What we learned from opening evening of ihsaa girls basketball sectional

On February 8, 2025By Littum

Gibson Southern, Central and Northeast Dubois were among the teams that impressed to begin the section
IHSAA State Tournament continues Wednesday with a handful of games

Evansville – There is nothing like the opening night for Hoosier Hysteria.

Day one of IHSAA -Girls Basketball Section is complete all over the southwest Indiana. What it lacked in disturbances it compensated with quality games. A defending state champion passed his first test in a new class. Another possible section champion bent after a game.

Let’s unpack what we learned from the start of autumn games.

This version of Gibson Southern can go far in the tournament

Class 4A section in Reitz was arguably the hardest for disability. You can thank a brutally blindly feature and competitive field. One of the bigger questions: How will Gibson Southern appear?

The titans responded emphatically with a 61-51 victory over the north on Tuesday. Gibson Southern never drew in a physical battle worthy of a later round. It never came to feel comfortable. Management was a single point in the second half. Huskies were within four in the last minutes.

This type of challenge was expected after winning the 3A title last year. If the titans repeat the effort? Take care.

“I thought this was one of our best team winner all season,” said Gibson Southern coach Kyle Brasher. “Everyone who played contributed. If we can get that kind of depth, we will be hard to beat.”

Few teams can match the advanced individual talent in Gibson Southern (18-6). Murray State Recruits Gabby Spink delivered 22 points and six rebounds while navigating double teams in Backcourt. Paige Schnaus (seven points, 10 boards, three blocks) controlled the middle of the defense.

What stood out was everyone else. Lydia Maurer had nine of her 12 points in the second half. Taylor Weyer added 11 from the bench, giving this lineup an extra defender and scoring. Sophomore had knee surgery in August and did not return until January.

“We thought she would fight for a starting point this year,” Brasher said. “When you bring back a talent like that late in the year, it’s like a acquisition of the trade deadline.”

Libby Blythe had a team high 16 points in his last game for North (14-10). Maddy Walters shone with 13 points from the bench. Freshman Guard Lexi Scott also made up 11 points and six rebounds.

Gibson Southern understands that this cannot be a one-night effort. Castle (15-7) brings a similar intensity and several three-point shooters. If the titans move on to the championship, they would potentially face Reitz (17-5) on his home ground.

“Every single team we have to play in this section is good,” Spink said. “They want it as bad as we do. We know how we win. If we continue to bring intensity and know that any acting is a stamp, we have to continue to beat and fight.”

Central continues to play at a high level

It may be impossible to break down the bears in section 32 if they act like this twice more.

Central defeated Boonville 76-37 in the first round. Show-stop number? A season high 14 three-pointers. It may not be a program record. Either way, this was a championship effort to begin the tournament. Four reached double for the bears: Mya Skelton 22, Maddy Shirley 21, Olivya Hile 14 and Aubrie Durham 13.

“I always thought we had that potential,” said central coach David Alexander. “We talked post -game when shots don’t fall like that, you have to make sure you don’t live and die (triangles). We’ve been able to adjust and find other ways to score.”

Emily Parker had a game-high 25 points for Boonville (6-18). The challenge now too central is to remain focused. Next, Mount Vernon (0-21) is in the semi-finals. The winner gets Heritage Hills, a 55-25 winner over Bosse in the first round or memorial.

“If you want to win a section,” Alexander said. “You have to be the best team in the whole week. You have to lock in for six days.”

Section 64 Favorite beats another competitor in the first round

If there is a team that had a possible complaint with the blind feature, an argument belongs to Northeast Dubois.

Round one: A Remove with No. 12 Wood Memorial. Round two: 14-Win Evansville Christian. Championship: A third win of five nights against Spring’s Valley or Tecumseh. No one on that path has a losing record.

There is no argumentation of No. 11 jeeps that passed their first challenge with a 32-20 victory against the Trojans. Ignore the scoring. A win over the defending section champions is always a positive result. Northeast Dubois (17-6) now appears as the undisputed favorite to earn his first title since 2018.

Other thoughts over the southwestern Indiana:

Jasper defeated a sluggish start to beat Vincennes Lincoln 54-39 in section 31. Brooke Kleiser (16), Carlee Rogers (15) and Emily Kleiser (13) were all in double. Survive and advance is still the name of the game.
Vincenne’s rivet had a little trouble beating Washington Catholic. The headline was Senior Mary Herman, who dropped a program single-game record of 44 points in the 76-4 win.
No true disturbance means we get better matchups this weekend. Some of the best semi -final games on Friday: Castle vs. Gibson Southern, Princeton vs. Jasper, South Knox against Sullivan and Evansville Christian vs. Northeast Dubois.