Top Tilts for Wednesday Sectionals

A majority of first round match-ups were played yesterday, but there are still plenty of great games for this evening, as teams look to stake a claim for the Sectional Semifinals. Here are eight games of interest, either with top teams squaring off, top players in action, or bitter rivals looking to end each others' seasons. Here are the Elite Eight for Wednesday the 4th!

Sectional 1: Lake Central (15-5) vs. East Chicago Central (13-7) at ECC - This game is a rematch from February seventh when the Indians took down the Cardinals 60-56 at home. Lake Central is one of the hottest teams in the state, winning thirteen of their final fourteen regular season games, with their only loss in that stretch to Valparaiso. East Chicago finished the season in exciting fashion, winning three games, and then losing in a double-overtime thriller to Bowman Academy. Being at home will give the Cardinals an edge and a comfort level, but the Indians are rolling. This should be a good one.

Sectional 2: Valparaiso (17-3) vs. Chesterton (11-9) at Michigan City - This will mark the third time these Duneland Conference rivals have met this season, splitting the series so far. The Trojans won the early match-up 51-50, but the Vikings crushed them in the second meeting by the score of 59-32. Valpo has solid players in abundance, led by Hayden Humes, headed to Toledo. Chesterton counters with youthful size in 6'9 soph Mitch McGary, a prospect who already holds an offer from Purdue. Who will win the rubber match? Stay tuned!

Sectional 10: Broad Ripple (11-10) vs. Lawrence North (21-2) at Arlington - Most suspect the Wildcats, a top team in 4A, will roll in this one, but P-Hoops is eager to see how the Rockets young stars fare against this level of competition. LN boats size and a bevy of D1 recruits including Stephan Van Treese (Louisville) and Dominique Ferguson (Kentucky). Ripple features 6'5 sophomore guard Steven Jamison, who has played well enough to garner the attention of high majors, and freshman Ron Patterson, who already holds offers from IU and Purdue, and has interest from Tennessee, Ohio State, and Illinois, among others. The Rockets have won four of five, but this would be a monumental upset for coach Jeff Brandes and company.

Sectional 12: Brownsburg (11-8) vs. Pike (11-8) at Pike - The Red Devils have the advantage of playing at home in this match-up of teams boasting identical records. The Bulldogs seemed to have their up and down season finishing on the up, sitting at an 11-5 record, but they lost their final three games of the season to three stellar opponents, Bloomington South, Lafayette Jeff, and North Central. Pike also seemed to have it going after a huge upset win against Franklin Central, but they lost their final two games, so both teams are reeling a bit. Brownsburg has the experience, with several returning players from last year's State Championship squad. Pike has the stars, though, including sophomore standout Marquis Teague and junior Khristian Smith, who has really played well of late. This should be a close one featuring contrasting styles.

Sectional 23: Dwenger (16-4) vs. New Haven (10-10) at New Haven - The home floor gives an underdog some hope, as we've seen in the past. While Dwenger may have the better resume and an obvious edge in talent (with Jordan Didier, Tyler Eifert, and Tony Springmann), New Haven can hold onto protecting their house. The friendly confines should provide some boost, but the Saints are a top team in 3A and should be able to win thanks to their superior size and strength, led by the 6'6 Eifert, a Notre Dame football recruit.

Sectional 40: Oak Hill (17-3) vs. Tipton (20-2) at Tipton - Sectional 40 is the best in 2A, loaded with quality teams, including three teams ranked withing the top twelve. Oak Hill is the number seven team in 2A, winning eight consecutive games heading into Sectionals. The proud winners of the Central Indiana Conference should give Tipton, the number one ranked team in 2A, all they can handle. The Blue Devils have won nine in a row since a loss at the buzzer to Kokomo. They are led by 6'9 IU recruit Derek Elston, a Mr. Basketball hopeful. The winner will face the winner of Eastern versus Sheridan, which likely means that by winning this game, you secure a spot in the Sectional finals. It's possible that this one could come down to Tipton being on their home floor, where they are 9-1.

Sectional 43: Heritage Christian (14-6) vs. Park Tudor (6-13) at Indian Creek - The records go out the window when these two rivals meet. As two of the top non-Catholic teams in Indianapolis, the Eagles and the Panthers have no love lost for each other. When they met earlier in the year on Park's Spirit Night, the Panthers almost won, losing 52-49, as Heritage went 13-31 from the free throw line, something they hope not to repeat. The Panthers are led by John Arak and freshman Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell, both averaging around 12 points per game. The Eagles feature 6'5 senior Tommy Eggleston, a UW Milwaukee recruit, and Morgan Cook, a football star slated to play at Wheaton. Heritage has the size, starting three kids over 6'5, but Park will play with purpose. It should be a good one.

Sectional 59: Lutheran (10-10) vs. Fall Creek Academy (10-11) at Bethesda Christian - Lutheran is one of the best 1A teams in the Indianapolis area, along with Bethesda Christian, and are coming off a win in their first Sectional game against Indiana Deaf and Gabriel Paulone. They feature great play from Andy Denecke. The Engineers play a tough schedule for any 1A teams, facing the likes of Bowman Academy, LaPorte LaLumiere, and Gary Roosevelt. Thus, they should be tournament tough. This game will likely be close throughout.

Check back tomorrow for the results of these games and highlights of others!