By GREG MENGELT

Salem senior Abigail Ratts has been a stat stuffer for years. Last week was no exception.

On Thursday, Ratts finished with 26 points, 9 rebounds, 6 steals and 6 assists to lead the Lions to a 55-39 win at Paoli and earn the Hoosier Hills Hoops Player of the Week honor.

“Abigail is one of the hardest workers on the floor every night,” Salem coach Jerry Hickey said. “She is a double-double machine and has committed to being a defensive force every night.”

Ratts and the Lions are now 5-2 on the season after Thursday’s win. They playe three straight games against Mid-Southern Conference foes, beginning Tuesday night when they host Brownstown Central (3-6), followed by three straight against the area’s top 4A programs, followed by three more games against top MSC competition.

By GREG MENGELT

Jeffersonville’s five-game “road trip” came to an end last week with a pair of impressive victories, making the Red Devils the Hoosier Hills Hoops Girls’ Team of the Week.

First, Jeff (7-3) won 44-24 at Lawerenceburg (6-4). The Tigers led 19-15 early before the Red Devils shut them out, 22-0, in the third quarter to take control. Elle Marble led the Red Devils with 12 points and Nevaeh Bates had 11.

On Saturday, Jeff won at rival Floyd Central 53-35 in the Knobs. Led by Marble’s 15 points and Maranda Mason’s 10, Jeff led almost the entire way for its first Hoosier Hills Conference victory of the season.

Jeff hosts defending Kentucky state champion Sacred Heart (Ky.) (2-0) on Thursday. After a game at 8th-ranked Columbus East (8-1) on Saturday, the Devils host three straight at Johnson Arena.

By GREG MENGELT

New Albany senior Maleea Roland, who was this year’s original Hoosier Hills Hoops Player of the Week, has now earned the Hoosier Hills Hoops single-game Performance of the Week after scoring 26 points of the Bulldogs’ 45 points in their 13-point loss at Bedford North Lawrence.

New Albany is now 4-6 on the season heading into Thursday’s home game against Scottsburg.

OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES
• Chloe Carter, Rock Creek: Carter scored 13 points in Saturday’s 44-42 win over Clay City at a 4-team tournament at North Daviess.
• Grace Ellison, New Washington: Ellison scored a game-high 20 points in the Mustangs’ 55-25 win over Rock Creek on Thursday.
• Keegan Kaiser, Floyd Central: Kaiser had a team-best 11 points in the Highlanders’ 42-39 win over Madison on Wednesday.
• Samara Miller, Floyd Central: Miller had 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals last week in games against Madison and Jeffersonville.
• Linzie Wernert, Lanesville: Wernert had 11 points and 5 steals in the Eagles’ 67-8 win over Henryville on Saturday.

By GREG MENGELT

It’s been quite a start for Borden. The Braves went 5-2 in November. Their biggest win came on the last day of November when they knocked off New Washington 56-52.

It is the Hoosier Hills Hoops Win of the Week.

Emily Cissell scored 20 points, Hannah Peine scored 12, Catilyn Cook finished with 8 and the trio of Claire Hall, Paige Robinson and Gabby Thomas scored 6 apiece in the Southern Athletic Conference contest.

Borden shot 18 of 37 from the field and made 14 of its 20 free throw attempts.

“I was very proud of our other girls not named Emily Cissell, because they came through offensively for us,” Borden coach Matt Vick said. “They knocked down shots for us and kept us in the ballgame in the first half. Emily had 2 of our 21 points at halftime and that’s huge for us to have other girls step up.”

Borden built a double-digit lead early the win before the Mustangs came back in the second. Borden built a lead again in the third and held off New Wash’s final push.

“We have to clean up our turnovers, but I thought this was by far our most complete game we have played,” Vick said. “To see these girls grind out a tough win against a good team is definitely a gratifying moment.”

By GREG MENGELT

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

1. Floyd Central (2-0, Last week: 3). By the end of the year, we may look back at us ranking the Highlanders No. 3 to start the season and laugh about it. This week: Host New Albany (Friday), at Jeffersontown (Ky.) (Saturday).

2. New Albany (1-1, 4). The Bulldogs are 2-2, but they just went to overtime with the state’s No. 1 team. This week: At Floyd Central (Friday).

3. North Harrison (3-0, 5). The Cougars lost a DI player to graduation, but they keep on winning. This week: At Silver Creek (Friday).

4. Scottsburg (3-0, 7). Everybody knew Scottsburg was going to be better this season, but we certainly didn’t see this coming. This week: At Brownstown Central (Friday), at Providence (Saturday).

5. Providence (3-0, 6). The Pioneers didn’t do anything to deserve to move down. Scottsburg’s results made that happen. This week: At Lanesville (Friday), host Scottsburg (Saturday).

