Pike 79, Brownsburg 68: Red Devils Win Sectional 11; First Since 2020

Saniya Smith, a junior guard, scored 18 points on 4-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc and paced Pike to a 79-68 win over Brownsburg that decided the Class 4A Sectional 11 championship at Plainfield High School. Pike’s scoring punch and second-chance production turned a high-scoring night into the program’s big payoff.

The game, played Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Plainfield High School, did not hinge on perimeter accuracy: Pike shot just 38 percent for the game and was 6-for-22 from three. The Red Devils compensated with 14 offensive rebounds, including five from Jeffers and four from Elyssa Nichols, and depth that saw eight players log at least 10 minutes, with two others getting nearly a quarter each. Jeffers said, "We realized that to get back to this next step, which we are going to do, it is just about us coming together and having our grit and being willing to work."

Coach Keith Hollins emphasized team-first decision making after the win, praising the opponent and stressing collective focus. He said, "(Plainfield coach Curt) Benge does a great job," and, "We told the team tonight that every decision has to be about the team. You have to make the decision, 'Is it going to hurt the team or help the team?' That’s what it was all about tonight." Fans provided a charged atmosphere, with crowd noise and chants audible as the clock wound down.

The victory was framed in two different ways in aftermath coverage: one account called the result Pike’s first sectional title since 2020, ending a drought, while another noted that fans chanted "Three-Peat!" as the clock expired, implying a third consecutive sectional crown. Those characterizations conflict and will need verification against sectional records to settle Pike’s recent title history.

Pike’s road to the final included a dramatic semifinal comeback. On Friday night the Red Devils rallied from a 29-18 halftime deficit to stun Plainfield 54-51, a sequence sparked when sophomore Landon Lampley attacked Noah Smith and drew his third foul. Pike then ran a 13-0 stretch fueled by Lampley’s rim pressure, Miller’s rebounding and four forced turnovers. In the other semifinal, Brownsburg advanced by outlasting a furious fourth-quarter rally from Ben Davis in a 77-73 shootout. The semifinal night drew a packed, standing-room-only crowd and set up Saturday’s heavyweight matchup.

Looking ahead, Pike is scheduled to play Lawrence Central, a team listed at 20-4, in a regional game next week; the Indiana High School Athletic Association is set to release the game site by Sunday morning. Pike’s combination of offensive rebounding and rotation depth gives the Red Devils a tangible advantage as they shift from sectional celebration to postseason logistics and travel planning. The program now heads into regionals with physical rebounding numbers, a multi-player rotation, and momentum from a 79-68 sectional title victory.