2006 Boys Basketball

February 27 Sectional: Eminence
Deaf Hoosiers' Season Ends in Sectionals
The Deaf Hoosiers' season (10-12) ended in a heartbreaking loss, 59-60, against Eminence (11-11) in the first round sectional game at the Lapel High School Gymnasium. The game came down to the Deaf Hoosiers having the final possession with the ball at the side bound. The team called a timeout at 11 seconds left on the clock. Junior Guard Colin Whited made a hard crisp drive to the paint and missed a 6-foot banked shot. Then he quickly rebounded his own shot, but his second attempt bounced off the front of the rim just as the buzzer sounded.

Right off the bat, it was obvious that the game would be a good showcase since this was a rematch after an early season loss, 65-43, at the home of the Deaf Hoosiers. The game came down to our young players and speed versus Eminence's experience and poise. The Deaf Hoosiers' sole goal was to get over the hump and win a meaningful sectional game for two straight years making history for the ISD basketball program.

Colin Whited led the Deaf Hoosiers with impressive statistics, 22 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocked shots. Sophomore Forward Gabriel Paulone had 14 points and 5 rebounds. Junior Forward Jarvis Beaver scored 11 points, and Freshman Tyler Crace had 11 points.

In the opening tip-off, the Deaf Hoosiers built a good first quarter lead with 18-13. They continued to build up the lead with high enthusiasm in the second quarter and took an 11-point lead at half-time, 38-27. During half-time, the coaches told the team the importance of playing with composure and staying mentally tough in the final 16 minutes, no matter what the situation. In the third quarter, Eminence scored two quick baskets to trim their deficit to 7 points. The Deaf Hoosiers rebounded to charge on a 7-0 spurt run and seized a 14-point lead, the highest margin of the contest. The Deaf Hoosiers' foul troubles sent a few experienced veterans to the bench. Eminence simply powered their way to the hoop, getting multiple plays in the process on Deaf Hoosiers' miscued turnovers to cut the lead to a Deaf Hoosiers' one-point margin at the end of the third quarter. The fourth quarter was a hard-fought contest as the Deaf Hoosiers bared down to hold between an one to three points lead until Eminence hit a 10-foot baseline shot with 11 seconds left on the clock.

Coaches' final thoughts: It was an absolutely heartbreaking loss for the Deaf Hoosiers to end the season like this. Both teams played their guts out, and it is a shame that either team had to lose. Unfortunately, we ended up with the L on our team's record. We did struggled in a few areas, especially in the late third quarter when we allowed Eminence to build up their confidence. It was evident on the court the team's chemistry and inexperience. Thanks to our Seniors Ryan Hawkins and Chris Lester as they will be sorely missed for their contributions and dedication to our basketball program.

Note: This e-mail was sent by Jimmy Howell, Lapel High School basketball coach and athletic director. Also, he led his team to the prestigious 1A State Champions in 2005. "Last night, I witnessed the Indiana Deaf High School basketball team play with grit and determination as I have rarely seen this year from any team. Your enthusiasm and unselfishness was refreshing to watch. You totally outplayed your opponent and deserved to win the game. Unfortunately, the deserving team does not always win. Rarely do fans show appreciation for a team that does not win, but, hopefully, you recognized the appreciation the fans in the gym had for you last night by giving you a standing ovation as you left the floor. These were not just your school fans, but most of the rest of the fans in the gym. I know the Lapel fans were really proud of the way you all played. They all really enjoyed watching you play. I know how tough it is to lose, and I realize you might feel even worse today, but I just wanted you to know how much I enjoyed watching you play last night. Congratulations on a game well-played!"

February 22: Covenant Christian
Foul Trouble and Turnovers Defeat the Deaf Hoosiers
An up and down basketball season came to a disappointing end for the Deaf Hoosiers. Playing in the final regular game of the season at home, the Deaf Hoosiers (10-11) struggled to contain the opponent's 6'7" sophomore post player defensively. They lost 67-49 to Covenant Christian (3-16) . Sophomore Gabriel Paulone scored a team-high 10 points and added 5 rebounds with 3 assists. Freshman Tyler Crace and Junior Anthony Christian had 8 points each while Juniors Colin Whited and Jarvis Beaver each clipped in 7 points.

The Deaf Hoosiers scored 12 points in the first quarter of the game seizing a 12-11 lead, but the team managed only 22 points in the next two quarters. The Deaf Hoosiers struggled a bit defensively and were in foul trouble in the second half. Covenant Christian took the lead in the third quarter 45-34. Then they continued to outscore us 22-15 in the final quarter. The Deaf Hoosiers saw the Covenant Christian make 22 out of 28 free throws during the contest.

