Partenheimer, Carmel, Marquette Catholic Earn IBCA Weekly Honors

Kamdon Partenheimer turned in one of the more dominant sectional runs in Class 2A this postseason, averaging 19.3 points and 17.7 rebounds with three double-doubles to carry Forest Park to the Class 2A Sectional 48 championship. The Indiana Basketball Coaches Association recognized that performance by naming Partenheimer its headline Player of the Week in the Week 18 bulletin released March 10.

Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian sophomore Bryce LaCross, Monroe Central senior TaShaun Beatty and Evansville Bosse senior Dorion Bowen joined Partenheimer as Week 18 honorees in the IBCA's coach-nominated weekly recognition program. Partenheimer, LaCross and Bowen are each picking up the award for the second time this season. Partenheimer's first came during the Jan. 12-17 window; LaCross was previously cited Jan. 26-31; Bowen was first honored Jan. 5-10.

Stateline Sports Network reported game-level detail on Partenheimer that offers a closer look at what he can do on a given night. The 6-10 wing scored 27 points with 15 rebounds, two assists and one block in a 58-55 loss at South Spencer, then came back with 32 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks as the Rangers beat North Posey 56-48. Stateline listed his shooting for that stretch at 22-of-44 on field goals, 5-of-14 from three and 10-of-15 from the free throw line, with averages of 29.5 points and 15.5 rebounds. Those figures differ from the IBCA release, which may reflect a different or wider performance window tied to the full sectional run.

On the team side, Carmel and Marquette Catholic earned IBCA/Ballogy Team of the Week recognition for performances during the week of March 2-7.

Carmel, ranked 10th in Class 4A with an 18-5 record, made the most noise by knocking off Class 4A No. 1 Fishers 50-49 to win Sectional 8. Ryan Osborn's squad also beat host Noblesville 44-30 in the sectional. Taking down a top-ranked opponent in a one-possession game to claim a sectional title is exactly the kind of result that earns program-wide recognition, and Carmel delivered it.

Marquette Catholic's week was arguably even more remarkable on paper. Ray Tarnow's squad entered Sectional 49 unranked in Class A and proceeded to go 3-0 against ranked competition, beating Tri-Township 75-32, Class A No. 13 Washington Township 70-65 and Class A No. 1 Kouts 59-57 to seize the sectional title. The Blazers finished the run at 19-7, having dispatched two ranked opponents in a combined three-point margin across the final two games. Going unranked into a sectional and walking out with a win over the No. 1 team in your class is the kind of outcome that rewrites how people think about a program heading into regional play.