Exactly a week after finally getting over the hump and defeating Northridge for the school’s first girls basketball sectional title in nine years, Warsaw will have another difficult task to deal with. In the regional round, the Lady Tigers will head west to LaPorte High School for a top-five showdown with South Bend Washington with a spot in the Semi-State round on the line.
The matchup is perhaps the biggest across the entire state this week. Two of the top four scoring teams in the state. Six Division I commits. By the end of the game, there will be six 1,000 point scorers on the court, three on both sides. Two incredible basketball teams will take the court on Saturday, but only one will cut down the nets.
“There’s going to be so much talent on the court, we can’t let that get to us,” junior guard Brooke Zartman said. “We’ll have to stay focused and play our best basketball if we want to win.”
Both teams have just one loss this season, to teams that also happen to be top five teams in Indiana. No. 3 Homestead handed Warsaw its lone loss a couple of weeks ago, while No. 2 Lawrence Central back in November. While the loss to the Lady Spartans ended the Lady Tigers’ bid at a perfect season, the team has taken the lessons from that defeat and used them to get better.
“We’ve been battle tested. We know how to win and we know how to lose,” Brooke Winchester said. “We’ve been through everything this game has thrown at us and have had our weaknesses shown to us. We’re ready for anything.”
“I think the girls were a little frozen by the moment, but that’s a normal thing to have happen,” head coach Lenny Krebs said. “We get stuck on who we have to play, but we need to remember that the other team has to play Warsaw. They can forget that they are also a really good ball club.”
Now, the next loss for either team will be its last. Warsaw comes into the game after a pair of double-digit wins in the sectional, defeating Elkhart 67-36 in the semifinals before taking down Northridge 71-54 in the championship game. Junior guard Joslyn Bricker was the story of that title game, scoring a career-high 34 points to lead the way. As a competitor, Bricker would love to do it again in the regional, but winning is her top priority.
“I think what’s cool about our team is that on any given night any one of us can have that big game, it depends on how we’re being played,” she said. “We have so many great players that can get it done for us and we don’t care who gets the credit for it as long as we win.”
The stats back her up. Four players average double figures for the Lady Tigers, led by Bricker and her 18.6 a night. Zartman is right behind her at 18.5, while Winchester averages a double-double with 12.8 points and 10 rebounds a night. Alexis Neely, who had a double-double of her own (12 points, eleven rebounds) in the sectional championship game, averages 10.1 a night. All four of these players have led the team in scoring in different games this season.
On the opposing side, the talent is just as strong. Just three players average double figures, led by Monique Mitchell’s 18.7 a night. Kira Reynolds is a monster on both ends, averaging 15.1 points, 13.4 rebounds and 6.6 blocks a game. She also leads the team with six assists a night. She isn’t the only tremendous two-way player on the team, as Ryiah Wilson averages 14.5 points and 6.2 steals.
After escaping Penn with a 28-27 win in the sectional opener, the Lady Panthers defeated Michigan City 61-32 and South Bend Riley 65-38 for the team’s fifth straight sectional championship.
“They have three 1,000 point scorers. Three D-I players. They’re obviously a very talented team. We’re going to have to take care of the basketball and play disciplined,” Krebs said. “We’ve found ways to score all season long and we’ll have to continue to do that. Most importantly, we need to keep them off of the boards. Hold them to one shot per possession. This is a great opportunity to show ourselves what we’re made of.”
“I think the key will be switching defenses against them,” senior Braylie Chastain said. “We can’t keep throwing the same things at them. We can’t let them get used to it and keep scoring the same way over and over again.”
While the two teams haven’t faced off this season, they met a few years ago at a Lady Tiger Tournament during the 2022-23 season. Washington won that game 70-49.
“I remember being a little freshman starting against the No. 2 team in the state,” Zartman said. “I was intimidated a little bit by their size and athleticism. We’ve definitely gotten better since then.”
As Krebs said, while Warsaw has to play South Bend Washington, Washington has to play Warsaw. The players have acknowledged that while this game will be the biggest test they’ve had in their careers, they are not planning on changing anything.
“They’re a very good team and will be challenging but we need to stay true to who we are,” senior Abbey Peterson said. “It’s gotten us this far so our confidence is going to be important to keep.”
The game will be the second of two 4A regional games at LaPorte High School Saturday afternoon. The first game will see Hammond Central taking on Valparaiso.