IHSA Girls Basketball Finals: Your Complete Guide

It’s that time of year again! The IHSA Girls Basketball Finals are just around the corner. Here’s your complete guide to the tournament.

IHSA Girls Basketball Finals – Overview

The IHSA girls basketball Finals is an annual tournament that determines the state champion in Illinois. The tournament is open to all High School girls basketball teams in Illinois, and is divided into four classes (1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A).

The tournament consists of two rounds of play. In the first round, the sixteen teams in each class are placed into four regional tournaments. The winners of each regional tournament advance to the State Finals

The state finals are held at Redbird Arena on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal, IL. The four finalists in each class play two Finals games on Friday, with the winners advance to play for the state championship on Saturday.

IHSA Girls Basketball Finals – Schedule

The IHSA girls basketball Finals return to Schaumburg for the 22nd time in school history. The tournament tips off Thursday, March 7 and continues through Saturday, March 9 at the Sears Centre Arena.

Here is the complete schedule for this year’s event:

Thursday, March 7
Class 3A Game 1: 10 a.m. (ESPN3)
Class 2A Game 1: Noon (ESPN3)
Class 4A Game 1: 6 p.m. (FOX Sports Chicago)
Class 1A Game 1: 8 p.m. (Fox sports Chicago)

Friday, March 8
Class 3A Game 2: 10 a.m. (ESPN3)
Class 2A Game 2: Noon (ESPN3)
Class 4A Game 2: 6 p.m. (FOX Sports Chicago Plus)
Class 1A Game 2: 8 p.m. (Fox Sports Chicago Plus)

Saturday, March 9 – state championship Games
Third Place Games
Class 3A Game 3: 10 a.m. (ESPNU) Class 2A Game 3: Noon (ESPNU)
Championship Games if same class winning both games on ESPN2 Class 4A Game 3: 6 p.m.(ESPN2 or ESPNU) Class 1A Game 3: 8 p.m.(ESPN2 or ESPNU)

IHSA Girls Basketball Finals – Venue

The IHSA girls basketball Finals will be held at Redbird Arena on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal, IL. The arena is a multipurpose facility that can seat over 11,000 fans.

IHSA Girls Basketball Finals – Tickets

IHSA Girls Basketball Finals Tickets go on sale to the public on Tuesday, October 22 at 10:00 a.m. central time. All tickets are $10 each and will be available online through Ticketmaster or by calling 1-800-745-3000. A maximum of eight (8) tickets may be purchased per order.

IHSA Girls Basketball Finals – Broadcast

The IHSA Girls Basketball Finals will be broadcast on Comcast SportsNet Chicago, NBC Sports Chicago, and the Illinois high school Sports Network (IHSSN). The games will also be streamed live on the IHSA website, ihsa.tv.

The first game of the day will tip off at 10:00 am and will be followed by the second game at 12:00 pm. The Class 3A game will be played at 2:00 pm, followed by the Class 4A game at 4:00 pm.

Comcast SportsNet Chicago will have live coverage of all four games, beginning with the 10:00 am game. NBC Sports Chicago will join coverage of the first game in progress at 11:30 am and will stay with that game until its conclusion. They will then pick up live coverage of the second game at 1:00 pm. The IHSSN will have live coverage of all four games on their website, ihsa.tv.

IHSA Girls Basketball Finals – History

Since the inaugural tournament in 1908, the IHSA Girls Basketball Finals has been the pinnacle event for Illinois high school Basketball teams
The tournament has changed locations several times over the years, most recently settling in Normal, Illinois in 2015. It has also undergone expansion, growing from 8 teams in 1908 to 256 teams in 2017.

Despite these changes, one thing has remained constant – the excitement and passion that surrounds the IHSA Girls Basketball Finals. For many student-athletes, coaches, and fans, qualifying for and competing in the tournament is a lifelong dream.

Nowhere is this more evident than at Redbird Arena on the campus of Illinois State University which has been home to the IHSA Girls Basketball Finals since 1979. The arena is typically packed to capacity with fans eager to see some of the best high school basketball in the country.

Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just looking to learn more about this storied tournament, this guide will provide you with everything you need to know about the IHSA girls basketball Finals.

IHSA Girls Basketball Finals – Records

The IHSA Girls Basketball Final is a statewide tournament in Illinois that determines the annual champion of girls high school basketball.

The first tournament was held in 1977, and it has been held every year since. A total of 24 teams qualify for the tournament; eight teams each from the four geographic regions of the state.

The tournament is a single-elimination format, meaning each team is only guaranteed to play one game. The four quarterfinal winners advance to the semifinals, where the two winners then play for the championship.

