In a sentimental way, this matchup was what launched this amazing game-of-the week segment nearly a year ago to the day when everything was pretty much “normal”. Obviously, 2020 hates normal for whatever the reason it is. But assuming these games are played this week, we expect this doubleheader to be a good one.
For those of you that don’t know by now, I am a Central Noble Cougar (Class of 2016). I came to know this conference and high school athletics as a student there. But if you hadn’t noticed by now, Angola has always been my favorite conference rival dating back to my grade school years because of the amount of work ethic, mental toughness, and competitive fire they bring to every game.
There has been no school that I have covered with more insight and detail than the Angola Hornets and the Central Noble Cougars.
Girls Basketball
Central Noble 3-0 vs Angola 2-2
After missing a couple weeks due to quarantine, Central Noble dominated Whitko and hung on to beat Goshen 32-28. If there is anything you can take here it’s the Cougars have not only played better against good competition, but they have won those close games against Bishop Luers and Goshen that they lost last season by over double digits.
A lot of their improvements come from both a good contribution from their bench and a significantly improving starting 5 led by sophomores Maddie Vice and Meghan Kiebel, as well as senior Lydia Andrews, who are all averaging at least 11 points or greater. Defensively, this is the best in the NECC allowing just 28 points a game to go along with the conference’s 2nd ranked offense (yes most of that comes from Whitko). But if there is one thing that has (knock on wood) remain consistent, it is that scrappy blue-collar mentality that resembles best on both Josh Treesh’s teams and the Central Noble athletic program as a whole, no matter how big or small they are. However you view this team 3 games in, expect Josh Treesh’s Cougars to be an absolute pain in the butt to beat and remain as one of the most respected programs in this area.
For the Angola Hornets, there have been bright moments but also some trialing times for the program. After starting off 2-0, they have lost in back-to-back conference games on the road to two very very good programs in Garrett (54-48) and Fairfield (42-32). Some people have told me privately ‘But I thought the Hornets were supposed to be good. Why are they off to a slow start?’ First off, this is a 2nd half team to begin with…they always start out slow. And second, please understand that this is a team that is learning a new style of pace and offense under Coach Burlingame, which is a little more patient style of basketball than in past seasons, plus you are starting two freshman on the team. But I will tell you this. I love this Angola basketball team because despite all of the adversity, the efforts have always been strong, and they are willing to learn.
These are two teams that are very similar in a lot of ways. These are two teams that take pride in being strong on the defensive style of basketball. Angola is a team that still plays that full-court press but also adds in with some half-court press and still trying to bring chaos and frustration to this team. Central Noble plays a man-to-man press that will switch at times to a half-court trap or even a zone defense depending on what adjustments are needed (but it is mostly man-to-man).
Both teams rely heavily on their backcourt, especially at Central Noble where they lack a true center and their tallest player being Meghan Kiebel at 5’9, so they have to be able to get stops on D and let it fly from distance. And most of all, these are two teams that have produced some of the most talented players and teams the NECC has ever seen.
Angola has won 15 of their last 21 games against the Lady Cougars including meetings in the 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020 NECC Tournaments.
3 keys to winning
Central Noble
- If you can’t stop the press, you’ll be stuck with the rest
Yes, I copied the exact same one that I used the last time I previewed these schools. Why? Because that has been CN’s kryptonite, when playing Angola. Teams that play a very aggressive style of defense that overwhelm their opponents, past Cougar teams outside of that 27-1 18-19 team have struggled immensely against that kind of defense.
Yes, even with Burlingame now being the head coach and them not pressing as much as in past seasons, they still use a full-court press often, they still emphasize on playing intense physical basketball to try to make their opposing teams feel uncomfortable. I said this just last year. They are not bringing this rocket science defensive scheme here..there are no secrets here. Teams that have been able to play through their stingy aggressive defense such as Garrett and Fairfield, they have been successful against this Hornets team.
And I know someone is going to say, but they beat Goshen, and they are so good on defense. Yes, the last time they beat Goshen, they also beat Angola. For the most part, yes, they are a good defensive team, but understand they don’t play a full-court press nearly as often as Angola…they’re mostly a 2-3 zone defense. And in terms of the pace, Shaun Hill’s teams have never been known for being fast-paced teams even dating back to his Bremen days with Micaela Box (who recently graduated from Grace College and from their girls hoops program).
So, understand that this is the first time that the 2020 version of the Lady Cougars has played a full-court/half-court/whatever kind of high-level pressure Angola will bring with the amount of speed and high level of IQ they bring.
