South Bend girls basketball sectionals: favorites, storylines to follow this week

SOUTH BEND — Trophies will be raised high and nets will be cut down this week across Indiana with the girls basketball sectional tournaments taking place.

Eight of the 64 sectionals involve teams from the South Bend Tribune coverage area. Here is a breakdown of all of them, with games starting Tuesday night and running through Saturday.

CLASS 4A

At South Bend Washington

Schedule: TUESDAY: 7 p.m.: LaPorte (2-18) vs. South Bend Adams (12-10); WEDNESDAY: 6 p.m.: South Bend Washington (16-4) vs. Michigan City (5-15); 8 p.m.: Plymouth (10-12) vs. Mishawaka (10-12); FRIDAY: 6 p.m.: South Bend Riley (3-17) vs. Tuesday winner; 8 p.m.: Wednesday winners; SATURDAY: 7 p.m.: Championship.

The favorite: South Bend Washington

It's going to take a monumental effort from someone for the Panthers to not win this sectional. Washington will have had 12 days off in between games before playing Michigan City in the first round Wednesday, giving the Panthers a much-needed break after playing one of the state’s toughest schedules.

Washington has been paced by its trio of juniors in Kira Reynolds, Monique Mitchell and Ryiah Wilson. Reynolds leads the Panthers in four major categories (16.4 points, 10.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 5.8 blocks per game) and is the state leader in total blocks with 104. Wilson is averaging 15.1 points and 4.2 assists per game, while Mitchell is at 13.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per contest.

On the top half of the bracket, South Bend Adams has a nice path to reach the title game. The Eagles beat first-round opponent LaPorte by 20 and potential semifinal opponent Riley by 37 during the regular season. Adams is coached by Maurice Scott, who led Washington to a state finals appearance in 2009.

At Northridge

Schedule: TUESDAY: 6 p.m.: Northridge (21-3) vs. Warsaw (14-7); 8 p.m.: Concord (9-12) vs. Penn (16-6). FRIDAY: 6 p.m.: Elkhart (13-9) vs. Tuesday Game 1 winner; 8 p.m.: Goshen (11-11) vs. Tuesday Game 2 winner. SATURDAY: 6 p.m.: Championship.

The favorite: Too close to call

This should be the best sectional in the area. Three really good teams in Northridge, Warsaw and Penn are all in the field, Elkhart has been surging at the end of the season and Concord and Goshen have improved as the year has gone on as well. All three nights should provide entertaining basketball at Northridge Middle School.

From December: Northridge girls basketball extends win streak to 12 with win over Penn

The host Raiders have been anchored by its balance offensively seven players average five or more points a game. Junior Rielyn Goodwin leads the way with averages of 10.3 points, 3.5 assists and 3.4 steals per contest, while senior Morgan Cross averages 4.8 rebounds per game.

Warsaw is playing its best basketball of the season right now, winning six in a row — including a 65-52 win over Northridge Jan. 6. The winner of the rematch between the Raiders and Tigers on Tuesday gets to face Elkhart on Friday, who is riding a five-game winning streak into the postseason.

The Lions received a boost to its lineup when senior Samiyah Stout returned Jan. 11 against Bremen. Stout averaged 16 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 5.1 steals per game as a junior before a knee injury sustained over the summer sidelined her for most of this season. She had 10 points in a key 49-44 win over Penn two weeks ago.

Penn has the “easiest” path to the final of the four teams with above .500 records, given it holds victories over Concord and Goshen already from the regular season. Both senior Lauren Walsh and junior Jess Troy are averaging 12.8 points per game, and the Kingsmen are going to need both to play their best basketball for a chance to win the program’s 23rd sectional title.

CLASS 3A

At Rochester

Schedule: TUESDAY: 6 p.m.: Bremen (11-11) vs. John Glenn (12-10); 7:30 p.m.: Knox (7-16) vs. Rochester (11-11). FRIDAY: 6 p.m.: Culver Academy (15-7) vs. Tuesday Game 1 winner; 7:30 p.m.: Tippecanoe Valley (18-3) vs. Tuesday Game 2 winner. SATURDAY: 7:30 p.m.: Championship.

The favorite: Tippecanoe Valley

The Vikings are the defending sectional champion. They beat all five other sectional opponents during the regular season as well, with the closest game being a 54-39 victory over Bremen on Nov. 2.

Bremen carries some momentum into the postseason, beating a solid South Bend Adams squad and a highly ranked Class 1A foe, Caston, last week. The Lions have three players who average more than 10 points per game, paced by junior Kila Foster’s 17.9 per game average.

Glenn holds a four-point win over Bremen from Nov. 21. The Falcons like to play low-scoring games, averaging 35 points per game on offense while allowing 36 points per contest. They’ll have to play exceptional defense if it wants to win its first sectional since 2001.

