North Basketball Showcase takeaways: Did Memorial's girls put the area on notice?

EVANSVILLE — Tyler Choate wanted this weekend to showcase the girls basketball talent in Southwest Indiana. There's no question it hit the mark in that regard.

The inaugural North Basketball Showcase featured some of the best players throughout the area against other high-caliber athletes. The early reviews were positive – multiple teams are planning to return in future installments – with Evansville teams holding their own.

Memorial and North won in two of the higher-profile matchups. The top individual recruit, Ashlynn Shade of La Lumiere, put on a show Friday night. If you wanted good basketball, you weren't disappointed. This should become a staple on the calendar moving forward.

Here are some thoughts on each Evansville-area team that played this weekend and more.

Did Memorial put the rest of the area on notice?

Can a game in the first week of December mean something? It did against this opponent and how it went down.

Memorial likely put the rest of Southwestern Indiana on alert with a 69-60 victory over prep school La Lumiere. The Tigers didn't just earn the best result of any area team this season. They were threatening to run the Lakers out of the gym.

Memorial trailed just once. It led by double digits for most of the second half. Its opponent had multiple Division I-caliber players including a Connecticut signee.

"You hope that you don't think you've arrived," said Memorial coach Lee Auker. "We're making great strides and competing well with high-level competition. But we're not where we want to go yet. As long as they keep that mindset, we'll be okay."

This was Memorial (6-0) at its finest. A balanced offense with four in double figures – Sophie Johnson 17, Avery Kelley 17, Myla Browning 15, Lydia Bordfeld 10 – sharing the ball and knocking down perimeter shots. The Tigers were beating their opponent up and down the floor for easy buckets.

Could it have been better? Sure. Memorial missed enough inside to give Auker pause. The team is still averaging 63.2 points per game. That would win nearly every night.

"We noticed when we move a lot we can beat a lot of teams," said Johnson. "When we just stay in one spot and pass around, we don't play very well. Our team motto is 'We not me'. I think we did a good job representing that."

What could elevate this season is the Tigers' defensive success. Shade, the UConn signee, had 32 points with six three-pointers but most of that came in the fourth quarter. No other La Lumiere player scored more than seven.

Memorial has other high-profile games. It must find depth beyond the starting lineup. This performance though offered a blueprint.

"We hang out our hat on defense," said Auker. "But what do you do against the best player in the state? Avery Kelley guarded a UConn recruit and did a phenomenal job. It was a great effort. They're just a good group who works hard."

This was a positive step forward for North

This was the best the Huskies have looked all season. It was even more telling following their worst performance.

North lost to Castle by 21 on Nov. 22. It beat No. 12 Lawrence North 57-51 on Saturday. Choate wishes it was simple as bottling up this effort and replicating it every night. But the Huskies, who led by double digits for most of the afternoon, offered a glimpse of their best could be.

Jalyn Shelby, more on her shortly, and Amiyah Buchanan (12 points, 17 rebounds) were their usual selves. The addition of Libby Blythe (14 points) on the perimeter consistently would be a major lift.

"We've tried to focus on basic, simple stuff the last week of practice," said Choate. "Literally jump stopping, facing up, being in the right position on defense. We tried to stress to them the basics of work. We did those (Saturday) and had success."

Shelby has impressed throughout this season and did so against an athletic lineup. The senior matched Ohio recruit Monica Williams of Lawrence North with a game-high 22 points. Shelby manufactured a great start with 10 first-quarter points but even better finish.

The 5-11 forward scored eight in the fourth quarter once the Wildcats cut the lead within two possessions. Shelby is averaging 18.2 points per game.

"She's a four-year varsity basketball player," said Choate. "Proud of her growth. She's playing with confidence and has all year."

It wasn't perfect. North (5-1) nearly threw the game away with turnovers. There is also an adjustment following a switch to a zone defense. But this result puts the Huskies back on track.

"It proved to us how good we really are," said Shelby. "Our practices have been a lot more intense after the loss to Castle. It shows that if we have good practices, that's what happens."

Gibson Southern will get tougher when Gabby Spink returns

We have yet to see the Titans at their best. That could be something to behold and a warning to opponents.

Gibson Southern lost to Bedford North Lawrence 73-43 on Friday. A loss wasn't a surprise. The Stars have two Division I players and are primed to make a postseason run. Perhaps the Titans give them a stronger game at full strength.

They have yet to be this season. Gabby Spink, one of the best point guards in Southern Indiana, remains out with a foot injury. The sophomore is no longer in a boot and should return this month. The good news is Gibson Southern (5-2 after beating Bishop Chatard on Saturday) has found success without her.

Chloey Graham (16 points) and Ava Weisheit (12 points, nine rebounds) had decent nights against BNL. Alexis Tucker has shined in the lineup through the first month. Playing without Spink will force the entire roster to get better. Watch out when she returns.

"We've been playing hard," said Gibson Southern coach Kyle Brasher. "Our defense, for the most part, has been solid. Obviously, we'd take Gabby. But, it's giving girls experience they otherwise wouldn't have gotten. It's a positive thing for the rotation. Whenever she comes back, we know what she's capable of. It's going to make us more lethal as a team."

A young Castle roster still learning how to compete

There haven't been many teams tougher to figure out than Castle. It started the season strong, including the aforementioned win over North. It has also struggled against tough opponents the past two weekends.

The two games in the Showcase were a microcosm thus far. The Knights looked good in the first half against No. 7 Fishers. Everything fell apart in the third quarter in a 62-50 loss. Lawrence North ran away with a 70-46 victory in the afternoon.

These are the pitfalls of a talented yet inexperienced roster. Devyn Barton, a senior, has been a consistent option but can only carry the offense so far. Jordan Scott had 20 points in the Fishers loss but struggled against Lawrence North. Castle (5-6) is averaging just 41.8 points in its losses.

The Knights aren't far off. They've recently elevated a pair of freshmen, Jayden Scott and Paiton Mitchell, into the starting lineup. They've provided a lift alongside veterans Barton and Kenzie Holderfield. The positive news is Castle is still unbeaten against the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference with plenty of time until the postseason.

"We have to bring it every day," said Castle coach Bob Meier. "Sometimes, your good has to be better. You have to learn to compete and we're trying to do that. We've had two Saturdays back-to-back that are draining physically. We're learning what it takes."

There was a lot of individual talent from across the state

A basketball showcase is only as good as the players and teams involved. There were some good ones at Husky Arena. Some additional thoughts:

• Shade is one of the most talented players you'll see in Indiana. A strong midrange game and showed she could take over with a blistering 18-point fourth quarter. Easy to see why she would have been a near-lock for Miss Basketball had she stayed at Noblesville.

• Fishers was the most impressive team not from Southwest Indiana. The Tigers, led by twins Hailey and Olivia Smith, really impressed in their second game with a 61-38 win over La Lumiere. They play in a difficult sectional but will be a tough out.

• Not many in Southern Indiana have a pair of Division I players like Bedford North Lawrence. With Chloe Spreen and Karsyn Norman – both went over 1,000 career points this weekend – the Stars will be the favorites in the southern half of Class 4A.

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

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: IHSAA girls basketball: Takeaways from Evansville North Showcase