Girls state basketball tourney pairings announced by IHSAA

A field of 390 teams, the most since 1984, will begin play as the 32nd Annual IHSAA Girls Basketball State Tournament Series tips off next week at 64 sites around the state.
A majority of sites are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Feb. 6, with play continuing through the week with championship games set for Saturday, Feb. 10. The regional round is slated for Feb. 17, semi-states on February 24 and the state finals at Conseco Fieldhouse on March 3. In all, 386 games will be played over the four-week period.
In the first game at Class 3A Scottsburg’s Charles E. Meyer Gymnasium, the host Warriorettes (12-7) face off against three-time defending champion Corydon Central (11-8) on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
The adversaries are the only two squads in the sectional with winning records.
The second game that evening pits Silver Creek (3-16) versus Salem (9-10).
Tuesday’s winners play the first game on Friday night at 6, followed by the ‘bye-game’ between North Harrison (9-10) and Madison (9-9).
Both Scottsburg and Corydon are 4-1 against sectional opponents, with Madison and North at 2-2, followed by Salem and Silver Creek at 1-4.
Since the multi-class basketball era began with the 1997-98 season, either Corydon or North Harrison has won all but one sectional championship. The lone exception was in 2001 when Salem ousted North Harrison.
At Class 2A Forest Park, the opening game of the first session pits two of the top teams in the state in their class as No. 4-ranked Crawford County (18-1) battles No. 5-ranked Southridge (17-1) on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Play continues on Wednesday at 6 as South Spencer (7-12) and Tell City (15-4) square off, followed by a tussle between North Posey (7-11) and Forest Park (15-3).
On Friday at 6, Perry Central (8-12) awaits Tuesday night’s winner, followed by a game between Wednesday’s victors.
Southridge is 4-1 against sectional opponents, followed by Crawford and Forest Park (3-1), Tell City (5-2), South Spencer (3-4), Perry Central (1-6) and North Posey (0-4).
At Class 1A New Washington, Lanesville (9-11) will try to derail the host Lady Mustangs (13-8) on Tuesday at 7.
Sectional play continues Wednesday at 6 as Christian Academy of Indiana (7-13) battles Henryville (9-11). The second game of the evening pits No. 9-ranked and four-time defending sectional champion South Central (16-5) against Restoration Christian (3-17).
South is a perfect 8-0 against sectional opponents, followed by New Washington (5-2), Lanesville (5-3), Henryville (4-5), Borden (3-5), CAI (2-5) and Restoration Christian (0-7).
The championship game for all sectionals will be played on Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m.
The cost of admission to sectional events is $5 per session, or $9 for an all-session pass.
Sectional champions advance to the regional round, which will be played Feb. 17.
The champion at Scottsburg will take on the winner at the Evansville Bosse Sectional in the first game at Jasper, with the victors at Vincennes Lincoln and West Vigo squaring off.
The remainder of the regional pairings are as follows: Forest Park Regional ‘ Winner at Providence vs. Winner at Forest Park; Winner at Cascade vs. Winner at Paoli. Southwestern (Shelby) Regional ‘ Winner at Springs Valley vs. Winner at Southwestern (Shelby); Winner at New Washington vs. Winner at Jac-Cen-Del.
Teams will be assigned to semi-state sites after the regional round is completed. The two sites for the southern semi-states are Southport and Jeffersonville.
South Central is the defending state runner-up in Class 1A.
TOURNEY HISTORY
All-time sectional titles: Corydon Central (15) ‘ 1978-1979, 1981, 1983-87, 1989, 1997-1998, 2000, 2004-2006. Crawford County (3) ‘ 1977, 1982, 1993. North Harrison (10) ‘ 1988, 1990-92, 1994-1996, 1999, 2002-2003. South Central (4) ‘ 2003-2006. Lanesville (0).
All-time regional titles: Corydon Central (2) ‘ 2000, 2005. South Central (2) ‘ 2003, 2006. North Harrison (1) ‘ 2003.
All-time semi-state titles: Corydon Central (1) ‘ 2005. South Central (1) ‘ 2006.