2015 Classic will be History in the Making
(NEW CASTLE) – The 2015 City Securities Hall of Fame Classic on December 29 and 30 guarantees history in the making when for the first time in Indiana high school basketball history two players who have each previously surpassed 2,000 career points face each other.
The occasion will take place when Princeton, led by senior Jackie Young, faces Lebanon and their senior star Kristen Spolyar in the second semifinal of the girls Classic on Tuesday, December 29 at the New Castle Fieldhouse at approximately 12:30 PM.
The two leading scorers in Indiana girls high school basketball a season ago, Young (38.7 ppg) and Spolyar (37.8 ppg) again pace all Indiana scorers this season, recently ranked as the #2 and #3 scorers in the United States in statistics gathered by MaxPreps.com. Both will enter the Classic already in the top 10 in Indiana high school girls career scoring totals – Young has totaled 2,870 points, ranking #2 all-time and Spolyar comes to the Classic with 2,380 career points, placing 10th all-time.
Although Hall of Fame research documents five girls games and three boys games in which eventual 2,000 point scorers faced each other in Indiana high school history, this marks the first time that two players already above the threshold will face off.
2015 Girls’ City Securities Hall of Fame Classic
New Castle Fieldhouse – Tuesday, December 29, 2015
11:00 AM (ET) Noblesville vs. Benton Central
to follow Princeton vs. Lebanon
6:07 PM Consolation Game
to follow Championship Game
The four-team lineup for this year’s Girls Classic carries a combined record of 53-6 as of December 23, including a pair of undefeateds.
The first game begins at 11:00 a.m. (ET) with Benton Central (13-0) facing Noblesville (15-3). The second game will feature Princeton (15-0) versus Lebanon (11-3). Losers of the afternoon games will meet in the consolation game at 6:07 PM with the championship contest to follow.
Noblesville (15-3, IBCA #15, ICGSA 4A #18) returns from a 4A regional finals appearance last season with plenty of remaining talent.
5’10” senior Alexis Shannon (Florida Atlantic University) averages 18.8 points and 4.0 rebounds, 5’11” senior Katelyn O’Reilly (Florida Atlantic) averages 17.4 points and 8.2 rebounds, while 6’2” sophomore Emily Kiser averages 8.9 points and 7.3 rebounds.
Donna Buckley earned her 200th career win in December and on December 22 claimed her 105th win at Noblesville, making her the winningest coach in program history.
Noblesville will make their 2nd appearance in the girls Classic. The Millers hosted the 1985 event, losing to Tipton, then defeating Forest Park in the consolation game. Keck coaches her 2nd team in the event – she led Greenfield-Central into the 2007 event, where they lost to Terre Haute South, then defeated Huntington North to win the consolation game.
Benton Central (13-0, IBCA #13, ICGSA 3A #3) enters the Classic winners of 38 consecutive regular season games, dating back to February 2014. Since the start of the 2008-09 season, they have the highest winning percentage of any girls basketball program in Indiana (159-23, .874).
6’2” senior Kaylan Coffman (Evansville) paces the Bison at 17.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game while hitting 57.5% of field goals this season. 5’4” senior Bayley Goodman (Purdue Calumet) averages 11.8 points and 6’0” senior Katie Shields totals 10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds while 5’7” junior Madison Tolen averages 9.0 points and 6.0 rebounds for the season.
Head coach David Baxter has a 116-16 record in six seasons at Benton Central, which is tied for the fewest losses of any girls program in Indiana in that timeframe, and carries a 192-98 career record in 13 years including his tenure at Attica.
Benton Central will make their 2nd appearance in the girls Classic. They participated in the 1985 event at Noblesville, defeating Forest Park, then losing to Tipton in the championship game.
Princeton (15-0, IBCA #4, ICGSA 3A #1) has won 40 consecutive games as of December 23, including last year’s 3A state championship. Including their undefeated 2013-14 regular season, Princeton has won 66 of their last 67 regular season games, dating back to December 2012.
They are led by 6’0” senior guard Jackie Young (Notre Dame), who averages 38.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 4.5 steals per game. Young currently ranks #2 in Indiana high school girls basketball career scoring at 2,870 points, 215 points behind Shanna Zolman (Wawasee) for #1 all-time. On pace to set the Indiana high school career scoring mark (Damon Bailey holds the boys record at 3,134; Young is on pace for 3,295 by the end of the regular season), Young became the 1st girl in Indiana high school history to surpass 1,000 points in a season when she tallied 1,003 last year. In eight of Princeton’s first 12 games, Young scored as many or more points as the opposing team, including a high of 53 on November 20 against Gibson Southern.
