MaxPreps Indiana Team of the Week: Wabash girls basketball

Taking over a program that had won 122 games and lost just 24 over the previous six seasons couldn't have been easy.

But Matt Stone, the former boys basketball coach and school athletic director, has thus far made it look so.

The girls' basketball team at Wabash (Ind.) is 11-3, has won five straight and appears to be peaking at just the right time.

For their fine season, the Apaches are the MaxPreps Indiana Team of the Week, presented by the Indiana National Guard.

Led by Claire Cromer, a dynamic 5-foot-2 senior guard, Wabash hopes to advance farther than last year's team, which reached the state quarterfinals. If they play defense like they have during the win streak, it's a strong possibility.

"We have really clamped down on defense after the first game of the streak," Stone said. "We've given up 27, 32, 36 and 30 points. And we have also had our other players step up and start to score more."

Most of those duties have been relegated to Cromer, who is 10th in the state in scoring at 23.4 points per game. She also averages 3.5 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 2.6 assists per game.

Cromer opened the season with a 42-point explosion in a 60-44 win over Mississinewa and followed that up with 34 points in a 62-55 win over Marion.

She made a combined 12 3-pointers in the two games out of 20 attempts and for the year she's made 38. She also shoots a cool 81 percent from the free throw line (123 of 152).

"Despite being 5-2, she has the ability to score anywhere on the floor and she is an excellent free throw shooter, which makes it tough to hold her down," Stone said. "She is also an excellent ball-handler and passer so when people junk her up she is great at getting everyone else good shots and involved."

Sarah Puckett, a 5-10 senior, is the only other Apache to average in double figures at 10.0 per game. She also averages 4.1 rebounds. The next leading scorer is Kristin Cromer at 4.4 points per game.

With their stellar defense, the Apaches don't have to score in bunches. They just need energy to come in waves.

"We have been really good at causing turnovers and controlling tempo and wearing people down," Stone said. "Also our depth has been a huge advantage in many games. We play 10-11 kids every night."

With many contributions, Wabash's win streak might continue for a while.

"We need to keep getting everyone besides Claire to be confident on the offensive end and just continue to keep our defense sharp," Stone said. Staff writer Leland Gordon contributed to this report