News

NEW CASTLE – With the approaching holidays, another edition of the most prestigious regular season tournament in Indiana high school basketball – the City Securities Hall of Fame Classic – is near.

The girls- and boys- 2013 City Securities Hall of Fame Classic tournaments will be held Friday, December 27 and Saturday, December 28 at the New Castle Fieldhouse featuring the top teams, talent, and coaching in the state.

2013 Girls- City Securities Hall of Fame Classic
New Castle Fieldhouse – Friday, December 27, 2013

11:00 AM (ET) Rushville vs. Homestead
to follow Bedford North Lawrence vs. Pike

6:00 PM Consolation Game
to follow Championship Game

Another outstanding group of teams comes to the New Castle Fieldhouse on Friday, December 27 for the 2013 City Securities Girls- Hall of Fame Classic. Through December 17, two of the four teams are undefeated; all four are ranked in the state-s Top 15 and sport a combined outstanding 30-4 record.

The first game begins at 11:00 a.m. (ET) with Rushville (6-1, IBCA #15) taking on Homestead (8-0, IBCA #3). The second game will feature Bedford North Lawrence (8-0, IBCA #1) versus Pike (8-3, IBCA #12). Losers of the afternoon games will meet in the consolation game at 6:00 PM with the championship contest to follow.

Rushville has returned four of five starters from a 3A semi-state appearance last season, although they are dealing with the additional loss of starter Sarah Cook, a junior who has suffered a torn ACL early this season. The Lady Lions are ranked 3A #3 and #15 in the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association rankings and began the season ranked 3A #1. The Lady Lions are led by 5-11- senior Mackenzie Campbell (IU East) who is averaging 14.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assistas per game. 5-11- classmate Keragan Niehoff (IU East) averages 11.3 points and 11.6 rebounds.

The Lady Lions program is one of the state-s most storied – their 28 all-time sectional championships is a state record and their 11 regional titles ties for 4th best in state history.

Head coach Melissa Marlow is in her 14th year leading the girls program at her alma mater, with a 190-120 record. She has led her teams to sectional championships in seven of the past 10 seasons. Rushville makes a record 5th appearance in the girls Classic. Marlow-s team won the 2009 championship, while Lady Lion teams coached by Hall of Fame inductee Cinda Rice Brown were runners-up in 1984 and participants in 1989 and 1993.

The Homestead Spartans lost no seniors from last year-s 21-4 campaign and have kept momentum rolling with an 8-0 record this season. Ranked IBCA #3, the Spartans are led by 5-8- senior guard Sydney Buck (Butler University), currently averaging 19.1 points and 4.4 rebounds. Buck was a member of the core team of the 2013 Indiana Junior All-Stars. 5-6- junior guard Josie Fisher averages 10.4 points and a team-high 7.4 assists. 6-0- junior Grace German averages a double-double with 10 points and 10.9 rebounds. German is the great-granddaughter of Hall of Fame inductee and former Indiana University head coach Branch McCracken.

Head coach Rod Parker has a 175-102 record in his 13th season at Homestead. He has led them to an 87-16 record in last four years and seven consecutive non-losing seasons.

Homestead makes their first ever appearance in the girls or boys Classic. They will be the 2nd member of the Northeast Hoosier Conference to participate in the girls Classic in three years – Norwell was runner-up in the 2011 event.

On the heels of an undefeated 4A state championship season in 2012-13, Bedford North Lawrence has won 35 consecutive contests, dating back to November 10, 2012. The Stars are led by junior Dominique McBryde (Purdue) a 6-2- junior, who is averaging 16.9 points, 7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. 6-3- classmate Jenna Allen (Indiana) is averaging 14.9 points and 7.7 rebounds.

The Lady Stars are ranked 4A #1 and IBCA #1, as well as #9 in the nation by MaxPreps.com and #11 in USA Today-s national poll.

BNL has a 59-3 record over the past three seasons and currently holds a 45 game regular season win streak (as of Dec. 18) Bedford has won 22 all-time girls sectionals (4th best in state history), 10 regionals, and state championships in 1983, 1991 and the 2013 4A title. They are one of only eight programs to have won three or more girls state championships and one of only two from that group to have won titles previous to the class basketball era.

The Stars will be led by head coach Damon Bailey. Bailey, a 1990 BNL graduate, was Indiana Mr. Basketball and remains Indiana’s all-time prep scoring leader (3,134 points).  Bailey has begun his first season as BNL girls head coach with an 8-0 record. He previously served as BNL’s boys varsity coach during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, with a record of 23-19 during that stint. Bailey was MVP of the 1989 Boys Hall of Fame Classic, played at Indiana University’s Assembly Hall.

