WINONA LAKE – Lakeland Christian Academy has never won an IHSAA postseason girls basketball game, much less a sectional title. But in the Class 1A Hamilton Sectional, it’s not like there’s an abundance of banners hanging in everyone else’s gym, either. Fort Wayne Blackhawk won its first sectional last year, and Hamilton its first the year before that. When Bethany Christian won its only girls basketball sectional, today’s players were either not yet born or in diapers. Only three teams come in to the sectional with a winning record; Blackhawk, Bethany Christian and LCA. So, why not the Lady Cougars? They get a first-round bye and will take on the winner of the Blackhawk/Elkhart Christian Academy game at 6 p.m. Feb. 5. The other semifinal will have Lakewood Park Christian taking on the Bethany/Hamilton winner, and the championship game will be at 6 p.m. Feb. 6. “I do see our sectional as very evenly matched,” first-year LCA head coach Allison Kauffman said. “There are some teams that seem to have played better overall this season, but there is not that one dominant team this year. “Especially as tournament time comes, any team can beat another on any night. A lot of the end of the season comes down to that heart and desire and who wants the game more. There is an advantage and disadvantage to having a bye. The advantage is we will have a little more time to prepare for our game and rest up; however, we also won't have a chance to get the sectional jitters out like the teams who play before us.” Kauffman came into a situation with senior leadership in place. Either Hannah Delp or Rachel Sand have led the Lady Cougars in scoring most games, averaging 24 of LCA’s 40 points a game. Sand and classmate Carissa Urschalitz pull down six rebounds a game each. Still, there was a time when there was some getting used to each other for players and coach. After two wins to start the season, one in overtime, LCA then dropped five of its next six games. The Lady Cougars have since recovered enough to clinch a winning record in the regular season for the first time since the school became eligible for IHSAA postseason play in 2012-13. “The beginning of the season is always a little tough when the girls are transitioning to a new coach and understanding new expectations,” said Kauffman. “Our team has really come together on the defensive end and has continued to learn how to play more aggressive and physical. “We have grown in the aspect of learning to give our best effort on the defensive end no matter how many shots are falling.” Kauffman and her student-athletes are fully aware of the impact a sectional title would have; it would extend well beyond the court. “Winning a sectional would be huge not only for our Lady Cougar basketball program, but for our school as well. It would definitely help our team believe in themselves, as they would do something bigger than anyone has expected them to do,” she said. “The entire school is very close knit and very supportive of each other, and it would be an exciting time for the whole student body. “In order to do that, we absolutely have to bring our best effort and heart. We have to come focused and aggressive on both ends of the floor. We definitely have to use each other and work together to achieve this goal. “If we want to win the sectional, we cannot come out with any expectations other than just giving our best effort. We cannot come out as 12 individuals, but we must play as one unit and work together on both ends of the floor.”
