IBCA/Franciscan Players of the Week - Week 3

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

Nov. 21, 2023                                                               Coordinator, Player of the Week

Week-3 of the IBCA/Franciscan Health Player of the Week Program Highlighted by Co-Winners in District-1

            As the boys’ season gets underway this week, the girls’ season seems to already be in full-swing. Several ladies are lighting up scoreboards every night of the week, and it has become difficult to pick winners in the three districts each week. This time, four ladies have been selected as Week-3 recipients due to their standout play in each of their respective districts.

            Argos Senior Samantha Redinger, Munster Sophomore Gracyn Gilliard, Pendleton Heights Junior Kaycie Warfel, and Center Grove Senior Audrey Annee have been selected as winners for Nov. 13-Nov. 18 in the recognition program coordinated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. Redinger and Gilliard will share honors in District-1, Warfel is the recipient in District-2, while Annee is the winner in District-3.

            The Argos Dragons have gotten major contributions from Senior Samantha Redinger each game thus far. Through six games, she has only scored less than 30 points one time, and she still had 19 points in that contest. Last week, the 5-7 wing again lit up the scoreboard. Tuesday evening, in a narrow 49-47 loss to Class 4A Mishawaka, the Class 1A star scored 30 of her team’s 47 points, she buried four 3-pointers, and she collected six rebounds in defeat. But it was her play on Friday that stood out the most. After scoring a career-high 47 points in a game on November 11^th, last Friday Redinger torched the nets for a new career-high of 50 points in a comfortable win against South Bend Trinity. She was an efficient 9-16 from 3-point range, plus she managed to pull in 9 more rebounds, hand out 4 assists, and pick up 6 steals in the victory.

            Also from District-1, Munster Sophomore Gracyn Gilliard put together an outstanding weekend. On Friday evening, in a big 58-30 conference win against Andrean, the 5-9 guard was 14-22 from the field, on her way to 31 points. She handed out 4 assists and stole the ball 9 times as well. The next day, Munster defeated Hammond Morton, as Gilliard posted a double-double with 33 points and 12 rebounds. She was efficiently 14-23 from the field, she snagged 7 caroms, and she picked up 5 more steals.

            Pendleton Heights Junior Kaycie Warfel had a week to remember. It started on Monday evening, as the Arabians topped Heritage Christian, 62-42. Warfel erupted for 40 points on 17-30 shooting. She collected 7 rebounds, found teammates on 3 occasions with assists, plus she added 3 thefts to her stat line. Friday, in a conference matchup with Greenfield-Central, the 5-8 guard helped the Arabians to a 55-26 victory behind 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 steals. Saturday, Pendleton Heights again owned the court, defeating Pike by a 64-40 final score. The Junior guard tossed in 32 points, including scoring 15 points from the charity stripe. Warfel added 6 more rebounds, 4 more assists, and 4 more steals to her weekly totals.

            Center Grove and Senior Audrey Annee finished last week as the Johnson County Champions. The Trojans opened tournament play Tuesday night, as they knocked off Edinburgh with ease. In limited minutes, Annee scored an easy 21 points on 7-11 shooting that included 6-10 from downtown. She also grabbed 3 rebounds in the win. Thursday, the Trojans had a much tougher matchup with Indian Creek. Annee, a 5-9 wing, was again 6-10 from long range, she was 10-15 from the field overall, and she scored a career-high 28 points in the big 61-52 win. To cap off a strong week, Center Grove had to knock off a very good Franklin Community High School. In a lower scoring affair, Annee scored 16 points on 6-12 shooting, she was 4-10 from 3-point range, and the Trojans defeated the Grizzly Cubs 54-47 for the county crown. Annee will play Division-I basketball next year at Army.

            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 starting in two weeks and 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: Audrey Annee, Center Grove.