HS girls basketball regional preview: Brebeuf aims to keep surprising
Of the 64 high school girls basketball teams playing in the regional on Saturday, only four have losing records.
Brebeuf Jesuit (8-15) is one. The Braves aren’t about to apologize for having the lowest win total of any team still alive in the tournament.
“We knew we might not win as much because of the schedule we played,” said junior Alia Martin, who made the game-winning free throw with eight-tenths of a second left in a 40-39 sectional championship victory over Bishop Chatard last Saturday. “But it’s better to play a harder schedule so you don’t fall apart when you play the best teams.”
Brebeuf will play in a regional for the first time since its state championship season of 2007 when it meets Indian Creek (20-4) in Class 3A at Danville at 10 a.m. The winner will play either Edgewood (17-9) or No. 10 Lebanon (20-6) on Saturday night.
Only a month ago, the Braves fell to 3-13 following a one-point loss to Decatur Central. Coming off a 3-18 season, coach Matt Mayer’s team appeared headed for a similar finish. But Mayer could see progress in the final two weeks of the season, which included three wins and close losses to Danville (in overtime) and Bishop Chatard.
“I wish I could sit here and say it was unbelievable coaching, but really it’s the girls believing in themselves,” Mayer said. “They kept chipping away to make it a special year. Things started to come together for us in January.”
Still, the Braves had to rally from a 16-point deficit in the second half of the sectional championship against Chatard, which had upset sectional favorite Crispus Attucks the previous night.
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Martin, recently named the Gatorade Indiana Girls Soccer Player of the Year, made two free throws in the final seconds to tie the score. She was then fouled with 0.8 seconds left and made one of two for the win.
“She’s a clutch kid,” Mayer said. “She has nerves of steel. She was the one we wanted at the line in that position.”
Martin, who has committed to Michigan for soccer, compared the situation to a penalty kick in that sport.
“It’s like being the final person up for the tie-breaker on penalty kicks,” she said. “It’s nice having been in those pressure moments. It kind of carries over. You just try to tune everything out.”
The 5-9 Martin is one of Brebeuf’s top players, averaging 9.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 steals and 3.0 assists. Ariyanna Carroll, a 5-11 sophomore, averages a team-leading 10.5 points and 8.0 rebounds, and 5-11 senior Elizabeth Saunders (9.6 ppg and 8.0 rebounds) is another top player.
Carroll, in an honest moment, admitted she didn’t expect this team to win a sectional title this year.
“It was a big turnaround,” she said. “We were losing to some good teams, but I’m still shocked that we won sectionals.”
Winning a regional would be an even bigger surprise. Even if Brebeuf can get past Indian Creek, it’s likely that Lebanon and prolific scorer Kristen Spolyar (36.3 ppg, 9.2 rebounds) would be waiting in the regional final.
“It feels like house money,” Mayer said. “This is new territory, but we’re having fun and we’ll come out ready to go.”
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Other area regionals
Class 4A
AT KOKOMO
Matchups: Zionsville (20-3) vs. Carmel (22-4), 10 a.m.; Homestead (24-2) vs. East Noble (18-9), noon; championship, 8 p.m.
At a glance: Zionsville is riding a wave of momentum after winning its first sectional title in 20 years. The Eagles are young and balanced, led by freshman Maddie Nolan (12.8 ppg, 2.9 steals). But it could come down to a Saturday night showdown between second-ranked and last year’s state runner-up Homestead versus seventh-ranked Carmel. Junior and Florida commit Karissa McLaughlin leads Homestead, while Carmel is led by sophomore Amy Dilk (11.7 ppg, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists) and senior Emily Kmec (11.2 ppg, 6.9 rebounds).
AT DECATUR CENTRAL
Matchups: Roncalli (22-4) vs. Lawrence North (20-3), 10 a.m.; Plainfield (24-2) vs. Greenfield-Central (22-4), noon; championship, 7:30 p.m.
At a glance: All four teams in this regional are state-ranked, though third-ranked Lawrence North has to be considered the favorite after reaching the semistate the past two years. The Wildcats were clicking from the 3-point line in the sectional, especially senior Lauren Dickerson. Lawrence North beat Roncalli 54-33 back on Jan. 9. McDonald’s All American and Kentucky recruit Lindsey Corsaro (25.0 ppg, 10.0 rebounds) leads Roncalli. Ninth-ranked Plainfield versus No. 10 Greenfield-Central should also be a competitive matchup. It’s the first regional appearance for Plainfield in a decade and first for Greenfield-Central in 12 years. The Quakers are led by juniors Kayla Casteel (13.2 ppg, 4.1 rebounds) and Riley Blackwell (12.3 ppg, 6.9 rebounds). Greenfield-Central is led by junior star Madison Wise (22.8 ppg, 10.5 rebounds).
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AT COLUMBUS NORTH
Matchups: Center Grove (12-12) vs. Columbus North (24-1), 10 a.m.; Bedford North Lawrence (19-7) vs. Evansville Central (23-2), noon; championship, 8 p.m.
At a glance: Defending state champion Columbus North is a different team this year without IndyStar Miss Basketball Ali Patberg, but junior Maliah Howard-Bass (18.7 ppg, 5.0 rebounds) has stepped into a starring role. Center Grove will attempt to pull the upset, led by senior Lauren Rau (14.0 ppg, 4.3 assists) and sophomore Cassidy Hardin (13.6 ppg).
Class 3A
AT COLUMBIA CITY
Matchups: Norwell (23-2) vs. Heritage Christian (22-4), 10 a.m.; Fort Wayne Concordia (14-11) vs. Tippecanoe Valley (24-1), noon; championship, 8 p.m.
At a glance: Heritage Christian (second), Tippecanoe Valley (fourth) and Norwell (fifth) are all ranked in the top five in the state. This is Heritage Christian’s first run in 3A after back-to-back state titles in 2A. Senior Tyasha Harris is one of the state’s best players. Tippecanoe Valley made it to the state finals a year ago, losing to Jackie Young and Princeton.
Class 2A
AT SPEEDWAY
Matchups: Cambridge City Lincoln (14-10) vs. Covenant Christian (20-5), 10 a.m.; Triton Central (15-10) vs. Monrovia (15-9), noon; championship, 7:30 p.m.
At a glance: Covenant Christian appears to have a good shot at its first regional title in program history. Junior Rachel McLimore (21.3 ppg, 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 steals) leads the Warriors. Triton Central is playing in a regional for the fourth time in five years.
Class A
AT SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)
Matchups: Bloomfield (19-5) vs. Jac-Cen-Del (23-1), 10 a.m.; Tindley (23-2) vs. Edinburgh (10-14), noon; championship, 7:30 p.m.
At a glance: This is arguably the best Class A regional with second-ranked Jac-Cen-Del, fifth-ranked Tindley and eighth-ranked Bloomfield in the field. Tindley has won its sectional five of the past six years and is looking to advance through the regional for the first time. The Tigers have five players averaging in double figures, led by senior Ariyan Hines (19.6 ppg) and sophomore Skye Williams (19.4 ppg).
Call IndyStar reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.