The Deaf Hoosier coaches give credit to the Covenant Christian team. They played well. Even though we had position, Covenant Christian was still able to get the ball inside. We tried to put pressure on their outside guard. Even when we were in the right position defensively, they were able to throw over the top of us and get the ball to their 6'7" post player. When their guards missed the outside shots, he came up with some big offensive rebounds and put backs.

The Deaf Hoosiers are matched-up against Eminence in the first round of the sectionals at Lapel High School. Eminence routed us in the early season. The Deaf Hoosiers are seeking back-to-back sectional wins in the first round.

February 20: International
Deaf Hoosiers Snap 3-Game Skid with Victory at International
Thanks to a huge first quarter, the Deaf Hoosiers (10-10) broke their skid by defeating International, 61-44, at their court. They outscored the International School (3-14) by a 22-8 margin in the opening minutes of the game. That was the highlight of the evening as International held them to just 39 points for the remainder of the game. The Deaf Hoosiers came out really hot in the beginning of the game. They caused some turnovers and got a lot of shots in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the bencher warmers displayed some action on the court. The Deaf Hoosiers held a lead of 14-8 after one quarter to a 20-points lead at half-time, 36-16. The Deaf Hoosiers got too comfortable with the lead and got a little impatient when all of a sudden the shots weren't falling in. International took advantage to take a 18-13 lead in the quarter and trimmed the deficits at the end of the third quarter to 34-49 . The Deaf Hoosiers rushed their shots and let International get back in the game. They finished the final quarter of the contest by sipping in 12-10.

Freshman Guard Tyler Crace was the sole player to score in double digits with 11 points. Sophomore Forward Gabriel Paulone finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Anthony Christian, Selwyn Abrahamson, Chris Lester and Tony Dall clipped in 7 points each. It was a good team victory. The team got back its mentality with different players stepping up to contribute.

February 15: Bethesda
Top State Ranked Bethesda Routs Deaf Hoosiers
Prior to the game, Bethesda (17-4) ranked #10 in the state in the 1A Class. Bethesda hit 7 three-pointers to cruise to a 71-33 rout over the Deaf Hoosiers (9-10). The Deaf Hoosiers wrapped up one of the toughest scheduled games for the month of February.

The Deaf Hoosiers were dismantled when Bethesda took a 6-4 lead in the first quarter and then exploded on a 15-4 spurt taking advantage of a barrage of unforced errors and ice-cold shooting by the Deaf Hoosiers. Bethesda easily shot to a 39-18 lead at the half-time.

Bethesda continued to pull away leading 60-22 by the end of the third quarter. In the final quarter of the contest, the Deaf Hoosiers were unable to draw closer than 38 points for the reminder of the contest, as Bethesda ran away with the victory. Freshman Tyler Crace hit 3 of 6 from three-point range to lead the Deaf Hoosiers with 13 points. The Deaf Hoosiers shot poorly from the floor and coughed up 22 turnovers that led to a 32-4 edge for Bethesda in points off miscues. Junior Anthony Christian added 6 points. Junior Gabriel Paulone was forced to go home due to the flu right before the start of the game.

The coaches told the team that we were not passing the basketball very well and reversing against the man-to-man.. Our boys were making it too hard for themselves. Instead of making easy passes or extra passes, we over-penetrated quite a bit. We need to improve our post passing to get the ball inside. We still have a lot to work on.

February 8:Scecina Memorial
Deaf Hoosiers Fall to 2A Scecina
The Deaf Hoosiers (9-9) tried to avoid giving visiting Scecina (1-14) their first win of the season but ended up falling to them 63-44. We put forth a valiant effort for a short period of the contest, however, we fell victim to an early lead in the first quarter, vaulting Scecina's monkey off their back to earn their first win.

The Deaf Hoosiers received strong efforts from their post players led by Junior Jarvis Beaver with a team-high 10 points. Senior Chris Lester added 8 points in addition to pulling down 4 rebounds. Sophomore Gabriel Paulone chipped in 8 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as a team-high.

The Deaf Hoosiers struggled to find its touch early on, impatiently misfiring on several attempts from the field as Scecina built an 8-0 run at the end of the first quarter with a 15-8 advantage. After back to back Scecina buckets pushed the score to a 10-5 run, the Deaf Hoosiers weren't able to cut into the Scecina lead resulting in a 32-20 Scecina advantage at half-time.

Scecina scored 6 straight unanswered points over a span of 2 minutes in the early part of the third quarter to increase its lead to 38-20. The Deaf Hoosiers struggled to find their offensive rhythm as Scecina took a 52-29 cushion at the end of the third quarter. In the 4th quarter, the Deaf Hoosiers refused to quit and displayed a better fare with the score of 15-11. The Deaf Hoosiers finished with the game shooting just 33% (18-53) including 1-12 behind the arch.

