Tourney Time; Intriguing 1st Rd. Matchups – Class 1A

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='999408' first='Hillary' last='Labis'] (2028) from Westville High School.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Believe it or not, we are just days away from the beginning of the 51st IHSAA Girls' Basketball State Tournament. The Regular season is coming to an end, conference titles have been decided, and coaches are busy game-planning and trying to figure out who can help them win a Sectional, Regional, Semi-State, and even State title. This is when it counts, so I wanted to point out a handful of intriguing opening round matchups in Class 1A next week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Sectional #49 at Morgan Township</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">Marquette Catholic (19-3) vs. Kouts (18-4)</font></strong><br>To begin with, Marquette Catholic is the odds-on favorite to win the North in Class 1A, and they went 3-0 against Sectional #49 competition this year, with no result closer than 26 points, including a 29-point win over Kouts very early in the season. 5-8 Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486528' first='Laniah' last='Davis']</strong> (<em>20.9p, 7.5r, 2.2a, 3.3s</em>) has been a monster for the Blazers once again, but she has gotten great help this season. Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751101' first='Marissa' last='Pleasant']</strong> (<em>11.0p, 3.0r, 1.5a, 2.1s</em>) is another capable guard who can get buckets or create havoc on defense. Senior point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486479' first='Addison' last='Penziol']</strong> (<em>6.1p, 3.1r, 3.8a, 1.7s</em>) does a tremendous job of taking care of the ball and running the show. And Freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1219780' first='Allison' last='Zolvinski']</strong> (<em>6.2p, 1.7r</em>) is another perimeter shooting threat who has had a nice rookie year as a complementary piece. But Kouts always seems to start a little slow, and this year they were 2-2 to begin the season before rattling off wins in 15 of their next 16 contests. 5-10 Freshman wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1147726' first='Avery' last='Elijah']</strong> (<em>13.6p, 4.2r, 3.1a, 6.0s</em>) is a tremendous playmaker at both ends of the floor. She can run offense, score the ball, and she's a huge catalyst defensively. A strong Junior class, led by guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137299' first='Bella' last='Birky']</strong> (<em>11.7p, 3.5r, 3.0a, 3.6s</em>) and forward <strong>Ellie Nemeth</strong> (<em>8.9p, 6.8r, 1.4s</em>), offer a lot of depth and experience to the Fillie lineup. Kouts will need to play their best game of the year, but they certainly have enough skillful and talented pieces to compete in this one, if Marquette isn't focused.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">Morgan Township (18-5) vs. Westville (16-6)</font></strong><br>Wow, what a fun and exciting place Sectional #49 could be this coming week. First, you have the game above, then you get to see these two teams match up for the third time in two weeks. January 23rd, Morgan Township defeated Westville, 50-46, in the Semi-Finals of the Porter County Conference Tournament. Then, on January 27th, Westville returned the favor in their regular season matchup, securing a 67-57 victory. Morgan Township probably wasn't expecting this type of season, then Junior guard <strong>Saffy Thompson-Woods</strong> (<em>18.6p, 9.8r, 2.6a, 3.2s</em>) transferred in from Batavia, Illinois, and the Cherokee wrote a different version of the 2025-2026 story from there. Thompson-Woods has been everything for the green &amp; gold, from scoring, to rebounding &amp; defending. She gets the most help from fellow Junior guard <strong>Addison LaMere</strong> (<em>7.7p, 2.4r, 1.8s</em>) and Senior guard <strong>Abby Wasz</strong> (<em>5.5p, 8.3r, 1.8a, 2.3s</em>). Westville has their own collection of weapons, with uber-talented Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='999408' first='Hillary' last='Labis']</strong> (<em>26.3p, 11.4r, 1.6a, 2.4s, 2.0b</em>) setting the pace. She has length, athleticism, and skill all on her side when it comes to most matchups in Class 1A. Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137316' first='Ava' last='Fenters']</strong> (<em>8.5p, 5.5r, 5.0a, 3.0s</em>) is another capable guard with athleticism and toughness, plus she plays extremely hard and can run the show with poise. Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='746256' first='Dallas' last='Richey']</strong> (<em>7.1p, 3.3r, 1.8a, 1.2s</em>) transferred in from LaPorte in the offseason, and she has added another scoring threat who can make shots outside. But the biggest addition, both literally and figuratively, is the midseason move of 6-1 Junior front-liner <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='912544' first='Olliana' last='Hardin']</strong> (<em>7.7p, 6.7r, 1.7a, 3.0s in 3 games with Westville</em>) who came over from Valparaiso High School. She just recently gained eligibility and could be a problem next week. This matchup should be fun!!