The Greencastle girl's basketball team is no stranger to winning a sectional title, having completed the feat last year. 
However, this year's installment of the Tiger Cubs features a different look, new names and a new coach who are looking to push Greencastle deep into the postseason and repeat last year's magical run that ended in the Class 2A semi-state. 

After opening the season 0-5 under first year head coach Jessica Lenihan, Greencastle captured the Putnam County title and will bring a 10-13 record into the sectional opener Tuesday against North Putnam in the South Putnam Sectional. 
According to Lenihan, the season has gone really well. 

"I really impressed with how hard these girls work every day in practice and in games. The improvement from the beginning of the year to now is really great to see," Lenihan told The Putnam County Post. 

Leading the way has been Evelyn Briones and Ali Dobbs, both of whom set the tone defensively and offensively for the Tiger Cubs. 

"They also have been playing really well on offense; their shots are looking really smooth and they are shooting with confidence. Madi Plew, Bailey Brown, and Aleeyah Johnson have been stepping up as well, getting a ton of rebounds. Bailey is a strong player under the basket for us, which helps a lot! Sarah Simmerman has been coming off the bench and putting in positive minutes. She is one of our talented freshmen and she gets on the court and plays with a lot of confidence," Lenihan said. 

The sectional opener is a rematch of a Jan. 12 game that saw North Putnam pick up a 59-47 win over Greencastle. Lenihan admits her team is "really excited about the draw." 

"The girls are wanting to play them again to redeem themselves. My girls are very competitive and ready to fight to win this first game of sectional," Lenihan said. 

As for what will be the keys for Greencastle to emerge with a win, Lenihan said it is simple. 

"We have to play our game and make sure we are taking the right shot and not forcing anything. We plan to focus and play as a team to be able to cut down those nets," Lenihan said. 

In the first meeting between the two teams, Lenihan said North Putnam disrupted Greencastle's flow, forcing the Tiger Cubs into playing rushed, taking bad shots and not protecting the basketball. 

"We also have to rebound better and be strong with the ball when we get it. I will give North Putnam a lot of credit, they wanted it more than we did in our first matchup but I think our girls are happy they get a chance to redeem themselves in this rematch," Lenihan said.