Sectional Pairings Announced for 2021-22 IHSAA Girls Basketball State Tournament

Monday, January 24, 2022 at 10:04 AM

Its survive and advance season.

East Central celebrates their second-consecutive sectional championship. Photo by Travis Thayer, Eagle Country 99.3.

INDIANAPOLIS - The road to Indianapolis starts next Tuesday for girls high school basketball teams throughout the state.

The 47th annual IHSAA Girls Basketball State Tournament Pairings Show took place on Sunday evening.

Sectionals will begin on Tuesday, February 1 and will run through Saturday, February 5. The Regional round will be held on Saturday, February 12, followed by semi-state games on Saturday, February 19.

The State Finals will be contested at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis on Saturday, February 26.

Locally, the East Central Lady Trojans are seeking their 3rd consecutive sectional championship. The Lady Trojans will face Columbus North in the first round. The two met in the sectional championship a season ago, a game East Central won on their home floor by a score of 38-29. East Central also defeated Columbus North 47-31 on December 9.

The Lady Trojans are the highest ranked team in Sectional 14 at #13 in Class 4A.

At Class 3A Sectional 29, Rushville is the defending champions, knocking off Lawrenceburg in the title game (47-26). Both teams are once again positioned on opposite sides of the bracket, setting up a possible rematch. According to the Sagarin, Rushville and Lawrenceburg are the top two teams in the sectional. However, Greensburg has won the sectional four times since 2016, including three-straight from 2018-2020.

For Lawrenceburg, they are seeking their first sectional championship since 1981. It has been a lengthy drought for South Dearborn as well, with their last sectional title coming in 2002. Lawrenceburg will play Connersville in the first round. South Dearborn has the bye and awaits the winner of Franklin County and Rushville in the semifinals.

South Ripley has won four of the last five championships at Sectional 45, including last year’s title game over Switzerland County. The Lady Raiders (12-8) are among the favorites again this year but will play a very tough North Decatur (14-6) team in the first round. Switzerland County (15-5) expects to be a factor in the sectional. The Lady Pacers will play South Decatur in the opening round. Switzerland County has not won the sectional since 2015.

The Class 1A Sectional 60 at Waldron will feature two of the top-ranked teams in the state. Fifth-ranked Jac-Cen-Del will look to reclaim glory at the sectional after their 12-year championship streak was snapped a season ago by Southwestern (Shelbyville). Jac-Cen-Del will play Hauser in the first round. The Lady Eagles netted a 25-point win over Hauser on December 1.

Sectional 60 also features #1 Waldron. The Lady Mohawks are 19-1 and 7-0 against sectional opponents, including a three-point win over Jac-Cen-Del in December.

Rising Sun and Oldenburg Academy will play the opening game in Sectional 60. The Lady Shiners have not won a sectional since 2003.

Sectional pairings featuring local schools can be seen below.

Class 4A Sectional 14 at Bloomington North

G1: Columbus East vs. Bloomington North

G2: Columbus North vs. East Central

G3: Martinsville vs. G1 Winner

G4: Bloomington South vs. G2 Winner

Championship: G3 Winner vs. G4 Winner

Class 3A Sectional 29 at Greensburg

G1: Franklin County vs. Rushville

G2: Lawrenceburg vs. Connersville

G3: Batesville vs. Greensburg