By GREG MENGELT

Who the Pirates have beaten during the winning streak makes them the Hoosier Hills Hoops Girls’ Team of the Week.

“I think it starts on the defensive end with our crew,” Charlestown coach Scott Matthews said. “We’ve been pretty solid defensively and our team chemistry is excellent. With any good team, most coaches will tell you chemistry is high up there at the top.”

The Pirates started their winning streak with a victory at Madison (10-7) on a Friday evening and followed it up with a big MSC win at Brownstown (12-11) the following afternoon.

Then streak continued with a win at Class 2A No. 13 Eastern (11-10) before beating New Albany (5-17) and MSC powerhouse Salem (10-8) before taking out Christian Academy (6-14) on Saturday.

The win over New Albany gives the Pirates wins over all three of the area’s vaunted Class 4A programs.

“We were fortunate enough to beat the Big 3,” Matthews said. “I know they’re not having great years, but 3A teams don’t beat Jeffersonville, New Albany and Floyd Central very often.”

Charlestown is 16-5 heading into Tuesday’s regular-season finale against Seymour (9-9) before facing Corydon Central (18-2) in next week’s sectional opening round. The Panthers handed the Pirates one of their five losses.

By GREG MENGELT

Biven was 6 for 15 from behind the 3-point line (and 6 for 7 inside the arc) and finished with five assists, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks for the Hoosier Hills Hoops Boys’ Performance of the Week.

“Tucker Biven played the entire 40 minutes, scored 32 points, hit key 3-point shots, dished out five assists and made a game-saving block,” New Albany coach Jim Shannon said. “He hustled all over the court, even though he never came out of the game. The next day he was out watching our feeder kids play ball and spent some time with them.”

Biven is now only 31 points shy of joining an illustrious group of New Albany 1,000-point scorers. Biven and the Bulldogs, who have won three straight and four of their last five, go to Evansville North (7-7) on Friday.

WEEK’S TOP PERFORMANCES
• The Arthur Brothers, New Washington: New Washington’s Arthur brothers combined for 44 points and 16 rebounds as the Mustangs won 59-53 at Oldenburg Academy on Friday. Matthew Arthur, a junior, finished with 26 points, nine rebounds and six steals, while Mason Arthur, a freshman, contributed 18 points and seven boards to the victory.

By GREG MENGELT

Rooney went 9 for 16 from the field and finished with a game-high 26 points. She knocked down eight of her 13 3-point attempts, setting the school record for 3-pointers made in a game at Silver Creek and earning the Hoosier Hills Hoops Girls’ Performance of the Week honor.

It was the eighth straight win for the 20-1 Dragons, who go to Columbus East (16-3) on Tuesday for their regular-season finale. They face Scottsburg (10-9) next Tuesday as they defend their state championship for the first time ever beginning at next week’s sectional.

WEEK’S TOP SINGLE-GAME PERFORMANCES
• Emma Campbell, Lanesville: The senior guard scored eight of her 11 points in the fourth quarter of the Eagles’ 43-37 win over Salem on Tuesday. Campbell, who hit two free throws to seal the victory, also had three rebounds and a steal as Lanesville won its 17th straight game.
• Caitlyn Cook, Borden: Cook scored 13 points and had three steals and a rebounds in the Braves’ 30-16 SAC win over Henryville on Thursday. Cook went 4 for 9 from the field, 2 for 5 from behind the 3-point arc and made three of her five free throw attempts.
• Dahja Gaines, Clarksville: The junior guard went 5 for 10 from the field and finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and a deflection in the Generals’ 44-43 loss to Share on Saturday.
• Kynidi Mason-Striverson, Silver Creek: The senior, who recently became the program’s all-time leader in assists, finished with 25 points (on 9 of 18 shooting), nine rebounds and six assists as the Dragons defeated Eastern on Saturday.
• Allison McGlothlin, Scottsburg: The senior forward finished with 17 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and an assist as the Warriors fell 56-40 at Eastern on Thursday.

By GREG MENGELT

Rock Creek (6-6) had five players with at least nine points, went 22 for 26 from the free throw line and outscored the Pioneers 29-20 in the fourth quarter for the Hoosier Hills Hoops Boys’ Basketball Win of the Week.

“The fourth quarter was huge,” said Rock Creek coach Chris Brown. “Scoring 29 on them in the fourth quarter is crazy.”

Down eight at halftime, Brown went smaller in the second half and split up his big men with one playing at a time.

“We made some adjustments and they worked for us,” he said. “We were able to disrupt them a little more.”

Gavin Guillon led the Lions with 19 points and Keajuan Beco added 17. Ladarius Wallace added 10 and Marial Diper and Jaleb Treat finished with nine apiece in the win over Providence, which came into the contest 11-3.

