We continue to break down each area regional coming up on Saturday. At Winamac, a pair of local squads look to capture a pair of wins and a regional championship.
Can anyone step up and knock off No. 3 Andrean?
The Class 2A Regional at Winamac begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
NORTH JUDSON (18-5) VS. ANDREAN (18-1), 11 A.M.
These two teams met last month with Andrean scoring the 12-point victory on the road. In fact, that was North Judson’s last loss, having won eight straight games since.
Neither team gives up a lot of points, with both allowing less than 40 points a contest. So expect another game where the team that scores 50 points will likely be the victor.
Senior Lilliann Frasure of North Judson leads the team in scoring at close to 24 points per game, but she was held to just 5-of-16 shooting against Andrean the first time around. Another sound defensive effort by the Fighting 59ers here will be key.
BOUNCE PICKS ANDREAN
BLUFFTON (14-10) VS. FAIRFIELD (14-8), 2 P.M.
In a lot of ways, these two squads are mirror images of each other. Both have been to the regional round recently, neither allow that many points on average and their offensives aren’t really explosive (both averaging less than 42 ppg).
So what to expect in this one? Fairfield’s youth with sophomores Brea Garber and Bailey Willard are going to have to find a way to match the veteran experience that Bluffton will employ. Emme Boots is the lone Tiger who averages in double figures, but she tends to come up big in key moments, whether it be in scoring or grabbing a key rebound.
In the end, Bounce is going to give the nod to the Tigers to advance to the final.
BOUNCE PICKS BLUFFTON
FINALS, 8 P.M.
Andrean’s lone loss of the season came in the regular-season finale to Crown Point, a team that is playing for its own regional championship this weekend at LaPorte in 4A. The Fighting 59ers have not won a regional title since 1999, but seem to be the heavy favorite in this field.
Andrean has three players who average in double digits in points. The problem for Bluffton will be that all three don’t just score. They can rebound, they can make the extra pass and they can run the floor. Senior Julia Schutz averages close to a double-double and has close to two blocks per contest to go along with it.
Bluffton is not a good three-point shooting team, so it is going to have to get down and dirty inside to try and score ugly. It has to keep Andrean well below its 64 points per game clip and make this game a tough, hard-nosed half-court game to have a shot.
BOUNCE PICKS ANDREAN
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tori Allen, Andrean: Averaging 14.9 points per game, the sophomore is a dangerous scorer whose most active role in the offense is as a facilitator, making her tough to handle. Allen has an eye for finding an open teammate, but she can also pull up and drain shots from the outside, evidenced by her 46 percent shooting from three-point range.
Zoe Barger, Bluffton: If the Tigers are going to capture their first regional crown since 1998, Barger will have to be physical and aggressive in the post. The center has scored in double figures in six of her last seven games and is a consistent presence on the boards. Barger needs to clean up errant shots and fill the bucket on Saturday.
Sophia Frasue, North Judson: The sophomore scored a season-high 27 points in the sectional championship win over Rensselaer Central, showing she has the composure to come through in big situations. She averages over 11 points per game and the guard has a solid pull-up jumper but is more comfortable breaking defenders down off the dribble.
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