When Columbus North and Columbus East meet tonight in the semifinals of the East girls basketball sectional, both teams could be without key players.
East junior guard Whitley Rankin is out for the season after sustaining a concussion in a Jan. 19 loss to Madison.
Nadia Lomax, North’s lone senior and second-leading scorer, is questionable for tonight after injuring a knee in a Jan. 24 loss at Roncalli in the regular-season finale. Lomax did not play in Tuesday’s 61-45 opening-round sectional win against Shelbyville.
“Nadia has played with a lot of heart this season and is a good leader,” North coach Pat McKee said. “More often than not, especially down the stretch here, she’s played really well. She’s doing what seniors do. All of a sudden it really matters to them, and she’s playing like it really matters to her. I hope she’s healthy and can go.”
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Lomax led the Bull Dogs with 14 points and nine rebounds when North won 56-46 at East on Dec. 13. Freshman point guard Koryn Griewe led the Olympians with 23, despite being face guarded by Bull Dog guards Annie Anderson and Alexa McKinley for most of the game.
East (10-12) closed the regular season strong last week, winning at New Albany and Southport before falling to Martinsville at home.
“I like the way we were playing coming into the sectional the last three games,” East coach Danny Brown said. “We played very well at New Albany, had a great win at Southport and had a very good Martinsville team on the ropes.”
Both Brown and McKee have reached notable coaching milestones in the past few weeks. Brown won his 300th career game in the Olympians’ Jan. 4 victory at Connersville, and McKee picked up win No. 200 on Tuesday against Shelbyville.
“Coach Brown has done an excellent job of getting them to work together and understanding their strengths,” McKee said. “I’m sure that they’ll play at a high level (tonight).”
Bloomington South (19-3) and East Central (18-6) will meet in tonight’s first semifinal. Tonight’s winners will play for the sectional title at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Columbus East is the defending sectional champion, having snapped North’s streak of six in a row last year.
The Olympians have had eight days since their most recent game, thanks to receiving a first-round bye.
“I think it was very important for us at the time because playing five games in eight days and losing Whitley, it gives us more time to practice,” Brown said. “That was a big loss for us. She’s quality ballhandler and shooter. But we played well the last three games, and we’re encouraged by that, and we just have to be ready to go.”
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Columbus East Sectional
Today
6 p.m.: Bloomington South (19-3) vs. East Central (18-6)
7:30 p.m.: Columbus East (10-12) vs. Columbus North (17-7)
Saturday
7 p.m.: Championship
Note: Doors for Friday session open at 5 p.m. Admission is $6
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Probable starters and key stats for tonight’s Columbus East-Columbus North matchup:
Columbus East;Height;Class;PPG;RPG
G-Koryn Greiwe;5-7;Fr.;19.2;3.3
G-Katie Dougherty;5-7;Jr.;7.7;2.1
G-Albany Speer;5-4;Fr.;2.7;0.6
F-Sarah Park;5-9;Sr.;5.1;4.2
C-Claire Cunningham;6-1;Sr.;9.4;7.8
Columbus North;Height;Class;PPG;RPG
G-Alexa McKinley;5-7;Soph.;10.6;3.8
G-Annie Anderson;5-7;Jr.;6.0;3.4
F-Nadia Lomax;5-10;Sr.;9.6;4.2
F-Sierra Norman;5-9;Jr.;7.8;2.8
C-Tessa Lomax;6-0;Jr.;5.6;6.1
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