If you recall their last regular season meeting (not the tourney game), CN led 18-13 at the break in that one. But as someone that watched those games in person, as the Hornets started to get some energy and boost from their bench, the star players started to find their stride, amp up the pressure and out scored them 17-0 in the 3rd on their way to the 40-28 win.
This Cougars team has shown in past seasons that when they are composed, playing smart, and they are limiting mistakes, they are neck-and-neck with these girls to the point that it has become a great rivalry in the NECC that I hope can continue beyond this season. But if they start to get rattled, hesitating on shots, and getting overwhelmed by their pressure, then things go south quickly. Knowing that a lot of these girls have been down this path before, I expect them to perform a little better against it.
2. Must Control the Glass and Limit Penetration
One of the biggest setbacks on this Cougars team is some of their lack of size does make things harder against forwards and centers that do well at fighting for boards and controlling the glass. To be honest, I was mildly surprised CN held Goshen to 28 points because they got out rebounded 29-17 by Goshen 15 coming from Marcum and Brynn Shoup-Hill combined. Both teams shot poorly from the field, but CN shot the 3-ball way better.
Now against this Angola team, there is more of an even-keel in terms of rebounding as both are averaging right around the ballpark of 25 boards. The Lady Hornets under Burlingame are going to be a bit more methodical than the fly-gunning Appleton teams that came there, but they do want to set a tempo with their pace and forcing the Cougar D to collapse by attacking the net to open more shooting lanes or options.
Let’s take a look at the most recent matchups
12/01/17 25-21 CN but Angola won 46-30
1/10/18 30-22 CN but Angola won 49-40
11/30/18 22-17 CN and won 43-32
1/12/19 35-22 CN and won 43-32
12/6/19 28-24 Angola and won 40-28
1/17/20 21-17 Angola and won 47-45
Early on, CN won most of the rebounding battles because of Syd and Meleah being there at the time, but in the last 2 games, Angola has won the boards more often and have won their games. That is something to really keep an eye on here.
3. Got To Stay Out of Foul Trouble
Again, it goes back to the first point I just mentioned here. In the regular season game last season against Angola, they were pretty disciplined in the first half but lost that composure when their offense got into a major cold spell.
In the last 6 meetings, the Cougars have only been the least disciplined of the two teams once. No that is not the issue here. In that regular season game last December, two crucial starters were fouled out, and while the game was well out of reach by then, you don’t want that to dictate the course of this game. While the Hornets aren’t quite as deep as they were in past seasons, they still have a deeper bench here. The Cougars really rely heavily on their starters to be active on both ends of the floor, and foul trouble would only hurt a offense that has showed some big moments.
Angola
- Simplify their game
As I alluded to earlier, the transition to Burlingame’s defense has been a pretty smooth one considering how many players they had to replace from graduation, including Ally Lorntz, Kayla Fenstermaker, and Jessica Davis. But where the Hornets have shown their fair share of adversity is on a offense that is putting up just over 38 points a game, which is only good for 8th in the NECC alone.
This is a team that is only shooting 29% from the field, and if it wasn’t for the fact this team is shooting decently from the perimeter at 24%, those numbers would be worst. Against a really good Fairfield defense, they were limited to just 10-49 shooting for 20%. You look at their 8-33 from the triple and you say hey shooting 24% from downtown is pretty good considering the fact you’re playing Fairfield.
But, if you look at the film of that game, most of those threes came off a career night from Jaelyn Fee (s/o to that), and the majority came late in the game. Plus, you have to realize that Fairfield packed the paint and did such a great job limiting any looks in the paint that Angola was held to 2-16 shooting from the 2. 13% shooting from inside the arc won’t win many games against good teams.
My take here is when you’re learning a new system, it is going to take time, and I feel like sometimes they are trying to make these big shots that they just do not look that comfortable in. To me, the Hornets really just need to simplify their game and find areas where they are strong at.
Against a CN team that let’s be fair isn’t Fairfield when it comes to their frontcourt, maybe they can find a game plan where they can make plays in the paint and still create options for everyone. So far, their assists have went down from 11.8 to about 6.5, so I feel that there is improvement to be made in terms of ball movement because when teams are moving the ball efficiently, typically good shot selections will happen and eventually shots will fall.
This is too skilled of a basketball team with plenty of shooters to make this claim that they can’t shoot. That is false..It’s a team that has been in a slump. Yes, we are still in a pandemic, so the normal routine isn’t quite there, but there are still areas that they can easily fix and improve on from past games.
