High school basketball: Scores, highlights from the River City Showcase

EVANSVILLE — One dozen high school basketball games will be played at Screaming Eagles Arena this weekend between some of the area's top boys and girls teams.

The fourth-annual United Fidelity Bank River City Showcase runs Thursday through Saturday, and the Courier & Press will keep you covered. Follow along on Twitter with @kylesokeland, too.

(This post will be updated throughout the weekend.)

River City Showcase: These are the top matchups this weekend at USI

Thursday

Washington 51, Mater Dei 38 (girls)

The Hatchets' big three were too strong. Kencia Levasseur (19), Alaina Thorne (15) and Jesse Ledgerwood (13) were all in double figures. Mater Dei (5-2) cut a double digit deficit to only 36-34 going into the fourth. Washington is now 7-1.

Central 56, Pike Central 40 (boys)

A much stronger defensive effort in the second half led to the Bears (1-1) win. The Chargers (0-2) made only four field goals after the break. Central earned several transition layups, which helped a struggle from the perimeter. Brady Cato had 15 points and 10 rebounds.

"We didn't talk (on defense) in that first half," said Central coach Rodney Walker. "We weren't the aggressor. Having some success early in that third quarter allowed us to get some better shots at the rim. Defense is everything for our program right now."

Indiana boys basketball: 37 players to watch in the Evansville area this winter

Friday

Reitz 60, Vincennes Lincoln 25 (boys)

The Panthers (1-0) certainly looked like one of the top teams in the area. Gavin Schippert had 20 points (16 in a dominant first half) and had eight boards while Isaac Higgs (12) and Koston McReynolds (11) were also in double digits. Reitz also triggered a running clock late in the third quarter.

Jeffersonville 61, North 47 (boys)

This was the Brandon Rayzer-Moore show. The 6-6 senior had 33 points and 10 rebounds for the Red Devils in the victory. An impressive second-half effort from Jeffersonville after North led 24-16. Ryan Caddell had a team-high 11 for the Huskies.

La Lumiere 53, Castle 49 (girls)

The best game thus far in the event. The Knights trailed by 15 in the first quarter and fought back to take a brief lead late in the third. Led by Denim DeShields (14 points), La Lumiere pulled ahead by eight in the final quarter. Castle rallied one final time and had a game-tying look with under five seconds bounce off the rim. Natalie Niehaus had 17 points and Devyn Barton added 14 for the Knights.

"We learned that when we play hard and do what we're supposed to do and have a little composure and discipline," said Castle coach Bob Meier. "we can get some good things done."

SIAC girls basketball: Castle, North, Mater Dei, Memorial are teams to beat

Saturday

Gibson Southern 64, North Harrison 53 (girls)

A strong offensive effort in the second half. Alexis Tucker had 19 points (11 for 12 at the line), while Chloey Graham (16) and Gabby Spink (15) got rolling on the perimeter for the Titans. A strong win considering Valpo recruit Ali Saunders had 26 for the Cougars.

"Gabby started to feel better," said Gibson Southern coach Kyle Brasher. "Her court vision is unbelievable. And I think we finally settled into the atmosphere and the game. The court and shooting is different. We clicked in the second

Silver Creek 46, North 39 (girls)

The defending state champions remain undefeated. UE recruit Kynidi Mason-Striverson led the Dragons (9-0) with 16 points. North controlled most of the first half but gave up several easy looks in the third quarter. Jalyn Shelby and Jaidn Green had 11 points each for the Huskies.

Bosse 82, Forest Park 62 (boys)

An uneven start from the Bulldogs turned into a comfortable victory. Bosse showed its depth with four in double figures. Matthew Wagner shined with 22 points. Drew Howard led the Rangers with 24.

Forest Park 48, Memorial 45 (girls)

The Rangers found a way to earn a win over a good Tigers team. Ali Welp had 16 points, while Amber Tretter (15) and Lydia Betz (10) were in double figures. Tretter had a three-point play with under a minute left to give the Rangers the lead. Emily Mattingly led Memorial with 17.

"It took focus in practice," said Welp. "When we got done, we didn't give up. We kept pressuring and played our game."

Floyd Central 64, Harrison 60 in Overtime (boys)

The best game of the day. The Warriors played great basketball for most of the second half. After Jahni Summers took the lead, Floyd Central went the length of the court and Wesley Celichowski tied it at the buzzer. The Highlanders outscored the Warriors 12-8 in the extra period. Caleb Washington had 20 for Floyd, while Summers netted 21 for Harrison.

Castle 64, Martinsville 18 (girls)

A dominant defensive effort from the Knights. Martinsville was limited to only three made field goals in four quarters. Natalie Niehaus (11) and Jordan Coon (10) finished in double figures for Castle.

Castle 67, Madisonville-North Hopkins 54 (boys)

A lackluster start from the Knights turned into an impressive showing. Castle was tougher and showed better effort in the second half to beat a more talented Madisonville team. Weston Aigner (25 points) and Caleb Niehaus (21) were the catalysts. The Knights also got a good showing from Dylan Watson (10 points off the bench), who wasn't a guarantee to play after the death of a family member.

Follow Courier & Press sports reporter Kyle Sokeland on Twitter @kylesokeland.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: IHSAA basketball: Scores, highlights from the River City Showcase