A stellar 2022-2023 high school basketball season has come to a close and for the fifth time, it is time to name the Outside the Huddle Girls Basketball All-Area team.
These are the 15 top players, as seen by OTH, during the 2022-2023 season. They are listed alphabetically by grade.
Taylor Double, Huntington North, senior
Double averaged team highs with 16.6 points, 6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.4 steals per game. She was named to the All-NE8 First Team and IBCA Senior Large School All-State. She continued her rise as a leader for the Vikings program, providing upsets along the way against high end schools. Double is a two-time OTH All-Area Selection. She will continue her playing career at Marian University.
Brea Garber, Fairfied, senior
Garber led Fairfield to an impressive 81-25 record during her four seasons, culminating in the Class 3A state title this season. She averaged 15 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.1 steals and 3.8 assists per game, and scored 1,399 points in her career where she was All-NECC four times. Garber was also named IBCA Senior Large School All-State in 2023. In the final game of her career, Garber broke the Class 3A state finals record for free throws made and attempted in the state finals.
Morgan Gawthrop, Fairfield, senior
Averaging 10.6 points per game, her wider emergence during her senior season was critical in Fairfield becoming the Class 3A state champions. She also averaged 3.4 points and shot 51 percent from the field during the Falcons’ historic run. Gawthrop was named IBCA Senior All-State Honorable Mention. She finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds in the Class 3A State title game.
Nevaeh Jackson, Northrop, senior
While Jackson has always been among the area’s best players, she really seemed to get a lot better as a senior, averaging a co-team high 14.4 points per game for the SAC champions. Nevaeh stepped up on multiple occasions to have big plays and impactful moments, also averaging 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. She shot 47 percent from the field and was named IBCA Senior All-State Honorable Mention.
Saniya Jackson, Northrop, senior
Jackson’s senior season was another one of impressiveness as she was named IBCA Senior Large School All-State. While leading Northrop to a SAC title, she averaged 14.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.8 steals per contest. She scored in single digits just twice all season and shot 49 percent from the field while establishing herself as a rim scoring presence. Jackson also had three double doubles and executed five or more steals on three occasions.
Bailey Kelham, Garrett, senior
Kelham was an IBCA Senior Large School All-State selection and led Garrett to a bit of an unexpected Sectional title. She averaged 19.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. To top off her season, Kelham became Garrett’s all-time leading scorer regardless of gender. Kelham’s scoring run was impressive as she became DeKalb County’s third all-time scorer (2nd among girls players behind recently WNBA drafted Leigha Brown) and the 2nd top girls scorer in the history of the NECC. She helped lead Garrett to a 77-25 record over four years with three Sectional titles.
Renna Schwieterman, Jay County, senior
Averaging 21.2 points per game with 6.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest, Schwieterman had another year giving Jay County titles in the ACAC, both the regular season and tournament. She was named IBCA All-State Senior Large School. Schwieterman became Jay County’s all-time girls basketball leading scorer with 1,754 career points and her 530 points as a senior was the second-best scoring season in program history. She broke a 50-year-old record as the highest scoring player in the county.
Alison Stephens, Homestead, senior
Stephens showed how important her experience was as she lead the Spartans with a consistent presence. She was named IBCA Senior All-State Honorable Mention for the Sectional champion Spartans. Stephens’ senior season saw her lead Homestead in scoring with 14.6 points per game, while also pulling in six rebounds per contest.
Madison Vice, Central Noble, senior
From a really solid leader to one of the very best players and scorers in the area, Vice’s senior season was an amazing one as she torched the NECC. She was All-NECC for the fourth time while also being named IBCA Senior Small School All-State and led Central Noble to the semi state round. Vice shot 63 percent from two-point range while averaging 18.4 points, 6.4 rebounds5 assists and 3.7 steals per contest.
Johnea Donahue, Snider, junior
Arguably the best defender in Northeast Indiana and one of the best in the state, Donahue averaged 5.6 steals per game to help lead Snider to a Regional title and herself to IBCA Underclass Large School All-State honors. She was named an Indiana Junior All-Star (blue group) while also averaging 11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4 assists per game.
Kennedy Fuelling, Norwell, junior
Fuelling was selected as an Indiana Junior All-Star (blue group), as well as being first team All-NE8 and IBCA Underclass Supreme 15 All-State. She finished a stellar junior season averaging 21.8 points on 47 percent shooting. She averaged 3.5 steals and 1.6 assists per game with 76 total steals during the season.
Jordyn Poole, Snider, junior
Leading Snider to within a game of the state finals as Regional champions, Poole became even more reliable and sometimes dominant this season. She was named to the Core Group of the Indiana Junior All-Stars, putting her in position to be a legit Miss Basketball contender next season, and was named IBCA All-State Underclass Supreme 15. Poole averaged 16.7 points, 4 assists and 3.5 steals per game.
Kyndra Sheets, Columbia City, junior
An IBCA Underclass All-State Honorable Mention selection, Sheets helped the Eagles soar to a NE8 title. She averaged 14.3 points, shot an incredible 88 percent from the free throw line and added 2.7 assists per game. That assist number does no justice to how impactful she was a decision maker in close games down the stretch, often scoring or assisting on the winning basket.
Addison Baxter, Columbia City, sophomore
Baxter had a stellar season to make Columbia City one of the best teams in all of Northeast Indiana. The Eagles won the NE8 title and Baxter was named IBCA All-State Underclass Supreme 15. The second leading scorer in the Northeast 8 averaged 18.7 points per game, along with 5.7 rebounds, 5 assists and a whopping 4.3 steals per contest.
Myah Epps, Homestead, freshman
Epps certainly lived up to the hype as she was named IBCA All-State Underclass Honorable Mention for Homestead while shining brightest in the postseason sinking Columbia City in the first round of Sectionals with major ice in her veins free throws. Epps averaged 12.2 points per game as a freshman, showing how much she can bring to the table. She also averaged 4.6 rebounds, three assists and 1.7 steals as a top three or two performer on the team in both of those categories.
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