2. Maintain composure and limit turnovers
Josh Treesh’s Cougars have been very very successful for a reason and a lot of it comes from them being a hard-nosed team that really is not afraid to fight for loose balls. Those kind of teams require composure and focus, and thankfully there are some seniors that have experienced the grind of these games in the past. But turnovers have been a bit of an issue the past couple seasons.
So far, they have committed at least 15 in every game this season..although it looked like that did improve a little against Fairfield. However, it goes back to having good ball movement. While CN is small, that sometimes makes them more dangerous in their ability to force multiple turnovers. 3 players average 2 steals or more a game led by Maddie Vice with 3.7. This is a team that if they are not careful with the ball, the Cougars will take advantage with their fast break tempo offense.
3. Play With Pride, High-Energy, Heart and Effort
One of the most consistent things I see on the positive side of this Hornets team is that this team is showing those characteristics of being a championship program even if the results don’t show it. This is a team that never gives up on plays, always stays engaged, and they always give it their all till the final buzzer.
That’s what makes me like this 2020 Hornets team so much is those little things you don’t always see every night. Against a CN team that will be trying to do the same, it is going to come down to who wants it more, and these are the kind of games we want to see every year. The Garrett game showed that when the Hornets are limiting mistakes and are competing at a high level, they can play with the big girls.
I expect this team to continue to do these same things again tomorrow and eventually I think this adversity and learning curve will make them a much better team down the stretch before tournament games are being played.
One player to watch on each team
Central Noble
Casey Hunter
While a Maddie Vice will most certainly be a key offensive player to watch along with Bridgette Gray and Meghan Kiebel, Casey could be the x-factor here, mainly on defense. She brings that veteran, sandpaper kind of presence to this lineup that sometimes needs that kind of player on the floor. She is essentially a smaller and faster version of what her brother Chase Hunter brought on the boys team, including that critical sectional win over Westview and eventually winning that sectional. While she won’t get in many articles or news lines on most nights, Casey is that defensive sparkplug that sometimes they desperately need. She can come in at any given point and make those big baskets, grab those crucial rebounds, and get those quality defensive performances against some good and tough minded players.
Given her role on the team, she is going to be all over the floor tomorrow night fighting for those rebounds and creating havoc on this Angola team, especially against the likes of Lauren Leach and Megan Nisun.
Angola
Riley Pepple
Yep, this could be another Riley Pepple kind of game. Given that the Cougars will be eyeing in on their star players, some of these other role players could get some decent looks here. This is the first time the Cougars will be playing against this promising freshman that is continually to get better. In a class that looks to be a special one for Angola athletics as a whole, Pepple looks to be the one freshman that is developing the fastest on the varsity team, and trust me that is really hard to do as a freshman.
In the past, Angola has been known for making some big shots from the triple. If someone like her gets hot, that could open up this offense in a hurry. Obviously, the star players will be important. Hanna Knoll was 1-13 against Fairfield for 3 points, and Lauren Leach was 1-5 against Fairfield for just 3 points as well. Knoll has had a history of putting up some pretty big performances against CN in the past. Maybe we see Megan Nisun’s size and grit in the paint be an advantage for them against this small-ball CN defense.
Boys Basketball
Central Noble 1-0 vs Angola 0-1
After posting a program best 22-5 record in 2019-20, it appears the Cougars under John Bodey are picking up right where they left off with a 65-46 win over FW Canterbury. The 1-2 scoring punch of Connor Essegian and Sawyer Yoder continues to be the difference as they combined for 49 of their points with their ability to stretch the floor with their incredible feel to the game, their versatility from anywhere from the floor, and for bonus points being primetime emphatic dunkers. It is must watch TV whenever these Cougars are on the floor whether you are a fan or not of their school.
For the Angola Hornets, their last game against a good Wawasee team was not the kind of start they were hoping for in their first season under Brandon Appleton, but hopefully for them this was the experience they needed to improve their games and play as good of a ballgame as they can against a extremely talented and big Cougars squad that looks deadly when they’re playing well.
The Cougars have won 2 straight against Angola, but they have never beaten them in 3 straight games in the program’s history.
3 keys to winning
- Start off strong
One of the few things the Cougars didn’t do against Canterbury was not having a strong start to their game in which they were trailing at one point in that game. A 21-5 3rd quarter dominance by CN allowed them to pull away late with little ease whatsoever. With this Angola team, there are some areas where they are a bit of a step-up, and a Appleton basketball team loves to go up and down the floor and play a fast-paced physical style of game.
Since they are still transitioning to that style, the Cougars do not want the Hornets to start feeling good about themselves and believing they have a chance.
