a couple nice dishes to freshman Victoria Gaines underneath for easy layups, and she made 5 of 6 free throws in the second half to help prevent a Michigan City comeback.

“She’s a senior and she needs to step up,” Merrillville coach Amy Govert said. “When we needed a big basket, the ball needs to be in her hands.”

Other big shots came from fellow senior Jasmyne Miller, who had 12 points, six of them on three fourth-quarter baskets. It seemed whenever MC would hit a big shot in an attempt to steal away momentum — such as the three 3-pointers by Michal Miller and Jameka Collins in the final quarter — Miller was there for a layup or short bunny to quiet the home crowd.

“We’re resilient — that’s what I like about this team,” Govert said. “I told them they needed to keep their composure. They did a good job of not getting their heads down.”

Gaines added 21 points and 10 rebounds for Merrillville. Miller and Toni Murphy led MC with 18 points each, while Keshyana Cooper added 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Building a rivalry

City's Keshyana Cooper (left) goes to the basket in the lane over a South Bend Clay defender on Nov. 29 in South Bend. Photo by Robb Quinn
City and Merrillville enter tonight's showdown tied atop the Duneland Conference and with Top Ten rankings
By Drew White
Staff Writer
Published: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 3:59 PM CST
MICHIGAN CITY — Besides the fact that the Merrillville and Michigan City girls basketball teams enter tonight’s showdown at the Wolves Den ranked No. 7 and No. 10 in the state in Class 4A, respectively, the Pirates and Wolves have built somewhat of a rivalry over the past two years.

“The rivalry is there because whenever you have two great teams, there is respect that goes along with that,” Michigan City head coach Mike Megyese said. “We very much respect Merrillville and what they bring to the table and I truly feel that they respect us as well.”

The two teams represent the last six years of Duneland Conference championships with City winning last year as well as 2008-09, 2007-08, and 2006-07. Merrillville won in 2005-06 as well as 2009-10, which is also the same year the Pirates reached the IHSAA Class 4A title game.

That season two years ago, Merrillville beat City three times — once in overtime during the regular season and the final time coming in the opening round of the Valparaiso Sectional.

*
Last season, the Wolves swept the season series winning by 22 points in Merrillville and 18 in Michigan City.

Michigan City enters the game averaging a 31-point margin of victory in its six wins while Merrillville has won its seven games by a margin of 26.9 points per game.

“Both teams are deeper than they were in the last two years,” Megyese said. “Merrillville plays very well on defense and we’re going to have to be disciplined on offense.”

The Pirates (7-0, 4-0 DAC) have received more votes in the Class 4A poll, likely by virtue of a 57-42 victory over then-No. 2 ranked Elkhart Memorial. Their resume also includes a 71-27 defeat of Chesterton and 57-30 win over La Porte last Friday.

They are led by senior Raveen Murray, who enters Tuesday’s game averaging 15.6 point per game. Freshman Victoria Gaines is averaging just a shade behind Murray with a 14.9 ppg clip.

“They are very similar to us,” Megyese said of the Pirates. “From scoring per game to the defense per game to the Sagarin ratings to the state rankings, we mirror each other.”

City enters with a starting five that is each averaging in double digits scoring per game. The Wolves are led by Toni Murphy’s 20 ppg, followed by 12.67 ppg from Jameka Collins and 11.5 ppg from Keshyana Cooper. Freshman Michal Miller is averaging 10.3 ppg and Aubria Clifton in averaging 10.0 ppg.

Megyese says that the priority for the Wolves will be taking care of the basketball.

“There are times where we are giving up the basketball too much,” Megyese said. “We need to make sure that we know every possession is very important.

“Everytime we have the basketball, we need to make sure we do something good with it.”

With first place in the DAC up for grabs, Tuesday night should provide a postseason-type atmosphere, despite a lot of basketball being left in the regular season.

“It’s going to be great, high quality basketball,” Megyese said. “It’s going to be exciting and fun.”

The junior varsity game begins at 6 p.m., followed by the varsity game at approximately 7:30 p.m.

Wolves suffer another close loss

By Adam Parkhouse
Staff Writer
1-866-362-2167, Ext. 13869
sports@heraldargus.com
Published: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 5:06 PM CST
MERRILLVILLE — John Boyd knew the first quarter of the season could be tough for his Michigan City boys basketball team.

Opening the campaign with five straight road games is no picnic and is made even more stressful when four of those games are decided by a total of eight points.

Unfortunately for the Wolves, three of those four tight games have no wound up in the loss column. Yet another stellar defensive effort was wasted Tuesday when City lost at Merrillville, 48-47. It was the Wolves’ first loss in Duneland Conference play.

“I always say you never lose, you learn,” Boyd said. “One thing that’s happening with my team is they’re growing up and getting mighty strong mentally with the way things have been happening this season.”

City’s three losses have now come by a combined six points, including a season-opening three-point loss at East Chicago and a two-point, double overtime defeat at Gary West Side.

Much like those first two losses, at various points throughout the game, City appeared to be on the way to victory.

After a sloppy first quarter, City trailed 11-6. But a 6-0 run to start the second quarter gave the Wolves the lead as the Pirates went cold, missing six shots and committing five turnovers during the mini run. That helped City take an 18-15 lead after two quarters that nearly saw as many turnovers (28) as points (33).

In the third, City started to push away, leading by five midway through the period. But after a missed Wolves layup, Merrillville converted the rebound into two fastbreak points on the other end, a four-point swing setting the tone for the rest of the game. The Wolves led by one heading into the fourth.

A 3-pointer from Zoran Talley, three-point play from Edward Seay and another trey from Talley helped the Pirates build a six-point lead with 5:35 to play, the largest of the game for either team.

City chipped away at the lead, pulling to within one on a Taylor Lavery running bank shot with 3:06 left.

Later, City trailed 46-41 with 1:34 to go but got a three-point play from Lavery to pull to within two.

Then, a steal from Darius Jenkins led to a fastbreak layup from Lawrence Davis, knotting the score at 46-46 with 1:11 left.

With 15.9 seconds to play, Lavery was fouled on an inbounds pass and went to the line with a chance to give City the lead.

He did, but split the two attempts, making the score 47-46.

On the next possession, the Pirates went inside to their 6-7 senior center, Seay. He put up an awkward shot in the lane but a foul was called on Davis.

Seay calmly stroked both freebies (he was 5-of-5 from the free throw line in the game) and Jenkins’ half-court heave at the buzzer slammed hard off the backboard before ricocheting harmlessly to the floor.

Afterward, Boyd talked about the weight of preseason expectations on his team.

“We were under the radar last year and now we’re on the radar,” he said. “We’ve gotta step to the plate and hit that fastball and the ball is just coming at us a lot faster than we expected right now.”

City finally gets to play its home opener Friday against Crown Point.

The Wolves’ junior varsity squad lost its second straight, 44-34.