BROWNSBURG — Another Sneakers For Santa is in the books and good golly, did the annual girls basketball showcase deliver.

After Zionsville pulled away from Decatur Central in the opener, fans were treated to back-to-back dramatic finishes with Indian Creek edging Brownsburg in overtime and Jennings County fending off a furious rally from South Bend Washington. Bolingbrook (Ill.) used a massive second quarter run to rout Noblesville, but the Raiders' wealth of Division I talent kept the game entertaining; then Columbia City and Lawrence North used the prime time slots to secure statement wins over Hamilton Southeastern and Bedford North Lawrence, respectively.

There's A LOT to get to, so let's dive right in! Here's what we learned from this year's Sneakers For Santa event.

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Purdue prospects on the mend

Neither of Purdue's prized recruits from the Class of 2025 played Saturday due to injury.

South Bend Washington's Kira Reynolds sprained her ankle during last Tuesday's win over South Bend St. Joseph. Her dad, head coach Steve Reynolds, said the 6-3 junior is "day-to-day" and could return as early as Thursday vs. New Prairie.

The outlook for Brownsburg's Avery Gordon is murkier. The 6-6 center, who was in a walking boot, will undergo an MRI on her right foot this week. She dealt with a nagging injury in the same foot last year, and there's concern it could be a stress fracture, which would likely keep her out until January.

"She's had problems with it all fall," coach Debbie Smiley said. "It kind of went away, and now it's starting to bother her again."

The hope, Smiley continued, is it's a stress reaction, which would only sideline Gordon for a couple weeks.

Statement wins for Columbia City, Lawrence North

I am not surprised Columbia City and Lawrence North won Saturday.

I was surprised they won by a combined 42 points.

The Eagles fought off a couple third-quarter rallies to pull away for a 67-51 win over HSE that wasn't that close; the Wildcats ran away for a 62-36 triumph vs. defending Class 4A champion Bedford North Lawrence, the Stars' third double-digit loss since 2020-21 and their most lopsided in-state loss since a 54-20 loss to Jeffersonville in Nov. 2010.

"This is just another step in the journey," Columbia City coach Amy Shearer said. "This doesn't make the entire season. It's just one game. We're just little by little by little trying to get better every day."

Columbia City is the real deal.

A fundamentally focused (and sound) operation, the Eagles returned everyone from last year's 20-3 team, including four seniors and junior Butler commit Addison Baxter. They tested themselves over the summer, traveling to team camps at IU and Butler, as well as the Westfield league at Grand Sports Park, and are now 7-0 with notable wins over Fort Wayne Snider, Valparaiso and HSE.

It's been a process, Shearer said, but the players are bought into the team mentality and that "we over me" mantra.

Columbia City's defense was quite impressive vs. HSE, bottling up everyone except Maya Makalusky. Though not the plan going in, it proved effective: The IU commit recorded a game-high 29 points, but the Royals were held to a season-low 51 points, with their first non-Makalusky field goal coming with 13 seconds left in the first quarter.

Conversely, Columbia City boasted a balanced scoring attack with Faith Frey, Anisa Tonkel, and Kyndra Sheets (15 points) all hitting critical 3-pointers to stymie a third-quarter HSE rally and rebuild the lead to double digits.

It was truly a team effort — Molly Baker also had a few big buckets — but Baxter (28 points) commands your attention. She's a savvy passer and excellent at scoring off the dribble. One play that stands out: Baxter dribbled around a screen at the top of the arc, split a pair of defenders in the lane then beat the last two Royals at the bucket for an easy layup.

"(Baxter) is more confident in herself and knowing where her teammates are successful, when to pass the ball and when to score the ball," Sheets said.

"Even with that, I play with such a great group," Baxter added. "It's never just me or Kyndra or Molly. It's everybody as a team. There's never a one-person win."

Lawrence North was electrifying in the nightcap.

Most knew LN would have the size advantage going in — forwards Jamaya Thomas and Natalia Franklin combined for 17 points and eight rebounds (four offensive) — but the Wildcats' athleticism and defensive prowess tilted that game. They successfully contained Alabama commit Chloe Spreen (17 points; nine in the first quarter), recorded six steals and limited BNL to 10 field goals over the final three quarters.

LN opened the second quarter on a 12-2 run and it became obvious before halftime that the Stars were worn down. "It was a pretty physical game and I thought the physicality wore us down," BNL coach Jeff Allen said.

"Lawrence North is really good and when they can play like that, they're going to be a handful for anybody."

The Wildcats shot 52% from the field, with Ellysa Morris logging 10 points and Decatur Central transfer Naja Winston pouring in 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Winston has fit right in with LN, averaging nearly 11 points, five rebounds, two steals and two assists through three games (missed first two).

The 5-10 sophomore grew up in Lawrence Township playing with many of her current teammates, so it stands to reason that she's fit right in. But coach Stephen Thomas admits he's been pleasantly surprised by how quickly his lineup has come together after graduating two seniors.

"As a head coach, you have an idea of how it works out on paper, but then the physical and the mental have to match, right? So I'd be remiss if I didn't say, 'Yes, a little bit shocked that it happened this quickly,'" he smiled. "I'm very proud that Naja's been able to come in and make an impact like she has."

Decatur Central's youth on display

The Hawks' 66-47 loss to Zionsville featured the highs-and-lows typical of a young team.

