The IHSA girls basketball playoffs shifts into full throttle with the regional semifinals on Monday, Feb. 16 and Tuesday, Feb. 17.
The regional finals are Thursday, Feb. 19 and Friday, Feb. 20.
Here are the top girls basketball performers in the Springfield area entering the postseason:
Kaitlyn Reels, Carlinville
The senior forward is back in the lineup after missing six games due to a thumb injury and is averaging 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 assists per game. She has made 47 3s through Feb. 11 and is shooting 75% from the free-throw line. She not only has over 1,100 career points, but is the school’s all-time 3-point shooter with over 200 treys. Her cousin, Ruthie, can also dial up from long range. She has 49 3s this season, while averaging 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists per game. Carlinville is the No. 7 seed in the Auburn Regional in Class 1A.
Alexis Neumann, Chatham Glenwood
The star junior forward led the Titans to a second straight outright Central State Eight Conference title with 12.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. She ended the regular season with 1,000 career points and is The State Journal-Register’s reigning Large School Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Glenwood also presents freshman Jemma Lamb (10.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg.) and junior point guard Ava Bobb (9.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2 apg). The Titans, ranked No. 4 in Class 3A by The Associated Press, are the No. 1 seed in the Highland Regional in Class 3A.
Amari Vickery, Gillespie
The junior guard brandishes 17.8 points per game, including 20 points in a South Central Conference finale against Pana. Gillespie is the No. 2 seed in the Roxana Regional in Class 2A.
Kaydi Miller, Havana
The senior tallies 12.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2.1 assists per game. Sophomore Ava Kramer also averages double figures with 12 points per game. Havana is the No. 3 seed regional host in Class 1A.
Kearstynn Davis, Hillsboro
The senior forward averages over 8 points and 8 rebounds per game. She tied her season-best 15 points in a Feb. 12 win over Carlinville for the outright SCC title. Junior Amya Greenwood leads the team with 9.4 points, 2.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game, not to mention 3.3 rpg. The Hiltoppers are the No. 4 seed in the Litchfield Regional in Class 2A.
Mia Clark, Lincoln
The senior ranks among the top shooters in the CS8, contributing 15.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, plus 46 steals and 39 assists through 28 games. She converted 72 3s over that span, not to mention 76 of 95 (80%) free throw attempts. Lincoln is the No. 3 seed regional host in Class 3A.
Alyson Murphy, Mount Pulaski
The senior guard approaches the playoffs with 2,037 career points. She doles out over 20 points per game, along with over 4 steals and 3 rebounds per game. Mount Pulaski is the No. 1 seed regional host in Class 1A.
Alivia Sabol, Nokomis
The junior forward ended the regular season averaging a double-double with 13.3 points and 10 rebounds per game. Nokomis, which won its fourth straight MSM Conference title outright, is the No. 3 seed in the Greenfield Regional in Class 1A.
Ava Rodriguez, Pawnee/Lutheran
The senior contributes 13 points and 7 rebounds per game. Fellow senior Avery Klug tallies 9 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks per game. Pawnee is the top No. 2 seed in the Auburn Regional in Class 2A.
Aubrey Vogel, Petersburg PORTA/A-C Central
The prolific senior guard has generated 15.8 points, 6.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 4.1 steals per game. Even against Class 2A No. 4-ranked Pleasant Plains, she produced 15 points and 5 rebounds to end the regular season. Her cousin, Allison, also figures prominently with 9.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. The Bluejays are the No. 3 seed in the Farmington Regional in Class 2A.
Bailey Leach, Pleasant Plains
The senior point guard crossed 1,000 career points in early January and guided the Cardinals to a second straight outright Sangamo Conference title with 10.4 points per game in conference play.
Anna Weber, Pleasant Plains
The senior center averaged 16.4 points in conference play, not to mention a litany of rebounds. She is the SJ-R’s reigning Small School Girls Basketball Player of the Year and is signed to play at Lincoln Land Community College. Plains is the No. 1 seed in the Rochester Regional in Class 2A.
Navehua Collier, Southeast
The junior guard supplies 15 points per game, third in the CS8 behind Lincoln’s Mia Clark and Decatur MacArthur’s Lexi Meyer. Southeast is the No. 7 seed in the Quincy Notre Dame Regional in Class 3A.
Aniyah Rhinehouse, Springfield High
The senior forward concluded the regular season with 12 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2 steals per game. Sophomore guard Abigail Malit generated 12.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.3 steals per game. SHS is the No. 4 seed in the Decatur MacArthur Regional in Class 3A.
Jenna Staggs, Staunton
The junior guard has already cranked out over 1,000 career points and in a Feb. 5 contest against Litchfield, she converted four 3s en route to a game-high 25 points. Staunton is the No. 5 seed in the Litchfield Regional in Class 2A.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Meet the top 15 girls basketball players to watch around Springfield
Reporting by Bill Welt, Springfield State Journal-Register / State Journal-Register
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