Tournament time: Analyzing Class 4A sectional matchups for Martinsville, Mooresville, DC

The girls' basketball postseason schedule is set. Sunday, the IHSAA revealed sectional pairings for the tournament, which starts on Jan. 31.

As local class 4A teams Martinsville, Mooresville and Decatur Central prepare for the final week of the regular season, here's a breakdown of each team's postseason outlook and what it'll take to hoist a sectional trophy on Feb. 4.

Sectional 13: Martinsville, Mooresville

Sectional opponents: Bloomington South, Bloomington North, Center Grove, Greenwood Community.

Keys for Mooresville

Results vs. sectional opponents: W, 51-23 v. Greenwood; W, 51-17 v. Martinsville; L, 58-45 v. Bloomington South.

The good thing about Mooresville's start to the postseason? It's already met the two teams, Bloomington South and Martinsville, it will need to beat in order to reach the sectional championship game. The bad? It split those matchups.

Looking back, the loss to the Panthers was unexpected. The Pioneers entered as winners of 11 of their last 12 games, overlooking a Bloomington South team that, at the time, boasted an 8-6 record. Poor shooting (37% overall, 23% from three) and turnovers (18) piled up as the Panthers pounced the Mooresville offense to victory.

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There's little doubt that with Bloomington South being the Pioneers' opening-round matchup, they're going to want to get that one back. The key to doing so will be to put on an opposite type of performance as the first meeting. Three-point shooting isn't something Mooresville has excelled at this season (24%), but high-percentage shots inside the arc will be necessary. Cutting down on the turnovers, compared to the first meeting, should bode well for its efforts.

An odd statistic? Mooresville is 1-5 in games where its opponent breaks the 50-point barrier this season. So, holding the Panthers below that mark should be a goal for the Pioneers. A potential meeting with Martinsville, who gets the bye, would favor the Pioneers, who captured a huge win over their Morgan County rival in November.

Keys for Martinsville

Results vs. sectional opponents: L, 62-40 v. Bloomington North; L, 51-17 v. Mooresville; L, 43-20 v. Greenwood; L, 66-2 v. Center Grove; L, 53-31 v. Bloomington South.

To say this sectional could be tough for the Artesians might be an understatement. They're the only team in the bracket to have played every sectional opponent, and each result was unfavorable to Martinsville. There are teams it matches up better with, like both Bloomington schools and Greenwood, but the prospect of either the Panthers or Pioneers, two rivals, in the semi-final, following the bye, is tough for any opponent.

More:Martinsville, Bloomington South settle boys' basketball rivalry in overtime thriller

The bye, though, is exactly what's advantageous for the Artesians. There's more time to prepare, and having played both opponents, the team will have an idea of what to expect. But being prepared and executing are two different things. Regardless if it's Mooresville or Bloomington South, Martinsville will need to fire on all cylinders to top either.

Doing that is possible, they have the talent to be able to compete. Going back to the matchup against a good Decatur Central team on Jan. 6, the Artesians were in the game until the Hawks pulled away at the very end.

Recent battles with Terre Haute South (46-39), Brown County (83-54) and Perry Meridian (54-41) show Martinsville’s playing at a higher level than it has all season, despite not having a win thus far. Perhaps a clean slate to start sectionals will provide a boost.

Sectional 11: Decatur Central

Sectional opponents: Roncalli, Pike, Southport, Ben Davis, Perry Meridian, Franklin Central.

Results vs. sectional opponents: W, 54-49 v. Perry Meridian; W, 59-38 v. Southport.

Keys for Decatur Central

A first-round meeting with Roncalli is a tough draw, yes, but it’s a matchup the Hawks should be eager to embrace. After all, the Royals ended their postseason last year in a 44-34 loss. This will be the first time the two have seen each other since.

More:Martinsville comeback effort stymied as Decatur Central pulls away late

If there’s one thing Decatur Central can bank on, it’s star power, and it'll need that to top Roncalli. Star freshman Kamrah Banks (17.5 points, 2.1 steals) hasn’t disappointed in her first season, and neither has do-it-all freshman Naja Wilson (9.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.3 steals, 4.2 assists) or sophomore Soriah Gouard (12.2 points, 7.8 rebounds).

The only caveat? Youth. How will the young stars of Decatur Central fare against a well-oiled, veteran machine led by senior Sydney Horton (12.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists) and junior Claire Lindsey (12.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists)?

Many matchups this season show there’s still plenty of growth for the Hawks, who battle bouts of inconsistency, but when they’re playing at their highest level, they’re tough to stop. They’ll need the latter, as opposed to the former, to top a strong Royals team.

Should they beat Roncalli, they’ll have a semi-final date with Perry Meridian, who they beat 54-49 in November, or Franklin Central.

Contact reporter Devin Voss at dvoss@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @DevinVoss23.

This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: Martinsville, Mooresville, Decatur Central girls 4A sectional outlook