Player/Team of the Week(POW/TOW) Week 6 12/17/2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          Contact: Pat McKee, 317-403-1665

Dec. 17, 2024                                                                  IBCA Director of Special Projects

Konieczny Cox, Saunders pace IBCA Players of the Week;

Lawrence North boys, Columbia City girls claim team awards

            Two players with a trio of double-doubles plus another player who drained a school-record 12 3-pointers en route to a 44-point game headline this week’s group of honorees in the IBCA/Franciscan Health Player of the Week program for 2024-25.

            South Bend Saint Joseph senior Chase Konieczny and DeKalb senior Ashley Cox each posted three double-doubles, while Hamilton Heights senior Gavin Saunders made it rain from distance during the week of Dec. 9-14. Thus, Konieczny, Cox and Saunders along with Shelbyville junior Mar Nicholson, Lawrence Central senior Jaylah Lampley and Gibson Southern senior Gabby Spink have been selected as winners in the recognition program coordinated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.

            Also, the Lawrence North boys’ team and the Columbia City girls’ team each has been cited as an IBCA/Ballogy Team of the Week in a new portion of the IBCA recognition program for 2024-25.

            Players of the Week are chosen by IHSAA district – Konieczny and Cox for District 1, Saunders and Lampley for District 2 and Nicholson and Spink for District 3. A single team for each gender from the entire state is cited as a Team of the Week in that portion of the recognition program. Players and teams are recognized based on all performances in a Monday through Saturday week.

            Konieczny averaged 24.7 points and 10.7 rebounds as Class 3A No. 1 SBSJ went 3-0 for the week to move to 5-0 for the season. The 6-4 wing opened with 20 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two steals in a 77-62 victory over Class 1A No. 2 Marquette Catholic. He followed with 33 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals in an 81-60 decision over Lakeland. He closed with 21 points, 10 rebounds and two assists as the Huskies defeated Goshen 85-44. In the three games, Konieczny was 26-of-50 from the field, 7-of-18 on 3-pointers and 15-of-18 on free throws.

            Saunders connected on 16-of-29 shots – including a school-record 12-of-20 from 3-point range – en route to 44 points, six rebounds and three steals in leading Hamilton Heights to an 88-50 triumph over Logansport. The 6-4 guard provided 13 points, six rebounds and five steals as the Huskies moved to 4-2 for the season by topping Muncie Central 48-41. In the two games, Saunders was 20-of-43 from the field, 13-of-24 from deep and 4-of-6 on freebies.

            Nicholson averaged 31.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in two victories as Shelbyville improved to 5-0. The 6-5 forward tallied 32 points, eight rebounds, two assists and three blocks in a 70-61 decision over New Castle. He followed with 31 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks as the Golden Bears edged Whiteland 67-64. For the week, Nicholson was 26-of-34 from the floor, 1-of-2 on 3-pointers and 10-of-13 on free throws.

            Cox produced a trio of double-doubles as DeKalb went 3-0 to improve to 7-3 overall. A Saint Francis (Ind.) commit, she totaled 10 points, five rebounds and 10 assists in a 64-55 victory over Fort Wayne Concordia. The 5-8 guard followed with 15 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals as the Barons beat Leo 57-39. She completed her week with 16 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals in a 43-28 decision over Garrett. In three games, Cox was 14-of-28 from the field, 3-of-7 on 3-pointers and 10-of-11 on free throws.

            Lampley paced 4A No. 1 Lawrence Central to a second consecutive Marion County Tournament championship by averaging 17.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in four victories. The Mississippi State signee scored 23 points with seven rebounds and four steals in a 75-50 victory over Pike. She netted eight points with four rebounds and two assists as the Bears edged township-rival Lawrence North 52-51. The 6-1 guard tallied 23 points, seven rebounds and four steals in a 51-27 decision over Warren Central. She finished her week with  16 points, two rebounds, three assists and three steals as the Bears defeated Franklin Central 64-50 to move to 12-0. In the four games, Lampley sank 23-of-50 shots, 14-of-36 3-pointers and 10-of-12 free throws.

            Spink averaged 23.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in two victories in helping Gibson Southern improve to 7-4. The Murray State signee opened with 23 points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal in a 70-41 triumph over 3A No. 9 Evansville Memorial. The 5-8 guard then provided 24 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and one steal as the Titans topped Evansvillle North 63-60 in overtime. For the week, Spink was 14-of-32 from the field, 3-of-10 from distances and 16-of-18 on charity tosses.

