Coach Brandon Allman is looking for his Brownstown Central girls basketball team to play four sound, high-quality quarters when it faces Bishop Chatard on Saturday at noon in the Class 3A Greencastle Regional.
Winners of seven straight games and now 19-6, Brownstown knows what is necessary to beat Chatard (16-7) in the second game of the day and advance to the evening championship game.
Chatard played Trinity Lutheran’s holiday tournament Dec. 28 and lost to Trinity, then defeated Edgewood.
“They’re similar to us in the fact that they have a lot of guards,” Allman said. “They normally play four guards. They have two really good guards that can score the basketball.”
Zakia Rasheed averages 17.3 points per game, and Moira McGinley averages 14.5.
“We’ll have to man-to-man them for the most part as much as we can and just contest and make them take as difficult shots as we can,” Allman said. “We definitely have to stop them in transition. A key to the game is making sure we don’t have live-ball turnovers because if we have live-ball turnovers, they’re going to get up and down the floor and be able to score points on us.”
Clean ball-handling and good shooting and fast-breaking will be Brownstown’s focuses.
“If we can take care of the basketball and get good shots, we’re going to be all right,” Allman said. “We’re going to get some chances to run, as well. We’re going to get up and down the floor. I anticipate it to be an up-and-down basketball game. I like our transition defense. It’s something we work on every day, so I have confidence in our girls that they know to get back and get matched up in stopping the basketball.”
The Trojans play a 2-3 zone and change into a 2-1-2 half-court trap.
“It’s an unusual defense that we don’t see very often,” Allman said.
Seniors Avery Koch and Katherine Benter said they want to bring a regional trophy home again this year after winning one last season.
Koch missed most of this year’s sectional because of a concussion suffered against North Harrison in the final regular-season game.
“I played 10 seconds in the sectional,” she said. “He (Allman) put me in just to put me in.”
Koch had her high-point (11) game of the season against North Harrison before suffering the injury.
She said getting to cut down the nets after two sectional titles has been great.
“It has been a fun ride,” Koch said. “I’m very blessed to be with a good enough team for us to come out here and win two sectionals. I’m looking forward to winning a regional title again. I’m excited.”
Koch said there are a few Brownstown keys to winning.
“I think we need to play our game and be fundamentally sound,” she said. “Defensively, just make sure we’re not fouling a whole bunch. I know they’re quick. They have girls that are super quick, so if we can just make sure our ball-handling is great, then I think we’ll be OK.”
Benter, who was just selected as the District 3 girls player of the week for her efforts in the sectional, said to keep going, Brownstown must produce solid defense.
“It’s going to take a really good game overall for us defensively,” she said. “From the film I’ve watched on them, they’re good. Defensively, we’re going to have to be solid and not give up a lot of drives and shots. Offensively, we’re going to have to not turn over the ball a ton and be strong with it and be able to run our offenses and score the ball.”
Winning sectional championships is always special.
“It’s an awesome experience that a lot of people don’t get to enjoy,” Benter said, “but to get to do it twice is awesome.”
The Braves will need contributions from everyone, including such contributors as jump shooter Maddy Hackman, point guard Emma Klinge, Kelsey Wischmeier and Kalee Borden.
Allman said Klinge has done a good job of recognizing defenses and getting the ball to players who can score. Hackman can nail 3-pointers, but when other teams leave Klinge open, she can score, hitting six 3-pointers against West Washington.
“I definitely like to shoot from the wings,” Klinge said. “The wings are my spot, not the corners.”
Klinge likes to generate speed in the attack.
“When they shoot the ball and we’re on defense, the first thing I try to do is push the ball and set up the offense after that,” said Klinge, a junior. “My freshman year, I wasn’t so much of a leader, and then last year, I stepped into that role and became more of a leader, and this year, I definitely feel like I’ve taken the role.”
Allman thinks the Braves are peaking at the right time.
“I think we’ve been playing our best basketball the last three weeks,” he said.
Benter, a 5-foot-9 senior, appreciated being cited as the district star of the week by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.
She posted two 31-point games and set a school record with 18 made free throws against Edgewood.
“I think it definitely shows a lot of hard work I put in, but again, I can’t take all of the credit,” Benter said. “I have great teammates, and they were able to get me the ball when I needed it, and we’ve had other girls be able to step up, too.”
Allman emphasized the special nature of the recognition.
“It’s a huge honor,” he said. “She has been huge for us. She has been a great player for four years here at Brownstown. I think she is a girl who doesn’t get enough recognition, but she doesn’t want that recognition. She does everything. She can put the basketball in the hole (averaging 21.2 points a game). She is a guard that can rebound the basketball, find her open teammates and she’s No. 1 in the classroom. It’s upsetting to me that she doesn’t get more recognition.”
Tri-West (15-6) will play Indian Creek (17-6) at 10 a.m. with the winner facing the Brownstown-Chatard winner at 8 p.m.
After that game ends and the gym has been emptied of all fans, the Braves will open defense of their regional title.