PREP BOYS BASKETBALL: 2022 sectional brackets revealed
Feb. 21—The IHSAA released the 2022 boys basketball sectional brackets Sunday evening, setting the stage for the tournament that begins on Tuesday, March 1 across the state.
Of the six teams in the Class 4A, Sectional 4 tournament at North Side Gym in Elkhart, five of them currently have a winning record. The top two teams, record wise, will meet in a first-round game as Penn (18-2) will take on Warsaw (14-7). The winner of that game will play Northridge (11-10) in a semifinal contest.
The bottom half of Sectional 4 sees Concord (10-9) playing Elkhart (6-15), with the winner of that battling Goshen (13-7) in the semifinals. The RedHawks enter Sectional 4 with a 3-2 intrasectional record, picking up wins over Elkhart, Northridge and Concord and losses to Penn and Warsaw.
NorthWood is currently the top-ranked team in Class 3A, although that will more than likely change this week after the Panthers lost 54-31 to South Bend Washington this past Saturday. Despite the loss, NorthWood (21-2) will enter Sectional 21 as the favorites to win the five-team field, on paper.
The Panthers did draw a first-round bye, but they will have a difficult semifinal opponent in either Tippecanoe Valley (13-7) or West Noble (12-8). Those two teams play in the sectional opener on March 1, with the winner playing NorthWood in the second semifinal game on March 4. The first semifinal game that Friday pits Wawasee (6-14) against Lakeland (5-15). Wawasee is the host for Sectional 21 this season.
Sectional 35 in Class 2A is expected to be a competitive one, as three teams ranked in the top 15 in the 2A polls in No. 1 Central Noble (21-2), No. 3 Eastside (20-1) and No. 15 Fairfield (14-6). The top-ranked Cougars play the first game of the seven-team field against Churubusco (3-17), while the third-ranked Blazers play the host Westview Warriors (7-13) and the Falcons play Bremen (11-9) in opening round games as well.
The winners of the latter two contests will play in the semifinals, while the Central Noble-Churubusco winner gets Prairie Heights (11-8) in the other semifinal game.
In Class 1A, Sectional 51, Bethany Christian drew a first-round bye. The 11-11 Bruins will more than likely play Fremont in the semifinal game, as the Eagles (12-8) drew Hamilton (0-19) in the lone first round game of the five-team sectional. Bethany travels to Fremont for the regular season finale this Friday and will then go back there to play the Eagles again the following Friday, March 4.
The first semifinal game of Sectional 51 pits Elkhart Christian Academy (12-7) against Lakewood Park Christian (4-17).
Full brackets can be found online at ihsaa.org. Area brackets are listed below.
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2022 IHSAA BOYS BASKETBALL SECTIONAL BRACKETS — TGN area pairings and schedule
All records listed are from games played through Feb. 20. All games will be played on Tuesday, March 1, Wednesday, March 2, Friday, March 4 and Saturday, March 5 at the host locations. Times of each game have not been finalized. This story will be updated once those times become official.
Class 4A, Sectional 4 — hosted by Elkhart at North Side Gym (six teams)
Elkhart is the defending sectional champion.
Game 1: Penn (18-2) vs. Warsaw (14-7), Tuesday, March 1
Game 2: Concord (10-9) vs. Elkhart (6-15), Tuesday, March 1
Game 3: Northridge (11-10) vs. Game 1 winner, Friday, March 4
Game 4: Goshen (13-7) vs. Game 2 winner, Friday, March 4
Championship game: Saturday, March 5, time TBA.
Class 3A, Sectional 21 — hosted by Wawasee High School (five teams)
NorthWood is the defending sectional champion.
Game 1: West Noble (12-8) vs. Tippecanoe Valley (13-7), Tuesday, March 1
Game 2: Wawasee (6-14) vs. Lakeland (5-15), Friday, March 4
Game 3: NorthWood (21-2) vs. Game 1 winner, Friday, March 4
Championship game: Saturday, March 5, time TBA.
Class 2A, Sectional 35 — hosted by Westview High School (seven teams)
Churubusco is the defending sectional champion.
Game 1: Churubusco (3-17) vs. Central Noble (21-2), Tuesday, March 1
Game 2: Fairfield (14-6) vs. Bremen (11-9), Wednesday, March 2
Game 3: Westview (7-13) vs. Eastside (20-1), Wednesday, March 2
Game 4: Prairie Heights (11-8) vs. Game 1 winner, Friday, March 4
Game 5: Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, Friday, March 4
Championship game: Saturday, March 5, time TBA.
Class 1A, Sectional 51 — hosted by Fremont High School (five teams)
Fremont is the defending sectional champion.
Game 1: Fremont (12-8) vs. Hamilton (0-19), Tuesday, March 1
Game 2: Elkhart Christian Academy (12-7) vs. Lakewood Park Christian (4-17), Friday, March 4
Game 3: Bethany Christian (11-11) vs. Game 1 winner, Friday, March 4
Championship game: Saturday, March 5, time TBA.
Austin Hough can be reached at austin.hough@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2360. Follow him on Twitter at @AustinHoughTGN.
