By GREG MENGELT

BOSTON — Former New Albany standout Romeo Langford had 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a blocked shot and his Boston Celtics knocked off defending World Champion Milwaukee 117-103 on Monday evening at the TD Garden.

Langford went 3 for 7 from the field and made one of his four 3-point attempts as Boston improved to 14-14 on the season. The Bucks are now 18-11, third-best in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics are currently ninth in the Eastern Conference standings.

Langford’s layup with 2:36 left in the first quarter cut Milwaukee’s early lead to 25-21. The Bucks led 30-21 after one quarter, but Langford scored in the middle of a 27-17 run that gave the Celtics a 51-50 halftime lead.

With 2:56 left in the third period, Langford knocked down his 3-pointer to put Boston on top 79-68.

Jayson Tatum had a big night for the Celtics with 42 points. He was 16 for 25 from the floor and made 7 of his 13 3-point attempts. He also had 5 rebounds, 4 assist and 3 steals. Grant Williams scored 17 points — on just 7 field goal attempts — and grabbed 7 boards in 29 minutes off the Celtics bench.

Reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday scored 20 apiece for the Bucks, who made just 40 of their 90 field goal attempts (44.4 percent) and just 11 of their 36 3-point attempts for 30.6 percent.

Langford and the Celtics host the Golden State Warriors in their next game Friday at 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN. The Warriors are 22-5 — second in the Western Conference — after Monday’s 102-100 win over the Pacers in Indianapolis.

By GREG MENGELT

After back-to-back losses, including a 55-47 loss at Seymour on Friday, Jeffersonville has fallen out of the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association single-class poll for the first time this season.

The Red Devils (1-2) did receive votes in the poll, which was released Sunday.

Floyd Central (3-1) and North Harrison (4-0) also received votes. The Highlanders defeated New Albany 57-26 on Friday before suffering their first loss of the season, 64-59 at Jeffersontown (Ky.) on Saturday. North Harrison dominated defending Class 3A state champion Silver Creek 65-46 on Friday to seemingly take control of the Mid-Southern Conference race.

Silver Creek (2-2), which has lost back-to-back games to Columbus North and North Harrison, fell out of the poll for the first time this season.

Zionsville (6-0) remains at No. 1 and received 19 of the 20 first-place votes in the poll. No. 2 Cathedral (5-1) got the other. Homestead (5-1), defending 4A state champion Carmel (4-2) and Fishers (5-1) are the top five.

Regionally, No. 13 Bloomington North (3-1) and No. 14 Bloomington South (4-1) can’t seem to get away from each other in the poll. North lost at Mooresville and beat Franklin Central last week, while South rebounded from a loss to Barr-Reeve with a 2-point win at Southport on Friday.

Linton-Stockton (5-0) is No. 16, while Castle (3-0), Evansville Retiz (3-0), North Daviess (6-0) and South Spencer (5-0) earned votes.

INDIANA BASKETBALL COACHES POLL
Rank, School (1st place votes) Record
1. Zionsville (19) 6-0, 2. Cathedral (1) 5-1, 3. Homestead 5-1, 4. Carmel 4-2, 5. Fishers 5-1, 6. Lawrence North 4-1, 7. Brebeuf 4-1, 8. Valparaiso 5-0, 9. Westfield 2-2, 10. Mishawaka Marian 6-0, 11. North Central 5-1, 12. Bloomington North 3-1, 13. Bloomington South 4-1, 14. Ben Davis 3-2, 15. Leo 5-0, 16. Linton-Stockton 5-0, 17. Indianapolis Tech 3-2, 18. Lawrence Central 2-2, 19. Central Noble 4-0, 20. Connersville 5-0.
Others receiving votes: Anderson 4-1, Barr-Reeve 4-2, Beech Grove 3-1, Brownsburg 4-2, Castle 3-0, Chesterton 3-0, Crispus Attucks 3-4, Evansville Reitz 3-0, Floyd Central 3-1, Fort Wayne Blackhawk 3-0, Fort Wayne Snider 1-0, Gary 21st Century 3-0, Hammond 3-1, Jeffersonville 1-2, Lafayette Jefferson 5-1, Mt. Vernon (Fortville) 1-1, North Central (Farmersburg) 2-2, North Daviess 6-0, North Harrison 4-0, NorthWood 5-0, Penn 5-0, Pike 2-1, South Spencer 5-0, Warren Central 1-3.

NOTE: Records as of Sunday.

By GREG MENGELT

Defending Class 3A state champion Silver Creek stayed put at No. 9 in the latest Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Poll, which was released on Sunday evening.

The Dragons improved to 11-0 with wins over Floyd Central 47-34 on Wednesday and over Louisville Central 66-49 on Saturday. Silver Creek is outscoring its opponents by 18.9 points per game this season.

Crown Point (11-1) remained at No. 1 and, with 17 of the 20 first-place votes, was one of three teams to receive a top vote. No. 2 Franklin (11-0) got two first-place votes and No. 3 Noblesville (9-1) got one. Homestead (9-1) and South Bend Washington (12-2), which Silver Creek beat in last February’s Class 3A championship game, round out the top 5.

