Blog

By Jim Wieners

Incarnate Word Academy begins defense of their Class Four State Girls Basketball Championship Friday, March 7 at Vashon High School in the District Five Tournament.

IWA, after a first-round bye as the top seed, plays at 5 p.m. in the district semifinals against fourth-seeded Soldan-International Studies or fifth-seeded McCluer South-Berkeley and that game was to be played March 4. The other semifinal game, which follows at 7 p.m., features the winners of two other March 4 games Miller Career Academy (two seed) against Confluence Prep Academy Charter (seven seed) and Jennings (three seed) against Vashon (seven seed). The March 7 winners play the nest day, March 8, at 12 noon for the district title and the right to play against the District Six winner March 12, 6 p.m. at Parkway West

The Sectional winner advances to the March 15 Quarterfinal, 1 p.m. at Francis Howell High.

IWA, winners of five state titles, heads to the March 7 game with a 25-1 record and was 4-0 in the Metro Women’s Athletic Association White Division. The Red Knights only loss came in Louisville, Ky., Jan 25, falling 58-49 to Blackman, Tenn. The loss ended a 47-game winning streak that began with the Class Five Third-Place game in March 2012. IWA won the Visitation, Naples and Webster Groves Tournaments and the Red Knights have a 40-37 win over defending Class Five State Champion Columbia-Rock Bridge

BOYS Class Four, District Five was to start with fourth-seeded Confluence Prep Academy Charter playing fifth-seeded Vashon and third-seeded Soldan International Studies playing sixth-seeded McCluer South-Berkeley on March 3. On Thursday, March 6, top-seeded Jennings plays Confluence or Vashon at 5 p.m. while second-seeded Miller Career Academy plays Soldan or MS-Berkeley at 7 p.m. March 6 winners play March 8 at 2 p.m. and that winner plays the District Six winner March 12, 8 p.m. at Parkway West.

The Quarterfinal round for the Boys Sectional Winner is March 15, 2:45 at Francis Howell. Jennings Boys (16-7) and Girls (17-7 prior to March 4) each won the Suburban East Conference title, each going 5-0.

CLASS FIVE, DISTRICT SEVEN — The Championship Game at Hazelwood West is Saturday, March 8, with the Boys title game at 12 noon and the Girls title game at 2 p.m. The District winners play the winners from District Eight March 12 at St. Charles West and the Sectional Winners play March 15 at Lindenwood University, St. Charles. The Girls play at 6 p.m. and the boys play at 7:45 each round after districts.

The Girls Semifinal games, which feed into the March 8 championship game, are on Thursday, March 6. Top-seeded McCluer North plays fourth-seeded Hazelwood West at 4 p.m. followed by the 6 p.m. game between second-seeded Hazelwood Central and third-seeded Hazelwood East. The tournament began March 1 when Hazelwood West defeated fifth-seeded McCluer, 52-37.

The Boys Semifinal Games were scheduled to be played March 4, weather permitting, and the winners play March 8. Top seeded Hazelwood Central or fifth seeded McCluer takes on second-seeded McCluer North or third-seeded Hazelwood East in the championship game. McCluer advanced to the semifinal with March 1 win over fourth-seeded Hazelwood West, 72-66.

During the season in Girls Basketball Hazelwood Central (15-9), McCluer North (12-9) and Pattonville (16-8 prior to playing Parkway West in District Three, March 4 at Parkway North) finished in a three-way tie for the Suburban North Conference title, each going 6-1.  Hazelwood Central won at Pattonville, 62-52 on Feb. 19, McCluer North won at Hazelwood Central, 37-33 on Jan. 14 and Pattonville won at home over McCluer North, 44-39 on Jan. 24.

In Boys Basketball Hazelwood Central (21-5 prior to March 4) won the Suburban North Conference title (7-0), won the St. John Vianney Jerry Boeckman Invitational and the Meramec Tournament during the Christmas break and was second to Lafayette at the Ameritime Classic. McCluer North (6-1 Suburban North, 18-7 prior to March 4) won the St. Francis Borgia Thanksgiving Tournament Blue Division.