The coaches stated that the Deaf Hoosiers struggled offensively the entire game. They missed the opportunity to make easy shots then impatiently misfired on the shots. They have to have the mentality that when they are playing a good team, they can't make the kind of mistakes that they continue to make.

February 3 Homecoming: Illinois SD
Varsity Boys' Deaf Hoosiers Fall Victim in Overtime Upset Against Illinois at Homecoming
The Deaf Hoosiers lost in an overtime heartbreaker, 74-67, to the visiting long-time rivals Illinois (6-11) who avenged their loss at CSSD in Michigan last week. It was a large homecoming crowd but despite the 28 points and 22 points from top scorers, Sophomore Gabriel Paulone and Junior Colin Whited respectfully, we fell to a 9-8 record on the year.

The game began with an up-and-down contest featuring different ties and lead changes as Illinois took a 18-15 lead in the first quarter. The lead continued to change in the second quarter until the Deaf Hoosiers knotted a tie, 31-31, at the last second before half-time when Illinois quickly drove the length of the floor to hit the buzzer shot to close the half leading 33-31.

Returning in the second half, the Deaf Hoosiers applied strong man-to-man intense defense to limit Illinois to only 3 points in the third quarter and took a 41-36 lead. They continued to build the margin all the way to 10 with a score of 58-48 and 3 minutes remaining of the game. With the crowd convinced we were on a different track, Illinois rode their late-regulation momentum on a 16-6 run outscoring us 28-23 in the 4th quarter and tying the game at 64-64. Illinois had a game-winning penetrated basket but Illinois' point guard was fouled with 1.7 seconds left on the clock. He missed the first free throw and made the second one. In the final 2 minutes of the game, Deaf Hoosiers showed the importance of every possession down the stretch, but made a couple of mental mistakes. Illinois hit 10 for 15 free throws compared to the Deaf Hoosiers 11 for 15.

In the overtime period, Illinois used the momentum of their clutch shots and free throws to lift them to a victory. Offensively, the Deaf Hoosiers were miscued on bad passes and turnovers as Illinois took an advantage to preserve the win. They have a very balanced team and played with a lot of confidence. Both teams played a tough game with a lot of intensity. Simply put, the Deaf Hoosiers beat themselves.

Freshman Tyler Crace canned 8 points while freshman point guard Tony Dall finished with 4 points. Dual Juniors Jarvis Beaver and Selwyn Abrahamson scored 2 points each despite both being fouled out in the fourth quarter and overtime period respectfully. Sophomore Gabriel Paulone posted with a double-double with a team-high 12 rebounds to go along with 2 assists.

February 1: White
Deaf Hoosiers Roll Past White's Institute
In the opening game of the new year, the Deaf Hoosiers (9-7) breezed to a victory over White's Institute (2-10), 97-51 at Caskey Gymnasium. It is no surprise that Junior Colin Whited led five Deaf Hoosiers in double-figures as the shooting guard tallied 19 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. He hit three 3-pointers from behind the arch among his points. The Deaf Hoosiers scored the first 8 straight points of the contest by applying full court press as we got into our groove and easily turned up our offense to lead 27-11 in the first quarter. The Deaf Hoosiers were able to play reserves for most of the second quarter and went on another large run, 25-10 and took the lead 52-21 at half-time. After three quarters, we effectively ended the game with a 74-40 advantage. We continued to let the reserves play with high enthusiasm in the final quarter of the game. Overall, the Deaf Hoosiers shot the ball well with above average shooting field goal percentage. As a team, the Deaf Hoosiers forced 28 turnovers and had 42 points off turnovers. Junior forward Jarvis Beaver, who was next in the scoring logs, finished with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting and a perfect free throw run, 4-for-4 to go along with 5 rebounds. Freshman Tyler Crace was in the starting line-up taking the place of Selwyn Abrahamson, who was sick with the flu, and added 13 points including a pair of treys. Junior forward Gabriel Paulone clipped in 12 points and collected 6 boards. Off the bench, Senior Chris Lester had another solid game as he led the reverse team with 10 points. The remaining players on the team scored at least 3 points or more each.

The coaches enjoyed having the opportunity to play all of the players which is always fun and allows us a chance to see everyone succeed.

January 27 CSSD: Michigan SD
Deaf Hoosiers Demolish Michigan to Capture the CSSD Title
The anticipated CSSD Championship Game should have been a match-up of the top two rival teams, Illinois and Indiana. But, it didn't materialize in the final game at the CSSD Tournament. It still turned into just what the Deaf Hoosiers needed. Overcoming a shooting slump and recovering from illness, Junior Colin Whited blazed the floor with his hot-shooting hand with a team-high 19 points and played about half of the game to lead the Deaf Hoosiers (8-7) to defeat Michigan Deaf School, 60-29.