The Lions will look to take momentum from Saturday’s win into Tuesday’s contest at sectional-rival South Central (4-8) in the Hoosier Hills Hoops Game of the Night.

By GREG MENGELT

Lately, it’s been all ups for New Wash. After a 5-8 start to the season, the Mustangs have won six of their last seven games with the only loss coming against 4A Jeffersonville. The night before playing the Red Devils, New Wash (11-9) picked up perhaps its biggest win of the season against South Spencer for the Hoosier Hills Hoops Girls’ Basketball Win of the Week.

The Rebels entered the game 15-4 with six wins in their previous seven games. They were coming off a 66-32 win over Tell City.

“I am thankful for the growth we have seen in our players from the beginning of the season up to this point,” New Wash coach Kirsti Holloway said. “We have had to overcome adversity in various ways just, like most teams are experiencing, whether it be illness or injury, so it has been good so see us improve despite all those obstacles. We have a really strong schedule that has hopefully prepared us to peak at just the right time.”

In the Win of the Week, sophomore Kaidin James had 18 points on 6 of 7 shooting to go along with six rebounds and four assists. Senior Grace Ellison added 12 points and seven rebounds, sophomore Sami Mattingly had 10 points and seven boards, junior Macy Fields contributed five points, nine rebounds and three assists and senior Emma DeCamp finished with six points and seven rebounds and was 4 for 4 from the free throw line.

The Mustangs out-rebounded South Spencer 42-31 and they made twice as many free throws as the Rebels attempts (14 to 7). Holloway said she wanted to play South Spencer in the regular season after facing the Rebels during the summer. Holloway said playing South Spencer helped make her team better in the summer and she believes it did so again this week.

“I believe this particular game and the whole weekend overall taught us some things that we needed to know about ourselves, both individually and as a team,” Holloway sid. “It showed us areas that could have become blind spots that our opponents uncovered or made a little more clear to us. Regardless of the scoreboard, those are things we need to have exposed so we can get better going into the tournament. … We are glad it worked out for us to play and hope that we were able to make them better as a result, too.”

By GREG MENGELT

Currently, Rock Creek (6-6) unofficially has that title after early wins over Christian Academy on Dec. 10 and Borden on Jan. 8. Saturday’s win at Providence helped solidify it.

The Lions’ opponent Tuesday, South Central (4-9), has lost to Borden and CAI but beat Lanesville on Jan. 7. So while not a top contender at this point, the young Rebels still believe by the end of the year they’ll be in the mix.

“It’s a sectional opponent and is a measuring stick for what we have to improve on going forward,” said South Central veteran coach Greg Robinson, who will earn his 200th career coaching win with the Rebels’ next victory. “It is also the start of a 3-game week not unlike sectional week could be. So we look at this week as a dress rehearsal for March.”

South Central has a couple of impressive performances this season, including wins at Crawford County, Mitchell and Southridge. But the Rebels have also been on the wrong end of some inexplicable scores, like a 32-point defeat at Christian Academy and a recent 17-point defeat at West Washington.

Of course, those games were on the road. The Rebels have won their last two games in Elizabeth.

“It’s been a rollercoaster of a season with lots of ups and downs,” Robinson said. “We are a very young team and are learning and getting better each day. That has been, and still is, our main focus.”

Rock Creek has five players averaging at least 8.3 points and features one of the biggest frontcourts in all of Class A.

“Rock Creek is a very good and well-coached team,” said Robinson, who believes the Lions are one of the best five teams South Central will play this season. “They have played a very tough schedule. They have great size, a great point guard, a couple of good shooters and a solid bench.”

Sophomore Christian Kiper and freshman Cole Thomas combine to average 25.4 points per game, while junior Ty Jones leads contributes 6.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.6 steals per contest.

“We’ve got two solid scorers in Christian Kiper and Cole Thomas and we ask a lot out of them,” Robinson said. “Also, Ty Jones has taken up the leadership role and has done a great job for us defensively as well.”

GAME OF THE NIGHT
ROCK CREEK AT SOUTH CENTRAL
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Location: South Central H.S. Main Gym (6675 E. Hwy. 11 S.E., Elizabeth)
• Records:
Rock Creek 6-6. The Lions have won two of their last three.
South Central 4-8. The Rebels have won two of their last three.
• Coaches:
Rock Creek — Chris Brown (354-287 season at Rock Creek)
South Central — Greg Robinson (177-176 in 16th season at South Central, 199-239 in 20th season overall)
• Computer-based Sagarin Ratings:
Rock Creek — No. 190, No. 18 Class A
South Central — No. 318, No. 59 Class A
• Most recent game:
Rock Creek — Won at Providence 71-64 (Jan. 22)
South Central — Lost at West Washington 52-35 (Jan. 11)
• Last 20 years: 12-12. South Central has won five of the last six vs. Rock Creek.
• Most recent meeting: Jan. 26, 2021 — At Rock Creek 82, South Central 35.
• News & notes: The Rebels’ next win will be the 200th in Robinson’s career between Shakamak and South Central. Earlier in the season, Brown won his 350th game and now stands at 354.
• John Harrell prediction: Rock Creek 59, South Central 45.
• Sagarin projection: Rock Creek by 13.
• Outlook: Again, these are two teams that believe they can win a sectional title in March. This one will go a long way toward determining who the sectional favorite is.
• Greg’s pick: Rock Creek 59, South Central 51.

