Bulldogs struggle to catch up, but can't get over the hump

The Brownsburg girls basketball team lost to Hamilton SE last night 53-52. The Bulldogs came out strong, leading 17-11 after the first quarter. However, the next 20 minutes of basketball was not very good. The Dogs leading scorer and rebounder Stephanie Mavunga was in foul trouble most of the game, having to sit most of the second quarter and eventually fouling out with 4 minutes left in the game. The team was held to two points in the second quarter, and were down 11 points in the third quarter.

However, the Dogs came storming back to take a 52-51 lead late in the game. A Royals basket followed by two HSE missed free throws gave the Dogs a chance to win. But, Southeastern's center Taya Reimer blocked two Bulldog shots as time expired to seal the victory. Mavunga led all scorers with 19 points. Reimer and Jessica Stewart led the balanced HSE attack with 13 points each.

The loss drops BBurg to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the conference. HSE is 5-1 overall and 3-0 in the conference, giving them the early lead in the HCC. Brownsburg faces Danville on Friday night in what should be a relatively easy game. Danville is 1-4 and has lost to Avon by 17 and Plainfield by 58 (yes, 58, 71 to 13).

Brownsburg's girls basketball team faces big test tonight

The Brownsburg girls basketball team has avenged 2 of its 6 losses from last year, leading to a 4-1 record in the month of November. The team is led by sophomore center Stephanie Mavunga, averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots per game. The rest of the team is pretty balanced, with the group of Lindsey Dall, Ryne Carr, Morgan Miller, Erica Lesch, and Allison Devaney averaging between 4 and 6 points per game. Miller leads the team in assists and steals.

Tonight, the Dogs travel to Hamilton SE, a team they beat in overtime last year. Both teams are 4-1. The Sagarin ratings say the game is a toss-up. Having seen both teams play, I'm not sure that Brownsburg can keep up with HSE's quickness. However, I think our guard play may be better. The key matchup is BBurg's Mavunga against HSEs Tara Reimer. Reimer is averaging 14 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 2 assists per game while shooting 55 percent from the field. Reimer is also 5-of-10 from three-point range. HSE is more front-loaded than Brownsburg as the Royals other top scorers, Jordin Alexander (14ppg), Jessica Stewart (14ppg), and Jessica Pongonis (8ppg) are the only players that contribute to the scoring offense. Point guard Ariel Brewer is averaging 7 assists per game with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.5.

This game is for the early lead in the HCC. The winner will be 3-0 in the conference and have a good start towards the title.

Redskins miss a chance to get in playoff position

The Redskins lost to the Vikings on Sunday 17-13. I don't have a big write-up, but I do have a list of things that could have been done by the Skins to make up that 4-point deficit.

- Stopping the backup running back, Toby Gerhart, who gained 76 yards in three quarters after All-World RB Adrian Peterson left the game

- Running the ball. The Redskins had 18 yards on 8 carries.

- McNabb not throwing an interception on first down inside the Skins own 5 yard line. I know the ball bounced off of Santana Moss and it wasn't all McNabb's fault. Having any kind of running game at all would have prevented the offense from having to pass constantly.

- Any kind of offense at all. After the first scoring drive, the Redskins only had 11 plays in Viking territory, and none of those plays were inside the red zone.

- An finally, how can we let a 42-year-old hobbling quarterback run for a first down on 3rd-and-8 with two minutes left in the game?

If the Redskins would have won this game, they would have been one game out of the playoff picture. Instead, they are two games out and probably need to start looking towards the 2011 NFL draft.