State Tourney Preview: Sectionals #1-#4
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The featured image is of Kenedi Bradley Kenedi Bradley 5'7" | CG Chesterton | 2026 State IN (2026) of Chesterton High School. The IHSAA Sectional draw took place Sunday evening, so all of the 390+ schools participating in this year’s…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Kenedi Bradley Kenedi Bradley 5'7" | CG Chesterton | 2026 State IN (2026) of Chesterton High School.
The IHSAA Sectional draw took place Sunday evening, so all of the 390+ schools participating in this year’s state tournament found out when they would be playing their first game, which will take place in a little over a week. Below is a look at each of the Sectionals that will feed into the LaPorte Regional the following weekend. This includes the Class 4A teams from Sectionals #1-#4. Please stay tuned, as this week we will have a quick synopsis of each of the 64 Sectionals across all four classifications.
.
Sectional #1 at Lake Central:
Game-1: Hammond Morton (7-13) vs. Hammond Central (7-13)
Game-2: Munster (16-6) vs. Merrillville (4-18)
Game-3: Lake Central (17-5) vs. East Chicago Central (14-6)
Game-4: Gary West Side (1-18) vs. Winner Game-1
Game-5: Winner Game-2 vs. Winner Game-3
Game-6: Winner Game-4 vs. Winner Game-5
Overview: Lake Central has been the dominant force in Sectional #1 this season, as they have (1) the best record, (2) the toughest schedule, (3) the deepest roster, and they are 3-0 against Sectional #1 opponents, including a 71-34 victory against Munster in late November. Juniors Aniyah Bishop Aniyah Bishop 5'10" | SF Lake Central | 2024 State IN (10.6p, 6.4r, 2.1a) and Riley Milausnic Riley Milausnic 5'7" | CG Lake Central | 2024 State IN (10.1p) are the leading scorers for the Indians, and they will likely be a heavy favorite in most/all games here. Munster has put together a fantastic season, and they are led by a Freshman in Gracyn Gilliard Gracyn Gilliard 5'10" | SG Munster | 2026 State IN (18.9p, 4.4r, 2.2a, 4.8s). She is a legitimate Division-I prospect, a skillful and athletic wing, and the Mustangs are likely the best odds to cause problems for Lake Central. They have played some good teams tough down the stretch, and they can at least field a starting lineup who can compete athletically with the Indians. East Chicago has a winning record and will play athletically as well, but they currently have a 374 strength of schedule and a 251 overall Sagarin Rating, so their opening matchup with Lake Central could be a tough one.
Sectional #1 Players to Watch:
East Chicago Central – Janiyah Watkins, 2023
East Chicago Central – Keaya Smith, 2023
East Chicago Central –
Lela Edmonds
Lela
Edmonds
5'9" | PG
East Chicago Central | 2025
IN
, 2026
Gary West Side –
Exsencia Cloma
Exsencia
Cloma
6'0" | PF
Gary West Side | 2023
State
IN
, 2023
Hammond Central –
Aniyah Henry
Aniyah
Henry
5'8" | SF
Hammond Central | 2024
State
IN
, 2024
Hammond Central –
Indiah Hutchinson
Indiah
Hutchinson
5'11" | SF
Hammond Central | 2026
State
IN
, 2026
Hammond Morton – Vanessa Carrera, 2023
Hammond Morton – Heaven Clopton, 2023
Hammond Morton – Chanteze Holland, 2025
Lake Central –
Aniyah Bishop
Aniyah
Bishop
5'10" | SF
Lake Central | 2024
State
IN
, 2024 – 10.6p, 6.4r, 2.1a
Lake Central –
Riley Milausnic
Riley
Milausnic
5'7" | CG
Lake Central | 2024
State
IN
, 2024 – 10.1p
Lake Central –
Ayla Krygier
Ayla
Krygier
6'0" | SF
Lake Central | 2025
State
IN
, 2025 – 8.5p, 4.6r
Lake Central –
Nadia Clayton
Nadia
Clayton
5'7" | SG
Lake Central | 2024
State
IN
, 2024 – 7.3p, 3.3r, 2.1a, 2.3s
Lake Central –
Vanessa Wimberly
Vanessa
Wimberly
5'5" | PG
Lake Central | 2025
State
IN
, 2025 – 6.2p, 3.8r, 3.1a, 2.8s
Merrillville –
Mya-Lee Jackson
Mya-Lee
Jackson
5'8" | SF
Merrillville | 2023
IN
, 2023 – 12.6p, 2.9r
Merrillville –
Melaney Williams
Melaney
Williams
5'11" | PF
Merrillville | 2026
State
IN
, 2026 – 7.3p, 4.6r
Munster –
Gracyn Gilliard
Gracyn
Gilliard
5'10" | SG
Munster | 2026
State
IN
, 2026 – 18.9p, 4.4r, 2.2a, 4.8s
Munster –
Trinity Hogge
Trinity
Hogge
5'3" | PG
Munster | 2023
IN
, 2023 – 9.6p, 2.3r, 2.7a
Munster – Lillian Mason, 2023 – 9.2p, 4.6r, 2.3s
Munster –
Akaoma Odeluga
Akaoma
Odeluga
5'11" | C
Munster | 2023
IN
, 2023 – 8.7p, 13.1r (6.3 off.)
