Analyzing sectional matchups for Monrovia, Eminence, Indian Creek girls basketball

Sectional time is among us. By Tuesday of next week, the IHSAA girls' basketball tournament will be in full swing, and local Class 3A-to-A schools Monrovia, Eminence and Indian Creek will have hopes of adding another trophy to their collection.

Here's a breakdown of each team's postseason outlook and what it'll take to hoist a sectional trophy on Feb. 4.

Class 3A, Sectional 25: Monrovia

Sectional opponents: Tri-West Hendricks, Danville, Crawfordsville, Western Boone, Lebanon, Cascade.

Results vs. sectional opponents: L, 53-49 (OT), Western Boone; L, 64-26, Cascade; W, 64-39, Crawfordsville.

Keys for Monrovia

They ought to call Monrovia's grouping bracket IN-39 considering six of the seven schools are located on, or minutes from, the state highway. Fortunately for Monrovia, its first-round opponent Tri-West and prospective second-round opponent Danville are two of its closest, outside of Cascade.

That said, Sectional 25 is loaded and sure to be a battle. Starting with Tri-West, the Bulldogs have dropped eight straight to the Bruins, with the latest being a 58-42 loss in 2020. However, unlike all the teams of Tri-West’s past, this one has seen plenty of adversity, which could prove favorable to Monrovia, but it won’t come without a challenge.

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For starters, the wins and losses against common foe rank quite even. Both took Western Boone to overtime and lost, beat Crawfordsville handily, defeated Cardinal Ritter by similar scores and suffered big losses to Cascade.

The difference, outside of wins, comes down to chemistry. The Bulldogs have been on a roll since Dec. 21, winning eight consecutive games from then to Jan. 18. The tandem of Ashley Lewis (15.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.1 steals) and Emery Newlin (11.6 points, 5.3 steals, 4.4 assists, 3.3 rebounds) has been remarkable. As long as they perform as they have all season, Monrovia will have a great chance of capturing the win.

A second-round meeting with Danville would be a tall task. The Warriors have rolled through the majority of fellow sectional opponents, outside of Cascade. Topping them will require a stellar defensive performance as they average 59.7 points per game and show great chemistry (16.7 assists per game). But considering how well the Bulldogs have played of late, they should like their odds.

Class 3A, Sectional 26: Indian Creek

Sectional opponents: Owen Valley, Northview, South Vermillion, Brown County, West Vigo, Edgewood.

Results vs. sectional opponents: W, 76-48 v. Owen Valley; W, 62-18 v. Edgewood; W, 60-33 v. Brown County; W, 46-29 v. Northview; W, 69-30 v. West Vigo.

Keys for Indian Creek

The feeling of déjà vu will be present for Indian Creek heading into the sectional. The Braves have not only faced five of six opponents in the bracket, but they've topped all but South Vermillion, which wasn't featured on the team's schedule this season.

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There's little denying the No. 11 Braves are considered favorites to win the sectional. They took down Owen Valley, their first-round opponent, 76-47 in December. They also topped both potential second-round opponents by large margins, defeating Edgewood 62-18 and West Vigo 69-30. Northview, a potential sectional championship opponent, played Indian Creek closest, and even that game was decided by 17 points.

Of course, the Braves don't want to overlook their sectional foes. Any good team can have a bad night or be caught by surprise. Overall, there shouldn't be much worry for the team who boasts only a single loss and has defeated nine of 10 Class 4A opponents, especially with Lauren Foster (20.2 points, 4.5 assists) and Faith Wiseman (16.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.6 blocks) guiding the ship.

Class A, Sectional 59: Eminence

Sectional opponents: Indianapolis Lutheran, Tindley, Central Christian Academy, Greenwood Christian.

Results vs. sectional opponents: W, 51-42 v. Tindley; W, 46-17 v. Central Christian; W, 55-35 v. Lutheran.

Keys for Eminence

It took some time, but the Eels seem to have unlocked the formula for success with first-year coach Greg Burton. Eminence started the year 0-4, then rattled off wins in 14 of 16 with an eight-game win streak meeting its end on Jan. 20 in a close 43-40 loss to South Putnam.

Heading into the tournament, the Eels have to like their chances at capturing their first sectional title since the 1998-99 season. Not only do they receive the bye, thus putting them in the sectional championship game with a semifinal win, but they've also already topped their first opponent, Lutheran, 55-35 on Jan. 14. Not to mention they're also hosting.

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Not only all of that, but they've also defeated Central Christian (46-17) and Tindley (51-42), two teams it could play in the championship should they beat the Saints. The only team the Eels haven't seen is Greenwood Christian.

One thing Eminence has excelled at this season is playing as a cohesive unit from top to bottom. There's not one dominant scorer despite certain starters, like Natalie Hubbard and Danica Myers, showing they're more than capable of doing so. It's more of a mixed-bag approach, which certainly has its advantages.

Sophia Saucerman is the lead scorer at 11.8 points per game, also contributing 8.6 rebounds on average. Hubbard (9.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 2.2 assists) and Myers (9.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.2 steals) closely follow, plus Bella Dittemore's (7.8 points, 3.3 rebounds) contributions.

As long as the team continues playing the way it has, there's a strong chance it walks away with a sectional trophy. Postseason basketball is never easy, but this team, given all the talent and favorable matchups, has plenty of potential to make a run this postseason.

Contact reporter Devin Voss at dvoss@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @DevinVoss23.

This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: IHSAA girls sectional matchups for Monrovia, Eminence, Indian Creek