IHSAA Unveils 116th Boys State Previews, Pairings Ahead of March Sectionals

The Indiana High School Athletic Association held its Boys Basketball State Tournament Pairings show on Sunday evening, unveiling class-by-class previews and the bracket maps for the 116th edition of IHSAA statewide play. Pdclarion reported the 64 sectionals are scheduled March 3-7, and the Pairings show materials include game dates, times and team records that sources say are subject to change.

Sectional 31 will be hosted at Washington High School in the venue known locally as the Hatchet House. Pdclarion lists Game 1 as Vincennes Lincoln at Washington Tuesday, March 3, 5:30 P.M. Central Standard Time and Game 2 as Gibson Southern vs Jasper Tuesday, March 3, 7:30 P.M. CST. Pdclarion shows Vincennes Lincoln 11-12 and Gibson Southern 17-5 while Courierpress lists the same matchups but gives Vincennes Lincoln 10-13 and Gibson Southern 16-6; the two outlets also differ on Jasper (Pdclarion 13-7, Courierpress 12-8) and on Princeton Community (Pdclarion 4-18, Courierpress 4-3). Pdclarion notes Game 3, Princeton Community vs the Game 1 winner, is set for Friday, March 6, 5:30 P.M. CST.

Pdclarion flagged the six-team field at the Hatchet House as Princeton Community, Gibson Southern, Jasper, Southridge, Vincennes Lincoln and Washington and named coaches LaMar Brown at Princeton Community and Mark Rohrer at Gibson Southern. Courierpress added that Washington has won five straight under interim coach Brandt Schuckman and said No. 3 Princeton drew a favorable bracket that avoids Gibson Southern or Jasper until the sectional final.

Courierpress published additional sectional brackets across the region. At Boonville for Class 3A, Courierpress lists Bosse 13-8 vs Central 8-13 and Mount Vernon 12-9 vs Boonville 16-5, with Heritage Hills 17-5 waiting on the Game 2 winner for a possible rematch scenario; Courierpress wrote the bottom half is stacked with Boonville, Mount Vernon and Heritage Hills. In Class 2A at North Knox Courierpress shows Linton-Stockton 19-4 vs Eastern Greene 12-9 and West Vigo 14-7 vs North Knox 6-14, with South Knox 10-11 and Sullivan 16-6 completing the bracket.

Courierpress also listed an unnamed sectional with North 17-4 vs Castle 7-15 and Reitz 10-9 vs Harrison 11-9, noting North beat Castle by 24 in Newburgh last week and calling Reitz-Harrison an intriguing semifinal after a Feb. 13 two-point game where Reitz nearly surrendered a 16-point fourth-quarter lead.

The IHSAA preview packet included girls-state context as well, listing Roncalli at 27-3 and riding a 17-game win streak into a Saturday 3A final against Bellmont, listed at 24-3 with a 6 p.m. start. Roncalli junior guard Elliot Leffler is listed at 5-9 and averaging 18.8 points per game; Brennah Cerny is listed as a senior guard at 9.3 ppg and Catie Rosko at 7.0 ppg; Turk is listed at 6.6 ppg and Lydia Stahley at 6-2 with 5.4 ppg and 5.3 rebounds per game. Bellmont coach Andy Heim, noted as a 15th-year coach, traced the program turnaround from a 21-88 first five seasons and a 0-21 2013-14 mark to a past-decade ledger of 189-55 and 124 postseason games, saying, “Over the last few years, just think it’s been our defense, in general. A handful of years ago, we were mostly a 2-3 sort of matchup zone, and this year we’re basically man, and we pick you up full-court. I think what’s changed, really, with this team is we just have more offensive firepower than we had in the past. A bunch of scorers who can score from anywhere to back up with a good defense makes us dangerous.”

The Pairings show materials and Courierpress previews make clear more complete state-final previews will arrive closer to March 3. Pdclarion cautioned that times listed are Central Standard Time and records were those reported as of press time, and Courierpress summed it up plainly: “Anyway, the fun begins March 3.”