WINONA LAKE – Lakeland Christian Academy doesn’t have a lot of postseason history to draw from, being the newest member of the IHSAA in the area. And the history that’s there isn’t exactly stellar. This year’s Lady Cougars are looking to change all that, including winning the first IHSAA sectional basketball championship at the school. In the 1A Fort Wayne Blackhawk Sectional, no team has more wins than the Lady Cougars. The only two teams with winning records in the sectional, Bethany Christian and LCA, square off in the tournament’s first game at 6 p.m. Tuesday. “We definitely have talked about (winning a first-ever sectional),” LCA head coach Allison Kauffman said. “Our sectional is overall very even, and we are excited for the potential this team has; to do something that hasn't happened in LCA history.” Bethany Christian hosted and beat LCA 47-31 back on Dec. 6, but much has changed for both teams. Bethany Christian is 4-5 since the first matchup, while LCA is 7-3 since then. “We have both played a lot of basketball since we first played each other, and we are a different team,” Kauffman said. “We are continually learning how to stay mentally tough and growing our confidence, especially on the offensive end. The Lady Cougars are led in scoring by junior Hope Fancil, who wasn’t on the roster when the season began. She’s averaging better than 18 points a game, and adding nearly four rebounds a game. “It was a smooth transition (adding Fancil to the team), and I am proud of the girls for how they have all bonded and accepted each other. It has been awesome to see this not only on the court, but off as well,” Kauffman said. Melissa Goss is the only senior for LCA, averaging five points and five rebounds per contest. Juniors Jessica Slone, Brady Gross and Heather Plastow combine to average about 11 points and 14 rebounds a contest. Sophomore Anna Reimink contributes about four points and four boards a game. It takes a team effort to get the Lady Cougars to the point where they can talk about making history. “This year our team theme has been ‘together,’ Kauffman said. “All season we have been going through 21 principles of being a good teammate and the selfless sacrifice this takes. The girls have really improved their team chemistry over last year, and it has been awesome to see these girls grow together over the season. “Melissa Goss has been an amazing leader for LCA over the last four years, and we would love to be able to honor her this year by making LCA history.” With a win Tuesday, LCA would advance to the semifinals against Lakewood Park Christian at 6 p.m. Friday. On the other side of the bracket, Elkhart Christian Academy plays Hamilton at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, with the winner taking on host Blackhawk Christian in the second semifinal about 7:30 p.m. Friday. The sectional championship game is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
