Highland defeated East Chicago Central 40–30 in a girls varsity basketball playoff game in the IHSAA Class 3A State Tournament.
The game took place on Feb. 6, at Calumet High School as part of the IHSAA Class 3A Girls Basketball State Tournament – Sectional 17.
Highland turned a deadlocked first half into a statement win by owning the game’s most important minutes. After heading into the break tied at 18, the Trojans came out with a defensive surge that completely flipped the tone. They held East Chicago Central scoreless in the third quarter—a 14–0 stretch that became the backbone of the night. Highland’s offense wasn’t flashy, but it was efficient when it mattered, stacking 10 points in the first and matching that energy late with eight more in the fourth. Even as the Cardinals made a final push, Highland’s control never wavered, closing out a game defined by toughness and timely execution.
Highland heads to a neutral-site regional matchup against Culver Academies on Feb. 14 in the Class 2A state tournament at Winamac.
The Trojans will look to flip the script after falling 46–40 in their Nov. 22 meeting.