5’11” junior Brooke James averages 13.9 points and 5.7 rebounds, 5’6” sophomore Kiare Young averages 7.8 points and 5’9” senior Hannah Brewer averages 5.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
Tigers head coach Charlie Mair has a 99-16 mark in his 5th season leading Princeton. Including a lengthy career at North Posey, Mair has a career record of 438-277 in 35 seasons.
Princeton makes their 1st appearance in the girls Classic. The Princeton boys participated in the 2009 event.
Lebanon (11-3, ICGSA #9) features their own high scorer in 5’10” senior Kristen Spolyar.
Spolyar (Butler University) averages 37.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.6 steals and 4.1 assists this season and set the Lebanon girls single-game record and tied the school record belonging to Hall of Famer Rick Mount with 57 points in a December 4 win against Crawfordsville. 10th in Indiana girls career scoring, she enters the Classic 41 points short of North Judson’s Debbie Bolen for 9th place. Spolyar has outscored the opposing team five times so far this season, including three consecutive games between November 28 and December 4.
5’6” junior Brooke Montgomery averages 12.6 points and 4.1 steals and 5’10” senior Peyton Terrill averages 8.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
The Tigers have won 17 or more games each of the last five seasons, including three 20-win campaigns and four sectional championships. Their 111-26 record (.810) since the start of the 2010-11 season is among the best in Indiana in that span.
Head coach Beth DeVinney is 72-17 in her fourth season at Lebanon and has 284 career wins in her 20th season, following stints at Pike and Seymour.
Lebanon makes their second appearance in the girls Classic, following their 2005 event championship. Led by tournament co-MVP Maggie Boyer, Lebanon defeated eventual 4A state champion Castle, then Carmel in the event at New Castle.
HISTORY:
The prestigious event will be held for the 32nd time for girls.
Selecting from the best teams in the state, the girls’ tournament has included 18 teams that went on to win a state championship that season, including 11 state champions and five state runner-up teams in the past 13 years alone. 2014 Girls Classic champion Heritage Christian became the 8th team in history to win the Classic and an IHSAA class championship in the same season with their 2A championship on March 7.
22 young women who went on to win Indiana’s Miss Basketball title have participated in the girls Classic, including each of the last seven Miss Basketball winners (Skylar Diggins, Courtney Moses, Bria Goss, Jessica Rupright, Stephanie Mavunga, Whitney Jennings and Ali Patberg). 9 women to have played in the Classic were named McDonald’s All-Americans and 8 girls Classic alums have played in the WNBA.
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.
2015 Boys’ City Securities Hall of Fame Classic
New Castle Fieldhouse – Wednesday, December 30, 2015
11:00 AM (ET) Lawrence Central vs. McCutcheon
to follow Carroll (FW) vs. Martinsville
6:07 PM Consolation Game
to follow Championship Game
The four-team field for this year’s Boys Classic carries a combined record of 27-2 as of December 23, with two undefeateds and all four ranked in the state polls.
The first game begins at 11:00 a.m. (ET) with Lawrence Central (7-1) facing McCutcheon (7-1). The second game will feature Carroll (Fort Wayne) (6-0) versus Martinsville (7-0). Losers of the afternoon games will meet in the consolation game at 6:07 PM with the championship contest to follow.
Lawrence Central (7-1, IBCA #6, AP 4A #6) has emerged from an 11-13 campaign last season to a highly ranked contender in 2015-16.
6’3” senior guard and Mr. Basketball candidate Kyle Guy (University of Virginia) averages 25.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game, while 6’3” senior Mehki Biffle averages 16.0 points and 5.4 rebounds, 6’3” senior Tyrrelle Walker scores 7.7 and 5’8” junior Daveon Bell contributes 7.3 points and 4.3 assists per game.
The Bears roster is largely unchanged from a team that played the state’s 4th toughest schedule and won 10 of their final 14 games in 2014-15.
Head coach Al Gooden has been a head coach for 28 seasons at Heritage, Harding, New Haven and now Lawrence Central. His 409 career wins place him 21st in wins among active head coaches. His 22-year stint at Harding established them as a state power, winning 10 sectionals, six regionals, five semi-states, with four 2A & 3A state runner-up finishes and winning the 2001 2A championship, all in the school’s final 14 years.
Lawrence Central makes their first appearance in either the boys or girls Classic.
McCutcheon (7-1, IBCA #12, AP 4A #11) turned in their most successful season in 21 years last season (22-5) and pair a talented returning nucleus with a veteran coach.
