ROUNDUP: Wolves win 15th straight, advance in girls sectional; Lakers prevail by 44

Feb. 1—Parke Heritage won for the 15th consecutive game Wednesday night, beating Cloverdale 53-14 to advance in the Class 2A South Putnam Sectional in the girls high school basketball tournament.

Emma Simpson recorded a triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 11 steals for the Wolves (now 21-3). Addison Jenkins added 12 points for Parke Heritage. Senior Emily Mann finished her prep career by scoring all of Cloverdale's 14 points.

Parke Heritage plays at 7:30 p.m. Friday against Southmont (14-8), a 45-35 winner over host South Putnam.

In other girls sectional play:

—Lakers, Cardinals advance — At Bloomfield, Shakamak beat Lighthouse Christian 74-30 and the host Cardinals defeated Dugger 57-26 on Wednesday at the Class A Bloomfield Sectional.

That sets up Friday's semifinals, in which Clay City faces North Central at 6 p.m., followed by Bloomfield vs. Shakamak at 7:30 p.m.

—North Knox, South Knox reach semis — At Bicknell, Alex McKinley poured in 17 points and Madison McCory added 14 as North Knox (24-1) advanced Wednesday night at its Class 2A North Knox Sectional.

Jacie Wilson topped Sullivan with 15 points. Avari Kelley scored eight for the Arrows, which finished the season 18-7.

In Wednesday's later game, South Knox beat Eastern Greene 68-39. On Friday, Linton plays Paoli at 6 p.m., followed by North Knox vs. South Knox at 7:30 p.m.

In other girls basketball:

—Paris 45, Robinson 37 — At Paris, Ill., Graci Watson scored 12 points, Kilee Edwards added 11 and Taylor Clark tallied 10 for the victorious Tigers, who upended the 21-5 Maroons on Wednesday.

Edwards hit three 3-pointers and Clark dropped in two.

Marisa Zane led Robinson with 15 points.

Paris (16-11) was scheduled to play host to Lawrenceville on Thursday.

College track

—Sycamore honored — Indiana State pole-vaulter Will Staggs was selected as the MVC Men's Field Athlete of the Week Thursday, as announced by the conference office.

Staggs tied his own indoor program pole-vault record, which he set at last year's Missouri Valley Conference Championships, on his way to a fourth straight first-place finish in the event at the Michigan Invitational last weekend. He was the lone athlete in the field to clear five meters, clearing marks of 16-9.25 and 17-3 before tying the Indiana State program record of 17-9 on his first attempt.

Staggs continues to lead the MVC in the pole vault, while his mark of 5.41m also ranks third in the Great Lakes region and 12th in the nation. The weekly honor is Staggs' third MVC Field Athlete of the Week selection this season and the fourth of his career.

Women's basketball

—Engineers nipped — At Hulbert Arena, Rose-Hulman dropped a 71-68 heartbreaker to Anderson in overtime in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action Wednesday night.

The game had 13 ties and seven lead changes.

Rose opened hot with an 8-0 lead, but the Ravens came storming back. After cutting the lead to five, the entire game would be played within a 10-point margin.

The Engineers took a 56-52 lead with 7:25 to go, but a four-minute drought allowed Anderson to tie it up at 56. Rose-Hulman retook a four-point lead at 62-58, but once again, Anderson battled back to tie the game with 25 seconds to go and send it to overtime.

In the extra frame, the two teams traded three consecutive baskets, and with the game tied at 68, Anderson would capitalize on three offensive rebounds to get extra possessions at the charity stripe.

Rose still had a chance to tie it after Anderson went 3 of 6 from the foul line and led by three, but Ashley Black's 3 attempt at the buzzer missed wide.

Black led the home team with 21 points, 15 came in the first half. Grace Roland added 14 points and eight rebounds and Manuella Shomba finished with her fourth double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 boards.

With the loss, the Engineers dropped to 10-10 overall and 7-6 in the HCAC.

Rose-Hulman will celebrate its Senior Day with at 1 p.m. matchup against Defiance on Saturday.

College cross country

—Engineer honored — Rose-Hulman freshman Jocelyn Onstot became the first cross country female in school history to receive the USTFCCCA All-Academic Award.

She joins a trio of Rose-Hulman men, including John Sluys (2022), Matt Stevenot (2019), and Tyler Kreipke (2010), as the only USTFCCCA All-Academic award winners in school history.

Onstot was the top runner for the Engineers in the HCAC championship and NCAA Great Lakes Regional this fall. She finished seconnd in the HCAC and won the HCAC Newcomer of the Year award.

In the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, Onstot ran a career-best 22:15.4 en route to a top-50 finish.

Onstot has continued her top-notch performances this winter as she currently leads the HCAC in the 800 meters, mile, 3,000m and 5,000m events during the indoor season.

USTFCCCA All-Academic award honorees are chosen by the national organization based on combined academic and athletic accomplishments. The minimum academic requirements for nominees are a grade-point average above 3.30 and the athlete must also finish in the top quarter of the NCAA regional race.

Onstot and the Rose-Hulman women's track and field team will return to action Friday as they travel to Ohio Northern for the Joe Banks Invitational.