KOPSEA’S KORNER HOOPS 16-17 – VOLUME EIGHT

COMPILED BY MATT KOPSEA
SENSATIONAL SEVEN
1. Riley (13-0): Rylan Grundy came up with 12 points as the No. 10 (Class 4A) Wildcats equaled their best start since the 1972-73 campaign with 76-43 win against Jimtown.
2. NorthWood (14-0): Caleb Lung tallied 18 points as the top-ranked (Class 3A) Panthers claimed their school-record 14th straight win with a 60-49 decision over Lakeland.
3. Elkhart Central (10-2): Cornell Conner netted 20 points for the Blazers in a 74-55 victory over Concord.
4. Adams (11-3): Walter Ellis finished with 21 points, including a game-tying 3-pointer, in the Eagles’ 75-72 overtime win against Washington.
5. Warsaw (11-5): Jeremy David’s six points and nine rebounds were not enough for the Tigers in a 50-46 overtime loss at Crown Point.
6. Winamac (11-2): Calvin Larkin chipped in 15 points in the Warriors’ 54-47 win over Delphi.
7. Culver Academy (9-1): Trey Galloway’s 10 points allowed the No. 5 (Class 3A) Eagles to claim their own tournament title with a 69-64 victory over Bowman Academy.
HONORABLE MENTION
Culver (8-4): Josh Krsek came up with 16 points in the Cavaliers’ 43-37 win over Argos.
LaVille (10-4): Adam Steineke came up with 22 points in the Lancers’ 57-51 loss to New Prairie.
New Prairie (7-7): Tynan Williams poured in 20 points as the Cougars captured their first TCU Bi-County Tournament crown with a 47-32 victory over Bremen.
Penn (7-6): Noah Applegate scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half to lift the Kingsmen to a 65-48 win over Saint Joseph.
Plymouth (9-6): Cam Dennie chipped in 10 points as the Pilgrims snapped a two-game losing skid with a 38-29 triumph at Wawasee.
MAKING STRIDES
Bremen (5-9): Matt Box contributed 15 points in the Lions’ 50-46 upset of defending champion Triton in the TCU Bi-County Tournament semifinals.
Knox (7-8): Kooper Broeker went over the 1,000-point mark in the Redskins’ 57-49 win over North Judson.
Mishawaka (5-8): Sam Shively lifted the Cavemen to their second straight win with 10 points in a 45-42 triumph at Clay.
Northridge (5-7): Micah Yoder had eight points, 10 rebounds, and three assists in the Raiders’ 64-59 victory over Elkhart Memorial.
Triton (8-5): Grant Johnson netted 11 points as the Trojans used a 17-2 third quarter spurt to post a 43-37 win over Argos.
HELP WANTED
Elkhart Memorial (7-8): Hank Smith finished with 13 points for the Chargers against Northridge.
Jimtown (0-11): Nic Fann mustered just four points for the Jimmies against Riley.
Triton (8-5): Nate Flenar managed only nine points for the Trojans against Bremen.
Saint Joseph (3-9): Brady Powers scored eight of his 11 points in the opening half against Penn.
Wawasse (4-8): Despite six points from Jairus Boyer against Plymouth, the Warriors still suffered their seventh straight defeat.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Elkhart Central (10-2, 4-2 NIC) at New Prairie (7-7, 2-3 NIC) (Tuesday): The Blazers are looking for their third straight victory, while New Prairie has won three games in a row.
Glenn (6-8, 3-3 NIC) at Washington (7-7, 3-2 NIC) (Tuesday): Both Falcons’ coach Travis Hannah and Washington’s Chad Johnston are Bethel College graduates.
Goshen (7-6) at Elkhart Christian (7-3) (Tuesday): Eagles’ coach Ryan Culp earned his 200th career victory with an 88-32 triumph over South Bend Career Academy.
NorthWood (14-0, 4-0 NLC) at Warsaw (11-5, 5-0 NLC) (Friday): The Tigers have captured 24 of the previous 34 contests against NorthWood.
Penn (7-6, 4-2 NIC) at Mishawaka (5-8, 3-3 NIC) (Friday): The Kingsmen have claimed 32 of the last 44 games against Mishawaka.
MATT’S MATCHUP
MONDAY
Jimtown (0-11, 0-6 NIC) at Adams (11-3, 4-1 NIC): The Eagles soared to a 64-49 win against Jimtown last year. Sam Pawlak tossed in 19 points for the Jimmies in a 76-43 loss to Riley. Michael Green’s 22 points helped Adams post a 75-72 overtime win over Washington. Matt’s pick: Adams 68, Jimtown 48.