Senior guard Eryn Leek will be a key player for Warsaw as sectional play opens Tuesday night.

Warsaw girls basketball coach Michelle Harter believes her team has a very good opportunity to repeat as sectional champions.

She knows the task though will not be an easy one.

The Tigers, who turned their season around in the final half, face Elkhart Memorial Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the opening game of the Class 4-A Northridge Sectional.

The sectional meeting will be the only one of the season between the Northern Lakes Conference foes as their regular-season contest was postponed twice in the last two weeks by the snow and cold. The sectional game will also count in the final NLC standings.

Harter, whose team recovered from a 2-7 start to finish 9-9 in the regular season, thinks her team will be ready to play despite the last two weeks of postponed games and snow days leading to missed practices. Warsaw’s last game was a big 47-44 home win in overtime over NorthWood on Feb. 3.

“Our girls have adjusted well and been focused,” said Harter. “I don’t see much of a problem being ready to go. It’s been a little frustrating the last couple of weeks now knowing if you were going to play or practice due to the weather. But our girls have been working hard.”

Memorial sits at 6-10 on the season. Coach Steve Scott’s team, which got off to an 0-7 start, is led by Ball State bound Khadijah Moore.

“Moore is a great player and Memorial has played much better in the second part of the season,” said Harter, whose team topped the Chargers 49-37 in a first-round game in last year’s sectional. “We have to control the tempo, handle their pressure and rebound. The key for us is to now allow them easy opportunities to score.”

Northridge, which drew the bye and plays the Warsaw-Memorial winner in one semifinal Friday, boasts by far the top record in the field at 16-4. The Raiders, who have never won a sectional title, did lose 30-28 at Warsaw in January. Coach Doug Springer’s squad did claim the NLC championship at 6-1.

“We did get a tough draw, but if we play our kind of basketball that we are capable of  I think we have a good shot,”  Harter said. “I think it’s an open field and anything can happen in the sectional. It’s all about who comes out and performs each night.”

Warsaw, which went 24-2 and lost in the semi state a year ago, is led by seniors Nikki Grose, Brooklyn Harrison and Eryn Leek. The trio righted the ship after the worst start in program history.

“I’m extremely proud of how our girls turned the season around after Christmas,” remarked Harter. “They had a renewed attitude and renewed focus and wanted to turn it around. Our seniors stepped up and were leaders. That says a lot about the passion and pride they have.”

Two-time defending champion NorthWood headlines the field at its own Class 3-A sectional, where five of the seven teams boast a winning record.

The Panthers are led by Morgan Olson, the program’s all-time leading scorer and a Youngstown State recruit.

Steve Neff, the Hall of Fame coach of the Panthers, will retire at season’s end. Neff is the state’s al-time winningest girls’ coach at 650-180 in his 37th season. Donna Cheatham of Scottsburg is currently 648-208 in her 39th year.

NorthWood faces NLC foe Wawasee in a first-round game Wednesday.  The Panthers beat the youthful Warriors 72-31 during the regular season.

Whitko, which won the third most games in program history with its 14 victories, plays West Noble. The Wildcats edged the Chargers 64-62 in a regular-season meeting.

Warsaw senior Nikki Grose and Tippecanoe Valley freshman Anne Secrest will be pivotal players for their teams as postseason play begins.

Tippecanoe Valley meets a strong Fairfield team at NorthWood. The Vikings won their final five games to finish at 12-6.

Triton hosts its own Class 1-A sectional and will face LaCrosse. No. 1 Oregon-Davis (16-2) is the heavy favorite in the field at Triton, which also includes No. 9 Culver (14-4). The Trojans went 13-6 and did beat NSC foe Culver, but lost 75-35 to OD.

Lakeland Christian Academy drew a favorable matchup to open play in the Class 1-A Hamilton Sectional. The Cougars face winless Howe (0-5). LCA defeated Howe 61-4 way back in November.