At their best, they were moving the ball and finding/creating open looks instead of going one-on-one. Sophomores Kenadi Passley-Banks and Aleeyah McElrath — both of whom shined throughout defensively — hit a couple shots in the first quarter to keep things close, then in the second, Roncalli transfer Heaven Thompson (DC's lone senior) drilled a 3-pointer to make it a six-point game with two minutes left in the half.

It was an impressive start by the Hawks, whose lineup also includes returning junior Soriah Gouard, Southport transfer Kasandra McMasters and freshman Havana Thompson.

But those flashes of their potential were negated by youthful missteps, like players trying to do too much offensively instead of staying within system, and allowing a 3-point spurt in the final seconds that made it a three-possession game at halftime.

Put simply: The Hawks are still building chemistry and finding their way amidst a 5-1 start.

"They're young, but I'm happy with their effort," coach Nic Carothers said. "Could we have more in certain areas? Yes. But I don't think anyone threw in the towel."

With respect to straying away from the offense, Carothers chalked it up to both youth and pressure, citing the number of college coaches in attendance. Players don't want to look bad in front of them, he said.

"But they're actually coming there to see if they can live with your flaws," Carothers continued. "Can you run a system? Can you be a good teammate? They want to see who you are. AAU is for scoring and the fancy stuff. This is for being a team player. Learning that is what we have to work on."

Brownsburg-Indian Creek takeaways

Few quick hits from Indian Creek's 67-62 overtime win vs. Brownsburg.

∎ A much-needed win for the Braves, who were coming off a lopsided loss at Franklin last Tuesday. They're 5-2 entering conference play.

∎ Elle McCulloch is really good. The sophomore hit some big shots down the stretch for Brownsburg and was up to 14 points in overtime (final stats not available). Macy Twomey also had a big game, clearing 20 points.

∎ Brownsburg is taking a by-committee approach to replacing point guard Kailyn Terrell. It wasn't the prettiest early on vs. Indian Creek's press, but they seemed to settle in and improve (for the most part) as the game progressed.

∎ That said, Smiley wasn't thrilled with some of her team's decision-making late. The Bulldogs took some rushed shots that allowed their opponent to rally in the fourth, then committed a few costly turnovers when trailing by a possession in OT.

Panthers' maturation on display vs. Jennings County

South Bend Washington rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit vs. Jennings County and briefly took the lead before falling, 62-58.

SBW's performance was as important as it was impressive with the inexperienced Panthers going toe-to-toe with Michigan State commit Juliann Woodard and a veteran JC outfit — without their top player (the aforementioned Kira Reynolds).

"They have a lot of heart," coach Steve Reynolds said, praising his team's toughness. "There are some details and things we need to pick up, but this is (an inexperienced group). So to have that kind of showing, it was great. That's something we can definitely build upon."

Monique Mitchell and Ryiah Wilson are super fun to watch. A constant source of energy, Reynolds said the junior duo draw energy from one another and the team feeds off that. They were aggressive, yet composed Saturday, Reynolds continued, and played within themselves, playing within their roles at a high-level.

Wilson finished with 19 points, five assists, six steals and a block, while Mitchell and Zeya Alexander both logged 16 points, with Mitchell adding 11 rebounds, four steals and three blocks. "They play hard," Reynolds said. "32 minutes, I don't know if anyone's playing harder than we are right now."

As SBW continues taking strides from week-to-week, there's also a focus on building confidence in the younger players like 5-7 freshman Kyra Lowe (four points, seven rebounds, three assists. There are "some things she can do," Reynolds said, but she has to believe in herself. "In the second half, she really pushed the envelope and did some things for us."

"You have to stay on them, keep pushing them and keep telling them that you believe in them," he continued. "But then also understanding she's 14 years old and this is a big stage. … This is what will help us when we get to February."

Youths!

A couple other youngsters who stood out…

∎ Zionsville's McKenzie Chapman

The 5-7 guard is fearless. I saw her a couple times this week, first on the road vs. Fishers then Saturday vs. Decatur Central, and in both games she was aggressively attacking the basket and playing through contact.

"She probably fights through contact and stays on balance better than anyone we have," coach Andy Maguire said. "I think that's her AAU experience more than anything. She's always played on a good team and really knows how to fight through that stuff."

Chapman finished the week with 15 points, five rebounds and three steals.

∎ Jennings County's Mollie Ernstes

A key returner from last season, Ernstes ensured a strong start vs. South Bend Washington, racking up 21 points through the first two-plus quarters. She held the Panthers steady when Woodard had to check out due to injury in the third quarter (she returned for the start of the fourth), and slowed Washington's initial comeback charge with a 3-pointer late in the third.

Ernstes finished with 25 points.

"She's phenomenal," Reynolds said, smiling from ear-to-ear. "She scared me, even on tape. So when she got loose and was taking her time, stroking the 3, I was like, 'Lord have mercy, guys, we have to take care of this.' She was a big problem tonight.'"

Ernstes, who entered the weekend averaging over 17 points, two assists and two steals per game, said she's taken the biggest strides this season defensively. "I've just been working hard in practice and the offseason," she said, enthusiastically adding: "So, work hard in practice."

'Now this is pod(casting)'

We'll be taping a new pod early this week, so if you have any questions or topics you'd like us to discuss, shoot me an email! Bhaenchen@gannett.com.

More on HSE and Noblesville in this week's Fab 15 and following their head-to-head meeting Wednesday night.

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana high school girls basketball: Sneakers for Santa roundup