The Deaf Hoosiers claimed the 8th CSSD Championship crown on its 3-0 record in the Division I round robin. All 10 players were able to get plenty of playing time in the game thanks to the Deaf Hoosiers' quick start. We jumped ahead with a 12-2 run and were up 21-9 in the first quarter. We kept rotating players into the game with the main goal to just play hard. We were fortunate all of the players played hard and with enthusiasm.

Freshman Tyler Crace scored 9 points, hitting 3 three-point baskets. Junior Anthony Christian ended up with 8 points and had 6 rebounds. Senior Chris Lester had a solid game with 6 points and 6 boards. As a result, the Deaf Hoosiers built up a comfortable lead, 30-13, at the break. By the end of the third quarter, we were up 44-20. During the final quarter, we continued to play hard displaying sportsmanship and class on the court while everyone got to score at least a point. The game was dedicated to our two seniors, Ryan Hakwins and Chris Lester, who played their final CSSD game and left with unforgettable closing memories. Selwyn Abrahamson, Jarvis Beaver and Gabriel Paulone were named in the Top 6 Division I All Tournament Team. Congratulations to Selwyn, Jarvis and Gabriel!

On a side note, the five school members of CSSD voted to bring back the 8 team traditional bracket next year at Ohio Deaf School to revive the historical CSSD spirit. Indiana was just one field goal away from a heartbreaking Deaf Lady Hoosiers loss to MSSD, 46-45, to sweep the first-ever triple crown at CSSD with the our Varsity Boys claiming the title and our cheerleading squad bringing home another winning crown.

January 26 CSSD: MSSD
Deaf Hoosiers Prevail Victory over MSSD
At the CSSD Tournament in the second game of round robin for Division I (teams consists of MSSD, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois), Sophomore Gabriel Paulone scored a team-high 16 points including two big free throws in the closing seconds to lead the Deaf Hoosiers (7-7) to a come-from-behind victory over MSSD (7-10) 54-47. Junior Jarvis Beaver, who stepped up for a big game, scored 14 points and had 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 assists for his team. The team overcame a 9- point deficit with less than 3 minutes in the final contest. Junior Selwyn Abrahamson also scored 9 points and grabbed a team-high 8 rebounds while Junior Colin Whited had 8 points. Freshman Tyler Crace netted 7 points including the most crucial free throws, 4-4, in the final seconds.

MSSD took an early 12-8 lead in the first quarter and kept up the pace leading 30 to 22 at halftime. MSSD continued to build a comfortable 10-point lead in the middle of the 3rd quarter as the impatient Deaf Hoosiers tried to hurry themselves back into the game. With less than 3 minutes left in the game, the gap was quickly trimmed to 4 points as the Deaf Hoosiers applied a strong full court zone press and made consecutive steals by Tyler Crace and Selwyn Abrahamson as Gabriel Paulone reeled off 4 points on lay ups. The Deaf Hoosiers responded to the support quickly as it converted possessions on MSSD's two straight turnovers resulting in a 10-0 run and putting the Deaf Hoosiers one point ahead 48-47 with 54 seconds remaining.

An interesting part of an already intense game happened when Colin Whited was called on a reaching-in foul. There was a controversial dispute between head coaches from both teams with the official scorebook keeper and referees at the score table unclear on the number of Deaf Hoosiers' total team fouls for the second half, which should have been 6. The official scorebook keeper stated that the Deaf Hoosiers had 7 team fouls and rewarded MSSD a one-on-one bonus free throw as disagreeing Head Coach Crace responded by pounding a hard-fisted hit on the scoretable. This resulted in a technical foul for his poor sportsmanship. Assistant Coach Westhoelter went over to the scorer's table and appealed the case with a referee by comparing our scorebook and MSSD scorebook for the verification. The appeal was granted, and MSSD was not rewarded the 1-1 bonus free throw. Then, MSSD missed both technical foul free-throws with a loud roar and foot stomping noise from the opposing fans. With the 48-47 lead remaining for the Deaf Hoosiers, MSSD missed a shot at 39 seconds and fouled Tyler Crace. Tyler made both free throws in spite of the high intense roaring noise from the opposing fans increasing the lead to 50-47. The Deaf Hoosiers went headstrong 6 for 6 in the final 47 seconds of the game.