Silver Creek is the only local team to be ranked, but two Hoosier Hills Conference teams are in the Top 20.

Bedford North Lawrence (10-1) had a strong week with wins Seymour and reigning 4A state runner-up Brownsburg but fell a spot to No. 6. Homestead leapfrogged BNL and Washington after defeating Washington 65-52, Fort Wayne Dwenger 69-28 and Notre Dame Academy of Ohio 71-36 last week.

Columbus East was tied for No. 11 last week with Mishawaka Marian (9-2). This week East is No. 11 and Marian is No. 13 with No. 12 Westfield (9-2) in between. Westfield was No. 15 last week.

Locally, Salem (6-3) and Corydon Central (11-1) earned votes from the coaches. Corydon Central received votes for the first time this season. The Panthers defeated Salem 48-44 on Thursday.

Regionally, East Central (6-1) is No. 17, while Vincennes Rivet (8-0) and Washington (9-1) received votes.

INDIANA BASKETBALL COACHES POLL
Rank, School (1st place votes) Record
1. Crown Point (17) 11-1, 2. Franklin (2) 11-0, 3. Noblesville (1) 9-1, 4. Homestead 9-1, 5. South Bend Washington 12-2, 6. Bedford North Lawrence 10-1, 7. Fishers 9-1, 8. North Central 11-3, 9. Silver Creek 11-0, 10. Lake Central 10-1, 11. Columbus East 10-1, 12. Westfield 9-2, 13. Mishawaka Marian 9-2, 14. Benton Central 10-0, 15. Zionsville 7-3, 16. Valparaiso 9-1, 17. East Central 6-1, 18. Columbia City 10-0, 19. Fort Wayne Snider 7-2, 20. Penn 8-4.
Others receiving votes: Carmel 5-5, Castle 8-3, Corydon Central 11-1, Edgewood 11-0, Fairfield 10-0, Fort Wayne Northrop 6-1, Garrett 9-1, Hamilton Southeastern 7-4, Jac-Cen-Del 6-1, Northridge 8-2, Salem 6-3, South Central (Union Mills) 10-0, Tipton 6-1, Vincennes Rivet 8-0, Waldron 10-0, Washington 9-1, Winchester 10-0.

NOTE: Records as of Sunday.

By GREG MENGELT

1. Floyd Central (3-1, Last week: 1). The Highlanders were fantastic on Friday and we’re not going to punish the them for an overtime loss to a good Jeffersontown (Ky.) team. This week: At Providence (Friday), hosts Bloomington South (Saturday).

2. North Harrison (4-0, 3). The Cougars remain the kings of the MSC until someone takes them down. Could that be Brownstown? This week: At Brownstown. Central (Friday).

3. New Albany (2-3, 2). It’s hard to know what to make of the Bulldogs after taking the state’s top team to overtime then taking a 31-point loss. This week: At Carmel (Saturday).

4. Scottsburg (4-1, 4). The Warriors are impressive. After a tough road loss at Brownstown, they found a way to win at Providence. This week: Hosts Corydon Central (Friday).

5. Providence (4-1, 5). The Pioneers were right there with Scottsburg. That seems to be a sign that the Pioneers are legit. This week: Hosts Floyd Central (Friday), hosts Evansville Memorial (Saturday).

6. Silver Creek (2-1, 6). OK, so these aren’t the same Dragons. That doesn’t mean they won’t be really good by March. This week: At Jeffersonville (Friday), at Bedford North Lawrence (Saturday).

7. Jeffersonville (1-2, 7). We’re not going to judge too harshly until the Red Devils are whole, but things are starting to get concerning. This week: Hosts Silver Creek (Friday).

8. Eastern (4-1, 10). The Musketeers are drubbing teams. In their 3-game winning streak, they’ve outscored their opponents by 72 points. This week: At Salem (Friday, Washington County Invitational first round), vs. Borden or West Washington (Saturday, Washington County Invitational final round, at Salem).

9. Borden (3-2, 12). Is it possible we have Borden too low in this poll? Starting to look like it. This week: vs. West Washington (Friday, Washington County Invitational first round, at Salem), vs. Salem or Eastern (Saturday, Washington County Invitational final round, at Salem).

10. Corydon Central (2-3, 8). It feels like the Panthers are close to breaking out. This week: At Scottsburg (Friday), hosts Jasper (Saturday).

11. Rock Creek (3-1, 11). Two strong showings from the Lions … and congratulations to Coach Brown for wins No. 350 and 351 over the weekend. This week: At Louisville Holy Cross (Friday).

12. Charlestown (3-3, NR). Nice week for the Pirates, taking down a couple of county rivals and re-entering the Hoosier Hills Hoops Power Poll. This week: At Christian Academy (Saturday).

13. Christian Academy (1-2, 13). After a loss at Rock Creek, the Warriors know they have some work to do before March. This week: Hosts South Central (Friday), hosts Charlestown (Saturday).

14. Clarksville (2-3, 9). The Generals tumble a bit in the poll after double-digit losses to Charlestown and Eastern. This week: Hosts Southwestern (Tuesday).

