Tribune All-Area girls basketball team boasts big time talent

It was a banner season on the area high school girls basketball scene during the 2022-23 campaign.

Washington went 23-0 during the regular season, stayed at No. 1 in the Class 4A poll the entire season and finished ranked No. 10 nationally by ESPN. The Panthers finished at 27-1 with a 62-57 loss to Lake Central in the Class 4A North Semistate semifinal contest.

Fairfield showed its moxie as a veteran team and won a Class 3A state championship on the strength of its dynamite defense. The Falcons led the state in points allowed per game at 28.8 in a 28-2 campaign. Fairfield, which had four seniors in its starting lineup, beat Corydon Central 49-42 for the first state title in program history.

Bethany Christian also made plenty of noise as the Bruins also ended up in Indianapolis at season's end and claimed a Class 1A state runner-up finish under the direction of coach Krysten Parson. The Bruins put together a 24-4 season, which included the first semistate title in program history.

The Tribune's coverage area was also stocked with premier individual talent. The top of that list is highlighted by our Co-Players of the Year in Washington stars Rashunda Jones and Amiyah Reynolds. The pair of guards finished 2-3 respectively in statewide voting for Miss Basketball honors and both were named to the Indiana All-Star team. Reynolds, unfortunately, will not be able to play in the two-game series versus Kentucky in June due to a season-ending foot injury suffered in the regular-season finale in January that required surgery in February.

Jones, a Purdue recruit, and Reynolds, a Maryland signee, led the Class 4A No. 1 Panthers to a 27-1 mark. Washington won the Northern Indiana Conference title for the second straight year at 11-0.

Jones, an electric 5-6 performer, earned her fourth straight All-NIC selection this season. She averaged a team-high 19.8 points per game to go with 3.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.3 steals. Jones shot 57 percent overall from the field including a team best 45 percent on 3-pointers (50-112) and 63 percent from the free throw line.

Jones, who was named to the Indiana Supreme 15 All-State Team, finished her prep career third in program history with 1,791 points. She was also fourth in career assists with 430. The durable and consistent Jones, who like Reynolds as a Core Junior All-Star in 2022, did not miss a single game during her prep career despite playing with an injured knee during part of her junior season.

Reynolds, a 6-0 pure point guard, played in 19 games. The All-NIC first-teamer suffered a foot injury in the final game of the regular season and missed all five of Washington's postseason games. Reynolds continues to recover from surgery on her foot February 10.

Reynolds, who was also named to the Supreme 15 All-State Team, averaged 15.2 points to go with 8.1 rebounds. She ranked among the state's best at 6.3 assists per game and also added 3.3 steals per contest while shooting 51 percent from the field and 76 percent from the free throw line.

Reynolds finished her Washington career second in assists with 564 and first in assists per game at 5.8. She was also eighth in program history with 1,122 career points. Reynolds joined 2009 Miss Basketball Skylar Diggins as the only two players in program history with 1,000 points and 500 assists at Washington.

Jones, nicknamed "Spider'', and Reynolds, whose moniker was the "Captain", helped Washington lead the state in scoring at 76.6 ppg. and an average margin of victory at 38.7 ppg. The Panthers went 96-18 in their four-year careers, which also included a Class 3A state runner-up finish in 2021. The dynamic duo led Washington to 29 straight wins in the NIC.

Our Co-Coaches of the Year are Brodie Garber of Fairfield and Steve Reynolds of Washington.

Garber, a former star player himself at Fairfield, guided his team to the first team state title in school history. The former basketball and baseball star, who played at Huntington University, led his team to the Northeast Corner Conference regular season and tournament titles this season. Garber, whose team lost in the Class 2A semistate by one point in 2022, is 180-89 in 11 seasons at his alma mater.

Reynolds guided his mega-talented team to 34 straight wins dating back to last season before their loss in the semistate. He directed the Panthers to their second straight undefeated season in the Northern Indiana Conference at 11-0. The former Riley standout, who went on to play professional basketball overseas, is 146-82 in his nine seasons in charge of the Pride of the West Side. Reynolds' team won a Class 3A state title in 2022 after finishing as state runner-up in 2021.

FIRST TEAM

Rashunda Jones

Washington senior

See above.

Amiyah Reynolds

Washington senior

See above.

Nevaeh Foster

Marian senior

Foster became the top scorer, male or female, in Marian hoops history. The guard finished her prep career 21st all time in state history with 2,243 points. Foster, who will play at Western Kentucky, averaged 25 points to go with 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.3 steals per game while shooting 51 percent. She was named the NIC MVP and also a member of the Supreme 15 All-State Team. Foster was also named the Most Outstanding Player in Class 3A by Prep Girls Hoops. Foster helped lead the Knights to a 22-6 mark, including a 10-1 finish for runner-up honors in the NIC, and a Class 3A sectional championship.