BNL makes their third appearance in the girls Classic. They were participants in 1986 and were champions of the 1990 event, the first year that the event landed permanently in New Castle. A member of the BNL 1990 Hall of Fame Classic champion team was Courtney (Bailey) Nolan, younger sister of Damon Bailey.

Pike, coming off their winningest season in the last seven years, have another winning start at 7-3. Pike has faced a difficult schedule this season, with their losses coming to #2 Lawrence North, #5 Columbus North, and #7 Roncalli – teams that are a combined 24-2 with their losses coming amongst each other.

6-1- junior Brittany Ward averages a double-double and team-highs of 18 points and 10.9 rebounds a game. 5-9- sophomore Tyana Robinson currently averages 14.2 points and 3 rebounds, and 6-0- power forward Lyndsey Edwards averages 2.7 points, 5.4 rebounds per game.

Head coach Bob Anglea is in his 4th season at Pike, where he is currently 50-30. He has a career record of 96-46 in seven years as a head coach.

Pike makes their first appearance in the girls Classic. The Pike boys have participated twice (1989, 2000).

The 2013 edition is the 30th girls- City Securities Hall of Fame Classic and 24th played in New Castle. The girls- tournament has included 15 teams that went on to win a state championship that season, including eight state champions and five state runner-up teams in the past 10 years alone.

20 young women who went on to win Indiana-s Miss Basketball title have participated in the girls Classic, including each of the last five Miss Basketball winners (Skylar Diggins, Courtney Moses, Bria Goss, Jessica Rupright and Stephanie Mavunga). Girls legends who have played in the Classic include Stephanie White, Katie Gearlds, Shanna Zolman, Lisa Shepherd, Abby Conklin, April McDivitt, Kelly Faris, Jennifer Jacoby, Jodie Whitaker, Shrya Ely and Tiffany Gooden, among others.

2013 Boys- City Securities Hall of Fame Classic
New Castle Fieldhouse – Saturday, December 28, 2013

11:00 AM (ET) Greensburg vs. Mt. Vernon (Fortville)
to follow Columbus North vs. Evansville Harrison

6:00 PM Consolation Game
to follow Championship Game

The 2013 Boys- City Securities Hall of Fame Classic will pit four teams who have been ranked highly in statewide polls and have talent and coaching poised to put them in position for another outstanding season. Through December 17, the teams hold a combined record of 14-4.

The day begins with an 11:00 a.m (ET) meeting between Greensburg (6-0, IBCA #2) and Mt. Vernon (1-3). The second game will match Columbus North (4-0, IBCA #3) and Evansville Harrison (3-1, IBCA #8). The losers will play at 6:00 that evening in the consolation game, with the championship game to follow.

The opening game includes the Greensburg Pirates, who have been the preseason #1 team in 3A the past two seasons and currently hold the AP 3A #1 and IBCA #2 spots. The Pirates return their starting five from last year-s record-setting 26-1 3A championship team. Beginning with an undefeated regular season in 2011-12, the Pirates have won 55 of their last 57 games and have a 21-game win streak alive.

Last season as a junior, 6-7- forward Sean Sellers (Ball State) surpassed the 1,000 career point mark and became the school-s all-time leading scorer; he delivered 19 points and 12 rebounds in their 3A championship victory over Fort Wayne Concordia. Now a senior, Sellers currently puts up 18.2 points and 8.8 rebounds. 6-3- classmate Bryant McIntosh (Northwestern) notched 25 points in the 3A championship game and is putting up averages of 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game this season. McIntosh and Sellers were both named as 2013 Indiana Junior All-Stars following their junior season. 6-8- junior Ryan Welage also averages 15.2 points and 5.0 rebounds.

Stacy Meyer is 124-47 in his 8th year as head coach at his alma mater and is 182-103 in a 13-year career. Greensburg makes their first appearance in either the boys or girls Classic.

The 24-2 Mt. Vernon (Fortville) Marauders finished last season as the #1 ranked team in the AP 3A poll while winning a regional championship for the first time in 22 years. Off to a 1-3 start this season, the Marauders are transitioning from the 3A to 4A level and are missing key pieces early in the season while acclimating multiple freshmen into the varsity level under new head coach Travis Daugherty.

6-4- freshman Erik Shepherd leads the Marauders this season with 14 points and 8 rebounds per game. 6-3- junior forward Dan Werner has stepped up, currently averaging 13.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. 6-3- senior guard C.J. Coleman (UNC-Greensboro) averaged team-highs of 19.6 points and 3.1 steals along with 4.1 rebounds last season on his way to being named to the 2013 Indiana Junior All-Star team but has yet to see the floor this season.