Munster –
Nina Garner
Nina
Garner
6'0" | SF
Munster | 2025
State
IN
, 2025 – 4.5p, 3.6r
.
Sectional #2 at Lowell:
Game-1: Kankakee Valley (15-6) vs. Hobart (11-10)
Game-2: Crown Point (14-8) vs. Valparaiso (19-2)
Game-3: Lowell (9-12) vs. Chesterton (14-7)
Game-4: Portage (13-10) vs. Winner Game-1
Game-5: Winner Game-2 vs. Winner Game-3
Game-6: Winner Game-4 vs. Winner Game-5
Overview: Valparaiso stands out in the Sectional #2 field, not just because of their 19-2 record, but they have 20+ point wins over Kankakee Valley, Crown Point, Chesterton, and Portage. They have gotten strong backcourt play from Senior Kristin Bukata Kristin Bukata 5'7" | PG Valparaiso | 2023 State IN (11.5p, 4.3r, 4.3a, 3.9s) and Freshman Lillian Barnes Lillian Barnes 5'11" | SF Valparaiso | 2026 State IN (16.8p, 6.8r, 3.6a, 6.2s). Those two cause problems for everyone, so the key is to try to contain at least one of them. Crown Point has the recent prestige of being at the top, but their roster is under new leadership this year, and it’s now up to Junior Ava Ziolkowski Ava Ziolkowski 6'1" | PF Crown Point | 2024 State IN (17.9p, 7.5r, 59 3s) and Senior Brooke Lindesmith Brooke Lindesmith 5'9" | SF Crown Point | 2023 State IN (10.1p, 7.2r, 2.3a) to carry the bulk of the load. The rest of the teams in Sectional #2 have to be a little happy seeing Valparaiso and Crown Point squaring off immediately, as they are both in the Top-40 of the Sagarin Ratings. Chesterton and Kankakee Valley both rate out in the 80s, followed by Portage at 111, Hobart at 180, and Lowell at 203. Chesterton has a nice, young nucleus, led by Freshman Kenedi Bradley Kenedi Bradley 5'7" | CG Chesterton | 2026 State IN (10.1p, 2.6r, 2.2s), while Kankakee Valley looks to Lilly Toppen Lilly Toppen 5'9" | SG Kankakee Valley | 2023 State IN (13.0p, 3.6r) and Kate Thomas Kate Thomas 5'5" | PG Kankakee Valley | 2023 State IN (9.8p, 3.3r, 4.7a, 2.9s), Portage leans on Anjelicia Del Valle Anjelicia Del Valle 5'9" | SF Portage | 2023 State IN (13.7p, 4.5r, 2.7a, 2.7s), Hobart has the state’s leading scorer in Asia Donald Asia Donald 5'9" | SG Hobart | 2023 State IN (28.8p, 11.4r, 2.6a, 4.3s), and Lowell has Reilly Boyer (5.7p, 3.8r, 3.4a, 3.2s) in their backcourt. Each of those last five players is a Senior.