Kira Reynolds

Washington sophomore

The 6-3 do-it-all forward was a double-double machine at 16.1 points and 12 rebounds per contest for her 27-1 team. The early frontrunner for Miss Basketball 2025 also ranked among the state's best at 5.8 blocked shots per game and shot 60 percent. Reynolds, who was a first team All-NIC choice, was named to the Supreme Underclass All-State Team and also the Futures team.

Samiyah Stout

Elkhart junior

The athletic guard was a stat sheet stuffer at 16 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 5.1 steals per outing for coach Will Coatie. Stout led her Lions to a Class 4A sectional runner-up finish at Concord and was a first-team All-NIC pick.

SECOND TEAM

Brea Garber

Fairfield senior

Garber ended her career second in program history in scoring with 1,399 points, trailing only her mother Amy (Bechtel) Garber's record total of 1,534. She averaged 14.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Garber, who will play at Indiana Wesleyan University, had 19 points in the Class 3A state title game and also earned the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award. The 6-0 guard hit 13-of-15 free throws in the state title contest.

Eva Fisher

Northridge senior

Fisher did it all for the Raiders, who went 22-6 and won a Class 4A sectional crown. She averaged 14 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Fisher was an All-NLC first team choice and became just the third player in program history to top 1,000 career points.

Julie Economou

Penn senior

The steady Kingsmen forward averaged 12.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. She also averaged 2.5 steals and shot 50 percent from the field. Economou was a first-team All-NIC selection.

Ryiah Wilson

Washington sophomore

A defensive dynamo, Wilson was among the state's best at 6.2 steals per game. She also averaged 11.3 points and four assists per contest. Wilson was a second team choice to the All-NIC team.

Zoe Willems, Bethany Christian junior: Willems topped her team in both scoring (17.1) and rebounding (8.5) from her guard position. She also averaged three assists per game and scored a team-high 17 points in the Class 1A title game 60-41 loss to Lanesville. Willems earned MVP honors for the Hoosier Plains Conference, which Bethany won.

HONORABLE MENTION

Jessa Troy, Penn sophomore: The talented guard led the Kingsmen in scoring at 14.1 ppg. Troy also averaged 3.6 rebounds per outing and shot 45 percent from the field, including 39 percent on 3-pointers.

Monique Mitchell, Washington sophomore: The talented forward was one of five players to average in double figures for the Panthers at 13.4 ppg. She also averaged 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game while shooting 52 percent from the field, including 35 percent from distance.

Mariah Stoltzfus, Bethany Christian junior: The stellar point guard bounced back after missing time her sophomore season due to an injury. Stoltzfus averaged 10.8 points per game to go with 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds. She scored 11 points in the state title contest.

Kyra Hill, Goshen junior: The forward/center averaged team highs of 15.8 points and 10.3 caroms per contest. Hill, who was named to the Indiana Junior All-Star team, also led her team in blocked shots at 2.7 per game.

Lucy Sherk, LaVille senior: Sherk helped lead the Lancers to a 19-7 mark, their first winning season since 2017-18. She averaged 11.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest. Sherk also helped LaVille claim the Bi-County Tournament title for the first time in 30 years.

Addyson Viers, Triton junior: Viers, a 6-2 forward, was a double-double machine for her Trojans. She averaged 14.9 points and 10.9 rebounds per outing.

Taylor Delp, Plymouth senior: The hard-working Delp paced the Pilgrims in both scoring and rebounding. The 6-0 forward/center, who earned All-NLC honors, averaged 13.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per contest.

Kasha Davidovic, Mishawaka junior: Davidovic helped the Cavemen fashion an 11-12 mark. The forward, who was a first-team All-NIC selection, averaged 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

Morgan Gawthrop, Fairfield senior: The 5-8 guard averaged 10.8 ppg. for her state championship squad. Gawthrop also contributed 3.4 rebounds per contest. She had 13 points and 12 rebounds in the state title game win.

Bailey Willard, Fairfield senior: Willard averaged 9.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game for a well-balanced Falcon squad. She scored 12 points in the state championship game victory.

Shayla Alexander, Marian senior: The 5-10 guard averaged 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game for coach Steve Scott's squad. Alexander, who will play at Bethel University in Mishawaka, also averaged 3.4 assists and two steals per game. She was a second team All-NIC choice.

Justyce Williams, Jimtown junior: The talented 5-8 guard led her team in scoring (13.5) and 3-pointers (35). She also averaged three assists and 2.1 steals per game while playing for her mother Shaunte Williams. The Jimmies nine wins were the most since the 2010-11 season.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: The All-Area prep girls basketball team