Girls sectionals open Tuesday

Ella Thompson Center Grove

Izzy Reed Greenwood Christian

Maddie Bischoff Roncalli

Kayden Casey, Southport

Lexi Green, Southport

​By Al Stilley
Senior staff writer

The 44th annual IHSAA girls’ basketball tourney opens Tuesday with six Southside teams in action. Southport (4A) and Greenwood Christian (1A) are hosts for sectionals. At Southport, darkhorse  Roncalli meets Pike and Perry Meridian goes against Decatur Central, Tuesday. The host Cardinals meet the Pike-Roncalli winner with slightly favored Ben Davis facing the PM-DC winner Feb. 1. All sectional championship games are Feb. 2.

At Greenwood Christian, the host Cougars open Tuesday against Central Christian and are favored to advance to the semis against Christel House, Feb. 1. Southside rival Lutheran, in the opposite bracket, plays Providence Cristo Rey Jan. 30. The two rivals could meet in a semifinal match-up Feb. 1.

No. 7 ranked Center Grove, the only Southside team defending a sectional title, meets Martinsville in the Tuesday nightcap. Franklin Central and Franklin open the tourney. On Feb. 1, Greenwood meets the FC-Franklin winner and dangerous host Whiteland test the CG/Martinsville winner.

In 3A at Indian Creek, Beech Grove meets Herron in the Tuesday nightcap with the winner facing Manual in the Feb. 1 nightcap, probably setting up a Southside semifinal duel.

Here’s a capsule look at Southside teams:

Beech Grove (4-13) – Rebuilding Hornets defeated Herron 53-26 on way to winning own holiday tourney … now in 7-game losing skid … led by Alexia Blakely (15.5 points, 15.9 rebounds) … sectional tune-ups Thursday at Triton Central and Saturday at Speedway.

Center Grove (18-2) – On 17-game win streak … defense averages 39.1 points … led by 1-2 punch of Ella Thompson, 14.8 points & Emma Utterback, 12.5 points … county and holiday tourney champs … defeated sectional foe Martinsville (54-38, 37-33) … visit MIC foe No. 10 Lawrence North, Friday.

Franklin Central (2-16) – Young Flashes suffered losing streaks of 6 & 8 games … average only 39.3 points …50% of offense from Rachel Loobie, 18.7 points, 10.6 rebounds … defeated Southport & sectional foe Franklin …  … Flashes first-year coach Vince Cerbone won 3 sectional titles at Martinsville … play Friday at Fishers.

Greenwood (4-16) – 1-14 against 4A teams … downed 3A Herron & Brown County & new rival 1A Greenwood Christian … floor general Bailey Taft, 11.4 points … face new Mid-State neighbor Perry Meridian, Friday … 0-5 against sectional field.

Greenwood Christian (13-8) – No seniors but plenty of swag … avg. winning margin 14.6 points … after 1-4 start, won 8 of 9 games in mid-season stretch … rising star in soph Izzy Reed, 21.6 points, 15.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists … 3-0 against sectional foes, including once-dominant Tindley (50-38) … Thursday at Southwestern.

Lutheran (5-15) – Slow start at 1-9 … won 3 of last 5 games … score only 42.1 points per game … held Central Christian & International to 11 & 12 points … Rylee Morris 1,000-plus points for career … at home Thursday against Morristown.

Manual (9-8) – Won 7 of 12 games after 2-5 start … played only 3 teams above 1A & 2A … no sectional trophy since 1982 … finish Saturday against Scecina.

Perry Meridian (8-12) – Falcons started 2-5 … won Warsaw holiday tourney …defeated sectional opponent Decatur Central (60-49) in November … Caitie Baird, 10.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, leads … Falcons averaged 58.5 points in recent 4-game win streak … Friday at Greenwood.

Roncalli (13-6) – Opened with 5 straight wins … 5 of 6 losses against ranked teams … defeated Pike (61-51) but lost to Ben Davis (58-44) … riding 6 game winning streak … rolling with Maddie Bischoff (16.7 points) & Alana Vinson (16.7 points) … Columbus North visits Thursday.

​Southport (5-15) – Lost 7 of 1st 8 games … 2-5 against sectional field; split against Decatur Central … Lexi Green (12.1 points, 9.5 rebounds) & Kyra Duncan (12.0 points, 4.6 rebounds) … Thursday at home against Terre Haute South.

​Info online at: IHSAA.org or indianagirlsbasketball.homestead.com.