It's county tourney week

We haven't been as up on things on the blog side as we'd like to be, largely because of time pressures of late.

However, the Game of the Week contests have been barnburners so far -- the last 3 have been decided by a total of 7 points, all with the outcome in doubt in the last 60 seconds. Now, we're getting ready for a busy second half of the season, which begins with the traditional mid-season Hancock County Tournament. Our next Game of the Week broadcast will be the tournament title game on Saturday night. There is an early 6 p.m. tipoff, so we'll be on at approximately 5:40 p.m.

This year, it's on Jan. 1-2, for two reasons. The most obvious is the weekend date, but the less obvious is the fact that Mt. Vernon is playing in the Hall of Fame Classic on Wednesday, therefore giving the Marauders a day of rest before diving back in. MV is 4-2 so far, and has played a brutal schedule, with the two losses coming to HSE and Tipton, teams that have a combined record of 10-3. It doesn't get any easier Wednesday, as the Marauders take on an unbeaten Munster team in the opening 11 a.m. game. Defending 3A champ Princeton and Zionsville are the other two teams competing at New Castle.

The County Tourney has become a much-anticipated event in its six years of existence. Greenfield-Central won the inaugural tournament, but since, New Palestine (thrice) and Mt. Vernon (twice) have dominated the action, meeting in the title game each of the last three years. MV is the defending champ. That can't happen this year, as the Marauders and Dragons -- both posting 4-2 records coming into the week -- meet in the opening round on New Year's Day at MV. Eastern Hancock (5-2) visits Greenfield-Central (1-6) in the other opening-round matchup. All boys games are at 6 p.m. -- all games are boy/girl doubleheaders.

New Palestine will host the finals Saturday night -- boys at 6, girls at 8 -- with championship games in the main gym and consolations in the auxiliary gym across the hall. We will have the boys final as our Game of the Week webcast. Listen here.

The schedule
(boys @ 6 p.m., girls @ 8 p.m.)
Friday, Jan. 1: New Palestine @ Mt. Vernon; Eastern Hancock @ Greenfield-Central
Saturday, Jan. 2: Championship games @ NPHS Main Gym (LISTEN LIVE TO BOYS FINAL), consolation games @ NPHS Auxiliary Gym

Hancock County Tourney results
BOYS
2008-09
Mt. Vernon 65, @Eastern Hancock 64
@New Palestine 60, Greenfield-Central 54
Greenfield-Central 52, Eastern Hancock 51, OT, consolation
@Mt. Vernon 51, New Palestine 19, championship
2007-08
New Palestine 75, @Greenfield-Central 69
@Mt. Vernon 54, Eastern Hancock 46
Eastern Hancock 59, Greenfield-Central 56, consolation
@New Palestine 41, Mt. Vernon 39, championship
2006-07
@Mt. Vernon 70, Eastern Hancock 43
@New Palestine 61, Greenfield-Central 38
@Eastern Hancock 53, Greenfield-Central 43, consolation
Mt. Vernon 74, New Palestine 55, championship
2005-06
New Palestine 62, @Eastern Hancock 47
@Greenfield-Central 51, Mt. Vernon 50
@Mt. Vernon 50, Eastern Hancock 31, consolation
New Palestine 59, Greenfield-Central 57, OT, championship
2004-05
New Palestine 41, @Mt. Vernon 38
Greenfield-Central 53, @Eastern Hancock 49
Mt. Vernon 52, Eastern Hancock 45, consolation
@New Palestine 51, Greenfield-Central 50, OT, championship
2003-04
Greenfield-Central 67, @New Palestine 53
@Eastern Hancock 53, Mt. Vernon 47
New Palestine 59, Mt. Vernon 49, consolation
@Greenfield-Central 75, Eastern Hancock 63, championship

All-time record
Eastern Hancock: 3-9 (1 2nd, 2 3rds, 3 4ths)
Greenfield-Central: 5-7 (1 1st, 2 2nds, 1 3rd, 2 4ths)
Mt. Vernon: 7-5 (2 1sts, 1 2nd, 2 3rds, 1 4th)
New Palestine: 9-3 (3 1sts, 2 2nds, 1 3rd)

GIRLS
2008-09
Greenfield-Central 55, @New Palestine 42
Mt. Vernon 61, @Eastern Hancock 22
New Palestine 48, Eastern Hancock 31, consolation
Greenfield-Central 40, @Mt. Vernon 39, championship
2007-08
@Greenfield-Central 62, New Palestine 38
@Mt. Vernon 53, Eastern Hancock 42
@New Palestine 55, Eastern Hancock 29, consolation
Greenfield-Central 54, Mt. Vernon 38, championship
2006-07
Greenfield-Central 52, @New Palestine 33
@Mt. Vernon 55, Eastern Hancock 30
New Palestine 59, @Eastern Hancock 29, consolation
Greenfield-Central 62, Mt. Vernon 43, championship
2005-06
New Palestine 65, @Eastern Hancock 34
@Greenfield-Central 56, Mt. Vernon 39
@Mt. Vernon 47, Eastern Hancock 31, consolation
New Palestine 78, Greenfield-Central 75, 2OT, championship
2004-05
@Mt. Vernon 69, New Palestine 61
@Eastern Hancock 55, Greenfield-Central 50
@New Palestine 63, Greenfield-Central 44, consolation
Mt. Vernon 42, Eastern Hancock 35, championship
2003-04
Mt. Vernon 48, @Eastern Hancock 43
@New Palestine 72, Greenfield-Central 47
@Greenfield-Central 64, Eastern Hancock 54, consolation
Mt. Vernon 63, New Palestine 47, championship

All-time record
Eastern Hancock: 1-11 (1 2nd, 5 4ths)
Greenfield-Central: 8-4 (3 1sts, 1 2nd, 1 3rd, 1 4th)
Mt. Vernon: 8-4 (2 1sts, 3 2nds, 1 3rd)
New Palestine: 7-5 (1 1st, 1 2nd, 4 3rds)