Sectional #2 Players to Watch:
Chesterton –
Kenedi Bradley
Kenedi
Bradley
5'7" | CG
Chesterton | 2026
State
IN
, 2026 – 10.1p, 2.6r, 2.2s
Chesterton – Ingrid Hurst, 2023 – 7.0p, 2.9r, 2.6s
Chesterton – Ciara Bonner, 2024 – 6.1p, 5.9r, 2.1a
Chesterton – Tenley Davis, 2026 – 5.6p, 4.6r
Crown Point –
Ava Ziolkowski
Ava
Ziolkowski
6'1" | PF
Crown Point | 2024
State
IN
, 2024 – 17.9p, 7.5r, 59 made 3s
Crown Point –
Brooke Lindesmith
Brooke
Lindesmith
5'9" | SF
Crown Point | 2023
State
IN
, 2023 – 10.1p, 7.2r, 2.3a
Crown Point –
Abbi Foster
Abbi
Foster
5'10" | PF
Crown Point | 2023
IN
, 2023 – 7.0p, 3.5r, 2.8a
Hobart –
Asia Donald
Asia
Donald
5'9" | SG
Hobart | 2023
State
IN
, 2023 – 28.8p, 11.4r, 2.6a, 4.3s
Hobart – Jesse Neace, 2024 – 9.1p, 2.9r
Hobart – Nikolina Latinovic, 2023 – 6.8p, 5.5r
Kankakee Valley –
Lilly Toppen
Lilly
Toppen
5'9" | SG
Kankakee Valley | 2023
State
IN
, 2023 – 13.0p, 3.6r
Kankakee Valley –
Kate Thomas
Kate
Thomas
5'5" | PG
Kankakee Valley | 2023
State
IN
, 2023 – 9.8p, 3.3r, 4.7a, 2.9s
Kankakee Valley – Laynie Capellari, 2023 – 5.8p, 3.7r
Lowell – Reilly Boyer, 2023 – 5.7p, 3.8r, 3.4a, 3.2s
Lowell – Kirstin Summers, 2024 – 9.3p, 3.0r
Portage –
Anjelicia Del Valle
Anjelicia
Del Valle
5'9" | SF
Portage | 2023
State
IN
, 2023 – 13.7p, 4.5r, 2.7a, 2.7s
Portage –
Ava Kingery
Ava
Kingery
5'2" | PG
Portage | 2024
State
IN
, 2024 – 12.8p, 4.3r, 3.7a, 2.1s
Portage –
Alante Wright
Alante
Wright
5'9" | SF
Portage | 2024
State
IN
, 2024 – 10.4p, 4.1r
Valparaiso –
Lillian Barnes
Lillian
Barnes
5'11" | SF
Valparaiso | 2026
State
IN
, 2026 – 16.8p, 6.8r, 3.6a, 6.2s
Valparaiso –
Kristin Bukata
Kristin
Bukata
5'7" | PG
Valparaiso | 2023
State
IN
, 2023 – 11.5p, 4.3r, 4.3a, 3.9s
Valparaiso – Skyla Dobbertin, 2023 – 5.3p, 3.8r
Valparaiso –
Cadynce Clark
Cadynce
Clark
5'8" | CG
Valparaiso | 2026
State
IN
, 2026 – 5.4p
.
Sectional #3 at Plymouth:
Game-1: Mishawaka (11-9) vs. South Bend Washington (21-0)
Game-2: Michigan City (7-12) vs. LaPorte (0-20)
Game-3: South Bend Riley (3-18) vs. Plymouth (8-12)
Game-4: South Bend Adams (10-11) vs. Winner Game-1
Game-5: Winner Game-2 vs. Winner Game-3
Game-6: Winner Game-4 vs. Winner Game-5
Overview: Michigan City and Plymouth have to be the most thrilled with this draw because they (1) don’t have to play South Bend Washington until the Sectional Championship, and they (2) both could win two games here, though Plymouth has already beaten Michigan City by a 65-33 margin, though that was back in mid-November. South Bend Washington is the odds-on favorite to win Class 4A, let alone Sectional #2, so any intrigue here will be around the other teams playing. Washington has a ton of talent, obviously, but the backcourt duo of RaShunda Jones RaShunda Jones 5'7" | PG South Bend Washington | 2023 State IN (20.4p, 3.8r, 4.3a, 4.2s) and Amiyah Reynolds Amiyah Reynolds 6'0" | PG South Bend Washington | 2023 State #35 Nation IN (15.2p, 7.9r, 6.6a, 3.4s) gets one last run together this coming month. Mishawaka will try to counter with Junior Asiah Shaffer Asiah Shaffer 5'6" | SG Mishawaka | 2024 State IN and Senior Katie Baumgartner, but they will need career nights from their entire roster to pull off the upset. On the other side, Michigan City has an explosive playmaker in Sophomore Paulecia Isom Paulecia Isom 5'3" | CG Michigan City | 2025 IN , while Plymouth looks inside to Senior Taylor Delp Taylor Delp 6'0" | PF Plymouth | 2023 State IN (13.1p, 9.7r).
