Peoria Notre Dame is a mission.

The Class 2A top-ranked girls basketball team heads into the 188-team postseason field with high expectations. The Irish (27-4, 1-0) just completed an undefeated run in the Big 12 Conference for their first Big 12 crown and are on a five-game win streak.

The program's best postseason finish came with a run to the 1994 Class AA Elite Eight. PND last won a regional in 2014, in Class 3A, before losing in the sectional final.

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Notre Dame is led by very talented starting lineup in senior Mya Wardle, juniors Kaitlin Cassidy and Julia Mingus, sophomore Lexi Baer and freshman Emy Wardle. As the highest-ranked team in the Peoria area, here is a look at PND's possible path through the Class 2A state playoffs.

Regional semifinals

Opponent: Kewanee

The Irish enter the postseason as the top seed in the Illinois Valley Central Regional, playing Kewanee at 6 p.m. Monday. PND averages 68.5 points per game against just under 36 allowed. PND is favored over the eighth-seeded Boilermakers, who are 11-17 and finished third in the Three Rivers-East Conference. Kewanee beat Farmington in the regional quarterfinal, 59-39 on Saturday after winning by 41 points against the Farmers on Jan. 27.

Regional finals

Likely opponent: Illinois Valley Central

A title-game victory here would give coach Layne Langholf his first regional championship in 20 years as a head coach (13 years at Canton and seven with PND). This would also be the third successive year the Irish are making a regional title game. Host and No. 5 seed IVC, which would have won seven more games than last season under first-year coach Brianna Morrow, would need to spring an upset in the semis over fourth-seeded Sherrard.

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Sectional semifinals

Likely opponent: Bloomington Central Catholic

If the Irish have made it to the round of 32, they likely used balanced scoring and stingy defense.

BCC, the perennial Class 2A state contender and Illini Prairie champ, has four state trophies since 2010 including a state championship and two runner-ups under 26-year Debbie Coffman. One common opponent for the teams is Class 4A sixth-ranked Normal Community, which beat BCC by 12 and lost to PND by 21 points.

PND's ability to get points off turnovers will be instrumental in advancing to its first sectional championship in a decade.

Sectional finals

Likely opponent: Deer Creek-Mackinaw

Eighth-ranked Dee-Mack potentially would have had to beat a tough Canton team on its home floor in the sectional semis. The Chiefs, who are led by Dalia Dejesus and Kenzie Knowles, have been state-ranked all season, winning 23 in a row at one point and went 11-0 in the Heart of Illinois Conference.

However, the Irish, who last won a Class AA sectional in 1999, can keep throwing highly skilled scorers at their opponents to make the Elite Eight.

Supersectionals

Likely opponent: Rock Island Alleman

Alleman would be making the program's eighth super appearance, resulting in two state trophies and the 2005 Class A state championship. All four of Alleman's regular-season losses came in the Western Big Six Conference, getting swept by Class 4A East Moline United Township and Quincy.

This, though, will be too tall of a task for Alleman. With a win here, PND would be guaranteed the program's first state trophy.

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State semifinals

Likely opponent: Elmhurst IC Catholic

Making the state finals has been PND's goal all season and will make its CEFCU Arena debut at 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29. If the Irish make it to this point, they will have done it by using relentless fast-paced offense and suffocating defense.

IC Catholic and PND both played Class 3A River Forest Trinity. The Irish won by 28, and the Knights lost by eight.

State finals

Likely opponent: Breese Central

This would be No. 1 versus No. 2, per the final poll by The Associated Press.

PND can use the college court to its advantage, potentially fatiguing the Cougars with their quickness and pressure. Breese Central and 19-year coach Nathan Rueter is no stranger to the state finals, having made four appearances including the 2007 Class A state championship. A common foe for these teams is Class 4A No. 2 Alton, against which PND suffered a pair of defeats, while BC fell by nine.

If PND wins, Peoria will have its first girls state championship since Richwoods won the 2018 Class 3A title.

Prediction: PND 57, Breese Central 41

Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria Notre Dame girls basketball road to IHSA state championship