ROUNDUP: Youngsters compete Saturday in Elks/Mardis Hoop Shoot Contest
Nov. 28—The local portion of the annual Elks National Hoop Shoot Free Throw Contest comes this Saturday to Vigo County.
The program involves about 200,000 children in Indiana and nearly 4 million children nationwide.
Top boys and girls free-throw shooters from each public and parochial elementary and middle school in Vigo County will participate in the Elks/Robert Mardis Hoops Shoot Contest at 9 a.m. Saturday in the Terre Haute North High School gymnasium.
Saturday's event will determine which free-throw shooters will represent Vigo County in the Elks Hoop Shoot district contest. The district contest winners then will compete in the Hoop Shoot state championship in Chrysler Fieldhouse at New Castle High School.
College football
—Sycamore freshman honored — Plez Lawrence rushed for 502 yards in his first season as an Indiana State Sycamore, including a 203-yard, three-touchdown day against Murray State.
The Missouri Valley Football Conference noticed. The MVC announced Tuesday that Lawrence was named to its All-Newcomer team.
Lawrence finished ISU's 2023 season with the second-most rushing yards for the Sycamores.
Lawrence served as the Sycamores' feature back against Murray State. He ran 29 times for 203 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns. Lawrence took the ball between the tackles for a majority of the contest with a 31-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, his longest carry of the night. He also broke loose for a 29-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Lawrence became the first freshman in the MVFC to break 200 rushing yards in a single game since South Dakota State's Pierre Strong Jr. went for 253 rushing yards and three touchdowns against South Dakota on Nov. 17, 2018.
He's also the first ISU running back to crack 200 rushing yards since Dominique Dafney went for 244 yards and four touchdowns in the 2019 season against MSU.
The Kokomo native recorded double-digit carries in five games, including a 15-carry, 60-yard against Western Illinois. He recorded at least 30 rushing yards in eight of the last nine games of the regular season.
Men's basketball
—Wabash 84, Rose-Hulman 42 — At Crawfordsville, the host Little Giants posted a one-sided nonconference win Sunday.
Simon Blair had nine points, Jack Jenniges eight and Eddie Simon seven for the Engineers, while Bradley Harden led the team with seven rebounds.
The Engineers (2-2) will host Albion at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Hulbert Arena.
Sullivan High School graduate Randy Kelley started at guard for Wabash and had seven rebounds and three steals. Wabash is now 4-2.
