Weekend hoops

Friday night is going to be an exciting one in Hancock County. Four games, involving all four schools, with two being boys games and two being girls games.

It touches off an odd week of hoops, that will include a boys or a girls county game every night (except, of course, Sunday and next Wednesday) from tonight through the end of next weekend, and includes a Monday night and Saturday-afternoon boys game.

We'll also do something exciting -- split up our broadcast crew. Chris Lambert and Greg Elkins are headed to Mt. Vernon to call the Marauders' final girls game of the year against North Central. Andrew Smith will broadcast the New Palestine-Shelbyville boys game, a rematch of last year's sectional final. So, you have a choice of which game to listen to on Friday night!

FRIDAY
Boys games
Shelbyville (0-14) at New Palestine (10-4): Dragons are looking to get back on track after dropping three of their last four in January. Michael Morris had a strong game last time out vs. Yorktown, but the rest of the team struggled to shoot. Morris is one of the HHC's top scorers and is the top free throw shooter. Shelby had to replace all five starters from last year and doesn't have a senior in the starting five. Both teams like to push the ball, so expect a lot of points. Listen LIVE link here

Greenfield-Central (1-13) at Delta (9-6): Both teams have identical 1-4 HHC records, so this game will be big for placement in the conference. The Cougars had a good showing against Shelbyville in a victory two weeks ago, then struggled last week offensively in losses to Pendleton Heights and Eastern Hancock. Jordan Keener was a bright spot against EH, scoring 11 points.

Girls games
North Central (15-5) at 3A #1 Mt. Vernon (17-4): The Marauders are looking to bounce back from a tough 51-49 loss to 4A #4 Fort Wayne South on Tuesday, one in which MV came back from a double-digit deficit to tie the game in the late stages. It will be Senior Night for Makenzi Reasor, Jessica Brown, Anna Olson and Kelsie Owens, one of the most decorated classes in MV history. This game is also a rematch of MV's lone regular-season loss from a year ago. North Central is loaded, but recently snapped a three-game skid (against 4A powers Decatur Central, Lawrence North and Warren Central) with a victory over Kokomo on Tuesday. Listen LIVE link here

Eastern Hancock (12-7) vs. Triton Central (18-1), 5:30 p.m. at Bankers Life Fieldhouse: The Royals get to play downtown as the first part of a tripleheader. EH hits the tough part of its schedule at the end of the year, and this will be a good preparation for the first sectional game against 18-2 Hagerstown on Tuesday night. EH is a young team, with every rotation player being an underclassmen and most being either freshmen or sophomores, and has made huge strides this year. TC has been going through a banner year and is poised for a deep tourney run, led by senior guard Emily Alfrey and two solid freshmen in Natalie Stephenson and Samantha Dewey. Both teams will enjoy the game.

SATURDAY
Boys games
Mooresville (10-2) at New Palestine (10-4): Both teams will finish the weekend after playing conference foes the night before. The Pioneers have been strong under coach Bob Carter, led by senior Justin Kenney. This game is NP's Coaches vs. Cancer night, and includes a raffle that has -- among other things -- the rim broken by Boomer during the Dragons' game vs. Triton Central on Jan. 20.

Greenfield-Central (1-13) at Greenwood (1-13): A pair of teams looking to get on track at the end of the season meet up in Greenwood. Like NP-Mooresville, this HHC-Mid-State matchup will feature teams who had played a conference game the night before.