IHSAA announces sectional pairings for 51st Annual Girls Basketball State Tournament

The Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) announced the sectional pairings Sunday night for the 51st Annual Girls Basketball State Tournament.

Sectional tournaments in all four classes begin Feb. 3 with sectional champions crowned on Feb. 7. Regional championships are Feb. 14 with semistates to follow on Feb. 21.

The four state champions will be crowned on Feb. 28 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.

First-year Shelbyville head coach Kylie Weichman will have to wait until Feb. 6 to make her postseason debut with the Golden Bears.

Shelbyville (12-8) drew the bye and will face the winner of Indian Creek (10-12) and the host, Rushville (3-20), in the first semifinal game.

The bottom half of the bracket features Class 3A, No. 2 Indianapolis Roncalli (19-3), the defending sectional champion. The Royals open against Beech Grove (13-8) in a quarterfinal contest.

The other quarterfinal pits Greenwood (1-19) against New Palestine (12-8).

Shelbyville’s last sectional title came in 2004.

Triton Central opened this season with a loss at Heritage Christian. To win a sectional championship, the Tigers may have to defeat the Eagles on their home floor on Feb. 7.

Class 2A, No. 15 Heritage Christian (13-8) opens Sectional 43 against KIPP Indy Legacy (8-7) with the winner advancing to face Indianapolis Scecina (5-11) in the first regional semifinal contest.

No. 16 Eastern Hancock (13-7) battles Christel House Academy (5-10) in the first quarterfinal game on Feb. 4. Triton Central (17-3), ranked No. 8, follows against Irvington Prep (1-14).

The Tigers opened the season 1-2 with losses to Eastern Hancock and Heritage Christian. To capture their first sectional title since 2021, they will likely have to defeat both a second time around.

Waldron is the host site for Class A, Sectional 59 which features eight teams.

Southwestern (3-17) lost to Edinburgh (11-9) Friday and will get a rematch with the Lancers in the sectional opener on Feb. 3.

The second quarterfinal that night pits Knightstown (13-6) against Morristown (10-9). The Panthers and Yellow Jackets are set to meet this week at Knightstown.

A Decatur County rivalry continues on Feb. 4 with North Decatur (9-11) taking on South Decatur (9-12), the defending sectional champion. The finale of the opening round has Tri (14-5) battling Waldron (6-10). The Titans and Mohawks have not faced each other this season. 

Southwestern’s last sectional title came in 2021. Waldron was last a sectional champion in 2022. Morristown’s last sectional trophy was earned in 2015.