LAKEVILLE, IN. – LaVille Lady Hoops recently held its annual awards recognition. Players, coaches and family members gathered to celebrate the team accomplishments during the 2022-23 season. Major award winners, statistical awards, along with conference recognition were announced by the LaVille girls basketball coaching staff. Senior Lauren Edison was named the varsity mental attitude award winner. Sophomore Brooke Edison earned the most improved player award. And the senior duo of Heaylyn Kwiatkowski and Lucy Sherk were tabbed co-most valuable. Freshman Ragen Wagoner received the junior varsity mental attitude honor. The 2022-23 edition of Lancer basketball finished with a 19-7 overall record and 4-3 in the Hoosier North Athletic Conference. It tied the most victories in a single season with the 1986-87 and 1988-89 teams. It was the best overall record since the 2017-18 team finished 16-8 overall and best HNAC finish since 2017-18, also at 4-3. On offense, LaVille improved to 42.7 points per game, the best since the ’17-’18 squad hit for 46.4 ppg. The Lancer defense finished among the best in the state after allowing just 32.7 per outing and the 13th best in Indiana and fourth-best defense in Class 2A. “I am beyond proud of these girls,” said first-year coach Nicholas Amor. “They are a great team! The leadership of my seniors will not be easily fulfilled and the foundation they set this year for Lady Lancer Basketball will be built upon for years to come. I am already looking forward to this summer and next season.” Amor, a 2013 LaVille High School graduate, is no stranger to basketball. He played his prep career at LaVille from 2009-10 to 2012-13 for head coach Michael Edison and played two years of collegiate basketball at Indiana State University. He was hired in June of 2022 and went right to work meeting with his team and set-up the summer workout schedule. “My goals were to have a winning season, win TCU Bi-County, and win a sectional,” Amor recalled when asked about the first meeting with the team. “I felt that there was a lot of potential on this team and if they came together they could make great things happen. We needed to start with defense and expand from there.” As the season progressed, defense took center stage as LHS was 12-1 when the defense held the opposition 32 points or less. Amor’s crew finished with just under 300 steals for the season. Leading the sniper attack was Brooke Edison with 61. Heaylyn Kwiatkowski had 55 and junior Lily Smith 40. It was the most steals in recent history. Following a heart-breaking 34-32 loss at Jimtown to open the season, the Lancers went on the road against its first state-ranked opponent – South Central (Union Mills). Following defensive game, Amor’s club loaded the bus with a 42-39 upset victory over the then-2A #10 Satellites. “I walked into the locker room and I told them that was the team I knew I had,” Amor said of that locker room chat at South Central. “I knew their potential and believed in them and that was the game I felt like they really started to believe in themselves.” That belief continued through November and December as LaVille put together a seven-game winning streak and 10-4 record prior to Christmas break. “We knew we were clicking defensively,” said Amor about the opening portion of the season. “But the two losses to Glenn and (2A #12) Pioneer showed us that we needed to make adjustments offensively if we wanted to keep propelling forward.” As 2023 began, LaVille started with a solid win over Career Academy before the Caston-North Judson-Knox HNAC trifecta on the schedule. Amor’s squad battled in each of those three conference games, but seemed to turn a corner at Knox on January 13. LHS got into foul trouble and Amor’s bench came to the rescue to help earn the overtime victory. “The underclassmen stepped up,” recalled Amor of that Knox game. “Brooke had crucial rebounds and free-throws, Mikalah had a great breakout game offensively and stayed consistent with her defensive effort. London also had a great game defensively and offensively especially the second half of that game.” According to Amor, it was a huge confidence boost heading into the TCU Bi-County Basketball Tournament. “Yes it absolutely did,” said Amor. “We were on a bit of a dry spell and were able to get a streak started before the tournament.” As LaVille started the prestigious TCU event, Amor let his team know the championship was up for grabs. “The message was that we knew they wanted it, and it was theirs for the taking. They had to leave everything on the floor and do it together.” Following the Knox win, the Lancers put together three impressive games to beat Oregon-Davis, Argos and defending TCU Bi-County champion Bremen to secure its first TCU title since 1993. That four-game streak was extended after wins at Argos and Culver Community to close the regular season. Entering the IHSAA State tournament on a six-game winning streak, LaVille encountered North Judson-San Pierre via the IHSAA draw. The Blue Jays were not just an HNAC foe, but a team that beat LHS earlier in the season. “The first time we played them neither team shot well and it was an “ugly game,” Amor said of the 31-23 NJSP win on Jan. 10. “We knew we had to come out strong offensively and limit 30’s (Sophia Frasure) open looks. They executed the game plan” Following the win against North Judson-San Pierre in the quarterfinal, LaVille eliminated Wheeler to set up a rematch with South Central for the 2A sectional championship. “It was similar to the TCU Bi-County,” explained Amor of that sectional title contest. “We knew that we wanted it and it was there for the taking. The girls also knew that it was going to be a physical game and South Central was going to bring everything they had. They were playing with a chip on their shoulder because we were 1 of their only 3 losses this season.” It was a defensive battle and low-scoring affair through three quarters before an exciting fourth quarter. LaVille trailed for much of the contest but tied the game at 28-28 on a bucket by Heaylyn Kwiatkowski. Smith kept her Lancer teammates close by burying a pair of 3-pointers at 38-36 before holding off LHS. “We came out strong defensively which is where we had been consistent all year,” Amor said of that sectional finale. “The girls battled every possession and I felt offensively we hadn’t clicked yet. Coaches knew we had to handle the full court pressure better and get into a rhythm offensively if we wanted to have a chance to win. Just a credit to them (the team). It shows and proves they wanted it and believed it. Sometimes you don’t always come out on top, but you can always control whether or not you play all the way to the end.” Moving forward Amor and his staff look to reach out to the returning letterwinners and future Lancer basketball players. “Our program as a whole from 5th grade to 12th needs to get a ball in their hand outside of basketball season,” said Amor. “LaVille will continue to have success the more the athletes choose to dedicate to basketball. I am a firm believer that student athletes should be a part of other sports, but in the off seasons they have to make an effort to dribble, get shots up, and just play the game for fun. It starts with me giving them opportunities to do so; therefore, there will be camps and open gyms held for all ages in the coming months. “I am an optimistic person,” continued Amor. “I know we will compete every year in conference and Bi-County. I think with a winning mindset we can shoot for Sectional titles every year. Once the kids have had a taste of success the possibilities are endless. My advice for the younger grades is to dream bigger than sectionals. LaVille can go further in our state tournament if the kids believe and want it! During the 2022-23 season, not only was Amor able to help LaVille check off some boxes on the goal list, but attain a lifelong dream. “It was a monumental milestone achieved,” Amor concluded reflecting back on the TCU Bi-County championship. “I was so grateful to be a part of the victory. I had been dreaming about that feeling for so long that it almost felt surreal. But it led me to my statement above. If I can dream of accomplishing a TCU Bi-County and a sectional personally, what more can a program accomplish by dreaming of accomplishing bigger milestones in regionals, semi-state, and state!” LaVille Lady Hoops also recognized a few other accomplishments from the season. Brooke Edison and Heaylyn Kwiatkowski recorded the most assists. Brooke Edison was the lead sniper with 61 steals. Lucy Sherk pulled down the most rebounds, and Mikalah Kuskye was the top free throw shooter.