2. Be Aggressive and Control the Paint
This Hornets team should have their hands full no matter the outcome because if the Cougars come out and focused and playing aggressive with the basketball, you should be seeing a lot of Logan Gard and Ryan Schroeder, who don’t get much credit for what they do, but are extremely important in what they do in the frontcourt.
The Hornets, while they still have Joel Knox,Brian Parrish, Gio Tagliaferri, and Gage King as primary core pieces, they did graduate two very important players on both ends in Dyer Ball and Max Hamilton. Some of that size is definitely missed, and so this could be an area that favors the Cougars if they execute their game plan.
3. Take Care of Business
The win over Canterbury is a good place to start, but starting at Angola, these are the games you must win if you want to be in the title hunt. With steeper competition lying ahead, this is the kind of game the Cougars can win but they cannot let this one slip away.
Given that the Hornets really did not play well against Wawasee, I do expect a hungrier Hornets team that will have their best efforts against CN. The Westview game is only a little over a week away assuming COVID-19 doesn’t interfere here, so this game here is a good learning one for the Cougars.
Angola
- Win the First Quarter Battle
When you have a conference title contender coming into your community and your court, you got a lot to prove. Despite the learning curves they are experiencing on the boys’ side, winning will still be expected for the 2020-21 Hornets, and they simply must start off this one stronger.
At times in the 1Q of the Wawasee game, they did get on a bit of a run before a Warriors’ triple at the buzzer deflated that. It is essential that the Hornets keep fighting if they want to make this a game with the Cougars,
2. Spread the Floor and Make the Defense Keep Guessing
Size will be against the Hornets Friday night against the Cougars, so they will have to be smart with the basketball, as well as maintaining good ball movement across the floor. Chances are this will be a team-by-committee when it comes to scoring, so several guys will need to produce, especially against teams of this caliber. Look for a Brian Parrish to be the QB of what will eventually be a free-flowing offense that will rely a lot on that perimeter scoring and penetrating to the hoop if needed. Joel Knox should find himself on the scoring column a little more after a tough first game of his senior season.
However, they will need to make sure that they are making good decisions on the court because this Cougars’ team is fast and aggressive to the ball. They will try to deflect passes, force turnovers, and score in transition. A reminder that Central Noble has one of the most lethal transitional offenses in the state of Indiana, plus this is a scary good perimeter offense. You don’t want Essegian or Yoder with the ball in these situations. Plus, that hurts their ability to establish their full-court press that Appleton has always been known for.
3. Pick Up the Intensity and Have Fun
One of the things that was definitely noted after the loss was just not playing at the level they needed to be at on both ends of the floor to be a winning team. Thankfully, this is only one game, so there is plenty of time for them to grow in many areas. If the Hornets are still having trouble making their shots, they must compete a little better on the defensive end, which they are capable of doing. They will have to force their players to make tough choices and will have to keep them out of lanes where they could have a greater chance of scoring. And that is where the full-court press comes in. After spending years playing a more methodical style defense, this full-court press style defense requires a ton of attention of detail, speed, and playing physical.
Given that very few will be picking the Hornets, they should come in ready to learn, compete, and enjoying playing the game that everyone has been fortunate of having even in a global pandemic.
One player to watch
Central Noble
Logan Gard
All of the attention will go to Essegian and Yoder, but Logan Gard is an extremely important player on both ends of the floor because he brings that sense of comfort a contending team should have on their frontcourt with his ability to attack the glass constantly and being disciplined on defense. He was a vital player the last time these two met, and I expect that to be the same here to.
Angola
Gio Tagliaferri
Given that the Hornets will have to play a more grittier style of ball in this one, this fits Gio Tags’ game where he can the energy bunny on the floor making those huge defensive plays and making some key shots. If he can stay disciplined early, he can be a huge boost for this Hornets team that is learning on the fly to compete in the NECC.
Conclusion
These are two huge games to kickoff the month of December and are equally important for conference implications. On the girls’ side, a CN win here can really place them into serious conversation for a conference championship and can really be a confidence booster. Angola cannot afford to lose 3 straight conference games if they want to stay mathematically alive in this race.
On the boys side, getting that first conference win is huge, and for a team like Central Noble, it is the first step of trying to win the community’s first NECC regular season title in 22 years.
No matter who wins or loses this game, we will be grateful to see these two compete and play their hearts out on the court as they should. It’s just too bad we won’t have the atmosphere that these games normally bring whether it’s in Albion or Angola. But at least the basketball will be good.
Around the NorthEast Corner 