NW Indiana Girls Basketball Renegade Class 4A Sectionmal/Regional Preview

2003-2004 Girls Basketball

'The Renegade' Sectional / Regional

Preview: Class 4A

A USA-365.com Special Report

(2-7-2004)

1. 6:00 Tue (Feb. 10) East Chicago [14-4] at Highland [17-4]**
2. 7:30 Tue (Feb. 10) Munster [6-13] at Lowell [13-7]**
3. 6:00 Fri (Feb. 13) Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
4. 7:30 Fri (Feb. 13) Gary West Side [17-2] vs. Lake Central [10-9]
5. 7:30 Sat (Feb. 14) Championship - 7:30 p.m.

Sectional (2) Two.... CROWN POINT

1. 6:00 Tue (Feb. 10) Merrillville [17-2] vs. Valparaiso [17-2]
2. 7:30 Tue (Feb. 10) Chesterton [14-6] vs. Crown Point [13-6]
3. 6:00 Fri (Feb. 13) Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
4. 7:30 Fri (Feb. 13) Hobart [10-9] vs. Portage [8-10]
5. 7:30 Sat (Feb . 14) Championship - 7:30 p.m.

Sectional (3) Three..... (South Bend) RILEY (EST)

1. 6:00 Tue (Feb. 10) Michigan City [4-15] at South Bend Adams [5-13]
2. 7:30 Tue (Feb. 10) South Bend Riley [12-7] at LaPorte [4-15]
3. 6:00 Fri (Feb. 13) Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
4. 7:30 Fri (Feb. 13) South Bend Clay [11-8] vs. South Bend Washington [19-0]
5. 7:30 Sat (Feb. 14) Championship - 7:30

Sectional (4) Four....... GOSHEN (EST)

1. 6:00 Tue (Feb. 10) Elkhart Memorial [13-6] vs. Goshen [6-13]
2. 7:30 Tue (Feb. 10) Mishawaka [4-15] vs. Concord [9-10]
3. 6:00 Fri (Feb. 13) Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
4. 7:30 Fri (Feb. 13) Penn [14-5] vs. Elkhart Central [1-17]
5. 7:30 Sat (Feb. 14) Championship - 7:30 p.m.

VALPARAISO: This is a foursome of sectionals that are opposites. In Gary and Crown Point, the favorites have very difficult paths to the finals. In South Bend and Goshen, Washington (19-0) and Penn (14-5) got first round byes and are strong favorites.

This regional bracket will change dramatically on opening night. If Highland, playing on their home floor against East Chicago in the East Chicago Sectional (I cannot explain it in any way) beats East Chicago, it opens the door for Gary West Side to gangster the entire field. I see West Side as much too deep for Lake Central, much too athletic for Highland and a perfect match for Washington.

If the Merrillville-Valparaiso sectional quarterfinal winner is Merrillville, as is expected, they will have to beat Crown Point for the second time in eight days (and the third time this season) in the CP Sectional semifinals. That's unlikely. The Pirates are stronger in the front court than CP is but CP is better in the backcourt and they can attack the Pirates full court, as East Chicago did early in the year.

Crown Point matches up with Merrillville much better than they do against Valparaiso, despite CP's upset win on Jan. 30. CP has a 6-foot freshman in Anjellica Rospond and a tough 5-9 sophomore in Jackie Clements who can be used in tandem with 5-10 Blayre Reeves and Jill Weiand against larger teams.

CP doesn't need bench help in the backcourt where region MVP Cassie Pruzin (17 ppg. 6 spg, 6 apg, 5 rpg) will be hard to stop by anyone in this area. Valpo's Lauren Hutton is not enough of an offensive threat to hurt Merrillville but Pruzin and 5-8 CP junior Kaitlyn Sertich are. Hobart and Portage just don't match up against Merrillville, Chesterton Crown Point or Valparaiso. They just aren't good enough although one of them will get a one-game upset shot. But Crown Point be the upset sectional winner on their home floor, where they are 8-2 this season. The draw set them up and they are playing well.

Somebody's kidding somebody that Washington played a weak schedule. Check it out. Washington is an offense-oriented press and transition team and those teams usually don't win in the state tournament. Coaches preach defense but West Side, a press and run team, is the two-time regional champ and St. Joseph's an offense-oriented squad, is a 3A state finalist. They got beat by the best offensive player in the state in Katie Geralds. Shenandoah, another pressing team with two good offensive players at guard, won the 2A title.

Defense puts you in position to win, but as Highland and Valpo prove, defense-oriented teams more often than not, lose when they run into deep, skilled offensive squads or run-and-press transition outfits. A lot of good defensive girls teams are good because they play teams they overmatch enrollment-wise and size-wise. Penn has played a great schedule and they can be competitive. But the offense isn't there. They won't survive the regional semifinals.

If CP gets as far as I think they will, it will end against West Side. The Cougars with Belinda Drake and Isabella Rhenwick are skilled enough to get an even break with CP's backcourt of Pruzin and Sertich. The Bulldogs can throw a half dozen defenses against West Side but CP truly does not have a consistent front court scorer and those are the people who will get one-on-one opportunities against West Side.

Gary West Side has failed twice at the regional level. They are led by a senior guard and have 15 varsity players. Fouls will not affect this team. Crown Point, East Chicago and Valparaiso are still teams of the future. They have not paid their dues. Teams do not often go from losing in the sectional one season to the semistate the next.

West Side has two regional losses to motivate them. While other teams are crying, 'Nobody expected us to get this far'...West Side will say, "A lot of people DID expect us to get this far and so did we."