County girls preview

First up this year are the girls in the Hancock County tournament. The pairings, again ... all games at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 29
Mt. Vernon (10-0) at Greenfield-Central (5-6)
Eastern Hancock (1-9) at New Palestine (4-5)
Thursday, Dec. 30
Consolation at Eastern Hancock Middle School gym
Championship at Eastern Hancock High School gym (LISTEN LIVE, 5:40 P.M.)
(FYI, the EHMS gymnasium is a long walk down the hallway from the EHHS gym).

The teams
Mt. Vernon (10-0)
The Marauders are ranked No. 1 in Class 3A for a reason. They have one of the top starting fives in the state, with a Div. I post player in Makenzi Reasor (Indiana State), an outstanding floor general in Jessica Brown, a 3-point marksman in Rachel Houck, a do-everything athlete in Kayla Negley and a workhorse and glass-cleaner in Anna Olson. They fit together very well and complement each other well. Then, a future Div. I player in Erica Moore jumps off the bench and you can tell Julie Shelton's team is loaded. The Marauders can score, but what's most impressive about them is the 35 ppg defensive average. They've had some impressive wins -- 56-33 over Rushville, 64-55 over Hamilton Heights and 43-42 over Pendleton Heights courtesy of a FT by Negley in the final second. They also had a 58-46 OT victory over New Palestine in which the Marauders rallied from a seven-point deficit late in regulation and then pulled away rapidly in OT. Brown is the leader at 14.8 ppg, but five players average at least 8.4 ppg, and the one starter who doesn't -- Olson -- gobbles up eight rebounds per game. MV is the defending champion and, as the only team in the field with a winning record, the favorite to win again and extend its streak of 27 consecutive regular-season wins.

Greenfield-Central (5-6)
The Cougars are working in a lot of new players, but Doug Laker's squad has hit stride in the last couple of games, beating Richmond and Connersville, both on the road. The Cougars also boast an impressive early-season win over New Castle on their resume, and they're always formidable this time of year. G-C has advanced to five consecutive title games and had won three straight before last season. The Cougars have a tough floor general in guard LaRae Cruz, who averages 15.6 points and 3.1 assists per game. She, outside shooter Kyra Tweedy and outstanding sophomore wing Katie Peters form a strong trio of leaders for the Cougars. G-C has yet to play Mt. Vernon this season.

Eastern Hancock (1-9)
The Royals have struggled a bit in the won-loss department this season, but they are young, starting two sophomores, a freshman and a junior, and coach Lindsay Shaw has them playing very hard. When we saw them against Knightstown, seniors Aubrie Kincaid and Bethany Sickle were both in double-figures, but expect strong play from sisters Lana and Alora Marshall and sophomore post Kaytlin Eastes. EH has a 62-23 win over Muncie South to its credit.

New Palestine (4-5)
The Dragons' record is a bit deceiving, as they've played one of the state's strongest schedules. NP took both 3A No. 1 Mt. Vernon and a 10-1 Westfield team to OT on the road, and had Warren Central, a team who was ranked No. 8 in 4A at the time, on the ropes. NP is led in scoring by Bethany Murrell (17.7 ppg) and Danielle Owens (8.7 points, 6.7 rebounds per game), while the Dragons have a quick, athletic group that produces balanced scoring beyond that. NP is 3-1 in the HHC. The Dragons played EH twice last year and won both games by 20+ points.