Tourney schedule, predictions
Of the 51 teams in District 11 only four have opted out of the district girls basketball tournament — Easton and Stroudsburg (6A), Executive Education (3A) and Schuylkill Haven (2A).
Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Northampton Division champ Nazareth is the No. 1 seed in 6A, Bangor is the top seed in 5A, Colonial League champ Northwestern Lehigh is the top-seed in Class 4A, Notre Dame is No. 1 in 3A, Mahanoy Area is top seed in 2A and Nativity BVM is Class A’s No. 1 seed.
Only the champions advance to PIAA play this season. Nazareth (6A), Blue Mountain (5A), Bethlehem Catholic (4A), North Schuylkill (3A), Mahanoy Area (2A) and Nativity (A) won last year’s championships.
The PIAA mandated that Bethlehem Catholic move up to Class 5A this season while North Schuylkill has gone from 3A to 4A.
Here’s a look at the schedule with predictions for the semifinal round and championship game in the top four classes.
Class 6A First round, Tuesday
(12) Dieruff (1-10) at (5) Northampton (6-6), 7 p.m.
(11) Allen (2-11) at (6) Whitehall (9-8), 7 p.m.
(10) Liberty (2-8) at (7) Freedom (4-6), 7 p.m.
(9) Pleasant Valley (3-7) at (8) Emmaus (4-7), 7 p.m. Quarterfinals, Thursday Emmaus/Pleasant Valley at (1) Nazareth (13-1), 7 p.m. Northampton/Dieruff at (4)
Pocono Mountain East (7-3), 7 p.m.
Freedom/Liberty at (2) Parkland (13-2), 5 p.m.
Whitehall/Allen at (3) Pocono Mountain West (11-2), 5 p.m. Semifinals, March 8
Final, March 11 at PPL Center Predictions: Semifinals, Nazareth 52, Northampton 46; Parkland 43, PMW 28. Final, Nazareth 44, Parkland 38.
Class 5A
Quarterfinals, Wednesday
(7) East Stroudsburg North (1-9) at (2) Bethlehem Catholic (5-7), 7 p.m.
(6) Blue Mountain (6-11) at (3) Southern Lehigh (6-7), 7 p.m.
(5) Pottsville (9-13) at (4) East Stroudsburg South (3-7), 5 p.m. Bangor (10-4) is No. 1 seed Semifinals, Saturday
Final, March 9 at PPL Center. Predictions: Semifinals, Bangor 38, Pottsville 33; Bethlehem Catholic 50, Southern Lehigh 35. Final, Bethlehem Catholic 52, Bangor 38.
Class 4A
First round, Wednesday
(9) Saucon Valley (1-12) at (8) Pen Argyl (4-11), 7 p.m.
Quarterfinals, Friday
Pen Argyl/Saucon Valley at (1) Northwestern Lehigh (16-1), 5 p.m. (5) Wilson (7-4) at (4) Jim Thorpe (17-5), 7 p.m.
(7) Lehighton (9-11) at (2) North Schuylkill (18-3), 7 p.m.
(6) Tamaqua (13-9) at (3) Central Catholic (13-3), 5 p.m.
Semifinals, March 8.
Final, March 11 at PPL Center Predictions: Semifinals, Jim Thorpe 58, Northwestern Lehigh 43; North Schuylkill 40, Central
Catholic 36. Final, Jim Thorpe 65 North Schuylkill 64.
Class 3A
Quarterfinals, Thursday
(8) Catasauqua (0-16) at (1) Notre Dame-GP (10-4), 5 p.m.
(5) Salisbury (7-9) at (4) Pine Grove (11-10), 7 p.m.
(7) Panther Valley (5-16) at Palmerton (12-5), 5 p.m.
(6) Northern Lehigh (7-6) at Palisades (8-8), 7 p.m.
Semifinals, Saturday
Final, March 9 at PPL Center. Predictions: Semifinals, Notre Dame-GP 40, Pine Grove 25; Palmerton 44, Palisades 30. Final, Notre Dame-GP 40, Palmerton 36.
Class 2A
Quarterfinals, Saturday
(6) Shenandoah Valley at (3) Tri-Valley, 7 p.m.
(5) Moravian Academy (3-9) at (4) Williams Valley (10-9), 7 p.m.
Semifinals, March 10
Moravian Academy/Williams Valley at (1) Mahanoy Area, 7 p.m. Shenandoah Valley/Tri-Valley at (2) Minersville, 7 p.m.
Final, March 13
At Martz Hall
Class 1A Quarterfinals, Friday
(5) Lincoln Leadership (3-8) at (6) Weatherly (5-16), 7 p.m. Semifinals, March 9
(3) Marian at Salem Christian (2), 7 p.m.
Lincoln Leadership/Weatherly at (1) Nativity BVM, 7 p.m.
Final, March 12
At Martz Hall
Tom Mugavero is a freelance writer.