6. Silver Creek (2-1, 1). The Dragons falling this far after one loss is based more on what other teams have accomplished than Silver Creek’s failure. Losing at North is far from shameful. This week: Host North Harrison (Friday).

7. Jeffersonville (0-0, 2). The Red Devils certainly won’t stay down this far, but their first weekend of the season raised a lot of questions about this team, including the question of when they’ll have their best player back. This week: At Seymour (Friday).

8. Corydon Central (1-1, 12). Now that the Panthers are healthy and whole, they probably belong closer to the top of this poll than the bottom. This week: At Evansville Memorial (Friday).

9. Clarksville (2-1, 13). It’s looking like we way underestimated Kyle Hankins, Dakota Capps and the Generals. This week: At Charlestown (Friday), host Eastern (Saturday).

10. Eastern (2-1, 8). Great rebound win for the Musketeers against West Washington Saturday. This week: Host Crawford County (Friday), at Clarksville (Saturday).

11. Rock Creek (1-1, 11). Rock Creek is another one we may have underestimated. The Lions look like they might be sectional contenders. We’ll know more about that Friday. This week: Host Christian Academy (Friday), host Cannelton (Saturday)

12. Borden (2-2, 14). The Braves win over Lanesville was impressive. Their loss to Providence may have been more so. This week: At South Central (Friday), host Crothersville (Saturday).

13. Christian Academy (1-1, NR). It was probably a mistake not having the Warriors in our first poll. Mea culpa. This week: At Rock Creek (Friday).

14. South Central (1-2, 15). If the Class A sectional is as wide open as it appears, the Rebels have to be one of those contenders. This week: Host Borden (Friday), host Perry Central (Saturday).

15. Henryville (1-2, NR). The Hornets deserve to be in the poll after Saturday’s win at the buzzer at Salem. This week: Host Charlestown (Tuesday), at Austin (Friday), at Hauser (Saturday)

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 (9-0, Last Week: No. 1). It’s easy to make the Dragons No. 1 after the incredible weekend they had. This week: Host Floyd Central (Wednesday), host host Louisville Central (Saturday).

2. Salem (5-2, 2). Salem went from top 15 in the state, to out of the top 20 to out of the poll completely. Because of losses to Jennings County and Brownsburg? That doesn’t seem right. The Lions aren’t dropping in our poll. This week: Host Brownstown Central (Tuesday), at Corydon Central (Friday).

3. Corydon Central (9-1, 3). The Panthers got a big win at Scottsburg. Now Salem rolls into town for a big one Friday. This week: At Austin (Wednesday), host Salem (Friday).

4. Jeffersonville (7-3, 4). After losing three straight, the Red Devils responded with a pair of road wins by 18 and 20 points last week. This week: Host Sacred Heart (Thursday), at Columbus East (Saturday).

5. Lanesville (9-1, 5). The Eagles have outscored their opponents 306-60 during their 5-game winning streak. This week: Host Paoli (Tuesday), at Borden (Thursday).

6. Charlestown (6-2, 6). The Pirates keep winning — 3 in a row and 5 of their last 6 — but can’t seem to move up in this poll. This week: host Scottsburg (Tuesday), host Henryville (Thursday).

7. North Harrison (7-4, 7). After big wis over Jasper and New Albany, the Lady Cats dropped a tough one against Gibson Southern on a neutral court Saturday. This week: Host Providence (Tuesday).

8. Scottsburg (6-3, 9). The Warriorettes went 1-1 against two of the area’s top teams, including a 49-43 win over Class A No. 3 Trinity Lutheran on Saturday. This week: At Charlestown (Tuesday), at New Albany (Thursday).

9. Eastern (5-3, 8). Tough conference loss at Brownstown on Saturday. This week: Host Mitchell (Tuesday), host West Washington (Thursday).

10. New Albany (4-6, 10). The Bulldogs have lost 5 straight during a really tough stretch in their schedule. This week: Host Scottsburg (Thursday), at Jennings County (Saturday).

11. Floyd Central (2-4, 12). A good win over Madison moves the Highlanders up a couple spots. This week: At Silver Creek (Wednesday), at Bloomington North (Saturday).

12. Borden (5-2, NR). I think we underestimated Borden. The Braves are back in the power poll after their win over New Wash. This week: Host Lanesville (Thursday), host Providence (Saturday).

13. New Washington (4-5, 11). The loss at Borden hurt the Mustangs’ SAC chances. This week: At Madison (Tuesday), host Southwestern (Thursday).

14. West Washington (5-3, 13). The Senators haven’t played much lately. The schedule picks up a bit before the New Year. This week: At Perry Central (Monday), at Eastern (Thursday).

15. Rock Creek (6-4, 14). The Lions have won twice as many games this season as they won the last two years combined. This week: Host Clarksville (Thursday), host Crothersville (Saturday).

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.