IBCA/Franciscan Health POW Week 12

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                         Contact: Brandon Bradley, 260-580-4799

Jan. 23, 2024                                                                Coordinator, Player of the Week

Huerta Rips the Nets in Week-12 of the IBCA/Franciscan Health Player of the Week Program

            Week-12 of the IBCA/Franciscan Health Player of the Week program saw a variety of unique accomplishments achieved. We had a hot-shooting performance from outside, a dominant performance in the paint, a triple-double (and nearly two), a 2000-point scorer crowned, plus a player helping their program to their fifth win in a row. All in all, six upperclassmen were selected for the weekly award.

            South Bend St. Joseph Junior Chase Konieczny, Wheeler Senior Abby Ordonez, Carroll (Flora) Senor Chris Huerta, Brownsburg Junior Avery Gordon, Evansville Christian Senior Josiah Dunham, and South Spencer Senior Molly Schulte are being honored for Jan. 15-Jan. 20 in the recognition program coordinated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. Konieczny is the boy’s recipient and Ordonez is the girls’ recipient in District-1. Huerta and Gordon are the boys’ and girls’ winners, respectively, in District-2. Dunham won the boys’ award, while Schulte won the girls’ award, for District-3.

            South Bend St. Joseph had a nice week, picking up a big 48-46 win at 2023 Class 3A State Champion NorthWood on Tuesday night, only to follow that up with a convincing 77-50 road win at Northern Indiana Conference rival Elkhart Thursday evening. St. Joe Junior Chase Konieczny was key in both wins, as he has been most of the season. Tuesday against NorthWood, the 6-4 guard posted his first double-double of the week, scoring 17 points and pulling down 12 rebounds in the win. He buried four 3-pointers as well. Thursday at Elkhart, the Junior guard was even better, scoring 25 points, including a perfect 7-7 performance from the charity stripe. He added 10 rebounds for another double-double, plus he chipped in 2 assists and 2 steals for good measure.

            Wheeler hasn’t posted a winning season since 2011-2012, but they have had a lot to get excited about recently, winning six of their last seven games, including five in a row. Senior Abby Ordonez stepped it up last week, helping the Bearcats to two of those wins. Wednesday, in a Greater South Shore Conference game against Calumet, the 5-4 guard scored 23 points on an efficient 9-13 shooting, including a 3-5 performance from beyond the arc. She played a nice all-around game, adding 8 assists, 7 steals, and 2 rebounds, as the Bearcats won by a wide margin. They returned to the floor against Bishop Noll on Saturday, taking care of the Warriors, 48-39. In this matchup, Ordonez posted a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds, she was again solid shooting it with a 6-11 outing (2-4 from deep), plus she dished out 6 assists and collected 2 steals in another big conference victory.

            In his lone game last week, Carroll (Flora) Senior Chris Huerta was dialed in and set a couple of school records. In a 74-60 win against Faith Christian, the 5-8 guard buried 11-17 shots from 3-point range (17-31 overall), scoring a whopping 46 points for the Cougars. Huerta set program records for points in a game and made 3-pointers in a game, the latter of which he had previously set earlier this season. Additionally, the Senior guard added 4 rebounds and 2 assists to his effort.

            For as good as Huerta was outside, Brownsburg Junior Avery Gordon was equal to the task on the interior for the Bulldogs. Brownsburg opened its week with an 85-53 win at Pike on Tuesday night. They followed that up with a hard-fought, 59-57 overtime victory against Hoosier Crossroads Conference foe Westfield on Friday evening. Saturday was the easiest of the three, handling Terre Haute North with relative ease. Versus Pike, the 6-6 post managed 25 points on 10-13 shooting, including 5-6 from the free throw line, eclipsing the 1000-point mark for her career. She added 7 rebounds and 2 assists to her tally. In Friday’s overtime thriller against Westfield, Gordon scored 41 points on 20-29 shooting from the field. She pulled in 12 rebounds for a double-double, plus she added an assist and a blocked shot. In limited minutes Saturday against Terre Haute North, the Purdue University commit posted another double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds in limited action. She also blocked 3 shots against the Patriots.

            Evansville Christian Senior Josiah Dunham has had a fantastic career, and in their only game last week, a 56-47 win at Southridge on Saturday, the 6-1 guard reached the 2000-point plateau. The Eagles picked up a huge win against a good Raider team, and Dunham was strong once again. The Senior guard scored 27 points, including a 5-9 shooting performance from deep, plus he pulled in 6 caroms, handed out 6 assists, and collected 6 steals in the triumph.

