Improving plenty over the course of the 2023-24 girls basketball season, the Triton Lady Trojans turned their sights on the postseason on Wednesday evening, taking on Trinity Greenlawn in the first round of IHSAA 1A Sectional 50. After a game full of tough defense, a shooting masterclass and a ton of players getting meaningful minutes, Triton advanced to the semifinals with a 42-11 victory.

After finishing first and second in the Northern Lakes Conference this season, it was only right for the Warsaw and Northridge girls basketball teams, arguably the two best in the sectional field, to meet in the first round of IHSAA 4A Sectional 4. In an incredibly exciting, back-and-forth game that came down to the final possession, it was the Lady Raiders that avenged a loss earlier this year with a 57-55 victory.

After dropping a gauntlet of games at the end of December against the likes of Huntington North, Brownsburg and Jeffersonville, the Warsaw girls basketball team found itself in a tight spot. Their next contest, and the first of the new year, would be a massive showdown against then 18-1 Northridge. A loss there would bring the team’s record to 8-8 on the season.

No team made in the Times-Union coverage area advanced as far into the state tournament as the Tippecanoe Valley Lady Vikings did last year, winning sectional and regional titles before falling to eventual state champions Fairfield in the semi-state round. That team boasted five seniors, including two-time Player of the Year winner Kaydence Mellott.

The Manchester Squires don’t need to look too far back to glean some hopefully useful information on first-round opponent Bluffton in the Class 2A South Adams girls basketball sectional.

The top five scorers represent four different grades, a transfer student was added during the summer, a foreign exchange student was later added as well, and a freshman has wound up the team’s best shooter.

Wawasee used the same starting combination throughout the 2022-23 girls basketball season. The same has not been true in 2023-24 with some players missing time for various reasons.

Triton’s 2023-24 girls basketball season has been a work-in-progress.

The Lakeland Christian girls basketball team has had its fair share of ups and downs this season, which is customary for a squad that features a plethora of underclassmen getting major varsity minutes for the first time. After a regular season in which the Lady Cougars managed a 9-14 record, head coach Craig Calizo is intrigued on how the team will fare in IHSAA 1A Sectional 53 at Northfield, and perhaps most importantly, how his players will grow from the experience.

An elite defensive performance lifted Grace’s men’s basketball team to a 66-60 victory over Marian on Saturday.

After winning just two of their first four Northern Lakes Conference games, the Warsaw boys basketball team had the tough task of having to go into the Pit on Friday night to try to earn a win against defending 3A state champions NorthWood. In a hard-fought defensive battle, the Tigers emerged on top with a 35-34 win in front of a packed house.

With the first round of the sectional tournament less than a week away, the Warsaw girls basketball team and their fans said goodbye to the Tiger Den for the 2023-24 season as the Lady Tigers hosted Angola for their final home game. The contest was not in doubt for long, as Warsaw used yet another fast start to blitz the visitors and walk away with a 67-38 win.

The age-old rivalry between Grace and Bethel wrote another memorable chapter on Wednesday. The No. 1 Lancers erased a 17-point deficit, charging ahead after halftime to beat No. 23 Bethel 81-74. The win extended Grace’s program-recorded 19-game winning streak as the Lancers remained perfect on the year (19-0, 9-0 Crossroads League).

Recaps from Tuesday's night of boys and girls basketball

No matter the size of the school, no matter where it’s located, senior athletes will be honored in their final home game of the season. For the Tippecanoe Valley girls basketball team, that day was Tuesday, as the five Lady Viking seniors were honored before taking Rita Price-Simpson court for the final time in their careers against Wawasee. It was a final night to remember, as the Valley blitzed the Lady Warriors in the opening minutes and never looked back, honoring their 12th graders with a 52-31 win.

Warsaw Community High School is thrilled to announce its selection as one of the host sites for the statewide Knockout Competition, proudly sponsored by the Indiana Pacers. This exciting event aims to captivate basketball enthusiasts and drive attendance to the NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.

Boys and Girls Basketball

Grace College’s women’s basketball team improved their winning streak to five games after a suffocating defensive effort lifted the Lancers to a 50-41 win over Mt. Vernon on Saturday afternoon.

Coming off of five straight wins, four by single digits, the Warsaw boys basketball team took their talents to Concord on Friday night to take on the defensively stout Minutemen. Despite a fast start, the Tigers were not able to hold on in a 56-45 loss.

Needing to go perfect the rest of the way in Three Rivers Conference play for a chance to overtake Lewis Cass for the conference crown, the Whitko girls basketball team set their sights on Maconaquah Thursday night, looking for a big win at home. The Lady ‘Cats got just that, overcoming a slow start to defeat the Lady Braves 70-59.

The No. 1-ranked Grace men’s basketball team overcame a poor shooting night to dispatch St. Francis 85-64 on Wednesday.

After spending nearly a week out of action due to the weather of the past few days, the Warsaw girls basketball team returned to action in a big way on Tuesday evening, defeating Homestead 69-48 at the Tiger Den.

Coming into Thursday night’s game with 10 wins in their last eleven games, the Whitko girls basketball team looked to keep it rolling against a solid Lakewood Park team that came into the contest with 13 wins. After an extremely competitive first half, the Lady ‘Cats were able to find some separation in the second, pulling way for a 68-41 victory.

A stout defensive performance for Grace’s men’s basketball team led the Lancers to an 84-69 win over Huntington on Wednesday.

While the Warsaw girls basketball team’s record hasn’t looked fantastic on paper, the tough teams that they have played have geared the team up for conference play and beyond. That was evidenced Wednesday night by the Lady Tigers’ 79-36 thrashing of Mishawaka, Warsaw’s fifth Northern Lakes Conference win in as many tries.