NORTH MANCHESTER – For the Manchester Lady Squires, there won’t be any unfamiliar opponents in this week’s Class 2A Sectional 37 at Rochester High School. Manchester has faced each of the teams in the seven-team sectional, though the Lady Squires are 1-7 against the rest of the field. Manchester’s lone win against the sectional field came against Southwood, a team the Lady Squires have also lost to. Manchester opens play in the 41st annual IHSAA girls state tournament on Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Oak Hill. Oak Hill, 17-5 on the season, beat Manchester 53-28 on Nov. 28 in North Manchester. “We play Oak Hill on Tuesday and we are looking forward to a rematch of a game earlier this season,” said second-year Manchester coach Jake Everett, whose team is 9-13 this season. “The girls have continued to improve every game and we are playing our best basketball heading into the tournament.” On Wednesday in Sectional 37, Lewis Cass and Southwood tip off at 6 p.m., followed by the host school and Northfield. Wabash drew a bye and will play in Friday’s 6 p.m. semifinal game against either Oak Hill or Manchester. The sectional final is scheduled for Saturday at 7:30 p.m. On paper, Rochester is favored to win the sectional title. The Lady Zebras are the defending sectional champs, and are 20-1 this season after advancing all the way to the semistate last season while playing in Class 3A. Rochester’s only loss this season is a 10-point setback to 3A power Tippecanoe Valley, who is 21-1 heading into the tournament. “Rochester is a very talented team, but our entire sectional is very competitive,” said Everett. “There isn’t a team in our sectional that can’t win it all. Home-court advantage helps in any game, but any team can win on any given night.” Junior Cierra Carter leads Manchester in scoring at 12.1 points per game, and also averages 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 2.4 assists per contest. “Cierra has stepped up to become our leading scorer this season,” said Everett. “She has improved her inside shooting as well.” Juniors Ellie Milam and Drew Thompson both average just under six points per game, while juniors Rae Bedke and Bailey Sewell and sophomore Sydney Day score right at four points per game. The Lady Squires won just one game two years ago. In Everett’s first season at the helm of the program, Manchester won eight games last year. Nine victories so far this season is another improvement, as the Lady Squires are in search of their first state tournament win since 2013 and their first sectional title since 2007. “Our program is always looking for improvement, and this year has seen significant growth by our girls,” said Everett. “It might now show up in wins and losses, but every player has gotten better than they were before. As each girl has improved individually, our team has gotten better collectively. That is a testament to the work ethics that our girls have brought with them to every practice this season.”
