Girls basketball regional preview

The Mt. Vernon Marauders are set for the girls basketball regional, and so are we.

The schedule from Mt. Vernon for Saturday:
10 a.m.: Madison (14-9) vs. Roncalli (17-5)
11:30 a.m.: No. 2 Mt. Vernon (20-1) vs. Lebanon (20-3)
8 p.m.: Championship
CLICK TO LISTEN TO MT. VERNON'S GAMES LIVE!
Andrew & Chris will be online live at approximately 11:20 a.m. in the morning, and should the Marauders win, at 7:40 p.m. Saturday night.

Team previews
GAME 2
#2 Mt. Vernon Marauders (20-1)
Coach: Julie Shelton (13th year at MV, 196-91, sectional champs in 2003, 2005, 2011).
Sagarin ranking: #2 3A, #6 statewide
Record vs: 3A teams: 9-0. Vs. teams still in tourney: 2-0 (beat 4A Pendleton Heights & 3A Yorktown).
The road here: Beat #9 Rushville 61-56, #5 Hamilton Heights 77-69.
Notes

• Marauders beat two ranked teams in the sectional to win its first since 2005.
  
• Hoosier Heritage Conference champs with 7-0 league record. One of three HHC teams to win their sectionals this year -- joining Pendleton Heights & Yorktown. This is the second straight year HHC teams won all three sectionals in which conference teams compete.
  
• MV had several streaks going. Streak of 35 straight regular-season wins was snapped by North Central in the regular season finale. MV has won 16 consecutive home games, and won the only regional it has played on its home floor in 2005. MV is 38-4 the last two seasons, and was ranked No. 1 for much of the year.
• MV rallied from double-digit second-half deficit to beat Hamilton Heights in the sectional title game, led by 8-of-10 FT shooting from Jessica Brown, who scored 17 points. Six-foot freshman post Erica Moore had 19 and 11 boards and sophomore Rachel Houck (15 points, 5 3s) and senior Kayla Negley (14 points, 7 assists) also had big nights.
• Against Rushville, Brown hit 11 free throws to help seal that game. Negley and Indiana State recruit Makenzi Reasor both scored 12.
• In sectional, Brown scored 17.5 ppg and hit 19-of-28 from the line. Negley averaged 13 points, 5.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds in the sectional.
• Only one player averaging in double-figures (Brown, 14.4 ppg), but Reasor, Negley, Houck and Moore all average between 7.6 and 9.1 ppg.
  

Lebanon Tigers (20-3)
Coach: Dave Ferrell (2nd year, 30-15)
Sagarin ranking: #17 3A, #71 statewide
Record vs: 3A teams: 13-0. Vs. teams still in tourney: 0-0
The road here: Beat Southmont 73-36, Danville 69-38 and North Montgomery 39-37.
Notes

• Won Sagamore Conference title with perfect 7-0 mark.
  
• 10-game turnaround from last year, when the Tigers went 10-12.
• 12-game winning streak is one of state's longest. Perfect in 2011 -- last loss was to Cathedral on Dec. 27.
• Led by guard Alison Curtis, a Harvard recruit who has scored in double-figures in 19 of the Tigers' 23 games. Averaged 16.7 ppg in sectional, 16.4 ppg for the season. Had 22 against Danville, 19 against Southmont in sectional.
  
• In the sectional final against North Montgomery, Lexi Reese scored 13 points and Katie Curtis -- Alison's younger sister -- scored 11. Reese is the team's third-leading scorer at 9.3 ppg.
  
• Katie Curtis is the assist person. Had career high 15 helpers (and 15 points) against Southmont in the sectional opener. She is the second-leading scorer at 12.4 ppg and averages a shade under six assists per game.
  

GAME 1
Madison Cubs (14-9)
Coach: Tony Harl (2nd year at Madison, 23-20; 5th overall, 62-53. Won sectional in 2007 & 2008 at Carroll (Allen) ).
Sagarin ranking: #23 3A, #99 statewide
Record vs: 3A teams: 7-2. Vs. teams still in tourney: 2-4 (lost to 4A Jeffersonville, Columbus East & Mooresville and 2A Brownstown; beat 3A Silver Creek & 2A South Ripley).
The road here: Beat South Dearborn 68-43; Greensburg 48-38 and Scottsburg 65-63.
Notes

• Madison's nine losses are the most of any team remaining in the tourney.
  
• Madison is one of three Hoosier Hills Conference teams remaining in the tourney, joining Columbus East and Jeffersonville. The smallest school in the Hoosier Hills, Madison finished 2-5 in league play.
• Has won six straight games.
  
• Outscored Scottsburg 25-7 over the final seven and a half minutes to erase 16-point deficit and win the sectional title game. Senior Kayla Luellen scored 17 points, including three FTs in final minute to win the game. Junior guard Mandy Stoll scored 19 points and junior forward Nayla Lunsford 16 in that game.

Roncalli Rebels (17-5)
Coach: Sara Riedeman (3rd year, 49-20)
Sagarin ranking: #6 3A, #37 statewide
Record vs: 3A teams: 7-0. Vs. teams still in tourney: 1-0 (def. 2A Covenant Christian)
The road here: Beat Beech Grove 44-30, Howe 77-24, Chatard 45-28.
Notes

• Roncalli has won three straight sectionals, seeking 1st regional title in class era.
  
• The Rebels are rolling, having won eight straight games by an average score of 57-36. In the sectional, they allowed only 27.3 ppg.
• Roncalli has lots of balance -- in the sectional, six different players scored in double-figures. The Rebels also have a lot of size, with five players 5-10 or taller.
  
• Junior guard Coco Clark had 16 points & 8 boards in the sectional title win over Chatard. Elizabeth Bowers had two double-figures games in the sectional, scoring 10 against Chatard and 14 against Howe. Katie Brewer had 15 points/8 boards to lead the Rebels in the opening game against Beech Grove.
  
• Leading scorer is 6-2 guard Bridget Perry, who scored in double figures every game but one during the regular season, with a high of 29.
  
• Bowers, a 6-foot freshman, was the leading scorer in the sectional, scoring 9.3 ppg and hitting 13 of her 16 FG attempts.
  

MV common opponents
vs. Lebanon
Southport: Leb 60-52 Nov. 12; MV 55-33 Jan. 4
Noblesville: Leb 61-56 Nov. 19; MV 43-37 Jan. 8
vs. Roncalli
Southport: Ron 59-56 Jan. 25; MV 55-33 Jan. 4
vs. Madison
no common opponents