Bidunga, Sefton, and Webb Highlight Week-20 of the IBCA/Franciscan Health Player of the Week Program
And then there were eight. Eight teams will travel to Indianapolis this Saturday for what they hope is a great day of basketball, as the IHSAA boys’ state tournament comes to an end. The new two-day Semi-State was surely exhausting for most, but we would like to recognize three young men who stepped up and kept their focus on getting to Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Blackhawk Christian Senior Gage Sefton, Kokomo Junior Flory Bidunga, and Linton-Stockton Senior Logan Webb, have been selected as winners for March 13-March 18 in the recognition program coordinated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. Sefton is the standout in District-1. Bidunga was outstanding in District-2. Webb takes home honors in District-3.
Blackhawk Christian (26-3) has become a regular attendee this time of year, and Saturday they took care of business against Gary 21st Century (21-6) and Lewis Cass (20-8), and Senior Gage Sefton proved to be a key cog to that success. In the first game, an 88-82 triumph over a very good 21st Century team, the 6-4 wing was just getting warmed up, as he scored 15 points, pulled down six rebounds, and handed out six assists for the Braves. In the second game, however, the Grace College commit was nearly perfect shooting it. In a 75-58 victory against Lewis Cass, Sefton knocked down 11-12 shots from the floor and 7-8 shots from the free throw line, leading the Braves with 29 points. He also managed to hand out five assists, plus he grabbed a pair of caroms and stole the ball three times. The Braves will face Linton-Stockton this Saturday in the Class 2A championship game.
Kokomo Junior Flory Bidunga has taken Hoosierland by storm since he arrived last season, and Saturday’s efforts showed the dominant force he can be at times. The Wildkats (24-4) won a pair of games against Fort Wayne Wayne (21-5) and Penn (28-2), and he was a standout each time. In the
73-51 win against the Wayne Generals, the 6-10 post was 11-13 from the field and 9-10 from the charity stripe, scoring a game-high of 31 points. Additionally, he collected 19 rebounds, five of them offensive, plus he nearly posted a triple-double with his eight blocked shots. In the Wildkats’ evening matchup with #2 Penn, every possession mattered, as Kokomo escaped by the narrowest of margins, 58-57. Bidunga was responsible for earning them several extra possessions, as he collected 13 offensive rebounds. He grabbed 22 rebounds in total, to go along with 25 points and five blocked shots. The Wildkats will now take on undefeated and #1 Ben Davis Saturday night in the Class 4A finale.
The Linton-Stockton Miners (29-1) advanced to the Class 2A State Finals, where they’ll meet the Blackhawk Christian Braves this Saturday afternoon, and Senior Logan Webb was one of many Miners who stepped up last weekend. Linton-Stockton began their day with a comfortable 87-59 win over Parke Heritage (19-10). The 6-3 Webb played a balanced game with 24 points, six rebounds, six assists, and four steals, plus he was able to knock down 5-9 shots from long range in the effort. Later that night, though, he got the Miners off to a fast start against a strong Brownstown Central (24-5) club. Webb, a Senior guard, scored 15 of his team’s 18 first quarter points and had 22 by halftime. He finished with 28 points, plus he snagged eight rebounds in the Semi-State Championship.
This is the 15th season for the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Week program, but just the third season it is being presented by Franciscan Health, a corporate sponsor of the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.
Player of the Week winners are chosen each week from each of the IHSAA’s three districts. Girls’ winners were chosen through February 25th, following the IHSAA Girls State Finals. Boys’ winners will be chosen through next Monday, following the IHSAA Boys State Finals this Saturday.
2022-23 Weekly Winners
Oct. 31-Nov. 5: District-1 girls: Nevaeh Foster, Mishawaka Marian. District-2 girls: Olivia Nickerson, Twin Lakes. District–3 girls: Kylee Edwards, Shelbyville.
Nov. 7-Nov. 12: District-1 girls: Asia Donald, Hobart. District-2 girls: Gloria Brewer, Greencastle. District–3 girls: Juliann Woodard, Jennings County.
Nov. 14-Nov. 19: District-1 girls: Ashlynn Brooke, Pioneer. District-2 girls: Renna Schwieterman, Jay County. District–3 girls: Lauren Foster, Indian Creek.
Nov. 21-Nov. 26: District-1 boys: Jamie Hodges, Michigan City. District-1 girls: Kennedy Fuelling, Norwell. District-2 boys: Elhadj Diallo, Brownsburg. District-2 girls: Laila Hull, Zionsville Community. District-3 boys: Cam Craig, Switzerland County. District–3 girls: Keylee Hudson, Eastern Greene.
Nov. 28-Dec. 3: District-1 boys: Markus Burton, Penn. District-1 girls: Ava Ziolkowski, Crown Point. District-2 boys: Divine Adeyanju, West Lafayette. District-2 girls: Adrianne Tolen, West Lafayette. District-3 boys: Jack Benter, Brownstown Central. District–3 girls: Saige Stahl, Columbus East.
