Top 5 High School Basketball Matchups of the Week: Feb. 3

Avon Echo

There are plenty of matchups to watch on the boys’ side, but girls’ basketball gets the spotlight this week with sectional play starting on Tuesday. Sectional champions will be decided on Saturday, but one first-round matchup in the northern half of the bracket could have serious ramifications on the entire tournament.

HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN vs CARMEL (GIRLS) – Feb. 4

A really good team is looking at an early exit in this Sectional 8 first-round game. That’s the nature of the IHSAA basketball tournament. Whoever wins this game should be favored to advance to Saturday’s sectional championship game.

HSE (20-2) and Carmel (15-7) have already met in the regular season, a game in which HSE handled the Lady Greyhounds, 52-36. The Carmel team from that November matchup is night and day from the team that will take the floor on Tuesday night. Kate Clarke and Bridgett Dunn have stepped up their play throughout the course of the season, averaging 17.1 and 12.3 points per game, respectively. Carmel will need those two at their best when they go against Miss Basketball hopeful Sydney Parrish.

LAWRENCE NORTH vs CARMEL (BOYS) – Feb. 6

This MIC showdown is a matchup involving contrasting styles of play. Lawrence North (16-1) wants to push the pace and run their opponent out of the gym. The Wildcats’ 69.7 points per game is the second best scoring offense in the MIC only behind Lawrence Central. Tony Perkins, Shamar Avance and DJ Hughes have been the main contributors behind Lawrence North’s success this season.

Carmel (11-4), meanwhile, has the top scoring defense in the MIC only allowing 43.5 points per game. In their last nine games, the Greyhounds have allowed an opponent to score more than 50 points once – that came in a 63-60 overtime loss at Cathedral. Carmel will need to slow down the pace and keep Lawrence North out of the paint to come away with the upset.

ZIONSVILLE vs AVON (BOYS) – Feb. 6

Speaking of solid defense, Zionsville (12-7) picked up a needed win last Friday over Hoosier Crossroads Conference foe Brownsburg, 42-39. The 39 points allowed was the fifth time Zionsville held an opponent to under 50 points. Zionsville’s ability to win down the stretch will hinge on their defense.

Avon’s (9-6) 3-game win streak was snapped at Westfield last Friday, but the Orioles bounced back with a 71-51 win over Decatur Central the following night. Entering the final month of the regular season, Avon boasts the best scoring offense in the HCC averaging 64.3 points per game. Thursday’s game against Zionsville will be another strength-on-strength matchup.

UNIVERSITY vs BREBEUF JESUIT (BOYS) – Feb. 6

University’s (14-3) 6-game win streak is on the line when they visit Brebeuf on Thursday. Max Greenamoyer and Joseph Martin have both averaged double figures in points this season. Sam Mervis has been a solid field general with a team-leading 5.8 assists per game. Thursday’s game against Brebeuf will be University’s toughest test since a 47-37 loss against Fishers in late December.

Class 3A Brebeuf (10-4) picked up their first win of the season against a 4A opponent with a 65-47 win over Arsenal Tech over the weekend. Jay Higgins continued an impressive senior season with 20- and 16-point performances over Bishop Chatard and Tech, respectively. With seven games left in the regular season, the Braves have a chance to surpass last year’s win total of 16.

FISHERS vs WESTFIELD (BOYS) – Feb. 8

Youth and experience collide at Kokomo gymnasium as part of the annual Basketball Day in Indiana. After strong starts to the season for both teams, Fishers (13-5) and Westfield (10-5) combined to go 6-8 in the month of January.

One of the few bright spots for Fishers has been the return of Alex Szilagyi. The senior missed 11 games with a knee injury, but he has averaged 17.3 points in his first three games back. Szilagyi and his teammate, Jeffrey Simmons, need support from role players such as Charlie Smith, Justin Long and Isaac Farah as they enter a tough stretch to close the regular season.

Westfield has been led by their underclassmen this season. Sophomore studs Braden Smith and Cam Haffner have been on a tear for Westfield. Through 15 games this season, the dynamic duo has both shot 45{e5a2c78333cd2b046c434d71e2429f0c16f5e72c19badef2b307d6f8033092f8} from the field and 90{e5a2c78333cd2b046c434d71e2429f0c16f5e72c19badef2b307d6f8033092f8} or better from the free throw line.