A total of 32 different schools have won the IHSA Girls Basketball Final, with Lincoln-Way East holding the record for most championships with six. Whitney Young currently holds the longest Winning Streak in tournament history, having won three consecutive championships from 2014 to 2016.

Below is a complete list of past champions, arranged by year:

| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Score |
|——|———-|———--|——-|
| 1977 | Marian | Josephinum | 58-56 |
| 1978 | Maine | Nazareth | 68-54 |
| 1979 | Proviso East || Thornridge 61-51

IHSA girls basketball Finals – Teams

The IHSA Girls Basketball Finals are finally here! After an exciting regular season and thrilling postseason, the best teams in the state will be converging on Redbird Arena in Normal to decide who is the best of the best.

In Class 1A, it will be a battle of two undefeated teams as Annawan looks to finish off a perfect season against Winchester. Annawan comes in as the favorite, but Winchester has proved they can hang with the best, having already beaten both Knoxville and Unity Christian this season.

In Class 2A, it will be a rematch of last year’s final as Eureka looks to defend their title against Morton. Morton won both regular season matchups between these two teams, so they will have confidence coming into this one. Eureka will be looking to avenge those losses and prove that they are still the top team in Class 2A.

In Class 3A, it will be Lincoln-Way East taking on Benet Academy. Lincoln-Way East comes into this one as the heavy favorite, having only lost two games all season. They will be up against a Benet team that is no stranger to big games, having already won state titles in 2014 and 2015. This should be a great game between two of the top teams in Illinois.

And finally, in Class 4A, it will be Young taking on Fremd. Young comes into this one as the favorite, but Fremd is no stranger to upsets, having already beaten Stevenson and Marian Catholic this season. This should be a great game between two of the top teams in Illinois.

So whatever your rooting interests are, make sure you tune in to watch some great girl’s basketball action!

IHSA girls basketball Finals – Players

The IHSA Girls Basketball Finals are just around the corner and we’ve got your complete guide to the action. From the Top Players to watch out for, to where you can catch all the games – we’ve got you covered.

The IHSA girls basketball Finals are set to take place from March 6-8 at Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena in Normal, Illinois. A total of 32 teams across four different divisions will be competing for a state title.

In the past, the IHSA Girls Basketball Finals have been dominated by Chicago-area teams. In fact, out of the last 11 champions in the large-school division (Class 3A), 10 have come from the Chicago area. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other teams worth watching out for. Here are some of the top players to keep an eye on during this year’s games:

Tyra Buss (Mt. Carmel high school Sr.) – Buss is a four-year starter who has led her team to two straight Class 3A state titles. She is currently averaging 28 points, six assists and five rebounds per game

Kennedy Kirkpatrick (Lincoln-Way East high school Sr.) – Kirkpatrick is averaging 18 points and eight rebounds per game for Lincoln-Way East, which is looking to win its first ever state championship

Alexis Jones (Rock Island High School Sr.) – Jones is one of the top recruits in the country and she will be looking to lead Rock Island to a Class 4A state title. She is currently averaging 21 points, eight assists and six steals per game.

Kiara Johnson (Proviso West High School Jr.) – Johnson is a two-time all-state selection who is averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game for Proviso West this season.

Jade Owens (Belvidere North high school Sr.) – Owens is Belvidere North’s All-time leading scorer and she will be looking to lead her team to a Class 4A state title this year. She is averaging 21 points and nine rebounds per game this season.

IHSA girls basketball Finals – Predictions

The IHSA Girls Basketball Finals are fast approaching, and we have your complete guide to the action. We’ll give you an overview of the teams, a bracket prediction, and our pick for the Championship game

The IHSA Girls Basketball Finals are set to begin on Thursday, March 7th at Redbird Arena in Normal, Illinois. The tournament will feature 32 teams from across the state competing for the title of IHSA State Champion.

Here is a quick overview of the four teams who will be competing in each of the four classes:

Class 1A:
-Annawan-Wethersfield (30-2) is the top seed in Class 1A and will be looking to defend their title from last year. They will face off against 8th seeded South Fork (23-9) in the first round.
-Dupo (29-3) is the 2nd seed and will take on 7th seeded Warrensburg-Latham (24-5) in the first round.
-LeRoy (27-4) is the 3rd seed and will take on 6th seeded Elmwood/Brimfield (25-5) in the first round.
-Sangamo Conference rivals Williamsville (28-3) and PORTA/A-C Central (21-10) are set to meet in the first round with Williamsville holding the 4th seed and PORTA/A-C Central as the 5th seed.