Dec. 5-Dec. 10: District-1 boys: Luke McBride, Norwell. District-1 girls: Amiyah Reynolds, South Bend Washington. District-2 boys: Landon Biegel, Oak Hill. District-2 girls: Cristen Carter, Ben Davis. District-3 boys: Trent Sisley, Heritage Hills. District-3 girls: Bailey Tabeling, Trinity Lutheran.
Dec. 12-Dec. 17: District-1 boys: Mason Jones, Valparaiso. District-1 girls: Ally Capouch, Kouts. District-2 boys: Flory Bidunga, Kokomo. District-2 girls: Alli Harness, Carroll (Flora). District-3 boys: Joey Hart, Linton-Stockton. District-3 girls: Josie Trabel, East Central.
Dec. 19-Dec. 31: District-1 boys: Austin Cripe, West Noble. District-1 girls: Jessa Troy, Penn. District-2 boys: Azavier Robinson, Lawrence North. District-2 girls: Meredith Tippner, Noblesville. District-3 boys: Luke Ellspermann, Evansville Memorial. District-3 girls: Emily Parker, Boonville.
Jan. 2-Jan. 7: District-1 boys: A.J. Lux, Crown Point. District-1 girls: Madison Vice, Central Noble. District-2 boys: Kanon Catchings, Brownsburg. District-2 girls: Laila Hull, Zionsville Community. District-3 boys: Cole Pride, Batesville. District-3 girls: Chloey Graham, Gibson Southern.
Jan. 9-Jan. 14: District-1 boys: Bauer Maple, Maconaquah. District-1 girls: Ashlynn Brooke, Pioneer. District-2 boys: Devon Woods, Pike. District-2 girls: Reagan Wilson, Noblesville. District-3 boys: Marcus Ankney, Center Grove, and Quade Morton, Pike Central. District-3 girls: Saige Stahl, Columbus East.
Jan. 16-Jan. 21: District-1 boys: Isaiah Malone, Prairie Heights. District-1 girls: Miranda Stoll, Maconaquah. District-2 boys: Sam Orme, Carmel. District-2 girls: Bailey Parham, Tri. District-3 boys: Weston Aigner, Castle. District-3 girls: Ava Wilson, Shelbyville.
Jan. 23-Jan. 28: District-1 boys: Nolan Cumberland, Tippecanoe Valley. District-1 girls: Addison Baxter, Columbia City. District-2 boys: A.J. Dunn, Yorktown. District-2 girls: Adrianne Tolen, West Lafayette. District-3 boys: Jack Benter, Brownstown Central. District-3 girls: Reagan Martin, Owen Valley.
Jan. 30-Feb. 4: District-1 boys: Justin Sims, Chesterton. District-1 girls: Lillian Barnes, Valparaiso. District-2 boys: Dylan Moles, Greenfield-Central. District-2 girls: Addison Bowsman, Twin Lakes. District-3 boys: Peter Combs, Bloomfield, and Cole Henry, South Ripley. District-3 girls: Ava Weber, Corydon Central.
Feb. 6-Feb. 11: District-1 boys: Jamie Hodges Jr., Michigan City. District-1 girls: Madison Vice, Central Noble. District-2 boys: Dezmon Briscoe, Crispus Attucks. District-2 girls: Camryn Runner, Hamilton Heights. District-3 boys: Blake Neill, Bloomfield. District-3 girls: Lauren Foster, Indian Creek.
Feb. 13-Feb. 18: District-1 boys: Markus Burton, Penn, and Brandon Trilli, Munster. District-1 girls: Mariah Stoltzfus, Bethany Christian. District-2 boys: Flory Bidunga, Kokomo. District-2 girls: Laniah Wills, Lapel. District-3 boys: Cole Thomas, South Central (Elizabeth). District-3 girls: Amber Tretter, Forest Park.
Feb. 20-Feb. 25: Class 4A Champion girls: Chloe Spreen, Bedford North Lawrence. Class 3A Champion girls: Morgan Gawthrop, Fairfield. Class 2A Champion girls: Amber Tretter, Forest Park. Class 1A Champion girls: Linzie Wernert, Lanesville. District-1 boys: Dominique Murphy, East Chicago Central. District-2 boys: Dylan Moles, Greenfield-Central. District-3 boys: Dakota Candler, South Knox.
Feb. 27-Mar. 4: District-1 boys: Tyler Parrish, Chesterton. District-2 boys: Jackson Wors, Delta. District-3 boys: Cole McKee, Gibson Southern.
Mar. 6-Mar. 11: District-1 boys: Brycen Hannah, John Glenn. District-2 boys: Isaac Andrews, Wapahani. District-3 boys: Carter Kent, Jennings County.
Mar. 13-Mar. 18: District-1 boys: Gage Sefton, Blackhawk Christian. District-2 boys: Flory Bidunga, Kokomo. District-3 boys: Logan Webb, Linton-Stockton.
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