Sectional #3 Players to Watch:
LaPorte – Sydney Hill, 2023
LaPorte – Desiree Shelton, 2023
Michigan City –
Paulecia Isom
Paulecia
Isom
5'3" | CG
Michigan City | 2025
IN
, 2025
Michigan City –
Divine Woods
Divine
Woods
5'7" | SF
Michigan City | 2025
IN
, 2025
Michigan City –
Amira Wair
Amira
Wair
6'0" | PF
Michigan City | 2023
IN
, 2023
Mishawaka –
Asiah Shaffer
Asiah
Shaffer
5'6" | SG
Mishawaka | 2024
State
IN
, 2024
Mishawaka – Katie Baumgartner, 2023
Mishawaka – Jadyn Handley, 2023
Plymouth –
Taylor Delp
Taylor
Delp
6'0" | PF
Plymouth | 2023
State
IN
, 2023 – 13.1p, 9.7r
Plymouth – Sophie Miller, 2025 – 7.0p, 3.0r
Plymouth –
Lena Jones
Lena
Jones
5'6" | PG
Plymouth | 2025
IN
, 2025 – 5.4p, 4.2r, 2.8a
South Bend Adams – Jayne Kelly, 2023
South Bend Adams – Makayla Crumbley, 2023
South Bend Riley – Kaytlin Smith, 2023
South Bend Washington –
RaShunda Jones
RaShunda
Jones
5'7" | PG
South Bend Washington | 2023
State
IN
, 2023 – 20.4p, 3.8r, 4.3a, 4.2s
South Bend Washington –
Amiyah Reynolds
Amiyah
Reynolds
6'0" | PG
South Bend Washington | 2023
State
#35
Nation
IN
, 2023 – 15.2p, 7.9r, 6.6a, 3.4s
South Bend Washington –
Kira Reynolds
Kira
Reynolds
6'4" | PF
South Bend Washington | 2025
State
IN
, 2025 – 16.6p, 12.6r (5.5 off.), 3.1a, 5.0b
South Bend Washington –
Monique Mitchell
Monique
Mitchell
5'11" | SF
South Bend Washington | 2025
State
IN
, 2025 – 13.7p, 3.3r, 2.7s
South Bend Washington –
Ryiah Wilson
Ryiah
Wilson
5'8" | CG
South Bend Washington | 2025
State
IN
, 2025 – 11.4p, 3.2r, 4.3a, 6.6s
.
Sectional #4 at Concord:
Game-1: Penn (15-6) vs. Northridge (18-5)
Game-2: Concord (4-17) vs. Warsaw (16-5)
Game-3: Goshen (11-10) vs. Winner Game-1
Game-4: Elkhart (13-8) vs. Winner Game-2
Game-5: Winner Game-3 vs. Winner Game-4
Overview: Sectional #4 could be a fun one, as Penn, Northridge, and Warsaw each have one loss against Sectional #4 opponents. In fact, Northridge has beaten Penn, Warsaw has beaten Northridge, and Penn has beaten Warsaw. The rematch of Penn and Northridge on opening night will be interesting. Both teams are guard-heavy and look to superior backcourt play for success. Sharp-shooting Sophomore Jessa Troy (14.3p, 3.7r) for Penn and always energetic Senior Eva Fisher Eva Fisher 5'8" | SG Northridge | 2023 State IN (14.7p, 4.4r, 2.7a, 2.1s) for Northridge should be the most interesting matchup of the night. Key stops and defensive rebounding will be a key component to this outcome. Warsaw is very young this year, led by a pair of Sophomores and a pair of Freshmen, but they are talented and have the highest Sagarin Rating of the group. They have to like their draw, being away from Penn and Northridge. However, as they have in years past, Elkhart could be a dark horse in this race. They get exceptional guard play from Junior Samiyah Stout Samiyah Stout 5'7" | CG Elkhart | 2024 State IN (16.0p, 4.8r, 4.6a, 5.1s), plus they have really nice team speed and the ability to disrupt opposing offenses. As usual, this will be one of the more difficult Sectionals in the state to predict, but there will definitely be some high-quality basketball played at Concord High School.
