Having a hard time scoring Indiana Pacers tickets?
If so, or even if not, Saturday is your chance to get your basketball fix at Bankers Life Fieldhouse — especially if you’re a fan of the Indian Creek and Edinburgh boys varsity teams.
Part of the four-game lineup for the Hoosier Invitational, Class 3A Indian Creek plays Class A Edinburgh at 4 p.m. The occasion marks the second time the Braves have played a game at the fieldhouse. For Edinburgh, it’s the first time.
More importantly, both teams are playing well and ride a wave of momentum heading in.
Indian Creek is enjoying one of its best seasons in recent memory. The Braves are 11-4 overall, have a three-game winning streak, have won five of their past seven and lead the Mid-Hoosier Conference with a 5-0 league mark.
By comparison, Edinburgh has reversed course after opening the season 3-4. The Lancers are now 10-7, have a three-game winning streak, have won five of their past seven and are in fourth-place in the Mid-Hoosier at 3-2.
Saturday’s Indian Creek/Edinburgh showdown is part of a four-game slate at the fieldhouse. Oldenburg Academy plays Triton Central at 2:15 p.m.; Columbus North plays East Central at 5:45 p.m.; and New Palestine plays Mooresville at 7:30 p.m.
Advance sale tickets are available at the front offices and athletics offices of Indian Creek and Edinburgh high schools until 3:30 p.m. Friday. Admission is $12 for adults and $8 for students 12 and under. Children younger than 2 years old are free.
One for record books
Prolific scoring totals are nothing new for Holly Hoopingarner (pictured above at left).
But the Greenwood junior took scoring to a historic level Saturday night when she scored all but eight of the Woodmen’s points during a 47-42 win at New Palestine.
An IUPUI recruit, Hoopingarner tallied a single-game school-record 39 points in the victory, eclipsing the standard of 34 by former standout Olivia Oxley.
A 5-foot-4 guard, Hoopingarner has been among the area’s top players throughout her career. She was last year’s Daily Journal Player of the Year and was honorable mention All-County her freshman season.
Grizzlies’ schedule set
Franklin College football fans will be treated to five home games in 2015.
The five-time defending Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference champion Grizzlies open the season Sept. 5 with a nonconference home game against Illinois Wesleyan.
Franklin concludes nonconference play Sept. 12 at Butler, then begins HCAC action Sept. 19 against visiting Anderson. The Grizzlies’ other home games are Oct. 3 against Manchester, Oct. 17 against Mount St. Joseph and Nov. 7 against Defiance.
One of the nation’s top NCAA Division III programs, the Grizzlies finished 8-3 last season and advanced to the national playoffs for the seventh time in the past eight years.
Batter up
In a preseason vote of league coaches, the Franklin College softball and baseball teams are projected to finish third and fourth, respectively, in the HCAC.
Coming of a school-record 21 wins in 2014, the softball team finished fourth last season with an 8-8 record in league play.
Franklin’s top returners are sophomore Megan Lalioff, last year’s HCAC Freshman of the Year; junior Katie Struewing, who belted a school-record 18 doubles and hit .406; junior McKensie Vanosdol, who drove in 25 runs and hit .384; senior Jessica Ayers, who had three triples and a .358 batting average; and sophomore Savannah Blevins, who hit three home runs, 11 doubles and drove in a team-high 26 runs.
The Grizzlies open the season Feb. 28 at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida.
Franklin’s baseball team, meanwhile, returns six position starters and two pitchers from the starting rotation from last year’s 24-17 team.
