With girls basketball postseason coming around quickly, Bounce is here to quick preview and discuss the area Sectionals, starting in Class 1A.
SECTIONAL AT LAKEWOOD PARK CHRISTIAN
Projected Winner: Bethany Christian
Is it like a double bye for the 15th ranked 1A team in the last ICGSA poll? Bethany Christian goes straight to Friday night’s semi final and gets matched up with a Hamilton team that has three wins and only one against an IHSAA sanctioned school. We expect Bethany, who came into the season as one of the top 1A teams in the area, to make a big run in the postseason with this Sectional being one of the tougher stretches because of a likely finals matchup either with Blackhawk Christian or a Lakewood Park team that beat a kind of shorthanded Bethany.
This is possibly the most balanced lineup in the Sectional field overall though with Zoe Willems pretty much able to do whatever she wants with the ball. The senior is averaging 20 points per game this season, while also averaging 9.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 4.8 steals per game. That is a wild stat line for anyone and when you throw a player like that into Class 1A, there is a real change Willems will dominate anyone across the floor from her.
Player you can’t miss: Ava McGrade, Lakewood Park
What else can you say but that McGrade is such a high end scorer in any class, let alone in Class 1A. She averages 20.5 points per game, the third player in program history to score over 1,000 points and she is just a junior. After scoring just two points in the season opener, McGrade has scored in double digits all but one other game. Along the way, she has five games of 30 or more points and has shot 49 percent from the field. McGrade can hurt you in a lot of ways, with a game of 8 made threes and a game of nine made threes with only four games where she has had less than two made threes in the game.
Don’t be surprised if: Blackhawk Christian emerges as the top team
Blackhawk has been under the radar but has been very good at 16-7 and they get the benefit of a bye right to Friday night’s semi final. Allie Boyer has been as solid and consistent as any post in the area throughout the season and that is against a schedule that is much tougher than this Sectional can put out. She also went over 1,000 career points. Could a lack of regular season games against this Sectional field hurt? I don’t think so because the Braves are 4-0 against Class 1A programs this season. The Braves are very much in the heart of this race and have won 3 of their last four Sectional titles.
SCHEDULE
LAKEWOOD PARK CHRISTIAN SECTIONAL
Tuesday, Jan. 30
Lakewood Park vs. Elkhart Christian, 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 2
Hamilton vs. Bethany Christian, 6 p.m.
Lakewood Park/Elkhart Christian vs. Blackhawk Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 3
Championship
SECTIONAL AT NORTHFIELD
Projected winner: Northfield
The Norsemen bring the best record into this bracket at 10-12 but its not like this is a team that gets blown out when they lose, in the negative by just over two points per game. They have won two straight coming into the postseason and three of their last four. Momentum matters when you have a bracket that looks, on paper, as balanced as this one kind of does. Senior Hannah Holmes does a lot to move the needle for Northfield, leading the team at 13.9 points and 11 rebounds per game. This team can hurt you much more on the inside with Camryn Kuhn shooting 41 percent inside the arc while also leading Northfield in three pointers with 16 makes.
Player you can’t miss: Kenzie Paxson, Southern Wells
Paxson just had a great double double game in a win over Heritage that got the Raiders over the long hump in the ACAC without a conference win. She is a tough player on the interior that makes room for herself and rebounds well. Can the Raiders carry late season momentum over? If so, she has the most of it to bring.
Don’t be surprised if: Anybody wins this Sectional
This Sectional has the fourth lowest winning percentage of any Sectional in the state. The good or bad of that is that everyone is pretty even here so it actually could be a balanced four team bracket where any of the teams could pull out a postseason title.
SCHEDULE
Friday, Feb. 2
Lakeland Christian vs. Southern Wells, 6 p.m.
Southwood vs. Northfield, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 3
Championship
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