No. 9 @bhsdogsbhoops look to carry momentum back home against Noblesville
Posted: Feb 13, 2020

No. 9 @bhsdogsbhoops look to carry momentum back home against Noblesville

By Sam Weiderhaft

The Bulldogs will return to Varsity Fieldhouse on Friday night to take on HCC opponent Noblesville with tip set for 7:30. This will be the first conference game for Brownsburg since losing at Zionsville on Jan. 31st. 

After a 61-55 win at Pike on Tuesday, the Bulldogs enter Friday with a 16-3 record, still first place in the HCC standings at 4-1. 

HOF Honors

Before Friday night's game, the Brownsburg athletic department will be honoring Amy Brauman and Eric Riggs, two former Brownsburg High School basketball standouts. Brauman, a former player and head coach for the Brownsburg girls' basketball team, will be inducted to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame on April 25, 2020. Riggs, a former Brownsburg boys' basketball player, was named to the 2020 Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Men's Silver Anniversary team.

Amy Brauman

As a player, Brauman helped Brownsburg to a 76-18 record over her four-year career. That stretch included an historic 25-1 campaign in 1990-1991 that saw the program reach its first ever IHSAA Girls' Basketball State Tournament Final Four. Brauman's senior campaign for Brownsburg saw her set school records for most points in a season (652) and highest single season scoring average (25.1). She also set the program record for points in a game (41) until that record was broken nearly 12 years later. Brauman returned to the program in 2001 to work as an assistant under her former head coach Mike Griffin, Brownsburg's all-time winningest head coach. She became the girls' basketball head coach at Brownsburg ahead of the 2007-2008 season. In her eight years at the helm of the program she led the Bulldogs to a 120-64 record. Her stint was highlighted by five Hendricks County Tournament championships and the 2010 Hall of Fame Classic championship. She was named an Indiana All-Star assistant coach for the 2013-2014 season. Brauman is the mother of current Brownsburg athletes Pierce Thomas and Quinci Thomas along with former Bulldog Reis Thomas.

Eric Riggs

Riggs emerged as a star under legendary Brownsburg head coach Steve Brunes, and took over a starting role after Brunes' son Craig graduated. "Coach pulled me aside during my sophomore year and told me to carry on the #10 jersey (Craig's number) with pride - and lead the team for the next 3 years.   That was a huge statement to a kid who hadn't played Varsity basketball yet, and gave me a ton of confidence," Riggs said. He went on to become a 1995 Indiana All-Star, AP 2nd team All-State team member, Indianapolis News 1st team all-state, Bloomington H-T 1st team all-state, IBCA all-state, USA Today Indiana 1st team and Suburban Male Athlete of the Year after averaging 25.4 ppg as a senior. He would win two regional titles in '94 and '95. Eric is currently a sales pro with BSN Sports, and resides in Noblesville. "What an honor be a part of it. NBA Coach, D-1 Coaches, HS Coaches, and they all have given back to the game of basketball. Not only were these guys great players during high school and beyond, but they are tremendous individuals as well. I got to know most of them during our playing days, but have had the opportunity to see a few of them in recent years. What an honor to be on the 25 year Silver Anniversary Team," Riggs said about the honor. 

 

Bulldog Bits

  • The Bulldogs kept the same spot at No. 9 in this week's AP poll, jumping to No. 6 in the Coaches' poll.
  • Senior Malek Edmonds returned to action on Tuesday for the first time since Jan. 7th against Pike, scoring 17 points on 8-10 shooting.
  • Edmonds was the previous leading scorer before missing 8 games, with 16.5 points per game.
  • Junior Pierce Thomas put up a career-high 24 points against Pike, going 13-14 from the charity stripe.
  • The Bulldogs have averaged 62.6 points in HCC play.
  • Every HCC team enters Friday on a winning streak.
  • Brownsburg is 6-1 at Varsity Fieldhouse this season, with the lone loss coming to Carmel on Jan. 25th.

 

Scouting Noblesville

The Millers' season has seen many ups and downs, with their record standing at 10-9. They currently rank last in the HCC standings with a 1-4 conference record. After starting the season 6-8, Noblesville has put together a run and gone 4-1 in their last 5 games. They're coming off a 57-45 win against Mount Vernon last Saturday. The Millers struggle to put up points, averaging just 50.7 points per game this season.

Senior Alex Hunt is the leading scorer for Noblesville, averaging 10.3 points per game. He's has 10 double-digit scoring performances, with a season high of 21 against Franklin Central on Jan. 24th. Their head coach is John Peckinpaugh in his first season with the school.

Series History

Friday will be the 31st meeting between these two HCC opponents since the '93-'94 season, with Brownsburg holding a slight edge in the overall record, going 16-14 against the Millers in that time. Last year, Noblesville got by the Bulldogs at home 39-36. Malek Edmonds scored 14 points in the losing effort. The last time the series was played at Varsity Fieldhouse, Brownsburg took it 46-37 on Feb. 9th, 2018.