Head Coach Crace stated that he was proud of the team's poise down the final stretch as we hit big free throws late in the game. It was a BIG victory for the especially for Coach Crace, who had a 0-3 lifetime record against his longtime friend Michael Weinstock, Head Coach for MSSD. With our best record yet (2-0), the final game of Division I round robin will be up against Michigan (0-2) for the Championship Title.

January 25 CSSD: Illinois SD
Deaf Hoosiers Edge Illinois in the Final Seconds
In a fully packed gym, an exciting battle ensued between two rival teams in the opening round of CSSD at the Michigan Deaf School. The final decision came down to a drive to the basket by one of the few upper-classmen on the Deaf Hoosiers Team. Junior Selwyn Abrahamson, who shifted to play point guard, scored on two straight critical conventional 3-point play drives. But, he missed both free throws with less than 1 minute in the contest remaining to give the Deaf Hoosiers (6-7) a 51-47 victory over Illinois Deaf School (5-10) in the first game of round robin Division I CSSD Tournament. Abrahamson finished the game with 9 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Illinois played without their superstar Lacedix Brown, who was sidelined on the bench with a re-injured broken foot.

The intense physical battle began at the tip off of the game with both teams trading baskets as the Deaf Hoosiers took charge 15-12 in the first quarter. The battle carried into the second quarter in a close match with the Illinois Tigers taking the advantage to score baskets from offensive rebounds to knot the game 21-20 with the Deaf Hoosiers leading at half-time. The Deaf Hoosiers tried to take the lead early in the second half before Illinois took its first lead of the game scoring from the stripe, 32-31. The ball changed hands several times before Sophomore Gabriel Paulone, the only player to score double digits with 15 points and 4 steals, pulled the basket and increased the Deaf Hoosiers' lead to 46-43 at the 3 minutes mark in the 4th quarter.

The team struggled to make free throws and missed 8 in a row before Freshman Tyler Crace, who finished the game with 6 points, snapped the team's cold-shooting streak leaving the team to finish 5 out of 14 from the foul line. A stubborn Illinois team trimmed the margin to one with a basket and just over a minute left in the game. However, the two 3-point plays by Abrahamson led the Deaf Hoosiers to prevail in a victory over Illinois.

Junior Jarvis Beaver finished with 8 points while freshman Tyler Crace came off the bench for 6. Deaf Hoosiers' top scorer, Junior Colin Whited, was limited to 4 points as he was still recovering from the flu. Senior Chris Lester and Junior Anthony Christian played important roles and contributed valuable minutes to the team. In our next game, we will face defending CSSD Champion, MSSD.

January 23: Lutheran
Varsity Boys' Deaf Hoosiers Struggle at Lutheran, Fall to Saints
Playing against a rare opportunity to beat Lutheran, the Deaf Hoosiers' struggled on offense, particularly in the second half, and lost to Lutheran, 56-35. Without Junior Colin Whited, who was at home with flu, the Deaf Hoosiers (5-7) opened with a 6-2 lead into the game as Junior Selwyn Abrahamson scored from the baseline drive to the basket. He played his first career game in a varsity uniform as he was recently approved by IHSAA as eligible to play. He finished with 6 points.

The team went ice-cold from there, scoring only 23 points over the first three quarters. The Deaf Hoosiers missed a lot of easy shots in the first half that could have lead to a bigger lead. They did not play together as they stood around a lot and missed shots. In the first quarter, the Deaf Hoosiers managed to stay close in the game 12-15 with Lutheran in advantage. They continued to battle sluggishly in the second quarter offensively and had a difficult time attacking Lutheran's well-coached man-to-man defense team, settling for a number of perimeter shots. Scoring only 4 points in the second quarter, the Deaf Hoosiers fell behind 16-24 at half-time. Playing man-to-man defense, Lutheran got some better looks in the 3rd quarter and also were able to score in transition, 43-23. The Deaf Hoosiers gradually started to warm up in the mid-4th quarter and fueled the run, scoring 8 points in the final 3 minutes.

Junior Gabriel Paulone was the only Deaf Hoosier to lead in double digit scoring with 10 points. Senior Chris Lester had 6 points that were all scored in the 4th quarter while freshman point guard Anthony Dall had 4 points. The Deaf Hoosiers, on the other hand, were 3 for 10 on free throws.

