RAMBLIN’ RECK: A big week of hoops passes and another awaits

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January 8, 2013

RAMBLIN’ RECK: A big week of hoops passes and another awaits

Tom Reck Tribune-Star Correspondent The Tribune Star Tue Jan 08, 2013, 05:00 AM EST

TERRE HAUTE — Big high school boys and men’s college basketball games were played last week and more of the same is on the schedule this week.

Rockville won the Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic and won a big game at Terre Haute North. The top-ranked Class A team has two games this week, meeting 7-3 Covington on the road and Crawfordsville at home.

Sullivan had another top finish in the Classic, beating Linton before losing to Rockville. The Golden Arrows are 9-3 and are at home against Vincennes Lincoln on Saturday. The Alices are 9-2 and won their own tourney. They face unbeaten 10-0 Mt. Vernon before playing Sullivan.

In Illinois, Casey concluded Classic play with a tough game against Terre Haute South then handed Newton its first defeat of the season before bowing to a strong St. Joe Ogden team on Saturday in a shootout at Tolono.

The Warriors continue their rugged schedule tonight with a game at Robinson, which has lost only to Rockville and Teutopolis.

In another game tonight, Marshall is at Newton. The Lions then will take on Robinson at Marshall on Friday.

Bi-county teams meet in rivalry action Friday with South at Northview and West Vigo at North. The Vikings will be at North Vermillion on Saturday and South will be at 10-3 Guerin Catholic.

In college action, Indiana State had wins over Illinois State and at Northern Iowa before playing Creighton tough on Saturday. The Sycamores meet Bradley at home and go to Southern Illinois this week.

Road teams have had nice success in Missouri Valley Conference games, and RPI and Sagarin ratings have gone up as a results. The MVC is ranked No. 8 in RPI while Creighton is 12, Wichita State 17, Indiana State 26 and Illinois State 95.

The Sycamores have made the biggest jump in the RPI totals and keep going up in Sagarin.

Last week, they went from 105 to 83. Other totals: Indiana 6, Minnesota 7, Arizona 8, Creighton 12, Wichita State 16, San Diego State 21, Illinois 26, Illinois State 40, Bradley 101, Northern Iowa 107, Evansville 122, Purdue 131, Drake 160, Southern Illinois 178.

IU went to 2-0 in the Big Ten on Monday by winning at Penn State. The Hoosiers have home games with a very good Minnesota team Saturday and Wisconsin Jan. 15.

Purdue got a good win against Illinois before losing at Michigan State. The Boilermakers have another tough one tonight against Ohio State, then will play Penn State at home on Sunday and go to Nebraska on Jan. 16.

• Tom-Cattin’ It — Dess Fougerousse of Linton and Brandon Wolfe of Casey both went over the 1,000-point mark in Classic action, and Zach Mulkins of Martinsville (Ill.) topped the mark last week.

Fougerosse earned MVP honors in the Greene County Invitational.

Girls and boys from the area were among the Indiana stat leaders last week.

In the girls totals, Sara Dickey of Riverton Parke was ninth in scoring with a 23.5 average. Labrea Joyner of South was tied for eighth in assists with 54 and was tied for 10th in steals with 67.

In the boys list, Gary Ulrich of Rockville was tied for ninth in steals with 28, and teammate Lane Mahurin was second in blocks with 46.

• Evansville Central hit 13 3-pointers to defeat city rival Bosse 82-78 last week. Jay Slater worked that game and also officiated the South-Bedford North Lawrence game.

• Alisha Ludwig of Terre Haute North will play college softball at the University of Southern Indiana. She had a 7-3 mound mark and 3.45 ERA last year and had a 1.30 ERA as a freshman.

• Miami of Florida had hit at least one 3-pointer in 354 straight games before going 0 for 15 against ISU in the Diamond Head Classic.

• Former Indy 500 racer Salt Walther has died at 65. He was badly burned at the start of the 1973 race.

• Indoor racing is slated this weekend with the Chili Bowl for midgets in Tulsa. NASCAR drivers also are doing test runs at Daytona, Fla.

Tom Reck may be contacted by telephone at 812-232-3231, by email at tm_reck@yahoo.com or by mail at 4284 S. Fifth St., Apt. 3, Terre Haute, IN, 47802.

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