What we're watching at girls basketball sectionals
Our six area girls' basketball teams will begin their postseason road this week, one on Tuesday, four on Wednesday and one, thanks to a bye, on Friday.
Here's what to keep an eye on as they look to end the area's sectional title drought:
4A at Bloomington South
SCHEDULE: Tuesday, Jan. 31, Bloomington South (*13-7) vs. Mooresville (*16-6), 6 p.m.; Center Grove (18-4) vs. Greenwood (8-13), 7:30 p.m.. Friday, Feb. 3, South/Mooresville winner vs. Martinsville (0-24). 6 p.m.; Center Grove/Greenwood winner vs. Bloomington North (14-6). 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, championship, 7 p.m. REGIONAL ASSIGNMENT: At Bedford North Lawrence, vs. Shelbyville Sectional champion, 4 p.m.
BIG QUESTION: How good can Bloomington North and South be on defense? Center Grove (34.6) and Mooresville (38.2) are the stingiest of the bunch and two big walls the city schools will have to climb over to make it to the final. No. 11 Center Grove, led by Audrey Annie (13 ppg, 61 3s), has won 14 straight and will seek to extend that streak to win its first sectional since 2019. First is a rematch with Greenwood, which averages just 37 ppg but also gives up just 41. The Trojans held them to 22 in a 26-point win on Jan. 24. CG's defense has throttled opponents, giving up more than 40 points just once during the win streak that dates back to a Nov. 29 loss to Franklin (38-34). So, North, with six players averaging between 6-12.5 ppg, likely has its hands full on both ends after getting the bye. Mooresville was tripped up by Bloomington South (58-45) on Jan. 12, one of only two losses the Pioneers have suffered in their last 15 games. The other was to 3A No. 4 Indian Creek. Eight days later, Mooresville beat a Franklin (56-51), a squad that beat Center Grove. Look for the Pioneers to focus their efforts on slowing 3-point ace Carlie Pedersen (22 points) and Caitlin Haim (15) in the paint after the damage they did in the first meeting. North has a couple of droughts it wants to end: no sectional wins since 2013 and no titles since 2006.
3A at Owen Valley
SCHEDULE: Tuesday, Jan. 31, South Vermillion (0-23) vs. Brown County (12-9), 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, West Vigo (9-14) vs. Edgewood (3-18), 6 p.m.; Indian Creek (21-1) vs. Owen Valley (11-13), 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, Northview (15-8) vs. SVermillion/Brown County winner, 6 p.m.; West Vigo/Edgewood winner vs. Indian Creek/Owen Valley winner, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, championship, 7:30 p.m. REGIONAL ASSIGNMENT: At Greencastle, vs. Speedway Sectional champion, 1 p.m.
BIG QUESTION: Can anyone slow down Indian Creek? The Braves went 9-1 against 4A competition this year, the only loss to Westfield, a team credited with the 10th toughest schedule in the state. Lauren Foster (19.7 ppg) and IU recruit Faith Wiseman (16 ppg, 10 rpg) will be the best two players in the field. Their run starts with Owen Valley, a team they beat 76-47, one of 13 times IC reached the 60-point mark this season. Only four other teams scored that many points on the Braves, who give up just 36 ppg and will be clamping down on Reagan Martin, the Patriots' top scorer (18.7 ppg) and rebounder (9 rpg). Edgewood is stumbling into the postseason after a rough stretch of four games against teams with a combined 68-25. In fact, over the 11-game losing streak, the Mustangs have faced just one team with a losing record (OV). They'll have to uncork an offense that's been bottled up lately as West Vigo's been held under 30 just three times.
2A at Eastern Greene
SCHEDULE: Tuesday, Jan. 31, Paoli (14-10) vs. North Daviess (8-14), 6 p.m.; Sullivan (14-9) vs. South Knox (18-6), 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, Linton (18-3) vs. Eastern Greene (17-7), 6 p.m.; North Knox (23-1) vs. Mitchell (5-17), 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, Paoli/North Daviess winner vs. Sullivan/South Knox winner, 6 p.m.; Linton/Eastern winner vs. North Knox/Mitchell winner, 7:30 p.m.. Saturday, Feb. 4, championship, 7:30 p.m. REGIONAL ASSIGNMENT: At Crawford County, vs. Switzerland County Sectional champion, 4 p.m.
BIG QUESTION: How much trouble can the deepest 2A sectional in the state cause No. 1 North Knox? There are 54 wins in the top bracket, 63 on the bottom half where the Warriors reside after coming just two points away from a perfect regular season. That loss, by one to Brownstown, came during a stretch of four games in two days at the Toby Yoho Classic where NK played three one-possession games in a row. With fresh legs, the only other close game they had was an early season 30-28 win over Vincennes Rivet. North Knox just barely won last year's sectional with wins of two, one and four points. The T-Birds had a terrific season again, but will have to fight through two teams that beat them soundly, Linton (57-28) and North Knox (51-27), just to make the final. The Miners held Keylee and Kenady Hudson to just 16 points, only two in the second half. They had just 13 against North Knox though Keylee was ill that game. Look for South Knox to prevail up top.
1A at Bloomfield
SCHEDULE: Tuesday, Jan. 31, North Central (17-5) vs. Shakamak (13-8), 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, Bloomfield (10-14) vs. Lighthouse Christian (*6-14), 6 p.m.; White River Valley (9-13) vs. Clay City (6-17), 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, Dugger Union (*7-13) vs. North Central/Shakamak winner, 6 p.m.; Bloomfield/LCA winner vs. WRV/Clay City winner, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, championship, 7:30 p.m. REGIONAL ASSIGNMENT: At Southwestern (Shelbyville) vs. Eminence Sectional champion, 4 p.m.
BIG QUESTION: Can North Central avoid the upset this time around? Five years in a row, North Central and Bloomfield have met in sectional play, the last four in the final. On paper, it looks like it'll be five after the 11-11 Cards pulled off a 40-38 upset of a 19-win Thunderbird team last year. NC, led by three double-digit scorers, won their regular season meeting 52-49, so this looks like it's up in the air again. Lighthouse Christian will come in after a busy January and will have a tough opener on its hands. LCA and Bloomfield have never played each other.
AREA GIRLS' SCORING LEADERS (GP, TP, Ave): Reagan Martin, Owen Valley (24) 448 18.7; Keylee Hudson, Eastern Greene (22) 388 17.6; Abagail Rousey, Lighthouse Christian (18) 296 16.4; Carlie Pedersen, South (21) 284 13.5; Kenady Hudson, Eastern Greene (24) 317 13.2; Caitlin Heim, South (21) 269 12.8; Mia Robbennolt, North (23) 290 12.6; Ava Reitmeyer, North (23) 227 9.9; Kenli Sullivan, North (22) 214 9.7; Madi Kay, Owen Valley (24) 215 9.0; Macey Crider, Edgewood (21) 169 8.1.
AREA 3-POINT FG LEADERS: Reagan Martin, Owen Valley 69; Carlie Pedersen, South 59; Ava Robbennolt, North 37; Mallory Barrow, North 32; Mia Robbennolt, North 27; Jaylen Robinson, Edgewood 22; Kenady Hudson, Eastern Greene 21; Bianca Wright, Eastern Greene 18; Keylee Hudson, Eastern Greene 18; Aleah Winders, Lighthouse Christian 17; Ava Reitmeyer, North 16; Madi Kay, Owen Valley 16.
Contact Jim Gordillo at jgordillo@heraldt.com or 812-331-4381 and follow on Twitter @JimGordillo.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington North, South, Eastern Greene, Edgewood girls sectionals
