It turned out to be another good performance as I went 23-3 (88 percent) last week. Heading into the final week of the regular season, my overall record is now 219-68, which bumps me up to 76 percent for the year.
FEBRUARY 25
Fairfield (9-11) at Northridge (16-5): The Raiders posted a 56-48 win over Fairfield a year ago. Owen Miller netted 10 points in the Falcons’ 74-53 loss to Churubusco. Drew Gayler had five points in Northridge’s 65-59 win over Columbia City. Matt’s pick: Northridge 66, Fairfield 51.
Goshen (10-10) at West Noble (6-14): The Chargers claimed a 55-53 win over Goshen last season. Anders Revoir came up with seven points in the RedHawks’ 59-55 loss to LaPorte. Colten Cripe’s 13 points were not enough for West Noble in its 38-32 loss to Angola. Matt’s pick: Goshen 45, West Noble 41.
Jimtown (14-7, 6-5 NIC) at Penn (9-11, 6-5 NIC): The Kingsmen crowned Jimtown, 83-46, in their last meeting. Ethan Allen chipped in two points in the Jimmies’ 52-42 win over Clay. Casey Shultz added 12 points in Penn’s 63-54 loss to Marian. Matt’s pick: Penn 67, Jimtown 65.
Marian (16-4) at Michigan City (16-5): The Wolves are looking to avenge 71-53 loss to No. 7 (Class 3A) Marian last year. Michael Baughman contributed three points for the Knights against Penn. DezMand Hawkins poured in 26 points in Michigan City’s 83-82 win over Merrillville. Matt’s pick: Marian 79, Michigan City 77.
Mishawaka (11-9) at Concord (1-17): The Cavemen recorded a 57-50 win over Concord a season ago. Nick Hoopingarner added four points in Mishawaka’s 54-46 win over Glenn. Zaven Koltookian amassed nine points for the Minutemen in their 45-36 loss to LaVille. Matt’s pick: Mishawaka 47, Concord 37.
New Prairie (11-10, 2-8 NIC) at Elkhart Central (7-11, 4-7 NIC): The Blazers registered a 49-42 win against New Prairie during the 2018-19 season. Evan Foerg and the Cougars limited Bremen to five points in the fourth quarter in their 37-32 victory. Ty Windy racked up two points in Elkhart Central’s 67-46 loss to Washington. Matt’s pick: New Prairie 56, Elkhart Central 49.
Saint Joseph (15-5) at Plymouth (6-15): The Pilgrims came up on the short end of a 66-56 decision to No. 8 (Class 3A) Saint Joseph last season. Cole Hatkevich recorded 14 points in the Indians’ 88-69 win over Elkhart Memorial. Easton Strain ended with 13 points in Plymouth’s 49-46 loss to Penn. Matt’s pick: Saint Joseph 70, Plymouth 52.
Triton (10-10) at Bremen (4-16): The Lions roared past Triton, 50-35, a year ago. Tyson Yates registered 11 points in the Trojans’ 51-48 overtime loss to Tippecanoe Valley. Carson Miller accounted for 16 points for Bremen against New Prairie. Matt’s pick: Triton 41, Bremen 36.
FEBRUARY 28
Adams (19-3, 11-0 NIC) at New Prairie (11-11, 2-9 NIC): The Eagles soared to a 62-50 win over New Prairie last season. Sydney Jeffries netted 16 points for Adams in its 61-55 win over Riley. Tanner Moreno came up with 11 points in the Cougars’ 66-59 overtime loss to Elkhart Central. Matt’s pick: Adams 74, New Prairie 54.
Bremen (4-17) at Culver (1-20): The Lions cruised to an 80-32 victory against Culver a season ago. Trevor Devine finished with 12 points in Bremen’s 49-42 loss to Triton. Owen Valiquet had 12 points in the Cavaliers’ 67-36 loss to Pioneer. Matt’s pick: Bremen 41, Culver 31.
Concord (1-18) at Westview (19-3): The Minutemen surprised No. 4 (Class 2A) Westview, 49-47, last year. Gavin Smith accounted for 12 points for Concord against LaVille. Drew Litwiller tallied eight points for the Warriors in their 62-40 win over Fremont. Matt’s pick: Westview 60, Concord 44.
