My luck got even better this past week as I posted a 20-3 (87 percent) record. This leaves me with an overall record of 129-41, which is good for 76 percent for the year.
JANUARY 16
Elkhart Central (4-7) at Concord (4-7): The Blazers stormed past Concord, 74-55, a season ago. Cole Alberson netted 11 points in Elkhart Central’s 64-43 win over Bremen. Michael Johnson finished with 21 points in the Minutemen’s 49-44 loss at Plymouth. Matt’s pick: Elkhart Central 53, Concord 49.
Goshen (3-7) at Jimtown (2-8): The RedHawks soared to a 48-34 victory over Jimtown last year. Austin Cain was limited to just three points in Goshen’s 53-35 loss at Warsaw. Brayden Rice came up with only three points in the Jimmies’ 59-21 loss to Mishawaka. Matt’s pick: Goshen 44, Jimtown 40.
Marian (7-2) at Culver Academy (5-4): The No. 6 (Class 3A) Eagles posted a 51-47 win over Marian last season. Kyron King tallied seven points in the Knights’ 64-60 overtime loss to No. 1 (Class 4A) Riley. Deontae Craig poured in 19 points for Culver Academy in a 55-45 win at Saint Joseph. Matt’s pick: Culver Academy 51, Marian 47.
Penn (7-3) at Northridge (5-5): The Kingsmen marched to 57-47 victory against Northridge a year ago. Drew Schneider chipped in six points in Penn’s 80-63 loss to Carroll (Fort Wayne). Nick Yoder’s seven points helped the Raiders to a 58-55 triple-overtime win at NorthWood. Matt’s pick: Penn 62, Northridge 54.
Riley (13-0) at Elkhart Memorial (7-5): The Chargers suffered an 83-70 loss to top-ranked (Class 4A) Riley in their last meeting. Rylen Grundy contributed 11 points for the Wildcats against Marian. Trey Gallope racked up 12 points in Memorial’s 62-52 win over Hobart. Matt’s pick: Riley 75, Elkhart Memorial 59.
TCU BI-COUNTY TOURNAMENT
Culver (2-10) at LaVille (12-0): The No. 7 (Class 2A) Lancers were a 53-39 winner against Culver last season. Kia Riale had 12 points in the Cavaliers’ 42-33 win over Triton. Jared Beehler recorded 15 points in LaVille’s 60-52 win over North Judson. Matt’s pick: LaVille 57, Culver 42.
Glenn (9-3) at New Prairie (5-5): The defending champion Cougars knocked off Glenn, 44-35, a year ago. Mike Machnic racked up five points in the Falcons’ 62-56 win at Knox. Cade Boniface tallied six points in New Prairie’s 68-44 loss to Penn. Matt’s pick: Glenn 55, New Prairie 53.
Oregon-Davis (5-5) at Argos (8-3): The Bobcats clawed past Argos, 52-33, on January 12. Jon Clark’s 13 points were not enough for Oregon-Davis in a 49-41 loss to Elkhart Christian. Ian Kindig scored 15 points for the Dragons in a 56-49 win against Rochester. Matt’s pick: Oregon-Davis 45, Argos 42.
Triton (4-5) at Bremen (3-8): The Trojans stormed their way to a 50-41 victory against Bremen a season ago. Beau Hepler netted seven points for Triton against Culver. Jacob Wunder racked up seven points for the Lions against Elkhart Central. Matt’s pick: Triton 48, Bremen 41.
JANUARY 18
Marquette Catholic (5-10) at Marian (7-3): The Blazers claimed a 68-55 win over Marian last year. Colin Kenney recorded 20 points for Marquette Catholic in a 68-60 win over Bishop McNamara. R.J. Decker came up with three points in the Knights’ 59-53 loss at Culver Academy. Matt’s pick: Marian 71, Marquette Catholic 64.
JANUARY 19
Clay (1-9, 0-6 NIC) at Mishawaka (7-5, 3-2 NIC): The Colonials came up on the short end of a 46-35 decision to Mishawaka on December 28. Jonathon White racked up seven points in Clay’s 62-54 loss to Saint Joseph. Sam Shively tallied three points for the Cavemen against Jimtown. Matt’s pick: Mishawaka 51, Clay 41.
Jimtown (2-9, 0-5 NIC) at Riley (14-0, 5-0 NIC): The Wildcats cruised to a 76-43 win over Jimtown a year ago. Clay Campbell recorded seven points in the Jimmies’ 49-47 loss to Goshen. Jalen Jennings netted 15 points in Riley’s 80-55 win at Elkhart Memorial. Matt’s pick: Riley 77, Jimtown 55.
NorthWood (8-3, 2-1 NLC) at Goshen (4-7, 0-3 NLC): The Panthers posted a 51-50 win against Goshen last year. Brad Delio mustered just six points for NorthWood against Northridge. Will Line poured in 28 points for the RedHawks against Jimtown. Matt’s pick: NorthWood 55, Goshen 46.
