MEDIA INFORMATION                                                                     

January 27, 2008

Contact: Jason Wille, Sports Information Director

E–Mail: jwille@ihsaa.org

PAIRINGS ANNOUNCED FOR GIRLS BASKETBALL STATE TOURNAMENT

Three hundred ninety-one teams were bracketed this evening in downtown Indianapolis for the 33^rd Annual IHSAA Girls Basketball State Tournament which begins next week.

Sectional games are scheduled to run Monday, Feb. 4, through Saturday, Feb. 9, at 64 sites around the state. The regional round is slated for Feb. 16, semi-states on Feb. 23 and the state finals on March 1 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. In all, 387 games will be played over the four-week period.

Among the defending state champions, Class A No. 1 Oregon-Davis will host Argos in Sectional 50. In 2A, two-time defending champ and top-ranked Heritage Christian will open at home against Park Tudor in Sectional 43. Class 3A winner Brebeuf Jesuit will face Indianapolis Bishop Chatard in the first round of Sectional 26 at Beech Grove and, in 4A, South Bend Washington will host South Bend Clay in Sectional 3.

Other top-ranked teams in this week’s poll from the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association include 4A No. 1 Ben Davis which opens with Decatur Central in Sectional 12 at Avon. In 3A, No. 1 Wawasee takes on host NorthWood in Sectional 21.

One member school, Tindley of Indianapolis, will be making its first appearance in the girls basketball state tournament. The Tigers will compete in Class A, Sectional 59 at University. Another school, Morton Memorial, is entering the tournament for the first time since 1998 and will participate in Class A, Sectional 58 at Southwestern (Shelbyville).

Shenandoah, in Class 2A, leads the state with eight consecutive sectional championships. Castle (4A) follows with seven consecutive and South Bend Washington with six straight.

>> Sectionals (AP style)

Sectional Brackets: 4A | 3A | 2A | A

Regional, Semi-State, State Finals Brackets: 4A | 3A | 2A | A

Facts & Figures

No. of Schools Entered: 391.

Total No. of Games: 387 games in 27 days.

Schools Entered for First Time (1)

4A: None.

3A: None.

2A: None.

A: Tindley (Sectional 59 at University).

Defending State Champions

4A: South Bend Washington (Sectional 3 host).

3A: Brebeuf Jesuit (Sectional 26 at Beech Grove).

2A: Heritage Christian (Sectional 43 host).

A: Oregon-Davis (Sectional 50 host).

Defending Sectional Champions

4A: Anderson, Ben Davis, Carroll (Fort Wayne), Castle, Center Grove, Columbus East, Elkhart Memorial, Fort Wayne South Side, Hamilton Southeastern, Highland, Jeffersonville, Lawrence North, Logansport, Portage, South Bend Washington, Terre Haute North.

3A: Brebeuf Jesuit, Connersville, Elwood, Evansville Bosse, Fort Wayne Concordia, Gary Roosevelt, Gibson Southern, Hammond, Madison, New Castle, Owen Valley, South Bend St. Joseph’s, Tippecanoe Valley, Twin Lakes, Wawasee, Whiteland.

2A: Cascade, Charlestown, Garrett, Harding, Heritage Christian, Jimtown, Manchester, Mitchell, North Montgomery, Oak Hill, Shenandoah, Southridge, Southwestern (Hanover), Wheeler, Winamac, Winchester.

A: Attica, Bloomfield, Fort Wayne Canterbury, Jac-Cen-Del, Kouts, Lafayette Central Catholic, Lapel, New Washington, North Daviess, Northeast Dubois, Oregon-Davis, Southern Wells, Tri, Waldron, West Central, Wood Memorial.

Schools that Won First Sectional Championship Last Year

4A: Fort Wayne South Side.

3A: Whiteland.

2A: Oak Hill.

A: None.

Active Sectional Championship Streaks (Three or more years)

8: Shenandoah.

7: Castle.

6: South Bend St. Joseph’s.

5: Heritage Christian, North Montgomery, Northeast Dubois.

4: Elkhart Memorial, Fort Wayne Canterbury, Harding, South Bend Washington.

3: Anderson, Attica, Bloomfield, Charlestown, Hammond, Southwestern (Hanover), Wood Memorial.

Most Consecutive Sectional Championships

18 by Rushville (1980-97).

Most Sectional Championships Last 10 Years

9: Castle, Northeast Dubois.

8: Ben Davis, Evansville Memorial, Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, Shenandoah.

7: Fort Wayne Canterbury, Gary West Side, North Knox.

6: Cass, Clinton Prairie, Jasper, Kokomo, North Judson, South Bend St. Joseph’s, Southwestern (Hanover), Valparaiso.

5: Corydon Central, Elkhart Memorial, Fremont, Garrett, Heritage Christian, Highland, Huntington North, Indianapolis Cathedral, Jeffersonville, Lawrence North, New Washington, North Central (Indianapolis), North Montgomery, North Vermillion, NorthWood, South Bend Washington, Terre Haute South, Tippecanoe Valley, Tri-County, Triton.

Top 10 All-Time Sectional Championships

24: Rushville.

20: Bedford North Lawrence, Valparaiso.

19: Ben Davis, Kokomo, NorthWood.

18:Huntington North, Sullivan.

17: Columbia City, Crown Point, New Castle.

Schools Seeking First Sectional Championship

4A: Fishers, Greenwood, Indianapolis Broad Ripple, Northridge, Northview.

3A: Crawfordsville, Gary Wirt, Greensburg, Mishawaka Marian, Mount Vernon, Muncie Southside, Whitko.

2A: Centerville, Central Noble, Churubusco, Cloverdale, Covenant Christian (Indianapolis), Eastern Greene, Fairfield, Guerin Catholic, Lake Station Edison, Milan, Providence, River Forest, Sheridan.

A: Cannelton, Christian Academy of Indiana, Cowan, Crothersville, Daleville, Edinburgh, Elkhart Christian Academy, Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian, Frontier, Greenwood Christian, Hamilton, Indiana School for the Deaf, International, Keystone, LaCrosse, Lakewood Park Christian, Lanesville, Liberty Christian, Marquette Catholic, Medora, Morton Memorial, Orleans, Rock Creek Academy, Shakamak, Shawe Memorial, Shoals, Tindley, Trinity Lutheran, University, Vincennes Rivet, Westville.

IHSAA 07-08/24