East Noble (11-10) at Elkhart Memorial (12-9): The Knights crowned Elkhart Memorial, 66-49, a year ago. Chris Hood’s seven points were not enough for East Noble in a 51-48 loss to Angola. Titus Rodgers chipped in 15 points in the Chargers’ 70-46 win over Clay. Matt’s pick: Elkhart Memorial 62, East Noble 61.
Elkhart Central (8-11) at NorthWood (15-6): The Panthers recorded a 50-46 win over Elkhart Central in their previous meeting. Mark Brownlee racked up four points for the Blazers against New Prairie. Trent Edwards’ 17 points paved the way for NorthWood in a 59-48 win over Elkhart Christian. Matt’s pick: NorthWood 58, Elkhart Central 54.
Glenn (14-7, 4-7 NIC) at Riley (11-10, 7-4 NIC): The Falcons suffered a 73-55 loss to Riley during the 2018-19 campaign.  Carter Yung accounted for six points for Glenn against Mishawaka. Davyion Anderson scored six points for the Wildcats against Adams. Matt’s pick: Riley 72, Glenn 65.
Marian (17-4. 10-1 NIC) at Washington (14-8, 8-3 NIC): The Knights earned a 65-48 win over Washington last year. Deaglan Sullivan registered six points in Marian’s 59-48 win at Michigan City. Marcus Northern contributed four points for the Panthers against Elkhart Central. Matt’s pick: Marian 76, Washington 67.
Marquette Catholic (8-13) at Goshen (10-11): The Blazers posted a 65-51 win against Goshen a season ago. Jake Tarnow ended with 17 points in Marquette Catholic’s 56-54 loss to Lake Central. Deecon Hill recorded three points in the RedHawks’ 55-54 loss to West Noble. Matt’s pick: Goshen 53, Marquette Catholic 51.
Merrillville (8-12) at Penn (9-12): The Kingsmen claimed a 78-65 win over Merrillville last season. Keon Thompson Jr. amassed 33 points in the Pirates’ 60-59 loss to Hobart. Markus Burton mustered seven points in Penn’s 51-40 loss to Jimtown. Matt’s pick: Penn 64, Merrillville 62.
Northridge (17-5) at DeKalb (6-15): The Barons dropped a 47-33 decision to Northridge a year ago. Camden Knepp’s twp points helped the Raiders to a 59-35 win over Fairfield. Cole Richmond came up with eight points in DeKalb’s 59-53 loss to Leo. Matt’s pick: Northridge 70, DeKalb 56.
Saint Joseph (16-5, 8-3 NIC) at Mishawaka (12-9, 4-7 NIC): The No. 7 (Class 3A) Indians rolled to a 63-44 win over Mishawaka last year. Trent Johnson netted 24 points for the Cavemen in their 48-40 win over Concord. Jack Futa had 22 points for Saint Joseph in its 94-58 win at Plymouth. Matt’s pick: Saint Joseph 69, Mishawaka 64.
Tippecanoe Valley (9-12) at Wawasee (12-9): The Vikings came away with a pair of wins over Wawasee during the 2018-19 season by scores of 48-45 and 43-31. Paul Leasure poured in 28 points for Tippecanoe Valley against Triton. Matt’s pick: Wawasee 45, Tippecanoe Valley 43.
Valparaiso (14-8) at Clay (5-16): The Vikings cruised to an 81-35 win over Clay last season. Brandon Mack managed eight points in Valparaiso’s 54-51 loss to No. 5 (Class 4A) Chesterton. Robert Allen recored 15 points for the Colonials against Elkhart Memorial. Matt’s pick: Valparaiso 79, Clay 59.
Warsaw (11-8) at Carroll (Fort Wayne) (16-5): The Chargers marched to a 50-45 win over Warsaw in their previous meeting. Brock Poe ended up with six points in the Tigers’ 63-35 loss to Carmel. Richie Gross tallied 15 points for Carroll in a 66-65 loss to North Central (Indianapolis). Matt’s pick: Carroll 63, Warsaw 51.