58th Annual TCU Bi-County In Review: Oh What A Night For LaVille Lancer Nation
Saturday January 21, 2023 won’t soon be forgotten in LaVille Lancer Nation.
After all, the Lancers didn’t just win their first girls basketball Bi-County Championship since 1993, they also won their first boys basketball Bi-County Championship since 2018.
Yes, the 58th annual TCU Bi-County Basketball Tournament once again didn’t disappoint, but what else is new?
This year’s version had it all.
Thrilling, nail biting finishes, stellar individual performances, great chess matches between coaches and the unpredictability that continues to have fans flock to the Dale E. Cox Gymnasium every single season for arguably the very best regular-season tournament the IHSAA has to offer.
Following is a list of superlatives I compiled from the games we at MAX 98.3 FM WYMR covered during Bi-County week (boys games = Argos vs. Culver, Argos vs. LaVille, Glenn vs. Triton, Glenn vs. LaVille ; girls games = Argos vs. Culver, Bremen vs. New Prairie, Argos vs. LaVille, Bremen vs. LaVille).
The enveloped please …
BOYS MVP
Collin Czarnecki – LaVille
GIRLS MVP
Lucy Sherk – LaVille
BOYS ALL-TOURNEY TEAM
Collin Czarnecki – LaVille
Brycen Hannah – Glenn
J.J. Morris – Argos
Ryan James – LaVille
Lucas Plummer – LaVille – AND Noah Dreibelbeis – Glenn
GIRLS ALL-TOURNEY TEAM
Lucy Sherk – LaVille
Kila Foster – Bremen
Emma Dunlap – Argos
Heaylyn Kwiatkowski – LaVille
Jolie Johns – New Praire
BEST BOYS GAME
LaVille avenged a 47-33 loss to Glenn a little over a month earlier with a 54-52 thrilling victory to claim the Bi-County title.
The Falcons fell behind 11-2 at the outset, but went on a 16-2 run to lead 18-13.
The lead grew to 26-18 in the second quarter, but the Lancers narrowed the deficit to 35-34 at the break.
LaVille was red hot shooting the basketball, knocking down 6-of-8 shots from the floor in the second quarter and 12-of-16 in the opening 16 minutes of action.
Glenn never trailed in the third quarter and the game was knotted at 40 as it went into the final eight minutes.
LaVille scored 10 of the first 14 points in the frame to lead by six, but saw its advantage trimmed to a bucket when Hannah buried a three-pointer right in front of his bench with 1:43 to play.
The Falcons had two opportunities to tie the game or take the lead, but Hannah missed a triple and Joe Chrapliwy missed a shot.
Owen Smith followed by missing a pair of free throws, but Mike Good grabbed an enormous offensive rebound and James was fouled. James hit both free throws to increase the lead to 54-50.
Dreibelbis’ layup made it 54-52 and following a LaVille turnover, Glenn had a chance to send the game into overtime or win it.
However, Ty Larkin’s driving floater at the buzzer missed and the celebration for LaVille commenced.
BEST GIRLS GAME
It’s a no brainer, the championship tilt between LaVille and Bremen.
Bremen head coach Alex Robinson has perfected the art of winning in Bi-County as his Lions entered having won three of the last four Bi-County titles.
However, the Lancers weren’t about to let Robinson and his Lions win again on their home floor.
LaVille prevailed 43-40 to win the championship.
The Lancers led 19-13 at halftime, but Bremen scored the last seven points of the third quarter to get within 27-26.
LaVille looked like it had the game in hand leading 38-31 with 1:45 remaining, but the Lions fought back to tie it at 39 with 48.8 seconds to go.
After the teams exchanged turnovers, Lily Smith hit a pair of free throws to give the Lancers a 41-39 lead with 21.5 ticks left.
Bremen followed by missing a three-pointer and hitting one-of-two freebies to make it a one-point game with 4.6 seconds left.
LaVille’s Mikalah Kuskya sealed it hitting two free throws with 2.8 ticks to go.
BIGGEST SHOT
With his team clinging to a 45-44 lead in the fourth quarter, LaVille’s Ryan James buried a three-pointer with 3:40 remaining to put his team up 48-44. Although the Falcons would get to within a pair at 52-50 with 1:43 to, James’ triple proved to be gigantic.
BEST DUNK
In the championship game, Mike Good threw one down with authority with 1:11 left in the opening quarter. Good’s slam tied the game at 13 and really sent the message that the Lancers were going to be a tough out on this night.
CAN’T MAKE THIS UP PART I
LaVille head coach Nick Amor played basketball for the Lancers 10 years ago and said winning Bi-County was something he dreamt about since he was a kid.
Well, some six months after being named LaVille’s boss, he and his team cut down the nets.
CAN’T MAKE THIS UP PART II
Lancer head coach Michael Edison got the joy of watching both his daughters – Brooke and Lauren – win the Bi-County and then proceeded to lead his boys team to the title.
Edison was stunned his team upset the four-time defending Bi-County champs, but admitted his team’s pregame focus was razor sharp.
In fact, Edison asked his father, Jack, if he would talk to the team prior so he could thoroughly enjoy his daughters’ postgame celebration after they beat Bremen. Jack did and when his son asked him how his pregame message went, the legendary coach told him he didn’t have to say a thing because the players had already said all the right thing.
DID YOU KNOW?
Glenn’s boys team was trying to become the first team ever to win five straight Bi-County Championships.
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