The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
SECTIONAL GIRLS BASKETBALL CAPSULES
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(9) Columbia vs. (1) Elyria Catholic
What: Division III North Ridgeville District sectional final When: Feb. 23, 1 p.m. Where: Elyria Catholic High School, 725 Gulf Road, Elyria Records: Elyria Catholic 18-4, Columbia 10-12 On deck: The winner advances to a district semifinal where it will face the winner of Lutheran WestTrinity. For the record: Columbia topped PAC rival Keystone, 34-26, on the road to keep its season alive, but its reward is a date with reigning state semifinalist and No. 1 seed Elyria Catholic . ... The Panthers have arguably one of the top allaround lineups in the area led by senior Faith Williams, and have had their minds set on a trip back to Columbus after a tough loss to Versailles in the final four last season . ... Columbia is not lacking in talent, however, and can keep this matchup relatively competitive if it plays as good of defense as it did against Keystone in the first round, but the Raiders appear to be simply out-matched in this one. McNees’ pick: Elyria Catholic
(5) Lutheran West vs. (4) Trinity
What: Division III North Ridgeville District sectional final When: Feb. 23, 1 p.m. Where: Trinity High School, 12425 Granger Road, Garfield Heights Records: Lutheran West 18-3, Trinity 14-6 On deck: The winner advances to a district semifinal where it will face the winner of No. 9 ColumbiaNo. 1 Elyria Catholic. For the record: This game features two fairly evenly-matched teams, so home-court advantage might end up being a deciding factor . ... Lutheran West hasn’t lost a game since a six-point loss on Jan. 9 at rival Fairview, while Trinity has lost three of its last four games. ... The teams have faced similar opponents over the course of the regular season and the Longhorns have posted a larger margin of victory in those games. Despite playing on Trinity’s home court, the slight edge goes to Lutheran West in the sectional final. McNees’ pick: Lutheran West
(6) Wellington vs. (3) Kirtland
What: Division III North Ridgeville District sectional final When: Feb. 23, 1 p.m. Where: Kirtland High School, 9150 Chillicothe Road, Kirtland Records: Wellington 16-6, Kirtland 17-5 On deck: The winner advances to a district semifinal where it will face the winner of No. 7 Lutheran East-No. 2 Independence. For the record: Wellington is the lower-seeded team but shouldn’t be overlooked in this tough sectional final matchup. The Dukes are coming off a 54-19 win in the first round over No. 11 Wickliffe in a game where they moved the ball effectively and dominated on the boards. They’ll have to match that effort, though, against No. 3 Kirtland. The Hornets present a far bigger challenge defensively and Wellington will have to find a way to break their pressure. McNees’ pick: Kirtland
(5) Lake Ridge vs. (4) Lake Center Christian
What: Division IV Norwayne District sectional final When: Feb. 23, 1 p.m. Where: Lake Center Christian School, 12893 Kaufman Avenue NW, Hartville Records: Lake Ridge 9-12, Lake Center Christian 12-8 On deck: The winner advances to a district semifinal where it will face the winner of No. 8 MapletonNo. 1 Dalton. For the record: Lake Ridge is coming off a dominating win in the first round in which it held No. 12 Our Lady of the Elms to a mere 16 points, but a sectional final victory against Lake Center Christian will not come nearly as easy. The Tigers boast a pair of guards in Kennedy Haubert and Hannah Mang who average a combined 38.4 points per game and keeping them in check will be a tall order for the fifth-seeded Royals.