Knights to Remember: Marian back in Regional round after 2-year hiatus

MISHAWAKA, Ind. (WNDU) - In Indiana, high school girls basketball playoffs roll on this weekend with the Regional round.

16 Sports caught up with the Marian Knights as they prepare for Tippecanoe Valley on Saturday.

For the fourth time under the leadership of head coach Steve Scott, the Knights girls basketball team won a Sectional championship.

“It’s always great to win a sectional. It absolutely never gets old,” Scott said.

The sectional win was extra special for Coach Scott, as it marked his 300th career victory.

But for many of the players, the win also held some extra weight as their first Sectional title.

“It was a dream come true for myself,” said Shayla Alexander, senior forward. “It was my first time in all my years and to experience that was a good experience for myself.”

“It was really satisfying,” said Makaya Porter, senior forward. “I’ve never gotten to do that before, so to finally be able to do it my senior year felt really good.”

For standout senior guard Nevaeh Foster, it’s another piece of the puzzle as she pushes for the title of Indiana’s Miss Basketball. She’s a top-5 scorer in the state in points per game and surpassed 2,000 career points this season. At this point, other teams know she’s coming; they just can’t stop her.

“I know coming into every game that everyone’s going to key on me and try to stop me, so just really just having a positive mindset and keeping composure, knowing that I have confidence in my teammates,” Foster said.

And late this season, the senior-heavy team added back one more upperclassman in Porter, who is a do-it-all forward. After battling a knee injury for the past seven months, she’s back and ready to contribute for one final high school run.

“It was really hard to just sit on the bench and watch them play and I wasn’t able to be a part of it,” Porter said.

“Through the last month of practice and stuff, we’re gradually building up chemistry and stuff again, and I think she’ll be ready to go Saturday,” Scott said.

In the Regional round, which is now just one game, Marian will face Tippecanoe Valley. The Vikings are no slouch, coming into this one on an 8-game win streak and with just 3 losses on the year. The Knights say they’re ready for the fight.

“If we just play how we normally been playing, it should turn out good,” Alexander said.

“Don’t leave this gym and say I wish I would have done this. Leave everything that you possibly have out on that floor,” Scott said.

The game will be played at Jimtown High School. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.

Copyright 2023 WNDU. All rights reserved.