Heritage Christian ready for 'good matchup' against Parke Heritage

With multiple state championships to its credit, the Heritage Christian girl's basketball program knows a thing or two about getting to the IHSAA's biggest stage.

Standing in the way this season, however, is a Parke Heritage team that is looking to get over the semi-state hump and punch its own ticket to a state championship appearance.

The two will square off Saturday morning at 10 a.m. in the Greencastle Semi-State. Coverage on GIANT fm WAXI (104.9 FM and giant.fm) begins at 9:20 a.m. and tipoff is slated for 10 a.m. The winner will play Saturday evening at 8 p.m. The other semi-state matchup features Eastern (Pekin) (18-7) taking on North Knox (19-6). 

For the Eagles of Heritage Christian (19-8), it has been a season of growth and trust, according to Jessaca Stults. 

"We have contributions from lots of different players that are so valuable to us during this tournament.  We play a tough schedule to prepare for the tournament and I am happy with how we have played in the tournament so far.  The girls have bought into what the coaching staff has been saying all season and we are seeing the success from that buy in.  They are a wonderful group of girls and they really like and care about each other so it makes it that much easier to play and trust each other," Stults told The Parke County Post. 

Leading the team has been sophomore guards Riley Johnson and Elyse Snively, who average 17 points and 14.4 points per game, respectively. 

"They both are playing well right now.  They both can score at all levels but also contribute with defense and getting the ball where it needs to go," the third year head coach said. 

In addition, senior Trinity Taylor has "stepped up" during the postseason, according to Stults. 

"She is our leading rebounder, averaging 11 rebounds per game, but she is also great on defense and has opened some things for us in the paint," she said. 

Junior point guard Kihanna Mellanson leads the offense, according to her coach. 

"She handles the ball well, but can also step out and shoot the 3 and drive with a short jumper," Stults said. 

Heritage Christian also leans on Isabelle Papineau, Natalie Curnutt and Emma Gast, as well. 

"Isabelle and Natalie are both seniors and provide great leadership on and off the court and give us bursts of energy on the court. Emma is a junior and a tenacious defender. She always guards the best player, works so hard and lifts our entire team up defensively," Stults said. 

The Eagles will be tested by a Parke Heritage (19-7) squad that presents some issues, according to Stults. 

"They are a very well coached team and will be a good match up for us.  We have to be strong defensively and keep our tournovers to a minimum to counter their aggressive defense," Stults said.