            South Spencer Senior Molly Schulte helped her squad to a pair of victories last week, both of which were Pocket Conference successes. Tuesday, in a 67-56 win against two-time defending Class 2A State Champion Forest Park, the 5-7 guard was 10-14 from the field, 1-1 from deep, and 6-8 from the free throw line, scoring 27 points in the win. Schulte put together a nice all-around game, grabbing 8 rebounds, handing out 10 assists, securing 3 steals, and blocking a pair of shots. Thursday, in a lopsided win at Tell City, the Senior guard posted just the second triple-double in school history, boys or girls. In limited action, Schulte still managed to score 13 points, collect 12 rebounds, hand out 10 assists, and pick off 3 steals.

            This is the 16^th season for the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Week program, and the fourth season it is being presented by Franciscan Health, a corporate sponsor of the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.

            Player of the Week winners are chosen each week from each of the IHSAA’s three districts. Girls’ winners will be chosen through the Monday following the IHSAA Girls State Finals. Boys’ winners will be chosen through the Monday following the IHSAA Boys State Finals.

 2023-24 Weekly Winners

            Oct. 30-Nov. 4: District-1 girls: Tenley Davis, Chesterton. District-2 girls: Avery Gordon, Brownsburg. District-3 girls: Hadley Crosier, Lanesville.

            Nov. 6-Nov. 11: District-1 girls: Ava Ziolkowski, Crown Point. District-2 girls: Kayla Lacombe, Arsenal Technical. District-3 girls: Chloe Spreen, Bedford North Lawrence.

            Nov. 13-Nov. 18: District-1 girls: Samantha Redinger, Argos, and Gracyn Gilliard, Munster. District-2 girls: Kaycie Warfel, Pendleton Heights. District-3 girls: Audrey Annee, Center Grove.

            Nov. 20-Nov. 25: District-1 boys: Bryce Wilcox, Southwood. District-1 girls: Brooke Zartman, Warsaw. District-2 boys: Brady Koehler, Cathedral. District-2 girls: Lillie Graves, McCutcheon. District-3 boys: Kasym Nash, Borden. District-3 girls: Madalynn Shirley, Evansville Central.

            Nov. 27-Dec. 2: District-1 boys: Tyler Parrish, Chesterton. District-1 girls: Sadie Marks, South Central (Union Mills). District-2 boys: Damien King, Anderson. District-2 girls: Maya Layton, Faith Christian. District-3 boys: Trent Sisley, Heritage Hills. District-3 girls: Gabby Spink, Gibson Southern.

            Dec. 4-Dec. 9: District-1 boys: Sam Essegian, Whitko. District-1 girls: Kenedi Bradley, Chesterton. District-2 boys: Braylon Mullins, Greenfield-Central. District-2 girls: Jaylah Lampley, Lawrence Central. District-3 boys: Aydan Head, Henryville. District-3 girls: Julia Meyer, Jac-Cen-Del.

            Dec. 11-Dec. 16: District-1 boys: Jack Smiley, Valparaiso. District-1 girls: Kahlen Robinson, Bowman Academy. District-2 boys: Josiah Cox, Tri. District-2 girls: Maya Makalusky, Hamilton Southeastern. District-3 boys: Joshua Renfro, Christian Academy. District-3 girls: Brynn Owens, Austin.

            Dec. 18-Dec. 23: District-1 boys: John Malchow, Winamac Community. District-1 girls: Gracyn Gilliard, Munster. District-2 boys: Philip Randolph, Indianapolis International. District-2 girls: Jacklynn Hosier, Alexandria-Monroe. District-3 boys: Josiah Dunham, Evansville Christian. District-3 girls: Brooklynn Renn, Silver Creek.

            Dec. 25-Dec. 30: District-1 boys: Josiah Ball, Maconaquah. District-1 girls: Addison Baxter, Columbia City. District-2 boys: Julius Gizzi, New Palestine. District-2 girls: Reagan Wilson, Noblesville, and Olivia Nickerson, Twin Lakes. District-3 boys: Blake Neill, Bloomfield. District-3 girls: Juliann Woodard, Jennings County.

            Jan. 1-Jan. 6: District-1 boys: Ashton Federspiel, Norwell. District-1 girls: Lillian Barnes, Valparaiso. District-2 boys: Nolan Swan, Tipton. District-2 girls: Laniah Wills, Lapel. District-3 boys: Malachi McNair, Evansville Harrison. District-3 girls: Chloey Graham, Gibson Southern.

            Jan. 8-Jan. 13: District-1 boys: Jack Rodgers, Culver Community. District-1 girls: Samantha Redinger, Argos. District-2 boys: Braylon Mullins, Greenfield-Central. District-2 girls: Lillie Graves, McCutcheon. District-3 boys: Deion Edwards, Springs Valley. District-3 girls: Ella Bobe, South Knox.

            Jan. 15-Jan. 20: District-1 boys: Chase Konieczny, South Bend St. Joseph. District-1 girls: Abby Ordonez, Wheeler. District-2 boys: Chris Huerta, Carroll (Flora). District-2 girls: Avery Gordon, Brownsburg. District-3 boys: Josiah Dunham, Evansville Christian. District-3 girls: Molly Schulte, South Spencer.