6’0” sophomore point guard Robert Phinisee has emerged as a major player, averaging 21.9 points, 6.1 assists and 3.8 steals per game this season. 6’4″ junior Haden Deaton is averaging 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds, 6’5” senior Darnell Butler scores 15.4 per game and 5’10” junior Eddy Collins scores 9.9 points per game for the Mavericks who have the 3rd most potent offense in the state this season (83.4 ppg).
Head coach Rick Peckinpaugh returns to his home turf with an appearance in the Classic. A 1970 graduate of Henry County’s Shenandoah High School, he won a sectional championship at the New Castle Fieldhouse his senior year and played the final game of his high school career in the Fieldhouse in a regional finals loss to Muncie Central.
Peckinpaugh has won 433 games in 31 seasons at McCutcheon and 495 in his 37 year career, including a stint at Avon. He has the 11th most career wins among active coaches and is five wins from becoming the 30th coach in Indiana boys high school basketball history to reach 500 victories.
McCutcheon makes their first appearance in the boys Classic. The McCutcheon girls won the 1991 Classic in their only appearance.
Carroll (7-1, IBCA #3, AP 4A #5) enters the Classic off their first loss of the year, but looking strong despite the loss of a Division I player from their 23-4 sectional champion squad a year ago.
6’1” junior Jacob Redding averages 16.4 points, while hitting 55% (26-47) of three-point attempts. He set the school record with 8 three-pointers made in an 81-43 win over Concord on December 5. 6’7” senior Kyle Mallers (Ball State) averages 15.1 points and 7.4 rebounds and recently also joined the school record book, hitting his 121st career three-point basket, making him the school’s all-time leader in three-point field goals made. 6’3” senior Kelham Brown also averages 8.7 points and 4.9 rebounds for the Chargers.
Head coach Marty Beasley has won 148 games and three sectional titles in his 11 seasons at Carroll. In all, he has 217 wins in 17 seasons as a head coach, beginning his head coaching career at Garrett.
Carroll makes their first appearance in either the boys or girls Classic.
Martinsville (7-0, IBCA #18) finds themselves in a familiar scene entering the Classic undefeated 25 years after they first appeared in the event under the same circumstances.
6’8” senior Keegan Northern (University of Indianapolis) averages 14.3 points and 9.3 rebounds, 6’1” senior Logan Ratts averages 13.9 points and 4.3 assists and 6’3” senior Zach Anderson averages 13.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.
Martinsville has had five consecutive winning seasons, averaging 16 wins per season over that span.
Head coach Kip Staggs is in his 3rd season at Martinsville, his teams having won 72% of their games (39-15) during his tenure.
Martinsville makes their second appearance in the boys Classic. The #2 ranked Artesians won the 1990 event at New Castle, defeating Southport 60-58 and then #1 Gary Roosevelt 66-62 to win the championship. The Martinsville girls won the 1997 girls Classic in their only appearance, meaning Martinsville is the only school in Classic history to have a boys and girls team participate and hold an undefeated record in the event (4-0).
HISTORY:
24 men who went on to win Indiana’s Mr. Basketball title have participated in the boys Classic, including eight of the last 10 award winners. 23 men to have played in the Classic have been named McDonald’s All-Americans, while 15 have been NBA Draft picks.
Legends to have competed in the boys Classic include Damon Bailey, Steve Alford, Glenn Robinson, Shawn Kemp, Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, Eric Montross, Sean May, Delray Brooks, Tom Coverdale, Michael Menser, Pat Graham, Troy Lewis, Woody Austin, Josh McRoberts, Gary Harris, Luke, Tyler and Cody Zeller and Trey Lyles among others.
SPONSOR:
For the 19th 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. 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.
TELEVISION:
The Classic will once again be televised in Central Indiana and webcast worldwide by the Hall of Fame’s partner, WHMB TV-40. Games will be available via live video webcast on a link through their website at http://whmb.lesea.com/sports/live-sports-video-stream/. Games will be broadcast tape delayed over the air and through cable and satellite providers in HD at 2:00, 3:30, 8:00 and 10:30 PM (ET) each day and the boys championship game will be replayed at 10:30 PM on Saturday, January 2.
ENTERTAINMENT:
Halftime performances each evening will include the Indy Air Bears jump rope team.
The boys Classic championship game will be preceded by a performance of the National Anthem by Phil Cox. Cox is a 2009 inductee of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, the 1972 Indiana Mr. Basketball and a member of the 1972 state champion Connersville Spartans. Memorably, he sang the National Anthem at Assembly Hall in Bloomington prior to the 1972 state championship contest.
TICKETS:
Tickets for the event are available through the participating schools and at the New Castle Fieldhouse on the day of the games.