Girls basketball semi-state preview: 4A Frankfort

By CRAIG ADKINS

For The Reporter

Hamilton Southeastern keeps on winning and making its way down the tournament trail.

The Royals won their first sectional and regional titles since 2019 over the last two weekends and will go for their first semi-state title in six years this weekend.

The No. 1-ranked Royals (26-0) play the first game of the Class 4A northern semi-state on Saturday at Frankfort’s Case Arena against Valparaiso (19-7) at 10 a.m., followed by the No. 3 Warsaw Tigers (24-1) facing the McCutcheon Mavericks (24-3) at approximately noon. The championship will be at 7:30 p.m.

The Vikings and Royals have met 14 times with HSE with a commanding 13-1 mark. The last meeting was during the 2019-20 season with Southeastern winning handily 73-22. This will be the first meeting between the two in the state tournament.

“Just knowing what we have. We started preparing for this in July. This wasn’t just a February thing, so trusting our work and who we are,” Makalusky said. “We know we’re good enough. We know this team is good enough, if we’re just us. I think trusting in each other, calming down and playing our game, because the only team that’s going to beat us is us.”

No. 1 Hamilton Southeastern (26-0) vs. Valparaiso (19-7)

Southeastern is making its second semi-state appearance in program history. Following its sixth sectional crown two weeks ago, the Royals won their third regional title last week. In its previous appearance in 2019, Hamilton Southeastern routed Crown Point in the La Porte semi-state 61-28 on the way to defeating Lawrence North in the 4A state championship, 55-44.

This year’s regional win at Marion was against third-ranked Homestead, 65-48. HSE got through the gauntlet that is Sectional 8 with wins over Fishers (46-30), Zionsville (59-40) and Westfield (46-38).

The Royals are led by Makalusky’s 22.3 points and 7.0 rebounds. Kennedy Holman runs at 12.0 points, 5.2 boards, 5.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Kayla Stidham chips in with 10.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists. HSE also gets steady contributions from starters Addison Van Hoesen and Kayla Brinley, along with Abby Brown and Antonette Green off the bench.

It hasn’t been easy going undefeated, but the Royals managed marquee wins over Lawrence North, Cathedral, Noblesville, Pendleton Heights, South Knox, Lawrence Central, Plainfield, Center Grove and Pike.

Hamilton Southeastern has the state’s longest winning streak at 26 games, just ahead of Greensburg (25-0). According to MaxPreps, HSE is nationally ranked at No. 9 in the country.

Valparaiso is making its second consecutive appearance in the semi-state and 13th overall. Last year, the Vikings lost in the La Porte semi-state semifinal to Noblesville, 59-42. Valpo also has five semi-state titles, which all resulted in state runner-up finishes in 1982, 1991, 1992, 1996 and 2000.

The Vikings advanced to the semi-state after a Regional 1 win over Hammond Central, 55-37. They grabbed three Chesterton sectional wins over Hobart (64-33), Portage (62-22) and Chesterton (33-26).

Head coach Kelly Kratz is in her first season at Valparaiso and is 59-44 overall in four years. Her previous three years were at Merrillville (40-37) from 2021-24.

Starting 2-4, Valpo won six before dropping three of four to Hammond Central, Noblesville and Lawrence North and currently has a 10-game winning streak.

Valpo is led by junior Lillian Barnes’ 22.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 4.8 steals per contest. Barnes is complemented by classmate Cadynce Clark (11.1), sophomores Delilah Kincaid (9.2) and 4.7 boards and Chyanne Brown (7.9) with 3.8 rebounds. Bri Fincannon has 5.1 rebounds.

No. 5 Warsaw (24-1) vs. McCutcheon (24-3)

The Warsaw Tigers have a rich girls basketball history with 18 sectional championships. Warsaw won the first-ever IHSAA state championship 50 years ago in 1976 over Bloomfield at Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse.

The Tigers have seven regional and four semi-state crowns. Warsaw won its second in 1978 over Jac-Cen-Del. They were runner-up to Bedford North Lawrence in 1991 and in 2004 to North Central.

Warsaw lost once to Homestead 67-55 just one month ago. The Tigers have quality wins over Norwell, Fort Wayne Snider, Valparaiso, Penn, Columbia City and Northridge.

Warsaw drew the sectional bye, beating Elkhart in the semifinal 67-36 and Northridge in the championship, 71-54 and then South Bend Washington for the Regional 2 championship, 53-43.

Head coach Lenny Krebs is in his eighth season (136-54) at Warsaw. Overall, he is 266-228 in 22 years, spending his first 14 seasons at Goshen, where he went 130-174.

The Tigers are led by juniors Joslyn Bricker (18.6 points) and Brooke Zartman (18.0), along with senior Brooke Winchester (12.9). Bricker grabs 5.3 rebounds, dishes 3.0 assists and 2.7 steals. Zartman has 3.1 steals per contest and shoots 48 percent from downtown. Zartman also joined the 1,000-point club in recent weeks.

Winchester averages a double-double with 10 rebounds. Junior Alexis Neely is key at 9.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Seniors Abbey Peterson and Braylie Chastain and junior Kyra Kiser all pitch in.

McCutcheon also has 18 sectional titles, along with eight regional and one semi-state. They lost the 1993 state championship to Kokomo, 70-60.

The Mavericks have won nine straight and have three losses to Plainfield, Valpo and Columbia City.

Head coach Jeff Knoy is 298-183 in his 20th season. The Mavs have several quality wins, including two victories over Fort Wayne Snider, Lafayette Central Catholic and Rensselaer Central. McCutcheon has also beaten Marquette Catholic, Lafayette Jefferson and Danville.

McCutcheon won two sectional games over Kokomo and Lafayette Jeff and won the regional over Snider.

Super sophomore Lillie Graves steers the Mavericks with 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 4.1 steals. Fellow soph Keara Lipscomb-Allen (12.1) and juniors Chloe Finney (7.3) and Braelyn Williams (5.1) and senior Rylea Wetz (4.7) help make up a majority of McCutcheon’s scoring.

Saturday’s semifinal is the first-ever meeting between Warsaw and McCutcheon.