At New Prairie

Schedule: TUESDAY: 7 p.m. ET: Mishawaka Marian (3-19) vs. South Bend Clay (5-17). FRIDAY: 6:30 p.m. ET: New Prairie (18-5) vs. Jimtown (9-13); 8 p.m. ET: South Bend Saint Joseph (7-15) vs. Tuesday winner. SATURDAY: 7:30 p.m.: Championship.

The favorite: New Prairie

More: 'We've been ready.' New Prairie girls basketball makes history at Bi-County tournament

The Cougars need one win to set a new program record for victories in a season. A trio of seniors in Jayden Flagg, Jolie Johns and Morgan White all average more than 12 points per game, and the Cougars’ top six scorers are all seniors. It’s a perfect recipe for the program’s first sectional title since 2000.

This sectional brings some finality with it, as Clay will play its final games as a program. They’ve won four of its last six contests and only lost to Marian by four, 37-33, two weeks ago. A victory for the Colonials over the Knights Tuesday would be its first postseason win since 2016.

More: Buffalo, Huskies or Rams? South Bend Saint Joseph High School narrows new nickname search

At West Noble

Schedule: TUESDAY: 7 p.m.: Lakeland (4-18) vs. Wawasee (13-9). FRIDAY: 6 p.m.: NorthWood (17-6) vs. West Noble (2-20); 7:30 p.m.: Fairfield (21-3) vs. Tuesday winner. SATURDAY: 7:30 p.m.: Championship.

The favorites: Fairfield and NorthWood

This sectional has some fresh faces, as all five head coaches are either in their first or second season leading their respective programs.

The bracket sets up nicely for a Fairfield vs. NorthWood championship game Saturday night. Kyle Hartman deserves a ton of credit in his first year with the Falcons, winning 21 games and an NECC title with a program that graduated four seniors from a state-title winning group.

They’re co-favorites with NorthWood because the Panthers beat Fairfield, 36-21, on Dec. 19. NorthWood has one of the more dynamic players in the area in junior Claire Payne, who averages 10.1 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. The Panthers will have to overcome a late-season injury to its second-leading scorer, Joselyn Edwards, if it wants to cut down the nets.

CLASS 2A

At North Judson-San Pierre

Schedule: TUESDAY: 7 p.m. ET: North Judson-San Pierre (12-10) vs. South Central-Union Mills (16-6). FRIDAY: 6:30 p.m. ET: LaVille (10-11) vs. Wheeler (11-11); 8 p.m. ET: South Bend Career Academy (1-14) vs. Tuesday winner; SATURDAY: 7 p.m. ET: Championship.

The favorite: South Central

The Satellites are 3-0 against sectional competition, beating LaVille by seven, North Judson by 22 and Wheeler by 41. South Central beat LaVille in last season’s sectional final, and there’s a good chance that same matchup will happen this year.

CLASS 1A

At Culver Community

Schedule: TUESDAY: 6:30 p.m.: Marquette Catholic (19-3) vs. Culver Community (4-17). WEDNESDAY: 6 p.m.: Trinity School at Greenlawn (5-15) vs. Triton (9-13); 7:30 p.m.: Argos (9-12) vs. Westville (8-10). FRIDAY: 6 p.m.: Oregon-Davis (5-13) vs. Tuesday winner; 7:30 p.m.: Wednesday winners. SATURDAY: 7 p.m.: Championship.

The favorite: Marquette Catholic

This feels like the start of another special run for the Blazers. Its eight main players are all underclassmen, highlighted by sophomore Laniah Davis and her 18.8 points per game average. It’s a program looking for its first postseason trophy since back-to-back 1A state titles in 2018 and 2019.

A storyline to follow will be Argos senior Samantha Redinger and her chase to lead the state in scoring average for the season. She’s still the leader in that department with a 31.3 points per game average heading into this week.

More: Wait, the state's leading scorer plays where? Meet Argos star Samantha Redinger

At Lakewood Park Christian

Schedule: TUESDAY: 7 p.m.: Lakewood Park Christian (15-6) vs. Elkhart Christian (11-11). FRIDAY: 6 p.m.: Bethany Christian (16-6) vs. Hamilton (3-12); 7:30 p.m.: Blackhawk Christian (16-7) vs. Tuesday winner. SATURDAY: 7 p.m.: Championship.

The favorite: Blackhawk Christian

Whether Mariah Stoltzfus plays for Bethany Christian or not is paramount to their success. The senior starting point guard hasn’t played in a month while nursing an ankle injury, and the Bruins’ 2-4 record in January is indicative of the impact she has. Fortunately for the Bruins, they drew Hamilton in the semifinal, giving Stoltzfus another full week to get ready for a potential sectional title game.

More: How Bethany Christian basketball is helping girls in Cambodia go to school

If Stoltzfus can play, her and classmate Zoe Willems could carry Bethany to back-to-back sectional titles. It’ll be a tough title game for the Bruins, regardless of who they play. LPC defeated the Stoltzfus-less Bruins in early January, while Blackhawk just beat Lakewood Park by 26 last week.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend girls basketball sectionals: favorites, storylines to follow this week