PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL: Northridge finishes 3-1 against Interra Classic’s best-ever field

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MIDDLEBURY — Heading into a new year and the last month of the regular season, Doug Springer at least knows one thing about his group.

They’re going to scratch, claw and fight through whatever they must to find success. Even if the outcome isn’t perfect, the preparation will be. That’s a sign of maturity.

“It was also our mental toughness,” Northridge’s girls basketball coach said. “If we had been playing this game two weeks ago after the Norwell, Crown Point [losses], I don’t know if we win this game. That’s where we have grown in the last three in a half weeks.”

Springer’s Northridge Raiders improved to 13-4 on the season with a 3-1 showing at the 15th edition of the Interra Classic Tuesday. After knocking off previously undefeated Marquette Catholic 55-36 and handling Class 3A No. 3 Greensburg 64-58 on Monday, the host Raiders entered the second day with a 10-game win streak dating back to Nov. 22.

No. 14 Northridge was defeated by Westfield (also ranked 14th by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association) 53-48 to start the morning slate. Alli Ambers scored 14 points and Cam Conley added 12 in the loss which featured a 19-13 third quarter in favor of the Shamrocks.

In the second game against No. 18 Franklin Central, the Raiders were square with the Flashes at 55-55 with under three minutes to play. Conley drained two shots at the line and then shook off a cold hand from behind the perimeter to ice Franklin Central with her second made 3-pointer of the afternoon, creating a 60-55 advantage with less than a minute remaining.

“You could tell her legs were a little bit gone, she was a little bit flat,” Springer said of Conley’s abnormal 2-of-10 showing from distance. “It was a big shot by a big-time player and for her, she wasn’t hitting shots but her leadership goes unnoticed. She does so much of the little things for this team that isn’t seen by outside people. It was good for her to hit that shot and for us to win the game.”

Northridge’s 64-57 win over the Flashes was impressive. Lily Scholl scored 21 points for the hosts. Also impressive was Conley’s placement on the All-Tournament team. She finished with 36 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and two steals across the four-game schedule.

“Obviously, all the teams we played voted for her,” Springer said. “I think she hit shots yesterday and had a really, really good game, but it was her leadership. The coaches just kept talking to me about (No.) 32’s leadership. Coaches recognize leaders.”

The Interra Classic has felt like its field has been becoming talented at warp speed. Just three years ago, Northridge cruised to a title at its old gym against the likes of Knox, Andrean, South Bend St. Joseph and NorthWood. With all four opponents at least one class beneath the Raiders, Northridge won by a combined score of 253-138. It wasn’t close.

With the addition of a sectional title won by Springer’s squad in 2023 and a new arena that debuted last season, the event has become not only inviting for other postseason title contenders, but one that will provide the challenges that teams are often looking for.

Entering Monday, the combined record of all eight teams was 71-27. That includes a poor 1-10 record sported by Rushville. As noted by Springer, the other seven teams in the field were all ranked inside the top-30 in the state by Sagarin. In terms of girls basketball tournaments that can rival the Hall of Fame Tournament, try this one on for size.

"This is our 15th year and this is what I envisioned and what it could be like,” Springer said. "High-end caliber players. … There are over 30 kids that have college offers that are playing here. Then you throw in the elite-level coaches that are coaching these programs. This was by far, above and beyond any tournament that we’ve ever been a part of and that we could put together.”

It’s a good point. The eight head coaches in the field have a combined 141 years of experience coaching high school girls basketball in Indiana. Altogether, the group has won 57 sectional crowns, 21 regional titles, 10 semistate trophies and four state championships. Homestead, which came in ranked No. 6 in the state and finished 4-0 Tuesday, has won a large amount of those. Then joined Marquette Catholic, Greensburg and Franklin Central as new additions to the field this year. Northridge, Westfield, Penn and Rushville were returning.

“Homestead was the first one on our waiting list,” Springer said, and added that spots in the tournament are given out until teams no longer want to be included. “They were in the tournament several years ago when we first started it and had to get in the Hall of Fame so they had to get out. They wanted to get back in and they were the first one that I contacted.”

Marquette Catholic, led by Northern Illinois commit Laniah Davis, is one of the top contenders in 1A this season. Head coach Katie Collignon wanted in.

“Marquette was on the waiting list and then it just kind of went down from there,” Springer said. “When teams got in, some others said, ‘Oh, well, we might not want to compete with that.’ Greensburg and Franklin Central were the last two to come in.”

For Northridge, the reason for the stacked field is obvious. The Raiders are chasing No. 3 Warsaw and those around Elkhart and Kosciusko County know that the sectional title runs through that game. That’s not to snub a talented Elkhart team, either.

If Northridge wants to beat the reigning 4A state runner-up Tigers, playing tight games against Greensburg, Westfield and Franklin Central is a solid way to see what you’ve got.

“This was a high-level IHSAA tournament in two days,” Springer said.

“It’s a tough tournament and a tough two days,” he added. “I told our girls, I can’t begin to imagine their feeling mentally and physically going through four games in 36 hours, but this tournament is going to be a spring board for us to finish our season.”

No. 14 Northridge (13-4) is next in action when the Raiders host South Bend Adams at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7. Northridge follows that up with a trip to No. 3 Warsaw where the Northern Lakes Conference top two teams battle it out.

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PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Interra Classic at Northridge High School

Day 1 pool scores: Northridge 55, Marquette Catholic 36; Greensburg 57, Westfield 38; Homestead 78, Penn 42; Franklin Central 54, Rushville 23; Northridge 64, Greensburg 58, Westfield 74, Marquette Catholic 63; Homestead 65, Rushville 16; Penn 45, Franklin Central 38

Day 2 pool scores: Westfield 53, Northridge 48; Greensburg 65, Marquette Catholic 56, Homestead 65, Franklin Central 51, Penn 59, Rushville 16

Placement games: Homestead 84, Greensburg 44, Northridge 64, Franklin Central 57, Penn 41, Westfield 34, Marquette Catholic 73, Rushville 41

Tournament team: Cam Conley (N), Claire Larrison (G), Lillian Clark (W), Laniah Davis (M), Gabby Helsom (H), Carly Senour (R), Jillian Sanderson (P), Payton DuVall (FC)

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