Nevis, Park Rapids and Menahga will open the section girls basketball playoffs with home games.
Nevis received the No. 8 seed in the West half of Section 5A and will host No. 9 Bertha-Hewitt on Friday night (Feb. 21) at 7 p.m. at the Tiger Arena. Nevis (7-18) defeated B-H (3-20) 57-32 on Jan. 16. The winner of that game travels to face No. 1 Walker-Hackensack-Akeley (23-2) at Walker on Thursday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. W-H-A was rated No. 3 in last week’s state Class A poll.
The other first-round game in the West on Feb. 21 pits No. 7 Browerville/Eagle Valley (8-15) against No. 10 Laporte (0-22) with the winner playing at No. 2 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (15-9) on Feb. 27. The other games on Feb. 27 will have No. 4 Sebeka (14-11) hosting No. 5 Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg (13-12) and No. 3 Pine River-Backus (15-10) hosting No. 6 Verndale (9-15).
East Central (18-7), Ogilvie (13-9), Braham (13-11) and Onamia (13-11) are the top seeds in the East half of Section 5A. Menahga defeated B-B-E 46-39 in last year’s Section 5A championship game.
Both Park Rapids and Menahga received No. 4 seeds and will begin the Section 8AA tournament at home on Thursday, Feb. 27.
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Park Rapids (12-13) received the No. 4 seed in the North and will host No. 5 Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (8-16) at 7 p.m. at the Area High School gym. Park Rapids edged D-G-F 56-53 on Jan. 27. The winner of that game will most likely play Fergus Falls (21-4), the No. 1 seed in the South, at Concordia College at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 29. Fergus Falls will host the winner of the Feb. 21 game between No. 8 Wadena-Deer Creek (14-12) and No. 9 Staples-Motley (7-19) on Feb. 27. Fergus Falls was rated No. 2 in last week’s state Class AA poll.
Menahga (19-7) received the No. 4 seed in the South and will host No. 5 Frazee (13-11) at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27. Frazee edged the Braves 48-46 on Dec. 7. The winner of that game will most likely face Hawley at Concordia College on Saturday, Feb. 29, at 1 p.m.
The other play-in game on Feb. 21 will see Warroad (the No. 8 seed in the North with a 3-22 record) hosting No. 9 Bagley (0-26) with the winner advancing to play at No. 1 Hawley (19-5) on Feb. 27. The other games in the North on Feb. 27 will find No. 3 Crookston (19-6) hosting No. 6 East Grand Forks (10-15) and No. 2 Roseau (20-6) hosting No. 7 Thief River Falls (6-19). In the South on Feb. 27, No. 2 Pelican Rapids (24-0) hosts No. 7 Barnesville (12-13) and No. 3 Perham (16-9) hosts No. 6 Breckenridge (15-10). Pelican Rapids was rated No. 5 in last week’s state Class AA poll.
Concordia will host the next rounds on Saturday, Feb. 29, with other games at 2:45 p.m. and 6 p.m. Concordia will also host the section semifinals on March 4 at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Concordia or Crookston will host the section championship game on March 6 at 7 p.m.
Roseau defeated Crookston 73-58 in last year’s Section 8AA title game.
