High school girls basketball: LaVille's mid-season success 'really sweet'

Nick Amor is quick to admit that it's been "really sweet" in terms of the success his LaVille High School girls' basketball team has tasted so far this season.

The LaVille High School alum is also quick to point out a couple of very important reasons for that success and its lasting mark on him as the first-year coach of the Lancers.

Amor is carrying on a legacy with his players started by his older sister Hannah. Hannah, who played basketball and volleyball at LaVille, previously coached some of Nick's current players when they were younger.

Washington continues as girls hoops leader

Hannah passed away unexpectedly in 2020 at the age of 28 from a pulmonary embolism.

"It's been really sweet to come home and coach here," said Amor, who was living in Indianapolis previously before returning to the area. "My sister coached some of these girls in the eighth grade and I know they enjoyed her. Part of my goal here has been to maintain her legacy and her relationships with these girls I'm coaching now. That's very important to me."

Amor, a 2013 LaVille High School graduate who works for Miller Insurance group, has deep ties to the community. His wife Hope is the principal at LaVille Elementary School, while his mother Dawn is the secretary there. Another sister Sarah used to teach there, and a cousin Sarah still does.

The Lancers are 10-3 overall and 2-1 in the Hoosier North Athletic Conference after a 53-38 home loss to Class 1A No. 12 and conference foe Pioneer Friday night. LaVille finished 10-13 overall and 1-6 in the HNAC last year after winning just two games each of the previous two seasons. The Lancers did return all five starters this year from a season ago.

"I attribute all of our success to the group of girls I inherited," Amor said. "They work hard, and they understand what they need to do. Mind plus effort equals success. It's a fun group to coach. Our seniors have really bought in."

LaVille, which had won seven in a row prior to Friday night's loss, is led by seniors Lucy Sherk and Heaylyn Kwiatkowski. Sherk averages 14 points and seven rebounds per game and Kwiatkowski is at 12 and five. Kwiatkowski has been sidelined since suffering a concussion in the Logansport game Dec. 10 and will likely be out another couple of weeks.

"Lucy is our silent leader, who leads by example," Amor noted. "Heaylyn is our sargeant on the floor. She's a competitior."

The Lancers also rely on junior Lily Smith, senior Lauren Edison and sophomore Makalah Kuskye in their regular starting rotation when fully healthy. LaVille has a deep bench with contributions also from sophomore Brooke Edison, junior London Kwiatkowski, freshman Ava Weil, senior Quincy Blodgett and sophomore Jasmine Foster. The Edisons are the daughters of LaVille boys coach Michael, the former Plymouth High School star and Amor's former coach at LaVille.

"We have depth, athleticism and size," said Amor, who was the boys JV coach at LaVille last season. "We've had some good wins, but I expected us to have a winning record this season. There is not a team on our schedule that I feel we can't beat.

"Some of the wins we have picked up have done loads for our confidence, especially offensively. That's where it's really shown up at. This team was scoring in the 20's most of last season and now we're in the low 40's."

The Lancers owns wins over South Central, Bremen, Mishawaka, Triton, Clay and Riley among others.

The key to the LaVille success has been its work on the defensive end of the floor. The Lancers were only allowing 27 points a game prior to Friday night, the third best defensive average in the state.

"The biggest factor in our defensive success is in our help side rotations," Amor explained. "Our girls trust each other and that allows us to play aggressive one on one defense.

"I learned early on in coaching that you have to play defense in order to compete sometimes."

LaVille has not won a sectional game since 2013 and a sectional championship since 2003. The Lancers have not won the annual Bi-County Tournament title since 1993.

Could this be the year that all changes?

Amor said in the preseason that a winning record, a Bi-County title and a sectional crown were among his goals for his first team in Lakeville.

"We talk about our goals as a team all the time," said Amor, whose team will compete in the Class 2A North Judson Sectional this year. "We reiterate them all the time and I think this team is capable.

"We have a good team and good players. The girls just needed to see it."

So far, they have, and it's been a sweet thing.

Marian's Nevaeh Foster filling it up

Marian star Nevaeh Foster just continues to put the ball in the bucket.

The senior guard and Indiana All-Star candidate poured in a career best and single game school record 42 points in a 72-42 home win over Portage Dec. 14. Foster's scoring surge bested her previous school mark of 39 points.

Foster, who has committed to Western Kentucky, then had 25 points Friday night to lead the Knights to a 59-56 win over a strong Elkhart team in NIC play.

Foster, the program's all-time top scorer, is averaging 26.8 points a game for Marian. The Class 3A No. 7 Knights are 12-2 overall and 7-1 in NIC play.

South Bend Washington aces another one

Washington aced another test Saturday.

The Class 4A top-ranked Panthers stayed unbeaten by turning back Illinois power Bolingbrook 69-63 in a matchup in the Great Western Forum in South Bend. Bolingbrook was ranked No. 3 in Illinois.

Washington, which won the Class 3A state title last season, got a huge performance from sophomore Kira Reynolds. The 6-3 sophomore had 23 points to go with 13 rebounds, seven blocked shots and four assists.

"Kira has really grown," said Washington coach Steve Reynolds of his star and daughter via text Sunday. "Much more mature, physically stronger and confident. She was awesome."

Senior guard Amiyah Reynolds, despite being ill, finished with 13 points. The gutty Reynolds missed the Glenn game last Thursday night due to a groin injury suffered in a win last Saturday over West Bloomfield (Michigan). The Maryland recruit did not practice all week before playing on Saturday.

Senior Purdue commit Rashunda Jones also had 13 points and sophomore Ryiah Wilson 12.

The Panthers improved to 14-0 on the season with their closest win of the season. Washington will next play two games in the Warsaw Tournament Dec. 29 and one on Dec. 30.

Conference standings

Northern Indiana Conference (through Saturday games)

Washington 14-0 (8-0), Marian 12-2 (7-1), Elkhart 8-5 (5-2), Penn 8-4 (4-2), Adams 7-5 (5-3), Bremen 5-7 (5-3), Glenn 6-8 (4-4), New Prairie 7-6 (3-5), Saint Joseph 3-10 (3-5), Jimtown 4-9 (2-6), Clay 2-12 (0-7), Riley 2-12 (0-8).

Northern Lakes Conference (through Saturday games)

Northridge 11-2 (3-0), Warsaw 10-3 (3-0), NorthWood 7-4 (2-2), Wawasee 7-6 (2-2), Goshen 7-5 (1-2), Mishawaka 8-4 (1-1), Plymouth 4-8 (1-2), Concord 4-10 (0-4).

Other area teams: Fairfield 11-2 (5-0 NECC), South Central 11-2, LaVille 10-3 (2-1 HNAC), Triton 8-6 (0-4 HNAC), Michigan City 4-9 (1-3 DAC), LaPorte 0-13 (0-4 DAC).

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: The LaVille girls basketball team is opening some eyes this season