            Lawrence North, then ranked fifth in 4A, posted a pair of impressive victories to be named boys’ Team of the Week. They opened with a 75-45 triumph over township-rival Lawrence Central as Cameron Webster scored 17 points, Brennan Miller tallied 16 points, Azavier Robinson netted 12 points and Kai McGrew had 10 points. The Wildcats (3-1) followed by beating 4A No. 2 Greenfield-Central 77-59 and snapping the Cougars’ 44-game regular-season winning streak. Robinson poured in 30 points while McGrew added 18 points in the latter contest.

            Columbia City, then fourth in 3A, is the girls’ Team of the Week after it moved to 9-2 by beating two ranked opponents. The Eagles began by upsetting then-4A No. 3 Homestead as senior Addison Baxter flirted with a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. The Butler-bound Baxter achieved a triple-double in the next game, totaling 32 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists as Columbia City outlasted 3A No. 6 Norwell 74-67. Anisa Tonkel added 25 points in the latter game, while Torah Holler reached double figures in both contests.

            This is the 17th season for the IBCA Player of the Week program and the fifth season the awards are being presented by Franciscan Health Sports Medicine, an IBCA corporate partner. This is the first season for the IBCA Team of the Week program. The Team of the Week program is presented by Ballogy, another IBCA corporate partner.

            Winners are chosen each week in the Player of the Week program from each of the IHSAA's three districts, and one Team of the Week is selected from the entire state. Former Martinsville boys’ coach Kip Staggs oversees the selection of boys’ honorees. Former Brownsburg girls’ coach Debbie Smiley oversees the selection of girls’ honorees.

            Coaches may nominate players and teams via buttons on the IBCA website (in.nhsbca.org). Coaches must be a current-year member for their players and/or team to be selected for a weekly award. Girls' winners are chosen from now through Monday following the IHSAA girls' State Finals. Boys' winners are chosen from now through the Monday following the IHSAA boys' State Finals.

2024-25 IBCA weekly honorees

            Nov. 4-9 – District 1 girls: Laniah Davis, Marquette Catholic. District 2 girls: McKenzie Koch, Eastern Hancock. District 3 girls: Brynn Owens, Austin. Team of the Week (girls): Center Grove.

            Nov. 11-16 – District 1 girls: Lillian Barnes, Valparaiso. District 2 girls: Jacklynn Hosier, Alexandria. District 3 girls: Brooklynn Renn, Silver Creek. Team of the Week (girls): South Knox.

            Nov. 18-23 – District 1 girls: Addison Baxter, Columbia City. District 2 girls: Maya Makalusky, Hamilton Southeastern. District 3 girls: Jalyn Davidson, North Central (Farmersburg). Team of the Week (girls): Warsaw.

            Nov. 25-30 – District 1 boys: Gavin Betten, Manchester. District 1 girls: Vanessa Rosswurm, Norwell. District 2 boys: Josiah Love, Wes-Del. District 2 girls: Avery Gordon, Brownsburg. District 3 boys: Michael Cooper, Jeffersonville. District 3 girls: Mollie Ernstes, Jennings County. Team of the Week (boys): Vincennes Lincoln. Team of the Week (girls): Evansville North.

            Dec. 2-7 – District 1 boys: Anthony Murphy, Michigan City. District 1 girls: Laniah Davis, Marquette Catholic. District 2 boys: Braylon Mullins, Greenfield-Central. District 2 girls: Aniah Smith Avon. District 3 boys: Keaton Lawson, Columbus East. District 3 girls: Maddy Shirley, Evansville Central. Team of the Week (boys): Warsaw. Team of the Week (girls): Lawrence Central.

            Dec. 9-14 – District 1 boys: Chase Konieczny, South Bend Saint Joseph. District 1 girls: Ashley Cox, DeKalb. District 2 boys: Gavin Saunders, Hamilton Heights. District 2 girls: Jaylah Lampley, Lawrence Central. District 3 boys: Mar Nicholson, Shelbyville. District 3 girls: Gabby Spink, Gibson Southern. Team of the Week (boys): Lawrence North. Team of the Week (girls): Columbia City.

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