The Winchester girls basketball team celebrates the regional title after beating Triton Central 56-32 on Feb. 10.
WINCHESTER, Ind. – There’s a simple plan for the Winchester girls basketball team as they get ready for a long trip to Jeffersonville.
“We have to stay focused and stay healthy in preparation for Saturday,” Winchester Head Coach Holly Gutierrez said. “It is wonderful to just to be playing one game.”
After battling through a pair of regional contests last weekend, the fourth-ranked Golden Falcons (25-2) face No. 6 Paoli (24-5) on Saturday in the Class 2A semi-state at Jeffersonville High School at 1 p.m.
The winner advances to state championship contest at Bankers Life the following Saturday at 12:45 p.m.
Ninth-ranked Central Noble (21-5) and No. 13 Frankton (23-5) meet in the other semi-state in Logansport at 4 p.m.
“Paoli is similar to Triton Central,” Gutierrez said. “We need to take care of the ball and get to the rim. They are prone to foul, especially their key players.”
With its ninth win a row, Winchester defeated Triton Central 56-32 to claim its regional title at Speedway. It was the third regional title for the Golden Falcons, who won the others in 2010 and 2011.
Maddie Lawrence led the Golden Falcons with 21 points in that contest, while Becca Chamberlin scored 15 points as she hit five of the team’s dozen 3-pointers.
Hannah Graft had four treys as she finished with 14 points. Lawrence leads Winchester in scoring (19.2), rebounding (8.9), assists (7.1) and steals (4.4).
Winners six straight and 13 of its last 14 games, Paoli beat South Ripley 55-44 as the Rams won their own regional and first since 1980. Like Winchester, South Ripley was also No. 4 in the final rankings.
For her performance in regional, Paoli’s Jacqlyn Rice was named this week’s IBCA/Subway Player of the Week by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.
She had 18 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and a pair of steals as the Rams beat Evansville Mater Dei 39-32 in the regional opener.
Against South Ripley, she finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals.
In the sectional championship affair at Austin, Rice led the way with 21 points in a 47-44 win over Providence.