Area seniors lead conference in scoring

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Mt. Vernon’s Michael Ertel is turning in a fine senior season. The point guard is leading the Hoosier Heritage Conference in scoring at 23 points per game, according to MaxPreps, which puts him at No. 20 in the state.

The floor general is also averaging 4.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game and is shooting 45 percent from the field and 90 percent from the foul line. He had a season-high 30 points in the season-opening loss to Whiteland and recently surpassed 1,000 points for his career.

Led by Ertel, Mt. Vernon has posted three straight wins heading into its conference battle with Greenfield-Central on Friday.

Greenfield-Central’s Indiana Miss Basketball candidate Madison Wise, a senior forward, is leading the girls side of the Hoosier Heritage Conference in scoring at 23.4 ppg, which ranks 10th in the state.

Wise is averaging a double-double with 10.6 rebounds per game. She scored a school-record 42 points against Whiteland and is shooting 52 percent from the field for the season.

Eastern Hancock junior guards Brycen Napier and Addison True are tied for 35th in Class 2A in scoring at 16.2 ppg.

For the girls team, senior forward Emiley Carlton (15.5 ppg) ranks No. 22 in Class 2A in scoring. Her field goal percentage (49 percent) is the 26th best in the class.

Hoosier Heritage Conference races

Greenfield-Central leads the boys side of the conference at 2-0 with a big county rivalry game with Mt. Vernon looming Friday. The Marauders are 2-1, which is tied for fourth, with a lone loss to Pendleton Heights.

The Arabians and Delta are 1-0 for second in the conference race, while Shelbyville, New Palestine and Yorktown all have two or more losses. New Castle, which lost to Mt. Vernon, also is 2-1.

For the girls, Pendleton Heights (6-0) and New Palestine (6-1) sit at the top, while Greenfield-Central (1-2) remains in the hunt for third. Mt. Vernon is currently 0-3.

A note on Pendleton Heights: The Arabians have four seniors leading the team in scoring, all above 7.6 ppg. Sam Hammel, who averages 15.2 ppg, leads the team.

Key returnees

Greenfield-Central senior guard Katie Helgason, who missed the team’s first 10 games after an ACL tear, is averaging 8.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists in seven games for the Cougars.

Greenfield-Central has won six of its seven games since her return as the speedy senior adds outside shooting ability to a team full of younger guards. She has connected on 16 of her 35 three-point field-goal attempts. Before her return, the Cougars were 4-6.

New Palestine junior wing Gavin Hausz, who also needed knee surgery, is averaging 8.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in three games for the Dragons since his return.

He scored 14 points in an overtime loss to New Castle on Dec. 16 in his first game back and adds scoring depth for a team featuring five players averaging at least six points per game. Hausz is shooting 41 percent from the field and has made six 3-point field goals.