Regional championships will be crowned on Saturday (weather permitting of course) as we are a quarter of a way through the 50th IHSAA Girls’ Basketball State Tournament. Here are the 5 must-see regional matchups that could dictate how the rest of the state tournament could unfold.
4A: (23-1) Warsaw vs (24-1) South Bend Washington @ LaPorte 5pm ET (4pm CT)
One of the biggest matchups in all of Indiana will take place at the Slicer’s Den where a scorching hot Warsaw offense will face one of the state’s most athletically gifted and tough teams out there.
To this point, Warsaw has not been tested much. Would you blame them? They are averaging 73 points per game and shooting 42% from 3. Joslyn Bricker is coming off a career high 34 points against Northridge in the sectional title game.
Look for South Bend Washington’s defense and rebounding to play a factor in this game as they are grabbing 36 rebounds and nearly 19 steals per game. Kira Reynolds is averaging 15.1 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 6.6 blocks per game this season.
4A: (24-2) Homestead vs (25-0) Hamilton Southeastern @ Marion 7pm
As wide open as 4A looks now, this Primetime showdown could tell us a lot about who could be representing the northern half of the state at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Homestead as a team averages 9 threes made per game and shooting upwards of 38% or better from downtown. As talented of an offense that this team is, their defense will dictate whether or not they can upset the undefeated Royals.
They’ll need to utilize the talented junior Toledo commit Gabby Helsom, who dropped 30 points in the sectional title game against Huntington North, in the high post to provide a balanced all-around attack. Defensively, they must find a way to get Indiana signee Maya Makalusky into foul trouble as this team does not have any weaknesses on paper. Only 4 times this season has the senior shooting guard been held to below 15 points in a game.
3A: Greensburg (24-0) vs (23-2) Washington @ Charlestown 7pm
Another Primetime showdown in the southern half of the state will see an excellent showdown between the undefeated Pirates and the Hatchets. Claire Larrison has emerged as one of the brightest stars in her sophomore class averaging 16 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. However, whenever you ask Head Coach Jason Simpson, he will tell you this team is extremely selfless and are a tight-group willing to win no matter the stats or how they are able to get the job done.
Greensburg’s perimeter defense will be tested by Washington’s size and deep-ball threat as they are shooting 39% from downtown. 6 players shoot 30% or better at Washington. Shay Hawk and Katie Reed combine for 75 made threes and both shooting well over 40% or better from beyond the arc.
2A: (23-2) Rensselaer Central vs (25-1) Alexandria @ Caston 4pm
Both the Bombers and the Tigers cruised their way to sectional championships. Alexandria has not found their way to regionals since the 2001-02 season, but thanks to the Vermont signee Jacklynn Hosier. Hosier is one of the state’s top leading scorers averaging 26.2 points per game as the combo guard eclipsed the 2,000-point mark a few weeks ago. For a team that likes to press and play a fast-pace, she is the draw that stirs the drink.
As for Rensselaer Central, it’s going to hinge on their defense and dictating a physical, yet efficient defense to have a shot at their first ever regional title. Alexandria is 37-1 in their last 2 seasons when they hold their opponents to below 45 points.
2A: North Posey (19-6) vs Brownstown Central (21-5) @ West Washington 4pm
These are two of the oldest and battle-tested teams left standing in the state tournament. Keep in mind that Brownstown Central played in the state finals last season and came one half short of bringing home a state title in a loss to Bishop Luers. Mallory Klosterman was a beast during sectional week and played a major role behind winning 2A 45. Sophie Wirschmeier and Harley Toppe are a few additional key players to watch in this game.
North Posey’s playoff run will go as far as Alyssa Heath takes them. She is their lone double-digit scorer on the season as she has scored in double-figures in 23 of their 25 games.