With girls basketball postseason coming around quickly, Bounce is here to quick preview and discuss the area Sectionals, starting in Class 1A.
BETHANY CHRISTIAN SECTIONAL
Projected Winner: Blackhawk Christian
The defending champion Braves are a bit underrated in the area at 16-7. The program has had a great surge with Steph Gongaware as their coach; in her fourth year she has her third straight 15-plus win season. They have depth across the board and have won 3 of their last four heading into the postseason. While all eyes are on Hailee Kline (see below), don’t be shocked if Allie Boyer makes a major statement on the interior this week.
Senior player you can’t miss: Hailee Kline, Blackhawk Christian
The last chance to see Kline is this postseason and she may go down as the greatest Braves girls basketball player ever. And that isn’t a jump. Kline continues to be one of the best multi-faceted scorers in the area regardless of class.
Don’t be surprised if: Lakewood Park makes a run
The Panthers are a bit underrated too. While this sectional has just one above .500 team, the Panthers have some big quality wins. They just lost to Blackhawk Christian badly, but they also have some good wins under their belt including a recent win over an athletic and improved Wayne team. The Panthers will have to fight to get to the finals but I think there is plenty of fight in this group.
SCHEDULE
Tuesday
Elkhart Christian (7-12) vs. Lakewood Park (8-12), 6 p.m.
Fremont (6-15) vs. Bethany Christian (11-11), 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Blackhawk Christian (16-7) vs. Elkhart Christian/Lakewood Park, 6 p.m.
Hamilton (1-12) vs. Fremont/Bethany Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 7:30 p.m.
NORTHFIELD SECTIONAL
Projected winner: North Miami
With the co best record in this field, North Miami has lost their last three but after a three game winning streak. They are 5-2 against 1A teams this season. This is a young team, with just two seniors, but they have grown a lot during this season. Their 51.5 points per game shows that they can scorer as well as anyone in this Sectional.
Senior player you can’t miss: Emily Pennington, Northfield
She is her team’s second leading scorer but she can really be a heavy burden on the boards. Pennington averages 7.5 rebounds to go with her 8 .9 points per game. The 2 or 3 offensive boards she is good for a game give Northfield some really important second looks.
Don’t be surprised if: Anybody wins this Sectional
While North Miami is my favorite, they did just drop a 42-38 game to host Northfield, so a finals rematch could be a lot of fun. Nobody here is bad with only Southern Wells sitting with a losing record here. North Miami, Northfield and Southwood all have multiple wins against others in this Sectional, so the balance is really good.
SCHEDULE
Tuesday
Northfield (11-8) vs. Southern Wells (6-14), 7 p.m.
Friday
North Miami (12-8) vs. Lakeland Christian (12-8), 6 p.m.
Southwood (12-10) vs. Northfield/Southern Wells, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 7:30 p.m.
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