MISHAWAKA – Tippecanoe Valley High School’s Sophie Bussard took the court with some of the best basketball players in northern Indiana Tuesday night.
Following a superb junior season in which she was named Times-Union Area Player of the Year, Bussard was selected to the McDonald’s Michiana All-Star Game, which was played at Bethel College’s Wiekamp Center.
The 5-foot-9 Bussard scored seven points and grabbed seven rebounds, as her Red Team beat the Gray Team 114-90.
Bussard averaged 17 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals and led the Lady Vikings to a 20-4 record this season.
Valley junior Emily Peterson was also selected to play in the all-star game, but couldn’t because of a knee injury suffered in the sectional semifinals in February.
Peterson averaged nine points, two rebounds and two assists for Valley.
Elkhart Central senior Krisen Hunt led the Red Team with 26 points, while Marian senior Meghan Urbanski tallied 20 points.
Others on the Red Team in double figures included Penn senior Tia Chambers (16), Northridge senior Brooke McKinley (14) and Northridge junior Morgan Litwiler (12).
LaPorte junior Riley Ott led the girls Gray Team with 24 points, making 10 of 13 shot attempts. South Bend Riley senior Asia Strong scored 18 points, while St. Joe sophomore Keegan Sullivan finished with 15 points and seven rebounds.
In the boys game, three-point attempts and dunks were the name of the game, as the Red Team pulled out a 120-113 win over the Gray Team.
The teams combined for 93 three-point attempts.
Valparaiso junior Brandon Newman put on a show for the large crowd, making 14 of 18 shot attempts on his way to a game-high 33 points. He also pulled down 18 rebounds.
Riley senior Shamar Dillard tallied 17 points in the win, while Washington senior Cory McKinley and Penn junior Noah Applegate finished with 14 points each.
For the Gray Team, Riley seniors Damezi Anderson and Rylen Grundy led the way with 22 and 18 points, respectively.
Northridge senior Connor Utley and Westville senior Cade Albers scored 12 points each in the loss.