Although head coach Travis Daugherty has entered his first season at the helm of the Marauder program, he is not unfamiliar with the Classic. Daugherty is 119-88 in his 10th season as a varsity head coach including stints at Tipton and Chatard high schools. Daugherty’s Tipton team finished as runners-up in the 2008 Classic, falling to Franklin Central by two points in overtime of the championship game. He also participated as a player with Alexandria in the 1995 Classic, on their team that finished as runner-up, defeating Jasper and losing to Muncie South in the title game.

The Mt. Vernon boys program makes its- third appearance in the boys Classic. They won the 2009 championship and also participated in the 1990 event.

The Columbus North Bull Dogs are off to an undefeated 4-0 start and are ranked IBCA #3 and AP 4A #2. Under head coach Jason Speer, the Bull Dogs are 83-34 in six seasons. Speer led North this past year to their first sectional championship in 16 seasons. They have averaged 17.5 wins per year over the past four seasons.

6-2- senior guard Evan Henry (St. Francis IN) averages 20 points and 6.5 boards a game, while 6-7- junior frontliner Josh Speidel leads the team with a double-double- 21 points and 11.5 rebounds. 6-8-senior forward Elliott Welmer (Saint Louis) averages 16 points and 5 rebounds while hitting 67% from the field. Welmer is the grandson of Hall of Fame inductee Bob Welmer, nephew of inductee Steve Welmer and the son of 2000 Hall of Fame Silver Anniversary Team honoree Dave Welmer.

The Columbus North boys make their 2nd ever appearance in the boys Classic. They hosted the 1984 event, losing both games. The Columbus North girls won the 2012 girls Classic last December.

Led by a trio of returning brothers, the Evansville Harrison Warriors marked the program-s winningest campaign in the past 11 years with a sectional championship last season, and are currently 3-1 and ranked AP 4A #7 and IBCA #8.

6-3- senior guard Ernie Duncan (Vermont) averages 17.2 points, 3.2 assists and 8 rebounds after being named 2013 Indiana Junior All-Star last season. He surpassed the 1,000 career point mark last season, set the school-s single-season assist record and as of December 18 is just 135 points from setting the school-s career scoring record. Younger brother, 6-6- junior Everett Duncan, averages 22 points and 7.2 rebounds, while shooting 55% from the field and his 6-5- twin Stanley Duncan averages 10.5 points while shooting 65% from the field.

Head coach Bryan Speer is 99-41 in seven seasons at Harrison and has led the Warriors to three sectional championships in the last five years.
Evansville Harrison makes their first appearance in the boys or girls Classic. They are the 2nd Evansville team to play in the boys event, following Evansville Bosse-s 1983 appearance.

The 2013 Boys- City Securities Hall of Fame Classic is the 36th edition of the boys- tournament. 12 participating teams have gone on to win their state championship, with four more finishing as state runner-up that season. 22 men who have played in the Boys Classic have been named Indiana Mr. Basketball (including nine of the last 12 Mr. Basketballs), 22 have been named McDonald-s All-Americans, and 14 have been NBA draft picks (two #1 overall picks).

For the 17th consecutive season, City Securities Corporation is the title sponsor of the event. Founded in 1924, City Securities Corporation is the oldest and largest independent, full-service investment firm in Indiana. Having financed more projects for Indiana schools and municipalities than any other firm in history, City Securities has, quite literally, helped build the State of Indiana. Since 1980, the firm has helped underwrite over $45 billion for state and local projects. Today, City Securities is still a leader in municipal bonds (underwriting 50% of all competitive and negotiated bids), but is also so much more – offering full-service personal investment advisors, as well as expertise in corporate and public finance. A wholly-owned subsidiary of City Financial Corporation, City Securities is headquartered in downtown Indianapolis, Ind.

Tickets for the event are available through the participating schools, the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, and at the New Castle Fieldhouse on the day of the games. For more information, call (765) 529-1891 or email info@hoopshall.com

In-game entertainment will include Tony Hoard and the K9 Crew. Hoard, a New Castle native, has made appearances with his dogs on ABC-s -Good Morning America- and made a long run on NBC-s -America-s Got Talent- and have performed at numerous major college and NBA events.

All games will be televised in Central Indiana on WHMB TV-40 Sports, available on all major cable and satellite providers. Morning games will air tape-delayed at 2:00 PM (ET) and 3:30 each afternoon. The girls consolation game will air at 8:00 PM and championship at 10:30 PM on Friday, Dec. 27. The boys consolation game will air at 8:00 PM and championship at 9:30 PM on Saturday, Dec. 28.