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Sectional #54 at Bethesda Christian</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">Clinton Central (16-5) vs. Rossville (22-1)</font></strong><br>With Rossville having beaten Clinton Central by 18 just a week ago, this might not be a great matchup in some people's eyes. However, Clinton Central is just 2 years removed from a buzzer-beater by Marquette Catholic keeping them from the State Finals, so they have experience, and they have the best guard in Sectional #54. Senior point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486527' first='Carly' last='Davison']</strong> (<em>22.6p, 8.1r, 5.5a, 3.3s</em>) has seen it all throughout her career, from wins to losses, being the primary facilitator to needing to score it, and she has performed admirably. She won't want to go out that easily. Fellow Senior guards <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1623385' first='Emily' last='Long']</strong> (<em>8.9p, 5.0r, 2.5a, 3.1s</em>) and <strong>Abby Harris</strong> (<em>7.6p, 3.0r, 1.9a, 1.6s</em>) have stepped up in their final go-round, and I would look for the three of them to play much better than they did in their first matchup with the Hornets. Rossville, however, has been outstanding this year. Senior forward <strong>Ava Birkle</strong> (<em>12.3p, 8.0r, 3.5a, 2.5s, 1.5b</em>) has long been a leader in this program, but this year they have found success in numbers and balance with a much more complete roster around her. Freshman point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1690474' first='Mallory' last='O'Brien']</strong> (<em>14.0p, 3.7r, 3.3a, 2.7s</em>) has been huge for them, taking care of the basketball while bringing a calming presence to the backcourt. Senior <strong>Addi Gorbett</strong> (<em>10.3p, 8.6r, 1.3a, 1.8s</em>) and Junior <strong>Allie Elliott</strong> (<em>7.3p, 3.7r, 1.0a, 1.1s</em>) offer the Hornets additional offensive threats inside the arc, while also rebounding and defending well. This matchup certainly leans Rossville's way, especially on paper, but oftentimes the postseason comes down to experience and guard play, and I wouldn't count out Davison, or the Bulldogs, until she gets her 32 minutes of court time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Sectional #60 at Jac-Cen-Del</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">Trinity Lutheran (17-4) vs. Oldenburg Academy (18-3)</font></strong><br>In the South, this might be the best opening round matchup on paper. Based on the computer generated Sagarin Ratings, these are the #5 and #7 teams in Class 1A. These two teams faced off on January 20th, with Oldenburg holding serve on their home floor, 52-47. Both teams have a nice combination of good guard play and capable size, almost to the point you'd forget you're watching a Class 1A game if you were there. Trinity Lutheran is no stranger to postseason success, having won 6 of the last 8 Sectionals they have played in. Junior point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751103' first='Marley' last='Warren']</strong> (<em>16.9p, 4.0r, 4.5a, 2.1s</em>) is extremely dynamic off the bounce, she is incredibly creative, and she's very feisty at both ends of the floor. She can take over a game, whether that means making shots, finding teammates, or creating turnovers. 6-2 Sophomore forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1144623' first='Rachel' last='Bonde']</strong> (<em>10.8p, 9.2r, 1.3s, 2.0b</em>) and 6-1 Senior post <strong>Bailey Bonde</strong> (<em>6.2p, 7.0r, 1.2a, 1.2b</em>) shine on the volleyball court in the Fall, but they are definitely capable and influential players on the basketball court as well. The younger sibling is long, athletic, and versatile, while the elder sibling is strong, physical, and a force inside. And Marley's other half, Junior <strong>Emerson Warren</strong> (<em>5.0p, 2.8r, 1.0a</em>), has been solid for the Cougars this year as well. As for Oldenburg, 6-0 Senior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='761188' first='Rachel' last='Suttmann']</strong> is a tremendous weapon to have. She is strong, physical, and plays hard, plus she has good touch from around the perimeter, and she can put it on the floor. She is a potential double-double each time out with a 3-point shot as well. Junior point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='899127' first='Gina' last='Grote']</strong> is another producer who can shoot/score the basketball, plus she's a nice facilitator. She also defends well and can cause havoc at that end of the floor. From there, the Twisters have several really nice complementary players, size, and versatility in their favor. Look for this game to go down to the wire, regardless of who wins, in their second battle of the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->