Brimfield a top seed as girls tourney opens Saturday
By JEFF LAMPE
For The Weekly Post
After a one-year absence due to COVID, the girls basketball postseason resumes starting this Saturday. And at least two area teams look poised for extended runs in the IHSA tournament.
Brimfield earned the top seed in its 13-team Sub-Sectional B, which saw Elmwood No. 2, Illini Bluffs No. 3, Princeville No. 4 and ROWVA-Williamsfield end up at No. 8.
The other 13-team Sub-Sectional A has a top four of: 1. Mendon Unity, 2. Mount Sterling Brown County, 3. Havana, 4. Abingdon-Avon.
Winners of the two regionals held for each Sub-Sectional will advance to the Class 1A Brimfield Sectional, scheduled for Feb. 22 and 24.
The field should be a strong one, at least based on the statewide Associated Press rankings. Brimfield (22-4) is No. 2 in the Feb. 2 poll, while Mendon Unity (22-4) was No. 4 and Brown County (24-5) was No. 6. And Havana and regional host Elmwood (21-5) are two of the top three teams under “Others receiving votes.”
Regional host Farmington is a No. 10 seed in its Sub-Sectional of the Class 2A Chillicothe IVC Sectional. Unranked Eureka is the top seed.
Here’s a look at area teams based on their regional assignments, complete with schedules.
Class 1A
Alwood Regional
Brimfield rolls into this Class 1A field having played arguably the most rugged schedule of any small-school girls team.
The goal for Coach Maribeth Dura has been to get her team ready for the rigors of the postseason by playing foes that pushed the Lady Indians to the limit during the regular season. Her logic: A few losses in the season don’t matter if you are more prepared to win in the postseason.
Brimfield looked very ready for the playoffs Saturday in a 74-43 win over a solid Illini Bluffs team. Ella Lune had 29 points to lead Brimfield, while Elynn Peterson added 17 to go with 9 assists and 5 rebounds and Sophie Bedell tallied 12.
“We played really well. We did well on our fastbreaking and transition offense, everybody got into the scoring, our defense was good early and the subs got in early,” Dura said. “I was really happy, especially coming back from that Elmwood game. They looked like my old team again.”
Dura had been unhappy with her team’s play in its 46-43 win over Elmwood on Jan. 31. She said the snowstorm that came a few days later may have helped, since the team took two days off from practice.
“We just looked really fresh and fast,” Dura said.
Brimfield was to finish the regular season with games Wednesday vs Quincy Notre Dame and Friday at Rockridge. The Lady Indians open the regionals Monday at Woodhull having won five straight regional titles.
Princeville (16-9) lost at Annawan on Monday, 69-53, after having beat Peoria Heights on Saturday, 46-23.
The Lady Princes close the regular season with home games Wednesday vs. Wethersfield and Thursday vs. Mercer County. Then comes a Saturday rematch at home against Wethersfield in the postseason. With a win there, Princeville would possibly face Annawan for a third time in a series that now stands 1-1 for the year.
Princeville won regionals in three of four seasons from 2016-2020 prior to last year’s COVID-shortened campaign.
REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Saturday, Feb. 12
Game 1 – (8) ROWVA-Williamsfield at (6) AlWood
Game 2 – (10) Kewanee Wethersfield at (4) Princeville
Game 3 – (9) Galva at (5) Annawan
Monday, Feb. 14
At Brimfield
Game 4 at 6 pm – (1) Brimfield vs. Winner Game 1
Game 5 at 7:30 pm – Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3
Thursday, Feb. 17
At Brimfield
Title Game at 7 pm – Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5
Regional winner advances to Brimfield Sectional Semifinal 2 on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 7:30 pm to face Winner of the Lewistown Regional.
Elmwood Regional
One historic mark has already fallen to this Lady Trojans team, which set a school record for wins with its 21-5 mark.
A chance to accomplish another feat comes in the regional, where Elmwood has never won a championship. Yep, despite fielding girls teams all along, the Lady Trojans have never hoisted a regional plaque.
This team has what it takes to change that, with a nice inside-outside mix, shooting, quickness, stingy defense and some depth.
Elmwood won its lone game last week, topping Lewistown 50-28 to rebound nicely from a 46-43 loss to Brimfield back on Jan. 31.
“I thought they responded pretty well. We were up 19-7 after the first quarter,” Coach Gregg Meyers said. “When we had those two snow days we couldn’t practice and maybe that was something that worked to our benefit.”
Whatever the cause, Elmwood continued its strong defensive play.
“We did a pretty decent job holding them to 28 points because they can all shoot 3s,” Meyers said. “Lewistown is a .500 ballclub with a new coach and they are starting to figure some things out.”
Elmwood got 15 points from post player Liv Meyers, 14 points from guard Mae Herman, 9 points from 3-point ace Melody Glenn and two more 3s from Ainsley Faulkner.
Elmwood was at Peoria Heights Tuesday and has its final postseason tuneup at home vs. Knoxville on Thursday.
Illini Bluffs figures to be the biggest test for Elmwood in this bracket and is coming off a big win over Eureka, a No. 1 seed in its Class 2A Sub-Sectional. Elmwood won a Jan. 12 meeting at Glasford, 36-33.
REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Saturday, Feb. 12
Game 1 – (12) Stark County at (11) Flanagan-Cornell
Game 2 – (13) Peoria Christian at (7) Roanoke-Benson
Tuesday, Feb. 15
At Elmwood
Game 3 at 6 pm – (2) Elmwood vs. Winner Game 1
Game 4 at 7:30 pm – (3) Illini Bluffs vs. Winner Game 2
Thursday, Feb. 17
At Elmwood
Title Game at 7 pm – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
Regional winner advances to Brimfield Sectional Semifinal 1 on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 6 pm to face Winner of the Biggsville West Central Regional.
CLASS 2A
Farmington Regional
With his team finally back at full strength after a long season, Coach Brad Whitcomb looks to the postseason with some optimism. The Farmers open regional play at Canton on Saturday at 5, having just lost a Jan. 28 clash without top scorer Reece Putrich.
“They are a really good team and really deep, but having Reece back will help,” Whitcomb said. “When she’s going, it makes everybody else’s job easier.”
Whitcomb said the challenge for Farmington will be contending with Canton’s inside game.
“Anna Webel and Riley [Jansen] are going to have to step up big for us in the interior,” he said.
Putrich was back for Farmington’s last three games, all wins. That includes a 40-24 home victory over Lewistown on Monday for Senior Night and a Jan. 31 58-38 win over West Central. Putrich and Delaney Foster had 12 apiece against West Central.
REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Saturday, Feb. 12
Game 1 at 1 pm – (8) Manito Midwest Central at (7) Macomb
Game 2 at 5 pm: (10) Farmington at (6) Canton
Monday, Feb. 14
At Farmington
Game 3 at 6 pm – (1) Eureka vs. Winner Game 1
Game 4 at 7:30 pm –(4) Tremont vs. Winner Game 2
Thursday, Feb. 17
At Farmington
Title Game at 7 pm – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
Regional winner advances to Chillicothe IVC Sectional Semifinal 2 on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 7:30 pm to face Winner of the Orion Regional.
