Several former county players see collegiate action

Greene County has sent several basketball players to various colleges over the last few years.
Let’s take a look at how some of them are doing.

Shannon Pittman
Former White River Valley player Shannon Pittman has started three of Oakland City College’s five games this season.
She is averaging 15.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Pittman, a junior, has connected on 17 of 51 shots from the field (33.3 percent), including a 3-13 (23.1 percent) performance from three-point range. The 5-foot-10 forward is 18-27 (66.7 percent) at the charity stripe.
Pittman has handed out eight assists and made eight steals.
She previously played at Earlham College, but transferred to 2-3 Oakland City this year.

Ethan Helton
Ethan Helton has seen action in 12 of 14 games this season for Indiana University East, located in Richmond.
The former Eastern-Greene star is averaging 1.9 points per game for the Red Wolves. A 6-foot-2 guard, Helton is 8-25 (32.0 percent) from the field, but is hitting 7-18 (38.9 percent) from three-point range.
Helton has grabbed eight boards, dished out six assists, and made one steal for the 9-5 Red Wolves.

Amanda Butler
Another former Eastern-Greene player has played five of nine games for 6-3 Hanover College.
Junior Amanda Butler is averaging 1.0 per points per game as a reserve.
She has hit 1-3 field goal attempts (33.3 percent) and 3-6 free throws (50.0 percent). Butler, a 5-foot-8 guard, has also grabbed two boards for the Lady Panthers.

Subway honors Waggoner
The Indiana Basketball Coaches Association this week selected Vincennes Rivet’s Grace Waggoner as one of its six players of the week. Each week, the IBCA has been choosing three boys and three girls as its players of the week.
Waggoner, a 6-foot-0 senior, averaged 29.0 points and 9.5 rebounds in leading the Lady Patriots to a pair of triumphs. Waggoner opened with 31 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals, and three blocks in a 66-42 victory over Mt. Carmel (IL). She also produced 27 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks as the 10-0 Patriots topped Evansville Memorial 61-51. Over both games, Waggoner went 18-of-39 from the field (46.2 percent), 3-of-10 (30.0 percent) from long range and 19-of-22 (86.4 percent) from the line.
County basketball fans have seen Waggoner in action for a while. Bloomfield held her to nine points Nov. 29, but the Lady Patriots still prevailed 58-39 as Molly Niehaus scored 21 points and Tia Tolbert had 10. That trio give three reasons why the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association ranked Rivet second in its Class 1A weekly poll.
Two other county teams will get a chance to beat Rivet this season. White River Valley will host the Lady Patriots at 6:00 p.m. Friday while Linton-Stockton, ranked 11th in the Class 2A poll, will travel to Rivet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 3.

Indiana battles Kentucky for Challenge Cup
Five Hoosier teams will face five teams from the Bluegrass State, Saturday, Jan. 5, at the New Castle Fieldhouse in the sixth annual Challenge Cup.
One girls team and four boys teams will face their Kentucky counterparts that day. The event is being coordinated by the IBCA and the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches.
According to the schedule, the teams will play as follows
Northwestern faces George Rogers Clark at noon in the girls game.
Nearby North Daviess takes on Walton-Verona at 2 p.m.
Heritage Hills clashes with Madison Central at 4 p.m.
Silver Creek battles Louisville Male at 6 p.m.
Huntington North squares off against Lexington Henry Clay at 8 p.m.
According to a press release from the IBCA, in five years the event has raised $30,000 for various charities, including the Wounded Warrior Program, the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame. I’m glad the Challenge Cup is helping vets, but must confess that I am baffled as to why Halls of Fame are considered charities.
Tickets cost $8 per person and gain admission for all five games. Veterans and their immediate families are admitted free.
Whichever state’s schools wins three or more games wins the Challenge Cup. Next year, the event will be held somewhere in the Great Commonwealth.
Terry and I, of course, will be covering the last day of the Graves Construction Services and Mutual Bank Greene County Invitational so we will not go.
Go Indiana!!

Speaking of North Daviess
The Cougars are enjoying a pretty good season to date.
North Daviess isn’t ranked by the IBCA, but the Cougars are 6-0. They will begin playing Greene County teams Friday, Jan. 11, when they travel to Shakamak.
A big factor in the Cougars’ success is 6-foot-1 senior point guard Jack Townsend. He scored 20 points Saturday night in the Cougars’ 42-37 win over Tecumseh and 19 Friday night when the Cougars smoked Wood Memorial 69-53.
We look forward to seeing how he does against the county hoopsters.

Postponement
The Union girls had been scheduled to take on Eminence Monday night. However, Union coach Chrystal Salesman said the game was postponed because too many Eminence players were out sick.
The game has not yet been rescheduled.