Gary, Indiana – Highland High School senior Jordan Steele recently broke the school’s all-time scoring record with 1,906 career points, a testament to her dedication and skill on the basketball court.
A Sisterhood Forged in Competition
The Steele sisters, Jordan and Avery, are leading Highland High School’s girls basketball team to success, fueled by a unique bond and relentless drive.
- Jordan Steele, a senior, has become Highland’s all-time leading scorer.
- Avery Steele, a sophomore, is rapidly developing her game alongside her sister.
- The Trojans are aiming for their second consecutive Class 3A regional title.
- Family support and internal competition are key motivators for both players.
Jordan Steele, a 5-foot-9 guard/forward, and her younger sister, Avery Steele, a 5-foot-9 sophomore guard/forward, have played together for two seasons, forging a powerful connection both on and off the court. Their dynamic is built on a foundation of mutual respect and a constant push for improvement.
“Every day in practice, we do this drill at the beginning, and Avery’s always my partner,” Jordan Steele said. “I feel like she’s grown just from doing that. I always try to challenge her.”
Avery Steele embraces the challenge, recognizing the opportunity to learn from her older sister. “Me and Jordan’s last year together, I feel like I’ve had to step up a lot,” she said. “I’m going to have to step up a lot next year, so I might as well step up now. She gives me a lot of pointers.”
Jordan Steele’s accomplishments are undeniable. She has led the Trojans to three sectional championships and surpassed Jenny DeMuth’s previous scoring record of 1,833 points, set in 2001. DeMuth was a runner-up for Indiana Miss Basketball and went on to star at Indiana University.
The sisters have already secured back-to-back sectional titles and are now focused on winning their second consecutive Class 3A regional title on Saturday, facing Culver Academies (21-5) at Winamac. Highland’s current record is 18-6.
“Being able to do it senior year is definitely a big one,” Jordan Steele said. “Especially not being able to do it my sophomore year and not getting the fourpeat, that’s what motivates me. I hated that feeling my sophomore year. It just felt like we should’ve won, and we didn’t. So it’s a big motivator for me. Playing with these girls is something I don’t take for granted.”
Jordan Steele currently averages 23.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.9 steals per game. Highland coach Eric Kundich notes that she has adapted her game in the face of increased defensive attention. “There was a lot of face-guarding last year, but there’s a whole lot more double-teaming and triple-teaming this year,” Kundich said. “So she’s had to find other ways to score, whether it’s rebounding and finding putbacks or getting to the basket more often and drawing fouls. She’s a great free-throw shooter. She’s just become a better all-around player.”
On Dec. 16, Jordan Steele surpassed her sister, Taylor Steele, who held the No. 2 spot on the all-time scoring list with 1,569 points. Taylor Steele, a 2017 Highland graduate, played at Eastern Illinois and is now preparing to become a dentist in the region.
Avery Steele is also making significant contributions, averaging 6.1 points, a team-high 7.0 rebounds, and 2.8 steals. Initially hesitant to shoot, she has gained confidence throughout the season. “Avery’s playing really well,” Kundich said. “She’s really stepped up this season. Early in the season, she was very shy shooting the ball and just very timid on the floor overall. But then she finally broke out and finally started shooting the ball. After us begging for quite some time, she finally came out of her shell a little bit.”
Kundich emphasizes Avery’s defensive prowess and rebounding ability. “What’s really brought Avery out of her shell is the role she plays for us in the paint. She’s our best defender in the post. She’s also our best rebounder. She’s not all that tall, but she does a great job of blocking out. We’re very limited in size, so she plays that role for us.” Avery Steele scored 14 points in the sectional semifinal against East Chicago Central and 11 points in the sectional final against Griffith.
“Griffith’s zone threw us off in the first half,” Kundich said. “At halftime of that championship game, I made it a point to tell the guards that she needed to touch the ball basically every time down. We had to run our offense through Avery on Saturday night.” Kundich also praised Avery’s leadership qualities and positive personality.
Avery Steele, who also competes in volleyball, is beginning to realize her full potential. “Jordan holds Avery to a higher standard,” Kundich said. “She saw last year that Avery had the potential, but a lot of it wasn’t coming out. She’s an excellent basketball player, and I don’t know if she quite believed it last year. She’s starting to see it now. As a coach, with Jordan being gone, we’re going to need to see a lot of it next season.”
Jordan Steele, who also excels in softball and cross country, is reconsidering her plans to forgo college athletics. “I think I’ll end up playing in college,” she said. “A year ago, I probably wouldn’t have said that. I probably would’ve said I don’t want to play at all. Like, ‘No.’ But I’ve talked to Taylor, I’ve talked to a lot of people about it, and they said they regretted not playing a sport in college when they had the opportunity. Taylor said, ‘Wait until the end of your senior season and you’ll feel differently.’ I don’t want to only have a few more games left.”
Jordan Steele hasn’t ruled out the possibility of playing alongside Avery at the collegiate level. “If Avery wants to play in college, she definitely can play with me,” Jordan Steele said.
