High school girls basketball tournament capsules

No. 1 Strongsville vs. No. 2 Olmsted Falls

What: Division I Elyria Catholic District final When: 7 p.m., March 1 Where: Elyria Catholic High School, 725 Gulf Road, Elyria For the record: This one is going to be a rematch for the ages. These teams are 15 days removed from a regular season-ending showdown that Olmsted Falls claimed, 54-51, at home. That one was a tight game all the way through, and this one should be the same . ... There is an argument to made that the Bulldogs are the hotter of the two teams right now, topping Berea-Midpark and Strongsville to close out the regular season. Strongsville is obviously still alive, but Berea-Midpark is as well, playing for the Valley Forge District title. In other words, the Bulldogs topped a pair of extremely good teams to enter the postseason, and has kept the momentum going with wins over Amherst, 61-56, and Avon, 54-34, in the playoffs . ... The Bulldogs will need a strong shooting night to claim this one. Look for Sarah Balfour and Clare Kelly to spark the offense as always. Additionally, the defense will have to be on point, as the Mustangs can score with the best of them. ... In reality, neither of these teams deserves to be out at this point, as both are teams that can do some damage in regional play. Unfortunately, that’s the nature of the tournament. Settle in for a good game, as this one is as close to a toss-up as the Elyria Catholic District has seen this year.

Behm’s pick: Olmsted Falls

No. 1 Cloverleaf vs. No. 2 Bay

What: Division II Elyria District final When: 7 p.m., March 1 Where: Elyria High School, 601 Middle Ave., Elyria For the record: This matchup is what makes tournament play great. So often in Divisions I and II, you see regular season and conference rematches left and right. Not with this one. This is the first time these teams have met in years, so it truly is a game where the winner is the better team, not the one which better adjusted from a previous matchup. And that only benefits the winner, as that is exactly what regional play is about . ... With that being said, on paper, this game screams Cloverleaf. The Colts are 22-2 and haven’t lost in over a month. Cloverleaf features a talented senior in Helaina Limas, who is averaging 21.5 points per game. Shut her down, and it’s a good start, but junior McKenna Jordan and senior Lisa Wangler are more than capable of picking up the slack. And, even if Limas is unable to score, she is great at making her presence felt on the defensive end, averaging 5.3 steals per game . ... That’s just what the paper reveals about the Colts, though. The thing that appears to be the key to defeating Cloverleaf is defense. The Colts can score in droves, breaking the 50-point barrier in 19 of their 24 games. When they are kept below 50, though, the Colts are 5-2. Luckily for the Rockets, defense is one of their strong suits, keeping 19 of their 24 opponents below 50 points for a season average of 39.9 points per game against . ... If the defense is strong and the Rockets’ offense gets a quick start via players such as junior Maddie Edgerly and senior Halle Orr, the Rockets stand a strong chance of not only competing in their first district final since 2015, but also advancing to regional play for the first time since 2006.

Behm’s pick: Bay Behm’s record: 25-3