Penn (8-3, 4-1 NIC) at Saint Joseph (8-5, 4-2 NIC): The Kingsmen recorded a 65-48 win over Saint Joe a season ago. Kegan Hoskins tallied 18 points in Penn’s 78-67 double-overtime victory at Northridge. Hunter West came up with 10 points in the Indians’ 55-45 loss to Culver Academy. Matt’s pick: Penn 69, Saint Joseph 60.
Warsaw (7-7, 2-1 NLC) at Concord (4-8, 1-2 NLC): The Tigers clawed past Concord, 65-49, last year. Tyler Metzinger managed 12 points in Warsaw’s 56-48 win over Fort Wayne Snider. Grant Magnuson finished with 11 points for the Minutemen in a 55-37 loss to Elkhart Central. Matt’s pick: Warsaw 48, Concord 40.
Wawasee (3-9, 1-2 NLC) at Plymouth (8-6, 1-2 NLC): The Pilgrims grinded out a 38-29 win over Wawasee in their last meeting. Trevon Coleman racked up 17 points in the Warriors’ 44-28 loss to Elkhart Memorial. Garrett Tharp came up with eight points in Plymouth’s 61-45 win at LaPorte. Matt’s pick: Plymouth 41, Wawasee 31.
TCU BI-COUNTY TOURNAMENT
New Prairie (6-5) vs. Oregon-Davis (6-5): The Cougars posted a 58-49 win over Oregon-Davis last year. Bryce Bloode netted 16 points in New Prairie’s 66-61 win over Glenn. The Bobcats outscored Argos, 16-11, in the fourth quarter on their way to a 48-45 win. Matt’s pick: New Prairie 60, Oregon-Davis 56.
Bremen (4-8) vs. LaVille (13-0): The Lancers claimed a 60-53 victory against Bremen on November 30. Ryan Cladwell had 10 points for the Lions in their 47-45 win over Triton. Jacob Good scored 12 points in LaVille’s 69-51 win against Culver. Matt’s pick: LaVille 64, Bremen 50.
Glenn (9-4) vs. Argos (8-4): The Dragons suffered a 48-45 loss to Glenn during the 2015-16 campaign. Zac Mago’s 21 point were not enough for the Falcons against New Praiire. Sam Manikowski tallied 11 points for Argos against Oregon-Davis. Matt’s pick: Glenn 42, Argos 40.
Triton (4-6) vs. Culver (2-11): The Trojans are looking to make amends for a 42-33 loss to Culver on January 12. Ross Johnson had 23 points for Triton against Bremen. Ethan Shuman ended up with 15 points for the Cavaliers against LaVille. Matt’s pick: Triton 38, Culver 36.
JANUARY 20
Elkhart Memorial (7-6, 3-0 NLC) at Northridge (5-6, 2-1 NLC): The Raiders escaped with a 64-59 win over Elkhart Memorial last year. Jose Soto recorded 11 points for the Chargers against Riley. Kyle Carson scored six points for Northridge against Penn. Matt’s pick: Elkhart Memorial 47, Northridge 46.
Fort Wayne North (13-4) at Elkhart Central (5-7): The Blazers came away with a 79-68 win against Fort Wayne North in the 1999 regional. Lucas Kroft racked up 27 points for the Legends in a 74-48 win over Fort Wayne Northrop. Matt’s pick: Fort Wayne North 75, Elkhart Central 60.
Goshen (5-7) at Marian (8-3): The RedHawks earned a 62-58 win over Marian last season. Bryant Robinson had 14 points for Goshen against Jimtown. Jaden Ivey scored 22 points in the Knights’ 76-49 win over Marquette Catholic. Matt’s pick: Marian 62, Goshen 51
Washington (10-3) at Valparaiso (9-3): The Vikings marched past Washington, 58-44, a season ago. Cory McKinney poured in 26 points for the Panthers in their 88-85 loss to Fort Wayne Wayne. Brandon Newman exploded for 39 points in Valparaiso’s 76-61 win over Penn. Matt’s pick: Valparaiso 73, Washington 69.
TCU BI-COUNTY TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP
Oregon-Davis (7-5) vs, LaVille (14-0): The Lancers earned a 54-51 win against Oregon-Davis in their last meeting. Trevor Wilson tallied eight points in the Bobcats’ 44-40 win over defending champ New Prairie. Luke Beehler poured in 16 points for LaVille in a 58-41 win against Bremen. Matt’s pick: LaVille 67, Oregon-Davis 51.
JANUARY 22
Adams (6-8, 8, 1-4 NIC) at Jimtown (2-10, 0-6 NIC): The Eagles soared to a 60-37 win over Jimtown last season. Ben Foster accounted for 21 points in Adams’ 60-52 loss to Washington. Bill Pawlak had nine points for the Jimmies against Goshen Matt’s pick: Adams 68, Jimtown 48.
