IHSA Class 1A state finals preview

The field is set for the IHSA Class 1A state finals, with Danville Schlarman returning to defend its state championship. Lewistown returns for the second time in program history, breaking a 19-year drought. Lanark Eastland also makes its second appearance, its first since 2014. Hume Shiloh (Tri-County) is back for the first time since 2011, making its sixth appearance.

Schlarman beat Tri-County 81-48 on Jan. 11, the only time any of the four teams met one another this season.

Schedule and Information

At Redbird Arena, Normal Ill.

Friday’s semifinals

Eastland vs. Shiloh, 11:15 a.m.
Schlarman vs. Lewistown, 1:15 p.m.

Championship Saturday

Third-place game, 11:15 a.m.
3-point shootout
Championship game, (approximately) 1:15 p.m.

Tickets: $10 general admission
TV: NBC Sports Chicago
Stream: NFHS Newtwork
Broadcast team: Lee Hall (Play by Play), Patricia Babcock-Mcgraw (Analyst) and Piper Shaw (Sideline reporter)

Teams

Eastland Cougars (30-4)

Projected starters

2 Meredith Janssen (2020, F, 5-7) – 7.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 0.8 apg, shooting 47.7/0-2/74.4
10 Gabby Snyder (2019, G, 5-5) – 4.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, shooting 38.2/3-11/75.4
21 Erin Henze (2020, G, 5-4) – 16.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.2 apg, shooting 44.5/40.4/74.7
34 Karlie Krogman (2021, F, 6-0) – 11.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.3 apg, shooting 40.4/0-1/63.8
41 Lydia Coatney (2020, G, 5-6) – 10.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.5 apg, shooting 46.5/29.6/68.9

Head coach Nicole Brinker has led her alma mater (1995) to a 100-30 record in her fourth season. The Cougars enter on a 16-game winning streak, dating back to Dec. 28. The Cougars are led by Erin Henze (2020), who scored her 1000th career point on Dec. 18 against Dixon. Henze joins Lydia Coatney (2020), who achieved the feat on Dec. 4.

Key to watch: Karlie Krogman’s (2021) play in the post on both ends of the court could dictate Eastland’s fate in Normal. Her and Schlarman’s Emma Bogen (2020) are the tallest players in the tournament. Krogman will be tested immediately by Shiloh’s Kiersten Price-Wilson (2019).

Tri-County Raiders (29-4)

Projected starters

1 Tayler Barry (2020, G, 5-5) – 15.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.4 apg, shooting 46.0/36.4/77.9
2 Maiya Eskew (2019, G, 5-3) – 5.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.1 apg, shooting 33.2/25.0/63.8
3 Grace Burnside (2019, F, 5-8) – 4.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 0.8 apg, shooting 38.2/1-6/61.5
4 Harley Barry (2019, G, 5-6) – 11.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.5 apg, shooting 37.2/28.3/69.0
30 Kiersten Price-Wilson (2019, C, 5-11) – 12.2 ppg, 4 rpg, 0.2 apg, shooting 46.6/1-10/56.4

Joe Morrissey is 121-31 at Shiloh entering the state finals and has a quartet of three-year starters with the senior class. Price-Wilson surpassed the 1,000-point mark for her career early this season and will play at Parkland College. Harley Barry (2019) scored her 1,000th career point in January.

Key to watch: Bella Dudley (2022) is going to have to play well to give the Raiders a lift off the bench. Her ability to space the floor and score inside is an asset as a 5-7 wing.

Lewistown Indians (31-1)

Projected starters

4 Anna Heffren (2020, G, 5-6) – 18.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.6 apg, shooting 46.6/41.9/63.1
11 Baylee Mayberry (2019, G, 5-8) – 7.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.1 apg, shooting 39.3/38.8/61.0
14 Sydney Shaeffer (2020, G, 5-8) – 13.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.2 apg, shooting 53.4/42.3/61.4
15 Paige Bennett (2019, F, 5-8) – 2.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1 apg, shooting 36.0/2-10/67.7
23 Hannah Burdess (2019, F, 5-11) – 7.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.4 apg, shooting 43.6/26.5/52.8

Greg Bennett is 291-223 entering the state finals. Anna Heffren (2020) scored her 1,000th point on Nov. 29, an 83-61 win over Midwest Central. In the last two seasons, Lewistown’s only loss to a Class 1A opponent was against Lebanon, 59-32, in last year’s supersectional. The Indians are 60-6 in that stretch with three losses to Illini West, one to Canton and another against Farmington.

Key to watch: Lewistown loves to shoot 3-pointers, hitting 34.6 as a team for the season and takes 20.3 per game. Heffren, Baylee Mayberry (2019) and Sydney Shaeffer (2020) hit at a high clip but will need some help at Redbird.

Schlarman Hilltoppers (31-2)

Projected starters

3 Sydney Gouard (2019, F, 5-10) – 9.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.4 apg, shooting 50.2/35.2/67.2
4 Capria Brown (2020, F, 5-11) – 19.1 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 3.5 apg, shooting 63.9/28.6/75.9
5 Anaya Peoples (2019, G, 5-9) – 20.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 3.8 apg, shooting 59.0/29.2/71.7
11 Janiah Newell (2019, G, 5-8) – 12.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.9 apg, shooting 36.6/39.3/74.4
32 Destiny Dye (2019, F, 5-9) – 4.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.2 apg, shooting 45.6/41.2/40.0

Keith Peoples is 185-49 entering the state finals. The Hilltoppers are the state’s defending champions in Class 1A and are 62-3 over the past two seasons. Schlarman is led by Notre Dame recruit and McDonald’s All-American, Anaya Peoples (2019) and Capria Brown (2020), who verbally committed to Xavier earlier this season.

Key to watch: Schlarman will try to press teams into oblivion and use their elite athleticism to wear teams down physically and mentally. The Hilltoppers are deep, having had all 12 girls enter every game this season.

Predictions

Eastland vs. Tri-County

The key to this game is going to be winning in the post. Eastland’s Karlie Krogman has the size advantage over Tri-County’s Kiersten Price-Wilson. The junior guard matchup of Erin Henze (Eastland) and Tayler Barry (Tri-County) is going to be the other interesting dynamic.

Prediction: Tri-County 56, Eastland 48

Lewistown vs. Schlarman

If there’s a team that matches up well with Schlarman, it’s Lewistown. The Indians like to press and will use their 2-3 zone to try and keep the Hilltoppers out of the paint. Sydney Shaeffer is as impressive of a 3-sport athlete as I’ve seen and won’t back down physically. Anna Heffren is a strong guard that will have to stay aggressive. In the end, Schlarman has the depth and quickness to come away with this one.

Prediction: Schlarman 74, Lewistown 54