January 16: Columbus Christian
Top Scorers Led Deaf Hoosiers Past Columbus Christian
Desperate to escape 3 losses in a row, the Deaf Hoosiers (5-6) shot their way out of a slump. Dual top scorers Sophomore Gabriel Paulone and Junior Colin Whited scored a team-high with 23 points each; and their team shot a season-best 77% from the free throw line, 17-22, for the victory, 83-59 over Columbus Christian. During the entire game, the Deaf Hoosiers shot fair in the perimeter area (14-34), compared to shooting behind the arch (6-26). The Deaf Hoosiers missed several uncontested shots and committed turnovers during a drought, allowing Columbus Christian to get within close range. In the first half we jumped to a good start with 17-10 in the first quarter, and the shots continued to trade as the score remained at 36-26 with ISD leading at halftime. Jumping to a 6-2 run in the third quarter, the spurt was predominately fueled by the Columbus Christian bench as they took charge of the entire third quarter. In the final quarter of the game with a score of 52-49 in favor of the Deaf Hoosiers, we recovered from a sluggish 3rd quarter and ignited a 29-6 run on the fast break and hitting 17-21 free throws. The team displayed unselfish character on the floor and dished out 20 assists, with Paulone the leader of assists with 7. Every player on the team contributed while Paulone and Whited were the only doubled-digit scorers. Paulone led the team in rebounding with 10 while Senior Chris Lester had 9. Junior Anthony Christian tallied 8 points and grabbed 4 boards. The Deaf Hoosiers did a nice job as the coaches are instilling in their players the passion of playing together as a team on the floor, playing defense, and playing with spirit.

January 13 Clerc Classic: CSD Fremont
Cold-Shooting Deaf Hoosiers Fall to Humble Fremont
Aiming for 3rd place in the Clerc Classic VII, the Deaf Hoosiers (4-6) suffered a 37-32 heartbreaking loss to last year's Clerc Classic and National Deaf Prep Champions Fremont(4-2). Despite getting off to a slow start in the opening quarter, the Deaf Hoosiers struggled to defend last year's Clerc Classic MVP 6'8" power forward who scored 22 points and led the second half surge to help Fremont to win 3rd place. This player has been highly recruited by some college coaches this year. Junior forward Jarvis Beaver made two consecutive baskets on the scoreboard to snap Fremont's 6-0 open run. We continued to struggle on offense in the first half. Trailing 19-14 at halftime, the Deaf Hoosiers couldn't mount a comeback rally over the final couple minutes of the game. We couldn't take advantage of the many turnovers by Fremont. We, as a young team, tried to shoot quickly and lost focus on offense by not executing our offense as well as not following our game plan. The trio Juniors Colin Whited and Jarvis Beaver, and Sophomore Gabriel Paulone scored 10 points each. Jarvis grabbed 7 rebounds. It was our second straight loss and the worst ice-shooting game this season as we shot 21.3% (10-47) from the perimeter while 18.8% (3-16) from the treys. Additionally, the team dished out a season-low 2 assists. Paulone, one of the top five players was named to the all-tournament team.

January 12 Clerc Classic: Maryland SD
Deaf Hoosiers Fail to Stop Heavy Favored Maryland
Playing in the large packed crowd at MSSD's gym, the Deaf Hoosiers who were seeking a bidding upset (4-5) dropped a 52-39 decision loss to Maryland (13-1). Due to strong perimeter play in the opening of the game, Maryland gained an early 14-2 advantage. Our coaches made some defense adjustments to ignite the following 12-2 run by the Deaf Hoosiers and cut the deficit to 14-16 narrowing the gap for us down by 2. However, Maryland converted our consecutive turnovers to increase their score to 20-15 at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was an intense battle with both team trading the basketball, and foul trouble sent two of our starters to the bench. Trailing 33-27 at halftime, the Deaf Hoosiers returned from the locker room playing hard, but turnovers and foul trouble deflated our momentum. A refocused and reenergized Maryland came out strong in the second half, eventually building the lead to 45-32 in the third quarter as we were to unable to keep the momentum out of their favor. Foul trouble and impatient shooting plagued us in the 4th quarter as we scored only 7 points. In contrast we did a pretty good job defensively, allowing Maryland only 7 points. Statistically, the Deaf Hoosiers' cold shooting was 34.8% (8-23) from the perimeter and 26.3% (5-19) from the arch for an overall game. Junior Guard Colin Whited led the team in scoring with 18 points, the only double figure. Sophomore Forward Gabriel Paulone had 9 points and 7 rebounds. Freshman shooting guard Tyler Crace netted 8 points. The coaches tipped their hat off to Maryland and applauded their display of "unselfish" teamwork! We will face the next game to play against last year's Clerc Classic Champions, Fremont, for 3rd/4th place.