NEW WASHINGTON AT SOUTHWESTERN
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Location: Delbert O. King Gymnasium, Southwestern H.S. (167 S. Main Cross St., Hanover)
• Records:
New Washington 3-10. The Mustangs have lost seven of their last eight.
Southwestern 9-5. The Rebels have won three of their last four.
• Coaches:
New Washington — Kyle Brown (12-25 in second season at New Washington)
Southwestern — Zac Nussbaum (34-13 in third season at Southwestern)
• Computer-based Sagarin Ratings:
New Washington — No. 358, No. 70 Class A
Southwestern — No. 102, No. 11 Class 2A
• Most recent game:
New Washington — Won at Oldenburg Academy 59-53 (Jan. 21)
Southwestern — Defeated Rock Creek 71-56 (Jan. 21)
• Last 20 years: Southwestern 15-7. The Rebels have won four in a row over New Wash.
• Most recent meeting: Dec. 11, 2020 — Southwestern 97, at New Washington 28.
• John Harrell prediction: Southwestern 74, New Washington 38.
• Sagarin projection: Southwestern by 36.
• Outlook: Southwestern is probably going to win, but the idea of a 36-point margin in this one is nonsense.
• Greg’s pick: Southwestern 64, New Washington 52.

AUSTIN AT BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Location: Brownstown Central H.S. (500 N. Elm St., Brownstown)
• Records:
Austin 3-8, 0-3 MSC. The Eagles have lost three of their last four.
Brownstown 11-2, 4-0 MSC. The Braves are currently on a 3-game winning streak.
• Coaches:
Austin — Randy Edwards (38-70 in fifth season at Austin)
Brownstown — Dave Benter (414-155 in 24th season at Brownstown)
• Rankings:
Brownstown — No. 8 AP (Class 3A).
• Computer-based Sagarin Ratings:
Austin — No. 267, No. 60 Class 2A
Brownstown — No. 49, No. 10 Class 3A
• Most recent game:
Austin — Defeated Clarksville 60-50 (Jan. 15)
Brownstown — Defeated Greensburg 61-48 (Jan. 21)
• Last 20 years: Brownstown 19-5. The Braves have won 12 straight in the series.
• Most recent meeting: Jan. 26, 2021 — Brownstown 60, at Austin 56.
• News & notes: At 4-0, Brownstown is the only remaining unbeaten team in the Mid-Southern Conference. The Braves have a game lead over second-place North Harrison in the standings. Every other MSC team has at least two conference losses.
• John Harrell prediction: Brownstown 74, Austin 48.
• Sagarin projection: Brownstown by 29.
• Outlook: The Braves still have conference games at Corydon and at Pekin, so the conference championship is far from assured. In order to win it, they have to beat teams like Austin and Charlestown. (Again, the 29 points projected by Sagarin seems ridiculous.)
• Greg’s pick: Brownstown 67, Austin 52.

SPRINGS VALLEY AT WEST WASHINGTON
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Location: Tower Gymnasium, West Washington H.S. (8028 W. Batt Rd., Campbellsburg)
• Records:
Springs Valley 10-3, 3-2 PLAC. The Blackhawks have won six in a row.
West Washington 4-9, 0-2 PLAC. The Senators have won their last two games.
• Coaches:
Springs Valley — Jonathon Bowles (20-16 in second season at Springs Valley)
West Washington — Clayton Sullivan (43-45 in fourth season at West Washington)
• Computer-based Sagarin Ratings:
Springs Valley — No. 196, No. 20 Class A
West Washington — No. 318, No. 58 Class A
• Most recent game:
Springs Valley — Won at Northeast Dubois 64-58 (Jan. 22)
West Washington — Won at Medora 60-34 (Jan. 18)
• Last 20 years: West Washington 15-10. Springs Valley has won four of the last five in the rivalry.
• Most recent meeting: Jan. 15, 2021 — At Springs Valley 66, West Washington 57.
• John Harrell prediction: Springs Valley 60, West Washington 47.
• Sagarin projection: Springs Valley by 12.
• Outlook: Really wanted to take an upset here, but it seems Springs Valley is the real deal.
• Greg’s pick: Springs Valley 65, West Washington 59.