Insider: Here are 10 must-see Central Indiana girls basketball sectional matchups

The sectional round of the girls high school basketball state tournament begins Tuesday and there are a lot of good games around the area (and the state, for that matter).

Here are my picks for the 10-best matchups in Central Indiana.

The Scorers Table will be hosting LIVE recap shows this week. Stay tuned for details.

SECTIONAL PREVIEWS: 4A | 3A | 2A | A

Insider: 10 takeaways from sectional draw

10. Decatur Central vs. Ben Davis, 7:30 p.m. Wed., at Pike

On paper, Decatur Central should have the advantage over Ben Davis. It has double the wins (as of Thursday) and a solid young core with Kenadi Passley-Banks, Soriah Gouard, Havana Thompson and Kassie McMasters. But it would be unwise to write off the Giants with legendary coach Stan Benge patrolling the sidelines. Plus, they’re trending up with a win over Pike and competitive losses to Lawrence North and Westfield.

9. East Central vs. Whiteland, 6 p.m. Tues., at Whiteland

Whiteland finished above .500 for the first time since 2018-19 last season. Now it’s looking to win its first state tournament game since 2017. Standing in its way: East Central, which was hit hard by graduation last year, but was involved with a few narrow finishes down the stretch. Don’t expect a ton of points from this one, but it should be a close one.

8. Lutheran vs. Eminence, 7 p.m. Tues., at Eminence (aka The Eel Tank)

These are the top-two teams in Sectional 59 and their Jan. 13 meeting was decided by five points (Lutheran won). The Saints have more than doubled last season’s win total (5) and boast a nice 1-2 punch with Grace King and Caitlyn Brooks; Eminence has one of the area’s top small-school talents in Sophia Saucerman. Both teams are experienced, so there shouldn’t be much of a feeling-out process here. 

7. Brownsburg vs. Avon, 7 p.m. Tues., at Avon

Avon snapped a 27-game losing streak vs. Brownsburg in December, beating the Bulldogs for the first time since Jan. 3, 2008. Can they recreate that magic to extend their season? It’s a rivalry game in sectionals — expect the unexpected. If that’s not enough, Avon has an electrifying scorer in junior guard Aniah Smith and Brownsburg boasts a 6-6 center in Purdue commit Avery Gordon.

More: Avon’s Aniah Smith ‘makes the hard things look so easy.’ And she’s just getting started.

6. Lapel vs. Alexandria, 7:30 p.m. Wed., at Lapel

This is the third meeting between these fiery combatants in 2023-24. The big question: Can Lapel hold Jacklynn Hosier in check? The junior guard went for 27 points in their first meeting, but was limited to 15 points on 4-of-14 shooting with five turnovers at the Madison County tournament earlier this month. Then again, it may not matter if Lapel’s Laniah Wills and Madelyn Poynter are on their game.

5. North Central vs. Warren Central, 7 p.m. Tues., at Cathedral

Another quick turnaround from Friday. Warren Central, which beat NC, brings some serious firepower with senior Denyha Jacobs and sophomore Denell Jacobs. North Central rebounded from an 0-7 start with a run to the Marion County tournament finals, and has picked it up down the stretch. It rallied from an 18-point deficit to upset Zionsville, hung with Lawrence Central, then rallied to beat Pendleton Heights.

Her sister’s career casts a big shadow. Now, Talia Harris forming own path with Fishers.

4. Brebeuf Jesuit vs. Bishop Chatard, 6 p.m. Tues., at Bishop Chatard

The Braves get first crack at dethroning the defending regional champion Trojans, who beat Guerin Catholic by two in OT, Brebeuf by a point and Heritage Christian by four in double overtime to win their third consecutive sectional crown last season. A few young up-and-comers will be on display here, too, with Chatard sophomore Olivia Berzai and Brebeuf freshman Jailen Bowling. The Braves beat the Trojans by 14 on Friday.

3. Greenfield-Central vs. New Palestine, 6 p.m. Wed., at Pendleton Heights

Using the regular season as a barometer here. Greenfield-Central had three players score in double figures and shot 43% as a team, but still needed overtime to beat New Pal thanks to a 19-point (four 3-pointers), eight-rebound and six-assist performance by senior Allie Blum. Winner here likely advances to face the host Arabians.

2. Triton Central vs. Eastern Hancock, 6 p.m. Fri., at Scecina

The two best teams in the bracket, both ranked inside the top 15. Eastern Hancock, one of the favorites to win it all in 2A, beat Triton Central by nine back in early November, but the past two postseason meetings between these two teams have been much closer (triple overtime in 2022).

1. Sectional 8 semifinals

Hedging a bit here, but the matchups are set: Zionsville vs. Hamilton Southeastern/Westfield and Noblesville vs. Fishers/Carmel. Any combination of those matchups will be fascinating. HSE had to rally from a 10-point deficit to beat Zionsville last Friday; Westfield took the Eagles to overtime in early December. Noblesville lost to Carmel, while the Millers-Tigers matchup has decided the eventual 4A north champion in both of the past two seasons. A side plot: With reclassification on the horizon, this could be the final year of the vaunted Class 4A Sectional 8 tournament as we know it.

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.