January 11 Clerc Classic: Texas SD
Big Contribution from Trio Help Deaf Hoosiers Down Texas
With the help of a trio of scorers, the Deaf Hoosiers got back on the winning track with a 63-49 victory against Texas at the Clerc Classic VII at MSSD in Washington, D.C. Led by Junior guard Colin Whited, Junior Forward Jarvis Beaver and Sophomore Guard/Forward Gabriel Paulone, this trio contributed 17, 10 and 16 points respectfully and the Deaf Hoosiers (4-4) balanced a solid inside presence with timely perimeter shooting to maintain control of the game . Paulone was a dominating force on the boards with 10 points and had a team-high 4 assists. The Deaf Hoosiers showed some early nerves but helped control the pace of the game in the second quarter as we built a 2-digit lead, 39-25, at half-time in spite of being deadlocked at the end of the first quarter with 17-17. The second half seemed to be quiet offensively because the Texas team used a variation of defenses to slow us down. The Deaf Hoosiers continued to play hard to keep Texas from mounting any sort of comeback. Freshman bench warmer Tyler Crace scored 13 points including 3 treys from the arch. We had some turnovers, but on the positive side, we attacked to the basket and got to the foul line despite the disappointing attempt at free throws, 6 for 15 shooting. Proudly, the Deaf Hoosiers still hold the best Clerc Classic winning record and percentage to date with 14-5 in 7 tournaments including two championship crowns and a runner-up. Next game to face: a heavily favored Maryland in the semi-finals.

January 9: University
Deaf Hoosiers Fall in Road Content at Ranked University
The Deaf Hoosiers (3-4) is back in action from two weeks break and dropped a 70-47 decision to the 1A ranked University HS at their court. We had a difficult time against the University, who played true to their top-ranked status. Our biggest problem of the game was impatience and missing a lot shots. Many of the impatient shots were a result of sold defensive pressure from them on their guards, leaving us struggling to get the ball inside. Sophomore forward Gabriel Paulone led the team with 15 points while his teammate, Junior Colin White had 14 points. Junior Anthony Christian played his best game of the team as he scored his season-high with 12 points. The Deaf Hoosiers never found a rhythm against University in the entire of the game. After falling into an early 15-6 first quarter start, we struggled to regain control in the first half, but managed to stay within striking distance and hold one University's star player limited to 4 points. With University leading 28-18, frustrating Deaf Hoosiers struggled to convert the easy shot opportunities from University's miscued turnovers in the second half. University came out firing hard to attack as they rattled off a 12-2 run to up by 16. Trailing 48-32, the deaf Hoosiers saw the game slipping from their fingertips as University responded on free throws as shot (9-11) from every Deaf Hoosier's fouls, extending the score to go up. With a disappointed loss and leave it behind, the Deaf Hoosiers are onwards to the Clerc Classic VII tomorrow at MSSD in Washington, D.C.

December 13: Eminence
Deaf Hoosiers Unable to Pull a Win over Eminence
The ISD Varsity boys were unable to pull a victory over visiting Eminence, falling by a score of 65-43 at Caskey Gymnasium. The Deaf Hoosiers (3-3) dropped a loss in the final game of the 2006 season, as Eminence built a double-digit lead with hot shooting and a stingy defense in the second half. Junior Colin Whited finished the game with a team-high 13 points, while his classmate Junior Jarvis Beaver had 10 points and 7 rebounds. Freshman Tyler Crace came off the bench to score 9 points on 3 of 3 shooting behind the arch and had 2 of each in assists and steals. In the first quarter, both teams continued to find the bottom of the net in the later stages as Eminence took a 1 point lead, 11-12. Interestingly, both teams played offensively like a ping pong match with Eminence taking the advantage in the second quarter, 19-17, and leading at half-time 31-28. Eminence opened the second half with a jolt by scoring 6 unanswered points to increase their lead to 37-28. The team appeared to be insurmountable, as the Deaf Hoosiers were unable to narrow the gap to 10 points for the remainder of the contest. We allowed the team to net over 60 percent in the second half, and that is tough to rebound from. We struggled the entire game with execution and need to do a better job on defense reaction. It was a disappointing loss because we couldn't maintain our effort proving there are still many things we need to work on. Senior Chris Lester had a solid game with 5 boards and drew his first ever charge taken. Although this was the final game for the month, the Deaf Hoosiers have a week to prepare for final exams and two weeks winter break before returning to play again in January 2007.

