Girls basketball state tournament pairings released by IHSAA

A field of 388 teams and 5,291 participants will begin play
as the 31st Annual IHSAA Girls Basketball State Tournament Series tips off next
week at 64 sites around the state.

One site ââ?¬â?? the nine-team
Class A Sectional 56 at Eminence ââ?¬â?? will get
action under way on Monday, Feb. 6, with the majority of sites scheduled to
begin the following night. Sectional play continues through the week, with
championship games set for Saturday, Feb. 11. The regional round is slated for
Feb. 18, semistates Feb. 25, and the state finals at Conseco Fieldhouse March
4. In all, 384 games will be played over the four-week period.

At the state finals, there will be a championship game in
each of the four classes, beginning with Class A at 10:36 a.m. EST and followed
immediately by the Class 2A game. After a mid-afternoon break, the second
session will begin with the Class 3A championship game at 6:06 p.m. EST,
followed by the Class 4A game.

Among the defending state champions, host Tri-Central ââ?¬â?? winner of three straight Class A championships and
currently ranked No. 1 ââ?¬â?? will meet Southern
Wells in Sectional 54. In 2A, Shenandoah will open first-round play on its own
floor against Alexandria
in Sectional 41. South Bend St. Joseph�s will face New Prairie in the first
round of Class 3A�s Sectional 19 at Knox, and 4A North Central (Indianapolis)
will head to Sectional 9 at Hamilton Southeastern to play Westfield.

In addition to Tri-Central, other top-ranked teams in this
week�s state coaches poll are Heritage Christian in Class 2A, which drew host
Triton Central in Sectional 43; Class 3A�s Lebanon,
which hosts Western Boone in Sectional 25; and Class 4A South Bend Washington,
which meets LaPorte in Sectional 3 at South Bend Riley.

Four member schools will be making their first appearance in
the girls basketball state tournament: Bethesda Christian and University (both
in Sectional 56), Liberty Christian (Sectional 54), and Trinity Lutheran
(Sectional 59). Each is assigned to Class A.

Shenandoah, in Class 2A, leads the state with six
consecutive sectional championships. Castle (4A) follows with five straight,
while Garrett (2A), Gary West (4A), South Bend St. Joseph�s (3A), and Valparaiso (4A) each have won four in a row.

Rushville owns the most all-time sectional championships
with 23. Bedford North Lawrence and Valparaiso
trail with 20 each and are followed by Ben Davis, Kokomo, NorthWood, and Sullivan with 18
apiece.