Sectional #4 Players to Watch:
Concord –
Kendal Taylor
Kendal
Taylor
6'2" | C
Concord | 2023
IN
, 2023 – 6.8p, 5.2r
Concord – Shelby Emerick, 2026 – 5.8, 2.2r
Concord –
Dominique Stilley
Dominique
Stilley
6'0" | PF
Concord | 2024
IN
, 2024 – 4.5p, 3.6r
Elkhart –
Samiyah Stout
Samiyah
Stout
5'7" | CG
Elkhart | 2024
State
IN
, 2024 – 16.0p, 4.8r, 4.6a, 5.1s
Elkhart – Shaniyah Stout, 2026 – 13.4p, 5.9r
Elkhart –
Jordynn Johnson
Jordynn
Johnson
5'4" | PG
Elkhart | 2026
IN
, 2026 – 8.5p, 2.7r, 2.2a
Elkhart –
Jaya Johnson
Jaya
Johnson
5'7" | SG
Elkhart | 2024
IN
, 2024 – 7.9p, 4.3r
Goshen –
Kyra Hill
Kyra
Hill
6'2" | C
Goshen | 2024
State
IN
, 2024 – 16.2p, 10.3r, 2.6b
Goshen –
Tyra Marcum
Tyra
Marcum
6'0" | PF
Goshen | 2023
IN
, 2023 – 10.3p, 10.1r (5.3 off.)
Goshen – Breyana Cline, 2023 – 5.9p, 2.8r, 3.3a
Northridge –
Eva Fisher
Eva
Fisher
5'8" | SG
Northridge | 2023
State
IN
, 2023 – 14.7p, 4.4r, 2.7a, 2.1s
Northridge –
Morgan Cross
Morgan
Cross
5'7" | CG
Northridge | 2024
State
IN
, 2024 – 10.2p, 4.7r, 2.6a, 2.4s
Northridge –
Savannah Boerema
Savannah
Boerema
5'7" | CG
Northridge | 2023
State
IN
, 2023 – 8.2p, 2.9r, 2.3a
Northridge –
Gaby Gates
Gaby
Gates
5'11" | PF
Northridge | 2024
State
IN
, 2024 – 7.4p, 3.7r
Northridge –
Sabrina Miller
Sabrina
Miller
5'8" | SG
Northridge | 2024
State
IN
, 2024 – 7.2p, 2.3r
Penn – Jessa Troy, 2025 – 14.3p, 3.7r
Penn –
Julia Economou
Julia
Economou
5'11" | SF
Penn | 2023
State
IN
, 2023 – 11.9p, 6.5r, 2.5s
Penn –
Lauren Walsh
Lauren
Walsh
5'7" | PG
Penn | 2024
State
IN
, 2024 – 10.0p, 4.0r, 3.5a, 2.3s
Penn –
Peyton Brooks
Peyton
Brooks
6'0" | PF
Penn | 2023
IN
, 2023 – 8.9p, 6.0r
Warsaw –
Brooke Zartman
Brooke
Zartman
5'8" | SG
Warsaw | 2026
State
IN
, 2026 – 12.3p, 2.9r
Warsaw –
Brooke Winchester
Brooke
Winchester
6'0" | PF
Warsaw Community | 2025
State
IN
, 2025 – 12.0p, 6.1r
Warsaw –
Joslyn Bricker
Joslyn
Bricker
5'8" | PG
Warsaw | 2026
State
IN
, 2026 – 12.0p, 2.7r
Warsaw –
Abbey Peterson
Abbey
Peterson
5'7" | PG
Warsaw Community | 2025
IN
, 2025 – 8.8p, 2.9r, 2.9a