15. South Central (1-4, 14). South Central is better than its current 1-4 record. We’re pretty sure of that. It will get a chance to prove that Friday. This week: At Christian Academy (Friday).

NOTE: The Hoosier Hills Hoops Power Poll is not only based upon which teams beat which teams but is a combination of play on the floor, how teams match up with their current class and what expectations are for a team’s postseason run.

By GREG MENGELT

The Hoosier Hills Hoops Girls’ Power Poll is a weekly feature each Sunday, ranking the top girls’ teams in Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Scott and Washington counties.

1. Silver Creek (11-0, Last Week: No. 1). What the Dragons are doing this season is incredibly impressive. Kudos to Scott Schoen and his team. This week: Hosts Scottsburg (Tuesday), at Bedford North Lawrence (Thursday), at Brownstown Central (Saturday).

2. Corydon Central (11-1, 3). Well, that was interesting. The Panthers led Salem nearly start to finish for their 11th win of the season. This week: At South Central (Tuesday).

3. Lanesville (11-1, 5). Seven wins in a row for the Eagles. The closest game in that span? A 29-point win over Paoli on Dec. 7. This week: Hosts Crawford County (Thursday), at New Washington (Saturday).

4. Salem (6-3, 2). The Lions lost to Corydon, but it would be stupid to count out this team. This week: At North Harrison (Thursday), at Floyd Central (Saturday).

5. Charlestown (8-2, 6). What Scott Matthews and his Pirates have accomplished so far this season is an underrated story. This week: At Jeffersonville (Tuesday).

6. Jeffersonville (7-5, 4). The Red Devils have been dealing with injuries … and a really tough schedule. This week: Hosts Charlestown (Tuesday).

7. North Harrison (8-4, 7). The Lady Cats have been a little quiet lately. They have a couple big ones this week. This week: At Paoli (Tuesday), hosts Salem (Thursday).

8. Scottsburg (6-3, 8). The Warriorettes picked up a nice road win against New Albany. They’re now 4-1 away from home this season. This week: At Silver Creek (Tuesday), at Mitchell (Thursday).

9. Eastern (7-3, 8). The Musketeers are quietly quite good again this season. This week: At New Washington (Thursday).

10. Borden (6-3, 12). The Braves move up a couple spots after Saturday’s win over Providence. They have a chance to win three more games this week. This week: Hosts Southwestern (Tuesday), at Shoals (Thursday), at Milan (Saturday).

11. New Albany (4-6, 10). The Bulldogs’ tough schedule gets tougher. They have 5 games in a row on the road, starting with Saturday’s 10-point loss at Jennings. This week: At Providence (Thursday), at Evansville North (Friday).

12. Floyd Central (3-6, 11). The Highlanders played pretty well, particularly defensively, against Silver Creek and Jeff last week. This week: At Seymour (Thursday), hosts Salem (Saturday).

13. New Washington (5-6, 13). The Mustangs got a big win over Southwestern on Thursday and has a big SAC game against Lanesville this Saturday. This week: At Eastern (Thursday), hosts Lanesville (Saturday).

14. West Washington (6-4, 14). The Senators have a chance to have more wins by the end of 2021 than they had in the entire 2020-21 season. This week: At Orleans (Tuesday), at Henryville (Thursday).

15. Rock Creek (7-4, 15). The Lions have equaled their win total from the last three years combined … and we’re not even halfway through December. This week: Host Holy Cross (Ky.) (Friday).

NOTE: The Hoosier Hills Hoops Power Poll is not only based upon which teams beat which teams but is a combination of play on the floor, how teams match up with their current class and what expectations are for a team’s postseason run.

By GREG MENGELT

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — Langdon Hatton and the William & Mary Tribe were defeated handily at home by Fairfield — one of the country’s most experienced and balanced teams — 70-47 at Kaplan Arena on Sunday.

Ten different Stags scored — three in double figures — as Fairfield (7-3) shot 48.2 percent (27 of 56) from the field and 35 percent (7 of 20) from behind the 3-point line. William & Mary (1-11) struggled shooting all afternoon. The Tribe made 18 of 53 shots from the floor (34 percent) and just 6 of 25 from deep (24 percent).

Hatton, a freshman from North Harrison, was 1 for 4 from the floor and 1 for 2 from the foul line in the loss. His layup with 5:17 left cut Fairfield’s lead to 61-43. He finished with 3 points and a rebound in 21 minutes.

Tribe sophomore Connor Cochera had a game-high 19 points and a game-high 8 rebounds. He was the only William & Mary player in double figures.

Fairfield, out of the Metro Atlantic, had a balanced attack that was led by senior guard Caleb Green and senior guard Taj Benning, who each had 15 points. The Stags bench outscored William & Mary’s 21-8.

Hatton and the 1-11 Tribe get a week off before heading to Indiana. They’ll face Valparaiso (5-6) at 1 p.m. on Dec. 22 at the Valpo Athletics and Recreation Center. The game can be seen on ESPN3. It’s the last time this season the Tribe are scheduled to air on ESPN’s network.