December 7: Fort Wayne Keystone (V)
Team Efforts Leads Deaf Hoosiers to a Win!
Sophomore guard/forward Gabriel Paulone and Junior guard Colin Whited scored 19 and 20 points respectfully as the Deaf Hoosiers used a second half surge to defeat the visiting Fort Wayne Keystone, 72-49, on our home court. This was the first time that we had played this team. With the team consisting of virtually 6'0" or taller, we were out dominated on our paint territory as they were tenacious on the boards. We managed a 13-10 lead after the first quarter while continually battling in the second quarter to seize a 27-20 lead at half-time. In the second half, we came out as a different team with a fierce defense mindset and outran them in the third quarter, 34-12. Every individual on the team netted at least a basket. The bench warmers had more opportunities to play a lot of action in the 4th quarter and did a good job to keep our competing attitude in the game in spite of our undersize. Gabriel Paulone had the team high with 10 rebounds and 3 steals while his teammate Colin Whited had 6 rebounds, 4 steals and 4 assists. Freshman guard Tyler Crace continued to show impressive numbers chipping in 10 points off the bench. With a second consecutive win, the Deaf Hoosiers have improved to 3-2. The coaches feel the team played well defensively especially in the second half. Taking away their three-point shooting was huge. We have been working hard in practice, but our defense is something that we take a lot of pride in.

December 5: Greenwood Christian Academy
ISD's Defense Breezes Away Against Greenwood
With Sophomore Gabriel Paulone scoring 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, the Deaf Hoosiers (2-2) took care of business beating Greenwood Christian Academy, 83-36 on ISD's hardwood. In the first quarter we jumped to a slugglish start 19-11. We never trailed in the contest, scoring a 14-3 spurt in the late second quarter as we claimed a 41-25 advantage at halftime. The coaches made some adjustments with disciplined man to man and zone defenses at the return of the second half. The Deaf Hoosiers did a good of a job defending the perimeter. We limited the Greenwood team to only 11 points in the second half including a 3rd quarter shut out, our second time this season. Junior guard Colin Whited added 22 points, 5 assists and 5 steals while three of his teammates: Jarvis Beaver, Tyler Crace and Tony Dall netted 8 points or more. Senior forward Chris Lester had a solid game with 11 rebounds. Coaches are watching each game closely as they want to make sure the young rookies improve their game and practice. All of the players are off the bench earning varsity minutes and getting used to the speed and physcial requirements of the game.

November 30: Morton Memorial
ISD Drops Game on Last Second Shot
The Indiana Hoosiers came up one point short of notching a second win when the last second shot bounced off short of the rim and couldn't find the bottom of the net. Visiting Morton Memorial held on for a 77-76 victory, improving their record for the season 2-0, while Deaf Hoosiers fell to 1-2 on the year. We rallied with runs as many as 14 points in the first half, but Morton Memerial was able to claw its way back by putting runs of 6-0 to reduce their deficit to 43-34 still in favor of the Deaf Hoosiers at the half-time. Sophomore Gabriel Paulone dominated with 26 points in the first half and finished with a game-high 32 points and added 6 boards. The teams traded buckets during the 3rd quarter before Morton Memorial was able to string together in 8-0 runs by combining a staunch defense which forced several turnovers during the final quarter and some key tres. Colin Whited scored 24 points and dished out 4 assists, while Jarvis Beaver clipped 12 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Despite our hard-fought efforts, it was not enough to hold the win. Our starting five team is combined with a blend of experience and young players but we will get better on finishing the games stronger with poise.

November 28: Liberty Christian
ISD Falls to Liberty Christian
The Deaf Hoosiers opened the first home season with a 84-64 loss to Liberty Christian (2-1). In the first quarter both teams displayed high fast paced offense transition with Liberty Christian leading 20-17 at the end of its session. One of the Liberty Christian players did a lot of damage with 24 points and took over the game in the first half with impressive shooting, including 6 tres. With the score of 42 - 31 at halftime, the Deaf Hoosiers refused to quit but could not mount a rally over them during the second half as Liberty Christian played strong defense. Junior guard Colin Whited led the Deaf Hoosiers (1-1) with 29 points. Sophomore Gabriel Paulone added 18 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Freshman guard Tyler Crace scored 10 points, hitting three 3-pointers. Junior forward Jarvis Beaver who had a mild sprained ankle in the early second half pulled down 7 boards. Compared to us, the Liberty Christian team was equal in talent, but we gave them too many open looks and layups in transition. We just have to get back out there and keep working to do what we can do to be successful.

November 21: Tindley
ISD Opens Season with a Win
Colin Whited scored a game high 16 points and dished 5 assists as the Deaf Hoosiers earned a 64-17 season-opening win over Tindley on their home court. They were no match for the variety of defense techniques including a third quarter shut out. It is Tindley's first-year varsity program in the second year of IHSAA membership. They managed only 3 field goals and were totally out of the game. Gabriel Paulone had 12 points and added 3 rebounds and a team high with 8 steals. Veteran Jarvis Beaver scored 8 points and had 7 steals and 3 blocked shots. Fellow rookies Tyler Crace and Tony Dall clipped in 8 points and 6 points respectively. Chris Lester had 6 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. Head Coach Rusty Crace was pleased with the team's defense, but we need a lot more disciplined offensive.