Oregon-Davis senior Sarah Thompson, Hamilton Southeastern senior Kennedy Holman and Jennings County senior Mollie Ernstes have been selected Week 3 winners in the IBCA Player of the Week program for 2025-26.
Also, Crown Point and LaPorte each was recognized as an IBCA/Ballogy Team of the Week for respective performances during the week of Nov. 17-22 in the recognition program coordinated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.
Players of the Week are cited by IHSAA district – Thompson for District 1, Holman for District 2 and Ernstes for District 3. Teams of the Week are cited at the discretion of the program coordinators, former Martinsville coach Kip Staggs for boys and former Brownsburg coach Debbie Smiley for girls. Players and teams are recognized based on all performances in a Monday through Saturday week.
Thompson averaged 27.5 points and 14.0 rebounds as Oregon Davis (3-3) defeated Bowman Academy 63-25 and River Forest 56-23. The 5-8 senior center opened with 33 points, 16 rebounds, one assist, four steals and one block against Bowman. She followed with 22 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and one block against River Forest. For the two games, she was 20-of-32 from the field and 15-of-18 from the line. Thompson finished the week with 1,004 career points, becoming the 16th player in O-D girls’ basketball history to reach 1,000 points while playing for the Bobcats.
Holman tallied norms of 23.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 6.5 assists in a 2-0 week for then-Class 4A No. 6 Hamilton Southeastern (4-1). The 5-9 guard scored 31 points with seven rebounds, three assists, five steals and two blocks in a 43-22 victory over 3A co-No. 14 Indianapolis Cathedral. The University of Florida recruit also netted 15 points with 11 rebounds, four assists, eight steals and one block as the Royals topped 4A co-No. 11 Franklin Central 55-44. For the week, Holman was 13-of-31 on field goals and 20-of-24 on free throws.
Ernstes averaged 27.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists as 3A No. 7 Jennings County split two contests. The 6-0 guard scored 24 points with five rebounds, three assists and three steals in a 57-56 home loss to Cathedral. The University of Kansas signee came back with 31 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and two blocks as the Panthers knocked off 4A No. 3 Warsaw 64-59. Over both games, Ernstes was 18-of-47 from the field, including 5-of-26 on 3-pointers, and 14-of-17 on charity tosses. She moved her career point total to 1,278 points, now standing fifth on Jennings County’s all-time scoring list.
Team of the Week honors went to Crown Point and LaPorte with respective first-year coaches Brad Stangel and Adam Neace. The 4A No. 15 Bulldogs (6-0) defeated Andrean 56-26 early in the week, then knocked off Northridge 58-51 and 3A No. 9 Columbia City 55-54 on Saturday in the East-West Shootout at Crown Point. The Slicers (4-1), who entered the season with a 31-game losing streak and 2-66 the past three seasons combined, beat Mishawaka Marian 49-41 and New Prairie 44-26.
This is the 18th season for the IBCA Player of the Week program. This is the second season for the IBCA Team of the Week program and the second season the Team of the Week program is presented by Ballogy, an IBCA corporate partner.
The IBCA will begin boys’ Player and Team of the Week honors on Dec. 2.
Coaches may nominate players and teams via buttons on the IBCA website (in.nhsbca.org). Coaches must be a current-year member for their players and/or team to be selected for a weekly award. Girls’ winners are chosen from now through Monday following the IHSAA girls’ State Finals. Boys’ winners are chosen from Dec. 2 through the Monday following the IHSAA boys’ State Finals.
2025-26 IBCA weekly honorees
Nov. 3-8 – District 1 girls: Laniah Davis, Marquette Catholic. District 2 girls: Kenzie Koch, Eastern Hancock. District 3 girls: Gracyn Gilliard, Center Grove. Teams of the Week (girls): North Knox, South Central (Elizabeth), Warsaw.
Nov. 10-15 – District 1 girls: Leah Shappell, Leo. District 2 girls: Adah Hupfer, Pendleton Heights. District 3 girls: Emily Parker, Boonville. Team of the Week (girls): Homestead.
Nov. 17-22 – District 1 girls: Sarah Thompson, Oregon-Davis. District 2 girls: Kennedy Holman, Hamilton Southeastern. District 3 girls: Mollie Ernstes, Jennings County. Teams of the Week (girls): Crown Point, LaPorte.