Girls’ basketball sectional previews: Class 4A Sectional 8

By CRAIG ADKINS

For The Reporter

This season marks a special one for girls’ basketball in the state of Indiana. The 2025 state basketball tournament is the 50th annual and looks to be yet another February for the history books.

Girls’ basketball was introduced as an IHSAA sanctioned sport in Indiana and began competitive play in the 1975-76 school year. The Warsaw Tigers (22-0) won the first state championship in 1976 over the Bloomfield Cardinals (20-1), 57-52.

Noblesville won the 2024 sectional at Hamilton Southeastern over the Royals and marched all the way to the La Porte semi-state, falling to eventual state runner-up Lake Central.

Class 4A Sectional 8 at The Mill, Noblesville:

Fishers (14-8) vs. No. 1 Hamilton Southeastern (22-0)

Fishers has won three of four and five of its last seven prior to sectional play. The Tigers are 3-2 against sectional 8 and 11-7 against 4A competition. Head coach Lauren Votaw is 145-52 in her eighth season at Fishers. Her teams have two sectional titles, along with a 4A state runner-up finish in 2023.

The Tigers have marquee wins over Columbia City, Westfield, Fort Wayne Snider, Gibson Southern, Pendleton Heights, Stevenson (IL), Arlington Hersey (IL), Avon and Franklin Central.

Senior Nevaeh Dickman’s 15.5 points and 6.6 boards leads with freshman Riley Schellhammer joins her in double-figures at 14.4 points and 5.0 rebounds. Allison Scheu stands at 9.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

Hamilton Southeastern rides into the sectional as the top-ranked and only undefeated team in 4A with a 22-0 record. The Royals are 5-0 against Sectional 8 and 18-0 against 4A teams overall. Head coach Brian Satterfield is 78-15 in his fourth season. HSE won the regular season Mudsock battle over the Tigers at the new Fishers Events Center, 47-34.

Key wins for HSE include 46-41 over Chicago Fremd in the Sneaker’s for Santa Shootout, at Noblesville (49-45) and at Center Grove on Jan. 25, 67-59. The Royals had their biggest wins in the Hall of Fame Classic on Dec. 27. They knocked off 2A No. 1 South Knox (67-59) and then-No. 1 Lawrence Central in the championship on a buzzer-beater, 52-50.

Senior Indiana commit, all-state and Miss Basketball candidate Maya Makalusky leads with 21.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest. Junior Kennedy Holman averages 11.5 points, 5.4 boards and 5.9 assists and classmate Kayla Stidham is also in double-figures with 10.7 and 4.7 boards.

Fishers has won six of the nine tournament matchups.

First bye: Zionsville (10-12)

The Eagles’ first season under Jennifer Drudge has been up and down, but they have managed to hover just below .500 heading into the sectional. Drudge spent her first three seasons as a head coach at Carmel from 2002-04, where she was 34-33. Zionsville is winless against the five sectional teams and 4-10 versus 4A.

After a 3-3 start, the Eagles dropped four straight before winning four of five a month ago. In the seven prior to the postseason, they have gone 3-4. 

Sophomore McKenzie Chapman has 13 points, five rebounds and 4.6 assists, while classmates Emma Tinder (12 points) and Emily Zack (7.8 points, 5.5 boards) show promise. Senior Caroline Sampson scores 6.4 and grabs 7.4 rebounds.  

Carmel (10-12) at No. 6 Noblesville (18-4)

Carmel has also had quite the hilly season. Trying to find a solid identity, they had two separate three-game winning streaks. Head coach Rick Risinger is in his second season with the Greyhounds (21-24) and is 351-99 overall in 17 years, the first 11 at Heritage Christian from 2005-20. He won six state championships with the Eagles.

The ‘Hounds have quality wins over Zionsville, Carroll (Fort Wayne), Fort Wayne Snider, Jennings County, Heritage Christian, Columbus North and Cathedral.

The Greyhounds are led by seniors Lauren Perry, Mallory Bourquien and Mackenzie Woods. No statistics are available for Carmel.

Noblesville hosts the sectional for the second time in three years. The Millers are 4-1 against the sectional and 14-4 against 4A opponents. Head coach Donna Buckley is in her 17th season with a 265-135 mark and is 361-209 in 25 years overall. They bested Carmel at home in the regular season meeting, 61-49.

Starting out 4-3, the Millers then won 14 straight. That winning streak was snapped in its regular season finale against Pendleton Heights (66-65) on Jan. 30. With quality wins over Fishers, Plainfield, Westfield, Norwell, Valparaiso, Lawrence North and Franklin Central, the Millers are primed for the postseason.

Miss Basketball and all-state candidate Meredith Tippner, committed to Miami (FL), averages 25.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 4.1 steals per game. Junior C.C. Quigley scores 11.1 with 5.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocks. Senior Kate Rollins (8.6), junior Ally Hutchinson (5.3) and freshman Maia Blower (4.2) round out the starting five. 

Carmel leads in tournament meetings 14-13.

Second bye: Westfield (15-8)

The Shamrocks head into the sectional having the best season of Kelsey Steele’s short tenure in Westfield. In her third season, Steele is 40-29. They are 2-3 against Sectional 8 and 9-8 against 4A competition. Westfield won at Carmel on Dec. 10 (52-47) and lost at Noblesville on Dec. 21 (53-51).

With big wins over Franklin Central, Avon and Zionsville in conference play, that helped them go 5-1 in holiday tournament games. From Dec. 27 to Jan. 3, the ‘Rocks got wins over Northwood, Fort Wayne Dwenger, Floyd Central, East Central and Lawrenceburg, while only losing to four-time state finalist Penn by three, 40-37.

Balance is the key offensively for Westfield. Sam Price is the leading scorer at 8.6 points and seven rebounds. Lindsey Van Dyke is at 8.5 and 2.5 boards. Mikayla Hatcher averages 7.7 and 4.1 rebounds, while Aubrey Crockett is at 7.0 points and 4.5 assists and Meg Hamilton 6.4 points.